Platte County sends 4 to state, highlighted with Sims’ inspired run to district title

Charley Sims belatedly took notice of the scoreboard, and beneficial urgency seemed to set in at just right the time.

Trailing by a point with time running down in the third period, Platte County’s star senior took a shot and initiated a scramble in the 115-pound championship match of the Class 2 District 4 tournament Saturday afternoon at Pirate Fieldhouse. She ended up on top with a takedown to provide the decisive points in a 5-3 decision over No. 1-seeded North Kansas City senior Anh Ngo.

Not only did Sims spring the upset and avenge a pair of prior losses, she also became just the fifth district champion in Platte County’s program history despite nearly letting time run out.

“She usually knows the score, but this time, maybe not,” Platte County veteran coach Reggie Burress said. “But you know what? She attacked when she had to, fought through that scramble and became a district champ.”

Platte County ended up sixth out of 21 teams despite having just 11 wrestlers in the lineup, and four total qualifiers for the Class 2 MSHSAA Wrestling Championships marks the second-most in a single season, coming up just one shy of the five sent to state in 2023. The Pirates lost seven seniors from a year ago when they just missed a team district title.

Sims and sophomore Ava Blankenship (third, 135 pounds) joined KayLyn Munn, Sarina Bertram, EmmaLyn Burnett and Giada Cuchiarra — the first four district champions in program history — as the only Platte County wrestlers to qualify for state multiple times, while senior Gabriella Ciccarelli (120 pounds) and freshman Ariel Humphreys (100 pounds) both finished fourth to earn their first trips.

“We wrestled well today,” Burress said. “I couldn’t be prouder of the girls who work hard every day and bring the effort.”

One of five seniors in this year’s lineup, Sims took another big step in an already accomplished three-year career. She missed a state berth by one win as a sophomore before reaching the district final at 115 last season.

Sims recorded a pair of first period falls to reach the semifinals and then dominated a 5-1 decision over Lee’s Summit North sophomore Avery Edwards (43-7) to guarantee a second straight state berth and set up a third career meeting with Ngo, a defending district champion at 110.

Seeded second, Sims fell behind 3-0 in the opening seconds of the first period but didn’t realize the official awarded a takedown in a quick sequence where she immediately broke away from Ngo. Instead, an escape in the second period became what Sims believed to be the only point scored.

Sims realized in the final minute she trailed 3-2, rather than being ahead 1-0, that led to the deciding takedown with 34 seconds on the clock.

“I was kind of just like if I get it, I get it. If I don’t, I fought hard and at least I tried to take a shot,” said Sims, who finished sixth at state last season to extend Platte County’s streak to six straight years with at least one state medalist. “We were in the middle of it, and I was like I can do this; I can do this; I want this, and yeah, it just worked out.”

Ngo won a 7-1 decision over Sims in the KC Stampede championship bout in December. The only other meeting between the two happened at districts in 2024 in a 115 consolation semifinal with Ngo’s 2-0 decision sending her to state and ending Sims’ first season.

This time around, Sims came up with the decisive takedown in a pressure situation to earn her 100th career victory while building momentum in a season that started with a loss by fall in a dual with Kearney.

“I think definitely keeping a positive mindset. Obviously, putting in work in the weight room, wrestling room — all those things. Staying positive and knowing what I want to do,” Sims said of the key to her progression.

Blankenship continued a path toward joining Munn, a 2022 state champion, as the only four-time state qualifier in Platte County’s program history.

Seeded fourth and still down a weight in wake of the season-ending injury to freshman sister Mattie Blankenship, Ava Blankenship still hasn’t wrestled a more than 1:37 in any of her five career district matchups and went to the second period for the first time in Saturday’s third-place match. She finished 3-1 on the weekend and now owns some momentum going into her second state tournament.

“(Blankenship) wrestled really well this weekend. I think she felt confidence, and we’ve been trying to talk to her about that,” Burress said. “I think that’s one of the biggest things. I think early in the year she was wearing herself out mentally before matches. She was tired before she got on the mat. You could see that. She didn’t do that this weekend.”

Ava Blankenship (36-19) received the No. 5 seed in the bracket after an up-and-down followup campaign to a breakout freshman season. However, she pinned fourth-seeded Staley sophomore Allison Heins in just 10 seconds to reach the semifinal, which resulted in a first period pin for Fort Osage freshman and eventual district champion Jauzlyean Gray (45-2) in the match that went 1:37.

Kicked to the backside, Ava Blankenship pinned Grain Valley freshman Addy Burch in just 29 seconds in a unique matchup. Mattie Blankenship suffered a torn UCL in a match with Burch doing a dual last month, and Ava Blankenship subsequently moved down to 135 with her sister’s season coming to an end. Ava Blankenship then pinned Heins for the second time in the third-place match, this time in 1:22 at the start of the second period.

Last year, Ava Blankenship became Platte County’s second-ever freshman state qualifier but wrestled less than 2 minutes total in an unexpected scenario where she pinned her first opponent and then received a bye into the finals after her semifinal opponent failed to make weight on the second day of the tournament.

Ava Blankenship finished as a 2025 district runnerup and then went 0-2 in her first trip to state while gaining valuable experience.

“I know the gist of it. I know how it’s going to be,” Ava Blankenship said.

