Platte County’s Taylore Lavery hopes a breakout performance changes the trajectory of a short career.
A second-year senior, Lavery made a strong run to a fourth-place finish at 125 pounds in the Council Bluffs Classic this past Friday and Saturday at Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The Pirates medaled five total and finished seventh out of 35 teams from seven different states in a strong display of the team’s increased depth.
Platte County filled 13 of 14 weight classes, and all but three reached the Gold Bracket. In addition to Lavery, senior Madeleine Stone (third, 235), freshman Harper Golden (fifth, 105), junior Charley Sims (sixth, 115) and Giada Cucchiara (eighth, 135) also reached the podium.
Stone placed third for a second time in three-early season tournaments for Platte county featuring a deep collection of talent. She reached the semifinals again, just like in the previous weekend’s Jay Border Wars.
Going 5-1 overall, Stone recorded five pins — all three in pool competition during the first period. The loss came to Haley Armstrong of Atlantic (Iowa) in a back-and-forth match that ended in the second period.
Stone took a 7-0 lead in the first period, but Armstrong fought off her back and dominated the second. She recorded a pin in 3 minutes, 44 seconds and went on to win the tournament with a fall in the first period of the championship match.
Stone came back to pin Abbey Dannelly of Millard South (Nebraska) and Ali Edwards of Grand Island (Nebraska) in the consolation semifinals and third-place match. Both came in the second period.
While Stone continued her quick progression in a transition from swimming to wrestling, Lavery put up the best performance of her career and seemingly benefitting from a move down in weight classes. She went 2-0 with two pins in pool to receive a No. 1 seed and then recorded two more falls to start her run in the bracket.
Lavery lost 13-1 to Brynn Lowe of Blue Valley Southwest (Kansas) in the semifinals and then went scoreless in a 2-0 decision victory for Josie Clouse of Gardner-Edgerton (Kansas) in the third-place match. Lowe went on to finish second.
Stone qualified for state and went 1-2 in the Class 2 MSHSAA Wrestling Championships as a junior, while Lavery made the second day of District 4 competition at 145. She showed flashes of potential and now hopes to build on the Council Bluffs Classic momentum.
One of two promising freshmen with youth experience, Golden showed resolve after a first round loss in the Gold Bracket. She entered as a No. 1 seed out of pool, but Nicole Kuta of Lincoln East (Nebraska) won a 4-3 decision to advance.
Golden went into the consolation side and won four straight matches to finish fifth. She came up with a pair of pins and then held on for a 3-2 decision over Cierra Elderbaum of Lewis Central (Iowa).
After a takedown late in the first period, Golden didn’t score again and survived 2 minutes in the third in the neutral position. Elderbaum’s lone points came on a reversal in the second period.
Golden wrestled at 100 in the first tournament of the year and should be at that weight much of the season, especially once the extra weight allowance kicks ins.
Coming out of pool with a 2-1 record, Sims made a similar run to Golden’s in the 115 bracket. She scored a pair of reversals in a first round bracket match but ended up pinned against Symantha Cheek of Plattsmouth (Nebraska). Cherek ended up finishing seventh.
Sims won three straight consolation matches — the most dramatic a 4-0 decision in tiebreakers over Sage Peterson of Gardner-Edgerton to reach the fifth-place match. A second-year junior also known as a track standout, Sims went 5-3 overall after a 3-0 decision loss to Samara Baker of Lincoln East (Nebraska) in the place match.
A third-year senior who missed all of last season rehabbing a torn ACL suffered in offseason soccer, Cucchiara joined Stone as double medalists this season.
Cucchiara ended up eighth at 135 after finishing second in her pool and reaching the quarterfinals of the Gold Bracket. She lost four matches against opponents who finished third, fifth, sixth and seventh.
In the seventh-place match, Cucchiara, a state qualifier as a sophomore, lost a 3-1 decision in overtime tiebreakers to Ruby Ryan of Papillion La Vista (Nebraska).
Platte County junior Karrington Friddell (10th, 110), freshman Ava Blankenship (11th, 145), senior Alivia Juarez (12th, 170) and junior Nicole Fernadez (ninth, 190) also made the Gold Bracket. Fernandez dropped her quarterfinal and second-round wrestle back back-to-back to fall out of medal contention after winning her pool with a pair of pins.
