Taylor County girls wrestling reigns supreme, Woodford County earns 2 titles at state meet

Taylor County girls wrestling head coaches Spencer Adams and Angie Vitiritti had one message for their Region 4 championship-winning roster ahead of the inaugural KHSAA girls wrestling state championship tournament — the battle’s not yet won.

“We had to make sure that they knew that the job wasn’t done after regionals,” Vitiritti said. “We won regionals by almost 100 points, and I wanted to make sure that they knew that we weren’t satisfied with just winning regionals. We had to win state. We still had to get the job done.”

Taylor County’s margin of victory at the state championship, 23.5 points, might not be as flashy as that of its region championship, but according to Adams, it demonstrates just how determined the team is.

“We’ve worked hard, so it’s not like we don’t expect to win,” Adams said. “Because, you know, the girls deserve it. They’ve worked their butts off all year. But you just never know until it happens. And it just feels great.”

Both Viteritti and Adams were varsity wrestlers themselves at NAIA Campbellsville University, and Adams returned to coach the Cardinals in 2021 — his first time leading Taylor County was 2012-13 — after establishing the first wrestling programs at both St. Catherine College and Bellarmine University. The coaching duo’s leadership of the Taylor County girls has catapulted the Cardinals into the conversation of Kentucky wrestling powers.

Taylor County made noise across the Bluegrass State last year with its dethroning of reigning champion Harrison County at the Kentucky Wrestling Coaches Association Girls Wrestling State Championship. Taylor County’s achievement marked the first time in three years Harrison County didn’t come out on top in that event. And now, in the KHSAA-sanctioned era of the rapidly growing sport, Taylor County extended its victory lap.

“There wasn’t any doubt in my mind that we weren’t going to pull this off,” Vitiritti said. “I mean, it’s been the goal since we started this season, since we won it last year. So just every day it’s been, ‘We’re winning state. We’re winning state,’ so I don’t think any of them ever didn’t believe that this was gonna happen.”

Eleven wrestlers represented the Cardinals at the state meet, with seven receiving medals on the way to a true team victory.

Junior Kaylyn Lawson (185) and senior Alayna Venegas (285) posted the best finishes of the day for Taylor County, each placing second in their divisions. Junior Shelby Clayton (114) and senior Ava Sweet (120) each took home fourth-place medals, and sophomore Rialee Boyd (100), junior Abbie Oliver (132) and freshman Nastaja Cooper (145) each placed fifth.

“I think that the thing that we value most on our team is having heart,” Vitiritti said. “These kids, they wrestle for each other. … They love each other so much. They have so much heart, and they win matches they shouldn’t win just because they want it so much more than the others.”

The KHSAA named 13 individual state champions from 11 different schools on Saturday at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena in Lexington. Harrison County finished second to Taylor County in the team standings, with seven top-eight finishers. Fort Campbell and Union County tied for third with 98.5 points apiece.

BOYLE COUNTY’S BRIGHT FUTURE

Boyle County eighth grader and 114-pound state champion Lyla Smith was the youngest division winner of the meet after defeating Ballard freshman Juliette Ruiz by major decision (13-2). Smith finished the season 21-2.

“Before (Ruiz) has beaten me,” Smith said, “and just getting back there and taking that win back felt really good.”

Smith only started wrestling last year but loves the camaraderie.

“I love my team,” Smith said. “And just the sport, it just feels like home.”

Boyle County head coach Seth Lucas was proud of Smith’s adjustments following her loss to Ruiz earlier in the season, and the growth and maturity those adjustments displayed.

“All of (the Boyle County coaches) have put so much time and effort and poured into her,” Lucas said. “And just her effort every day in practice, whether she’s going with one of the guys or one of her girl teammates, I’m just proud of her. I know we’re proud of her. We’re proud to have our first Boyle County state wrestling champ for female wrestling.”

Following her exit from the top of the podium, Smith’s coaches surrounded her and showered her with hugs. But the support in Boyle County wrestling goes both ways, as evidenced by Smith’s encouragement of her head coach in the middle of Lucas’ interview after the match.

“She’s giving me the thumbs up,” Lucas said with a laugh. “I’m super excited and I think the future for Boyle County girls wrestling is very bright.”

