Clarksville Academy's Ty Bryant wins TSSAA girls wrestling state title after illegal slam
FRANKLIN – Ty Bryant's body spread out on the wrestling mat as she lay motionless.
The Clarksville Academy senior had just been slammed to the mat, her shoulders and head hitting the ground, in the waning moments of the TSSAA 132-pound girls state championship match by Gibbs' Haley Redmond. When she finally began to move, her coaches, medical personnel and wrestling referees hovered around her.
Bryant was declared the 132-pound girls state champion Saturday when medical personnel decided Bryant was unable to complete the match, which was in the third period. Bryant was trailing 5-1 when the slam occurred.
Bryant was a finalist at 132 pounds in 2022 and was sixth at 140 pounds in 2021. Redmond finished third at 132 pounds in 2022, second in 2022 and sixth at 119 pounds in 2020.
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"The call was an illegal slam," said TSSAA assistant director Joe Blair, who was a former wrestling coach at Brentwood. "When that occurs, you go through the recovery process. Trainers evaluate. Based on the condition of the athlete, if they can't continue, the rule says that athlete is the winner because she can't continue because something illegally happened."
The decision was met with loud boos from Gibbs' fan base.
However, Bryant was still extremely woozy more than 30 minutes after the match during the medal presentation. Two female wrestlers assisted in getting Bryant to the medal stand and helped her to the top spot. Blair and executive director Mark Reeves helped her off the medal stand afterward.
Clarksville Academy coaches then helped her to an elevator and to the top level of the Williamson County Ag Expo Center where Bryant took a couple photos with friends before motioning with her hand that she was done.
"She's doing a little bit better," Clarksville Academy coach Nick Williamson said. "She's still really, really dizzy. It's heartbreaking for a coach to watch. She's a four-year wrestler and two-time state finalist. To have the outcome the way it happened.
"She's a tough wrestler. She's always gone hard."
This article originally appeared on Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: TSSAA wrestling: Ty Bryant wins first state title after being illegally slammed
