KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The medal round rematches did not go in Platte County’s favor, but the results for senior EmmaLyn Burnett and sophomore Nicole Fernandez were encouraging in a regional tournament featuring top competition from across the country.
Platte County sophomore Nicole Fernandez wrestles in a 190-pound match during the Kansas City Stampede tournament Saturday at Bartle Hall in Kansas City.
Burnett came back from a quarterfinal loss at 125 pounds to finish fourth in the Kansas City Stampede tournament on Saturday at Bartle Hall, while Fernandez’s upset of the No. 2 seed pushed her to sixth place at 190 pounds. The Pirates wound up tied for 18th with North Kansas City in the final team standings out of 46 varsity teams.
In addition to the two medalists, Platte County juniors Annabel Beeman (135), Alivia Juarez (170) and Madeleine Stone (285) all finished out in the consolation side of the championship bracket two wins shy of reaching the top-eight podium.
Seeded sixth in one of the deepest brackets, Burnett reached the quarterfinals with a pair of pins before facing off with third-seeded Millie Hughes of Jefferson (Georgia). Burnett took a 3-2 lead out of the first period after a late takedown then added another in the second period to go up 5-3.
Hughes scored a quick takedown and then scored a pin at 4 minutes, 27 seconds to reach the semifinals.
The only active returning Class 2 MSHSAA Wrestling Championships qualifier on Platte County’s active roster after becoming just the third district champion in program history, Burnett needed to battle back to earn her first medal at Stampede. She did so in dominant fashion with three straight pins, none taking longer than 2:32.
Platte County senior EmmaLyn Burnett prepares for the 125-pound third-place match during the Kansas City Stampede tournament Saturday at Bartle Hall in Kansas City.
That resulted in a rematch with Hughes, who again trailed after the first period of the third-place match.
Burnett finished a takedown with 16 seconds left in the 1-minute opening period and then added two near-fall points early in the second. However, Hughes reversed Burnett to her back and earned the fall at 1:51.
Fernandez continued the impressive opening push to her second season, even though she went 2-3 overall. The wins came in 23 seconds over Mariposa Soto of Bennington (Nebraska) in the second round after a bye and then 4:55 over second-seeded Emily McDaniel of Little Axe (Oklahoma).
Each of Fernandez’s final matches ended with losses by fall to runnerup Ellie Pickett of Smithville in the semifinals, fourth-place finisher Jessie Nelson of Nixa and to McDaniel in the fifth-place match. Fernandez and McDaniel went back-and-forth in a high-scoring quarterfinal, while the rematch ended with Fernandez taken down straight to her back and pinned in 1:25.
Beeman went 3-2 overall, while Juarez won three straight on the consolation side after an opening round loss. Stone received an opening round bye, lost her first match and won two on the consolation side. Both of her losses came to eventual medalists.
Both first-year wrestlers, Beeman and Stone made their debuts at Stampede after joining the team with successful track records in other sports. Beeman is a multiple-time Class 4 MSHSAA Cross Country Championships qualifier while Stone was an honorable mention Class 1 MSHSAA Swimming and Diving Championships all-state performer as a sophomore before switching over.
Platte County junior Alivia Juarez wrestles in a 170-pound match during the Kansas City Stampede tournament Saturday at Bartle Hall in Kansas City.
Wrestlers who took two losses Friday in the straight bracket format were put into “hard luck” pools for the second day to give an opportunity at more matches.
Platte County junior Taylore Lavery ended up placing fourth in that portion of the tournament at 145.
Fort Osage Scramble
Platte County secured nine first-place finishes in Wednesday’s 11-team event in Independence.
With wrestlers divided into pools for round-robin competition, only two matches per wrestler were guaranteed. Platte County sophomore Karrington Friddell beat the only two other wrestlers at 105 by fall to finish first, while junior Adrianna Ciccarelli went 2-0 in the 110B pool. The Pirates also had undefeated performances from sophomore Gwen Duncan (115B), sophomore Charley Sims (120), Burnett (125B), Beeman (135), freshman Mila Cucchiara (140A), Juarez (170C) and Stone (235A).
Burnett wrestled Odessa’ Tori Palmer twice and won a pair of decisions in a two-wrestler pool. Like Beeman and Stone, Sims is in her first year of wrestling after being a standout track sprinter in the spring, and she bounced back from a tough showing at Stampede.
Benton Scramble
Ciccarelli (110B), Sims (120B), Burnett (125A), sophomore Anna Wiesehan (130B) and Stone (235) all won pools in a 17-team event Thursday in St. Joseph.
Interestingly, Ciccarelli won matches over sophomore teammates Gabriella Ciccarelli and Kylee Wilson in a four-wrestler group. Sims recorded three pens, while Burnett needed a 6-2 decision over Minnetonka’s Bailey Sontag to finish atop the 125 weight class. Wiesehan went 2-0, while Stone had three first-period falls.