WOODFORD COUNTY SUCCESS

Woodford County sent two qualifiers to the state championship tournament in junior Lacey Gilbert (126) and senior Lauren Walton (132), and they both took home first-place medals. Gilbert and Walton are the only 2024 KHSAA girls wrestling individual state champions from the same school.

Gilbert got the Yellow Jackets off to a great start in the 126 finals matchups with her pin of runner-up Thea Bober-McDonald of Fort Campbell. Gilbert won in a swift 1 minute and 10 seconds — “getting the takedown fast and straight to the pin,” was what she was most proud of.

Woodford County head coach Coty Lewis, who sported a T-shirt with both Gilbert and Walton’s names and divisions on the back, was extremely proud of Gilbert’s effort in her state matches, noting her impressive execution.

“Everything that we have been working on in this whole tournament,” Lewis said, “she has listened, she has learned, and she executed very well. The first-round pin, she’s been pinning people and tech falling all tournament long. And that just stamped it right there at the end.”

Gilbert, who finished her season with an undefeated record of 17-0, said she attributes her consistency on the mat to her focus on becoming the best she can be.

“Always working hard in the room and always pushing to my farthest ability,” Gilbert said.

Walton, who holds offers and interest from more than 20 colleges and universities, capped her high school career with a pin of Union County senior Drew Sprague in just 51 seconds to take the 132 division. Walton finished a year spent battling injury with a 7-0 record. She was also named the Orville Williams Most Outstanding Wrestler.

“I think it’s really good,” Walton said. “Especially with the injuries I’ve battled just this year, took away me wrestling the boys, which is what I wanted to do, but I think it’s still really good finishing the season like this.”

When asked what she liked the most about her state championship-winning performance, Walton cited Gilbert’s victory as the reason for the momentum shifting Woodford County’s way.

“My teammate had just won before me,” Walton said. “And she really had me hyped up because it was her first title. So I was super excited for her, so she kind of got the momentum going.”

This marked Walton’s third individual state title, and first under KHSAA sanction. Lewis said Walton stands out as an athlete for many reasons.

“There’s a lot of stuff that goes into that,” Lewis said. ”But just the drive she has. The 5 a.m. weightlifting, the 5 a.m. running. The practices, the late-night practices, everything. Yes, we won a state title, this is her third one. And we’re very proud of her. She has bigger goals, and she is ready to accomplish those. World titles, and I see that in her near future. She has a very bright future ahead of her.”

A BITTERSWEET 152 MATCH

The 152 division — a matchup between seniors Naomi Santiago of Henderson County and Sierra Young of Madison Southern — was the lone championship match not played out, after Young and Madison Southern coach Brian Bertrand decided it was best to forfeit due to a health issue. Young’s high school wrestling career ends with a KHSAA state runner-up medal and a pair of Kentucky Wrestling Coaches Association state championship medals. Bertrand said he’s most proud of her determination, passion and desire to be the best.

“It was about her health,” Bertrand said. “Her health is more important than any other medal. And so we just looked at that and we’re just proud of her what she has done this season. Three years she wrestled, two-time state champion and runner up. I mean, just keep her head up and we’re proud of her.”

Young’s first two victories of the day were decided by fall, taking down Harrison County freshman Savannah Kennedy in 1 minute and 27 seconds and Fort Campbell sophomore Elizabeth Allen in 2 minutes and 54 seconds. Young reached the championship match with a 10-3 decision over Highlands freshman Emma Hood.

Santiago pinned Eastern junior Elena Fuentes in the opening round before defeating Pike County Central freshman Bralyn Maynard by 12-10 decision in round two. Santiago then beat Newport sophomore Natasha Knight by fall in 2 minutes and 46 seconds to earn a place in the finals.

Young and Santiago hugged immediately post-default, and again atop the podium, sharing the first-place spot together.

“We’re very proud,” Bertrand said. “Especially the girls (wrestling) is growing. This is the first year that it’s been sanctioned, and it’s just grown and grown. And these girls deserve it. Because they work so hard to get where we’re at right now. And it’s just gonna grow from there.”

HOW LEXINGTON WRESTLERS FARED

Lafayette sophomore Elene Niyogushima, who took second place in the 235 division, had the highest finish among Lexington wrestlers. Niyogushima, who finished the year with an 18-11 record, brought Generals fans — some of whom collaborated to spell out ‘ELENE’ painted on their stomachs — to their feet in each of her three contests. Niyogushima ultimately fell in the final match to Central’s Faith Allen (23-1) in 3 minutes and 28 seconds. Allen is just a junior, creating the possibility of a matchup in next year’s state championship tournament.

