NEWS REPORT

On Saturday at Tates Creek High School, 28 teams from all across Kentucky brought over 150 girls together to make history. The Centre Parkway Classic was the first sanctioned female wrestling tournament in state history. Bell County wrestlers had a solid outing at the tournament with the team placing third finishing only behind the past two state champions.  Harrison County was first with 194 points, Taylor County followed with 188 and Bell had 101 points.

Alexis Holman led the Bobcats by winning the 126-pound weight class. Following a first round bye, she defeated Madison Southern’s Allison Mendez with a last second pin.  In the semi finals she pinned Isabella Bryant from Harrison County in only 22 seconds.  Then in the finals, it took her three minutes to pin Laila Pinkston of Highlands.

Bell County also had freshman Jojo Inman reach the finals in the heavyweight division where she lost by pin fall to Harrison’s Makayla Zumwalt giving her a runner up finish in only her first high school tournament.

Grace Helton won twice to advance to the semifinals before losing in the consolation rounds.  She defeated Victoria Williams of Madison Southern and Bullitt East’s Noxie Melton with pins. Hannah Fetters and Keira Good also advanced to the semifinals. Fetters defeated Payton Turner from Boyle by disqualification and Leeah Yates from Ashland by pin before losing to Abbie Oliver from Taylor County in the third-place match of the 138-pound weight class. Good defeated Lafayette’s, Anna Reyes with a pin in the 100-pound weight class. She also defeated Isabella Hernden of Whitley County on her way to claiming fourth place.

Outside of the four medalists, senior Shelby Collins turned in an outstanding performance with two pins before losing to two of the state’s top ranked wrestlers in the 114-pound class.  Eight grader McKenzie Webb also had two solid wins by pin. Seventh grader Kylie Elliot earned her first win when she pinned her consolation quarterfinal opponent.

Eighth graders Alivia Reed and Ireland Stegal rounded out the third place Bobcats.

The Bobcats return to action along with the boys on Tuesday at 7 at Barbourville High School where they will wrestle team duals with Barbourville and Lynn Camp.