Without Mattie Blankenship as another state hopeful, Platte County ended up with 114 1/2 points and couldn’t keep up with the individual finalists from a top five of Fort Osage (180 1/2), Staley (155 1/2), Liberty (152) and Oak Park (117). Fort Osage, which won a second straight team title, put five in the championship matches, while the other four all had at least two.

Platte County went just 1-3 in the semifinals.

Ava Blankenship and Humphreys both recovered from losses to reach the third-place matches while senior Nicole Fernandez went 2-2 overall in the 235 bracket and missed a first state by berth by just one win for the second time in her career. Ciccarelli took the most adventurous route to earning a district medal after going unseeded at 120 and bouncing back from a quarterfinal loss to win three straight consolation matches.

Platte County advanced 10 to the second day of the tournament, and nine wrestlers won at least one match. In addition to Fernandez, the Pirates also put sophomore Harper Golden (110) into the consolation semifinals for a second straight year.

“Are there some matches we’d like to have back or some matchups we’d like to have back? Yeah, that’s part of it,” Burress said.

Ciccarelli’s first of two losses in the 120 bracket came to second-seeded Park Hill South junior and eventual district champion Abigail Monaco, who ended up recording a pin with 11 seconds left in the match.

However, Ciccarelli dominated her next three consolation matches with two pins and a 19-2 technical fall. She led fourth-seeded Liberty North sophomore Breana Wu 10-2 in their consolation semifinal before recording a fall just 10 seconds into the third period to advance to state.

A staple in the Platte County lineup for the past four years, Ciccarelli (38-19) made the most of a final chance in what slowly became a breakout senior season.

“Just works hard, comes to practice every day expecting to get better,” Burress said. “She’s gotten pretty good to sticking to the game plan.”

Humphreys advanced to state despite winning just one of three total matches. She didn’t wrestle Friday after her quarterfinal opponent opted to medially forfeit.

On Saturday morning, Lee’s Summit West senior Kinley Harker pinned Humphreys in 1:37 to advance to the 100 final. Humphreys came back to earn her 50th win of the season with another win over Fort Osage freshman Lexi Newman to assure a state spot.

That set up a rematch with Blue Springs junior Aubrey Schaefer in the third-place match. Humphreys (50-10) won an 11-5 decision in their previous meeting during a January dual, but a big adjustment in style helped Schaefer build an early lead and win a 14-4 major decision.

“You know what, if you’ve never seen her wrestle before and get her first round, you better be ready,” Burress said of Humphreys’ potential moving forward to state.

Fernandez and Golden came agonizingly close to increasing Platte County’s state contingent and tying or breaking the school record for qualifiers.

Another fourth-year senior, Fernandez started strong while unseeded in the 235 bracket. She won a 3-1 decision over Grain Valley sophomore Aubrie Boos to avenge a prior loss then again recorded the lone takedown in an upset of fourth-seeded North Kansas City junior Arika Miller.

The two decision victories on Friday put Fernandez in the semifinals against Liberty senior Alexis Stinson (43-0), a two-time defending state champion who went on to win another district title. She needed 1:22 to pin Fernandez and then just 25 seconds to win the finals bout over Fort Osage sophomore Hali Windes.

However, Fernandez then faced off with Oak Park junior Cerina Woods in the consolation semifinals in a tough draw. The No. 3 seed, Woods led in the second period but ended up pinned in an upset quarterfinal loss to Truman sophomore A’Nyla Davis.

Woods pinned Fernandez (23-20) in the second period and then went on to avenge the prior loss to Davis in the third-place match.

“Nicole had some great wins. Sometimes those put you in a tougher spot, but you just have to wrestle,” Burress said. “She came up just short.”

Golden competed in perhaps the deepest bracket and opened with a pin of Park Hill South freshman Annalies Monaco but dropped a 13-2 major devision to third-seeded Staley senior A’Shay White in quarterfinals. White improved to 3-0 against Golden this season.

In the first of three consolation matches, Golden gave up the opening takedown but eventually pinned Lee’s Summit senior Meki Baslee in the second period. Golden then earned a 6-0 decision over Central (St. Joseph) sophomore Emmilynn Loubey to reach the the consolation semifinals for the second time after losing in that round as a freshman at 105.

Lee’s Summit North junior Grace Cronk entered after injury defaulting her semifinal but didn’t show any limitations in a 9-0 major decision over Golden (39-20). White pinned Cronk in the third-place match.

“It was very deep here,” Burress said. “I just looked at some results, and a girl from Belton (that Golden) beat was in the finals in District 3 bracket. They’re not always equal; they’re not always fair but you have to play the hand your dealt.”

Platte County also saw the career of seniors Karrington Friddell and Anna Wiesehan. Friddell went 1-2 at 105, while Wiesehan split four matches at 130 after both previously had seasons end one win away from state. Katelyn Newberry concluded an impressive first-year sophomore season for the Pirates in the same round as Friddell and Wiesehan.

Those three losses left Platte County with six wrestlers still alive and that dwindled to four for the place matches.

Burress received special recognition after the finals march, honoring his 29 years with the program — the past 13 as head coach. This marked his final time in the corner chairs at his home facility as he prepares to retire following this season.

“That’s a good point. I never thought about it quite like that, but I think it’s starting to sink in a bit more,” Burress said.