‘Wrestling is for everybody.’ Harrison County wins first KHSAA girls Region 3 meet.

Harrison County made history on Saturday when it won the Region 3 championship of the first KHSAA-sanctioned girls wrestling regional.

The Fillies won four of a possible 13 individual titles, had three runners-up and will send 11 wrestlers to the KHSAA Girls State Wrestling Championship on Feb. 17 at Alltech Arena in Lexington — the first KHSAA state championship for girls wrestling since the governing body voted to adopt the sport in February 2023.

“We’ve had a lot of athletes come out (to compete), you know,” Harrison County coach Josh Ashbrook said. “Wrestling is for everybody, and we try to preach that it doesn’t matter how tall, or how big or how small you are, that wrestling is for you. And we’re very inclusive. We want everybody in Harrison County to be a part of the wrestling program. It doesn’t matter your socioeconomic class, male or female, it doesn’t matter.”

Harrison County placed second in last year’s Kentucky Wrestling Coaches Association’s Girls Wrestling State Championships and took home the title the three previous years.

On Saturday, Fillies freshman Lilly Nelson (107), junior Isabella Bryant (126), sophomore Layla Davis (235) — second in her weight class last season — and freshman Makayla Zumwalt (285) won titles. Bryant, new to the Harrison County program, prevailed in a particularly exciting 15-4 victory against Lafayette sophomore Jeanette Asukulu, whom Bryant had split matches with this season.

Bryant said she was most proud that she didn’t give up and “kept on pushing through.”

“She beat me the second time,” Bryant said. “And I wanted to prove myself, see that I could do it. And it worked, and then afterwards I went out there and told her good job and how strong she is.”

Ashbrook said he was confident in Bryant’s ability to win the regional final.

“We had scouted that girl,” Ashbrook said. “And we knew if (Bryant) was, you know, mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually ready to go and prepared for that match that she was going to win. Because she’s so explosive, and she’s very tough.”

Bryant, Nelson, Davis and Zumwalt will be joined at state by runners-up Sophia Moore (100), Allison Dye (114) and Jenny Ridley (145), and top-four finishers Lexi Bowlin (120), Jenny Fortner (138), Savannah Kennedy (152) and Ryleigh Maybrier (185).

LAFAYETTE’S BRIGHT FUTURE

Lafayette finished second at the Region 3 championships, and it will send six athletes total to the state meet.

The Generals’ very own William Green, who also coaches Lafayette’s boys wrestling team, was named the Region 3 Coach of the Year.

“I didn’t expect to get this,” Green said. “But it’s humbling and I just thank God for that opportunity and be able to even reach that standard.”

Ahead of this season — Lafayette’s inaugural season of girls wrestling — Green sent a call to the entire school to get as many students as possible to join the team. When asked what he was most proud of about his group, he said “just coming out and being a part of it.”

“I sent it to just say, ‘Hey, Lafayette. First girls team, you know, history in the making. Let’s go for it,’” Green said. “And they came out and never turned back. And they are hard workers, we didn’t water it down for them. And I’ve had football players that have told me, ‘Coach, y’all work too hard for me.’ So I respect my girls and my guys that are out there. You know, I really do.”

Asukulu (126), Angelina Temprano (132), Camila Velasco (185) and Elene Niyogushima (235) each took second in individual title matches. Top-four finishers Aaliyah Davis (120) and Amy Velasco (145) will round out Lafayette’s roster at the state championship.

TWO AREA CHAMPIONS

Both sophomore Bailey Fletcher (120) of George Rogers Clark and senior Anna Ruiz (165) of Great Crossing brought fans to their feet in their individual title championship matches, relying on their strength and perseverance to earn first-place medals.

Fletcher’s emphasis entering the 120-pound title match against Highlands sophomore Laila Pinkston was on finishing. According to George Rogers Clark coach Chad Grant, Fletcher, “a little spark plug” for the Cardinals’ team, is “one of the most fundamentally technical wrestlers we have.”