Lafayette had three additional medalists in seventh-place Aaliyah Davis (120), sixth-place Angelina Temprano (132) and seventh-place Camila Velasco (185).

Henry Clay’s Sianni Appolon was fifth at 165.

2024 STATE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

At the Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena.

Orville Williams Outstanding Wrestler Award: Lauren Walton, Woodford County.

Kentucky Wrestling Coaches Association Girls Coach of the Year: Josh Ashbrook, Harrison County.

TEAM STANDINGS (top 10 plus Lexington teams’ finishes): 1. Taylor County 123.5; 2. Harrison County 100; 3. Fort Campbell 98.5; 3. Union County 98.5; 5. Henderson County 61; 6. Woodford County 59.5; 7. Boyle County 58.5; 8. Lafayette 58; 9. Walton-Verona 54; 10. Central 53; 44. Henry Clay 15; 62. Frederick Douglass 1; 64. Bryan Station 0.

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (Top three finishers and Central Kentucky medalists listed; complete results online at trackwrestling.com):

100 — 1. Emma Moore, Walton-Verona; 2. Payton Pomeroy, Pleasure Ridge Park; 3. Naiya Marie Delos Santos, John Hardin; 5. Rialee Boyd, Taylor County; 6. Sophia Moore, Harrison County.

107 — 1. Tanya Bacon, Union County; 2. Catherine Head, Bardstown; 3. Madyson Votaw, Nelson County; 6. Lilly Nelson, Harrison County.

114 — 1. Lyla Smith, Boyle County; 2. Juliette Ruiz, Ballard; 3. Talynn Clark, Ohio County; 4. Shelby Clayton, Taylor County.

120 — 1. Tatum Millet, Oldham County; 2. Sutton Fuller, Union County; 3. Lillianah DeWitt, Fort Campbell; 4. Ava Sweet, Taylor County; 6. Bailey Fletcher, George Rogers Clark; 7. Aaliyah Davis, Lafayette.

126 — 1. Lacey Gilbert, Woodford County; 2. Thea Bober-McDonald, Fort Campbell; 3. Brailey Jackson, Union County; 8. Isabella Bryant, Harrison County.

132 — 1. Lauren Walton, Woodford County; 2. Drew Sprague, Union County; 3. Raileigh Stewart, Valley; 5. Abbie Oliver, Taylor County; 6. Angelina Temprano, Lafayette; 8. Makyla Folwer, Boyle County.

138 — 1. Sophie Anderson, Walton-Verona; 2. Jeila Ramos-Sanchez, Southern; 3. Aanyah Betancur, George Rogers Clark; 7. Jenny Fortner, Harrison County.

145 — 1. Gabriella Ocasio, Simon Kenton; 2. Jenny Ridley, Harrison County; 3. Kali Nichols, Daviess County; 4. Ava Crouse, Great Crossing; 5. Nastaja Cooper, Taylor County.

152 — 1. Naomi Santiago, Henderson County; 2. Sierra Young, Madison Southern; 3. Bralyn Manard, Pike County Central.

165 — 1. Brooke Arbic, Fort Campbell; 2. Anna Ruiz, Great Crossing; 3. MaKenna Hendricks, Trigg County; 4. Eryah Reese, Madison Central; 5. Sianni Appolon, Henry Clay.

185 — 1. Viktorya Emelianova, Ryle; 2. Kaylyn Lawson, Taylor County; 3. Hailey Jo Butts, Madison Central; 4. Alyssa Pinkston, Boyle County; 7. Camila Velasco, Lafayette; 8. Claudia Mendez, Henderson County.

235 — 1. Faith Allen, Central; 2. Elene Niyogushima, Lafayette; 3. Hayley Young, Madison Southern; 5. Layla Davis, Harrison County; 7. Jasmin Beckham, Henderson County.

285 — 1. Gabby Wilson, Fern Creek; 2. Alayna Venegas, Taylor County; 3. Avery Lytle, Montgomery County; 4. Evelyn Estes, Henderson County; 5. Makayla Zumwalt, Harrison County; 8. Porter Tagarook, Boyle County.