Aubrey Hunt takes state runner-up at Class 4-1A tournament, Horinek goes 2-2
Aubrey Hunt high-fiving with head coach Mitch McComb. Photos by Katie Ford, Wellington.cc.
Sumner Newscow report – Aubrey Hunt had never donned a wrestling singlet before her sophomore year. By the end of her junior year, Hunt was a state runner-up champion.
Hunt lost to Emilie Schweizer of Buhler at the 5:17 mark of the third period in the 190-pound finals at the Class 4-1 A State Tournament in Salina. Hunt would finish her year at 37-7.
Sophomore Kaylee Horinek at 170 went 2-2 at the state tournament ending her run one match short of the consolation semifinals.
Kaylee Horinek goes 2-2 in 4-1A State Tournament.
According to the Kansas Wrestlers Coaches Association poll, Hunt was a sixth-ranked wrestler in the 190-pound division entering the state tournament. She was also a third seed from the Wellington Regional.
On Wednesday, she immediately made a splash getting a 5-1 decision against Abby Breen of Winfield, a second-seed wrestler from the Coffeyville regional. Usually, a second and third-seed first-round match is 50-50 at the state tournament.
Hunt would then pin Lillana Spino of Hill City at the 2:56 mark in the championship quarterfinals.
That set up a semifinal match against Holly Colvert of Tonganoxie, who was 35-2 and the second-ranked wrestler in Class 4-1A. This victory was huge. Colvert would get a takedown and three-point near fall to take a 5-0 lead into the second period. Hunt would then use a reversal and secure a pin at the 39-second mark of the second.
That put Hunt into finals – marking the third straight year Wellington had a girl in the finals. She had met Schweitzer in the Wellington Regional before, losing to the top-ranked undefeated senior 5-0.
Schweizer would take a 2-0 lead in the first with a takedown. She used an escape and takedown in the second and led 5-0 going into the third. Finally, she would pin Hunt.
Wellington sent two wrestlers to the state tournament after a disappointing regional. But the two girls who went made the best of it.
At 170, Horinek lost to Brylie Schaub from Fort Scott in the first round 1:13. That dropped her into the consolation round, where she came away with a 3-0 decision victory over Riley Rodriguez of Ellis.
In the next round, she met up against an old foe, Jaiden Jones of Chaparral, who pinned her in the regional semifinal the week before. This time Horinek got her revenge, pinning Jones at 55 seconds.
With one round to becoming a state placer, Horinek would lose to Kylie Dillow of Chanute by pin at the 2:58 mark. Dillow would go on to finish third at 170.
Chanute would win the tournament with 88 points, with just five wrestlers entered into the tournament. Wellington finished 28th with 26 points. The tournament had 224 wrestlers in the tournament with a full bracket from 14 weight classes. The sport has exploded.
Wellington has a young and promising group returning. They will graduate no seniors and has some promising wrestlers coming up from the middle school ranks.
For all of Katie Ford’s Wellington.cc pictures, click here.