“She comes out, she gives 110%,” Grant said. “But just finishing her moves was the piece that we’ve been working on so much. Finishing a shot, following through with your pinning combinations, things like that. And that was really what set her apart today was the fact that she was executing her moves, and really following through with what she had visualized for the past two weeks to prepare for the regional tournament.”

According to Great Crossing assistant coach Heather Orr, Ruiz — who carries a perfect 18-0 record entering the state championships — is another wrestler whose dedication sets her apart.

“Her dedication, she really does try,” Orr said. “She may not fully understand everything that she’s doing sometimes, but she tries and tries again.”

Ruiz’s 165-pound title match against sophomore Henry Clay’s Sianni Appolon lasted longer than she or her coaches expected, but it was Ruiz’s strength and focus that lifted her to victory. Not to mention her boldness, which Orr said she liked to see after the senior entered the match with wavering confidence.

“I like that she actually took some good shots,” Orr said. “Sometimes, especially in women’s wrestling right now, a lot of women are scared to shoot. They’re scared to get stuck under another girl’s hip because, I mean, anatomy-wise, we’re very powerful in our hips …And she took some confidence and she shot, and she made some beautiful shots. I was very proud of her.”

REGION 3 WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Bryan Station High School

Individual state qualifiers listed. Complete results online at trackwrestling.com.

Most outstanding wrestler: Emma Moore, Walton-Verona.

Coach of the year: William Green, Lafayette.

Top 10 teams — 1. Harrison County, 217; 2. Lafayette, 113; 3. Highlands, 97; 4. Simon Kenton, 87; 5. George Rogers Clark, 70; 6. Great Crossing, 56; 7. Walton-Verona, 53; 8. Scott County, 43; 9. Campbell County, 34; 9. Newport, 34.

100 — 1. Emma Moore, Walton-Verona; 2. Sophia Moore, Harrison County; 3. Riece Laughlin, Simon Kenton; 4. Meg Gallagher, Highlands.

107 — 1. Lilly Nelson, Harrison County; 2. Zyler McMillian, Scott County; 3. Nora Payton, West Jessamine; 4. Emily Stephenson, Walton-Verona.

114 — 1. Emily Heilman, Highlands; 2. Allison Dye, Harrison County; 3. Samantha Oliver, Scott County; 4. Allie Smith, Simon Kenton.

120 — 1. Bailey Fletcher, George Rogers Clark; 2. Laila Pinkston, Highlands; 3. Aaliyah Davis, Lafayette; 4. Lexi Bowlin, Harrison County.

126 — 1. Isabella Bryant, Harrison County; 2. Jeanette Asukulu, Lafayette; 3. Asyonnah Ezzard, Bryan Station; 4. Danica Patrick, George Rogers Clark.

132 — 1. Rose Thomas, Conner; 2. Angelina Temprano, Lafayette; 3. Laila Buckley, Frederick Douglass; 4. Mariah Coch, Campbell County.

138 — 1. Sophie Anderson, Walton-Verona; 2. Aanyah Betancur, George Rogers Clark; 3. Jenny Fortner, Harrison County; 4. Rokhaya Temple, Newport.

145 — 1. Gabriella Ocasio, Simon Kenton; 2. Jenny Ridley, Harrison County; 3. Ava Crouse, Great Crossing; 4. Amy Velasco, Lafayette.

152 — 1. Emma Hood, Highlands; 2. Natasha Knight, Newport; 3. Devon Banks, Simon Kenton; 4. Savannah Kennedy, Harrison County.

165 — 1. Anna Ruiz, Great Crossing; 2. Sianni Appolon, Henry Clay; 3. McKenzie Bush, George Rogers Clark; 4. Abby Berling, Highlands.

185 — 1. Viktorya Emelianova, Ryle; 2. Camila Velasco, Lafayette; 3. Ryleigh Maybrier, Harrison County; 4. Mackenzie McGeorge, Great Crossing.

235 — 1. Layla Davis, Harrison County; 2. Elene Niyogushima, Lafayette; 3. Millie Adkins, Henry Clay.

285 — 1. Makayla Zumwalt, Harrison County.