Lady Eagles take runner-up at Wakeeney for season opener

Colby’s girls wrestling program opened its latest campaign with a strong collective showing on Friday, traveling to WaKeeney for the always-deep Christmas City Classic and returning with three individual champions, multiple podium finishes, and a clear sense of where early-season progress is already taking shape. The Lady Eagles displayed energy, conditioning, and competitive intent throughout the day, attributes head coach Andrew Flanagin said were evident from the opening whistle.

“I was happy with our performance overall. I thought we were in good shape for this early in the year, and the girls came out excited and ready to go,” Flanagin said. “A couple of them were disappointed in the day and had some frustrations at how ‘sloppy’ they were. But that’s to be expected for the first meet. There’s plenty of things that need cleaned up, but we will emphasize working on our shot defense, and shot setups. Both of which were a common issue across the board. Just a few small details that need corrected to make a big difference. I know they will respond well and I’m excited to get in front of our home crowd this week.”

The Eagles’ upper weights powered the team’s medal haul, with three wrestlers capturing gold in impressive fashion. At 135 pounds, Morgan Hills opened her season 4-0, using a tech fall, a pin, and an injury-default victory to reach the finals before outlasting Russell’s Mya Trevino in a 14-11 sudden-victory thriller for the championship. Her blend of pressure and scoring proved difficult for opponents to counter throughout the day.

Dallis Stieben looked equally sharp in her debut at 155 pounds, rolling to a 4-0 record behind two first-period falls, a tough 5-3 semifinal decision, and a commanding 11-1 major decision in the title match over Russell’s Aaliyah Trevino. Stieben controlled ties, scored consistently, and closed every match with purpose.

At 170 pounds, Makenzi Rhymer delivered a clean 3-0 run, advancing with a bye before pinning Brooke Minyard in 1:34, then dominating both her semifinal and championship bouts with major-decision wins. Rhymer’s speed provided one of the day’s most complete performances.

Colby also earned strong podium finishes in the lighter and heavier brackets. Adrian Salcido claimed third at 100 pounds, starting with back-to-back pins before dropping decisions in her final two matches. At 115 pounds, Gala White impressed with three consecutive falls on her way to the championship match, finishing runner-up after a tough finals bout.

Another third-place finish came from heavyweight Alana Fabrizius at 190, who opened with a pin, then rebounded from a sudden-victory semifinal loss to record two additional falls in the consolation bracket, securing the bronze with a decisive 4:14 pin in the third-place match.

Several additional Eagles produced competitive early-season efforts. Lux Vrbas (105) battled through the consolation rounds with a pair of victories, including a fall and a 7-1 decision. Ariel Ehlers (110) earned a major-decision win in the quarterfinals, while Faith Hoover (120) and Heidi Gray (125) each picked up falls in their respective brackets. At 130 pounds, Joslyn Bartlett opened with two straight decision wins to reach the semifinals. Perla Hernandez Pena (140) gained valuable mat time in her first outing of the year.

Flanagin noted that while technical cleanup will be a priority this week, the foundation is already in place for a roster with both returning strength and emerging contributors.

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“I know they will respond well,” he said. “And I’m excited to get in front of our home crowd this week.”

The Lady Eagles will now shift focus to their home opener, carrying momentum, promise, and early evidence of a deep roster capable of competing across multiple weight classes as the season builds.

by Derek White