by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — Three Wellington wrestlers will be advancing to state. In a sign that times have indeed changed, all of them are girls.

Anna Cullens at 109, Kaitlyn Hain at 132, and Averie Burns at 235 have advanced to the Kansas Division II state tournament in Salina this Friday. 

The Wellington boys will not have any representation. The team’s only sub-state representative Hagen Wright was eliminated at 285 in the consolation semifinals.

Everything is different this year. The state tournament will be a one-day affair per gender with half the number of qualifiers. Each weight division bracket will have eight wrestlers instead of the customary 16 as wrestling officials try to limit the crowd size while social distancing the participants. 

The Crusader girls brought six wrestlers to the sub-state tournament in Ellis on Friday. They had quite the day, finishing third out of 36 teams. Wellington had 61 points. Pratt won the sub-state with 92 points and Oakley eked out second place with 64 points. Mulvane was a distant fourth with 53 points. 

Anna Cullens

Perhaps, the best match of the night and maybe throughout girls wrestling pitted Cullens against Josiah Ortiz of Lakin in the 109-pound division championship. Cullens came into the match 28-0 while Ortiz was 24-0. Cullens knew she had her work cut out for her as Ortiz defeated Skyleigh Pflaster of Abilene in the second round 2-1. Cullens had disposed of Kinzie Rogers of Chase County 3:30 in the other semifinal match. 

Neither Cullens or Ortiz scored in the first period, but Cullens scored a takedown in period two. Ortiz would then use an escape to narrow the margin to 2-1 to start the third period. Cullens was then called for stalling at the 24-second mark. Then with 12 seconds to wrestle, Ortiz scored the match-winning takedown to take the match and give Cullens her first loss of the season. 

It was a tough break for the Wellington sophomore but she could see Ortiz again in the state tournament again. Cullens will be battling Rylee Cagle of Fort Scott (16-6) in the first round (see tournament brackets here).

Cullens finished second at 115 in the all-class state tournament in 2020. 

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Kaitlyn Hain

Hain also had an exciting tournament at 132. She opened the tournament with a pin at 40 seconds over Alexa Guzman of Lyons. She then lost to Marissa Porsch of Hoxie (40-1), the top seed in sub-state. Hain opened with a takedown, and like Cullens was leading 2-0 going into the third. Porsch would use a takedown at the 1:23 mark and then scored a match-winning near fall six seconds later to win the match 4-2. 

Hain then found herself in the consolation semifinals needing to win to qualify for her second straight tournament. She fell behind 5-0 with a takedown, near fall combo, but then pinned Madison Gottchalk of Ellis at the 1:24 mark of the first.

She then pinned Kasey Dillon of Mulvane at 1:25 to place third. 

Hain will battle Hope Blake of Eskridge-Mission Valley (16-2) in the first round of state.

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Averie Burns

Burns at 235 was the other state qualifier. There were only five sub-state participants. She would clinch a state tournament berth with a pin of Jaylyn Moore of Oakley at 1:48 in the first round. She would lose to Emilie Schweizer of Buhler in the championship at 21 seconds. 

Burns will battle Madi Hargett of Baldwin (18-12) in the state first round on Friday. 

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For three other Wellington girls, it was the end of the road this year. 

Nexy Young at 115 placed sixth. She opened the tournament promising enough with a pin over Kathie Chavez of Colby but would then lose to Isabell Ortiz of Lakin, Tyler Rozell of Douglass and Kiana Granclair of Hoisington to finish sixth. 

At 120, Isabella Cullens finished sixth losing the first round to Emily Lovett by pin at the 1:04 mark. She then pinned Abby Allen of Council Grove 3:48 and reached the semifinals to get to state. She would lose to Caxton Smyth of Plainville with a pin at 2:19. She then lost to Cadence Willaimson of Leon-Bluestem by pin for fifth place. 

Deighlynn Lea finished sub-state going 0-2 at 101 losing to Citori Bosserman of Oakley, and Allie Pippitt of Central-Burden by pins. 

Boys wrestling

Hagen Wright

Wright was the lone wrestler to reach the sub-state for Wellington. He would go 1-3 for the day in McPherson. 

Reaching sub-state was the equivalent of getting to the first round of state. 

Wright opened with a pin over Drake Van Scoyoc of Pratt at 359. 

He would then lose to Decian Ryan of Colby 5-1 in the semifinals. 

That would drop him to the consolation semifinals for the blood round to get to state. Brandon Parker of Abilene would pin Wright at 4:24. 

Wright forfeited his fifth-place match.

For those who are interested, Andale won the sub-state with 158 points. Colby placed second with 105. Wellington was 22n with four points.

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The full results for Wellington in sub-state are as follows: 

Girls

101

Deighlynn Lea (3-18) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Citori Bosserman (Oakley) 24-1 won by fall over Deighlynn Lea (Wellington) 3-18 (Fall 1:07)
• Cons. Round 1 – Allie Pippitt (Burden-Central) 8-14 won by fall over Deighlynn Lea (Wellington) 3-18 (Fall 1:46)

109

Anna Cullens (28-1) placed 2nd and scored 18.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Anna Cullens (Wellington) 28-1 received a bye () (Bye)
• Semifinal – Anna Cullens (Wellington) 28-1 won by fall over Kinzie Rogers (Cottonwood Falls-Chase County) 16-6 (Fall 3:30)
• 1st Place Match – Josiah Ortiz (Lakin) 24-0 won by decision over Anna Cullens (Wellington) 28-1 (Dec 4-2)

115

Nexy Young (12-9) placed 6th and scored 4.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Nexy Young (Wellington) 12-9 won by fall over Kathie Chavez (Colby) 21-8 (Fall 5:49)
• Semifinal – Isabell Ortiz (Lakin) 26-4 won by tech fall over Nexy Young (Wellington) 12-9 (TF-1.5 4:03 (17-1))
• Cons. Semi – Tyelor Rozell (Douglass) 27-8 won by major decision over Nexy Young (Wellington) 12-9 (MD 9-1)
• 5th Place Match – Kiana Grandclair (Hoisington) 12-9 won by fall over Nexy Young (Wellington) 12-9 (Fall 3:44)

120

Isabella Cullens (13-11) placed 6th and scored 3.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Emily Lovett (Hoisington) 21-8 won by fall over Isabella Cullens (Wellington) 13-11 (Fall 1:04)
• Cons. Round 1 – Isabella Cullens (Wellington) 13-11 won by fall over Abby Allen (Council Grove) 9-9 (Fall 3:48)
• Cons. Semi – Caxton Smyth (Plainville) 11-10 won by fall over Isabella Cullens (Wellington) 13-11 (Fall 2:19)
• 5th Place Match – Cadence Williamson (Leon-Bluestem) 10-9 won by fall over Isabella Cullens (Wellington) 13-11 (Fall 1:42)

132

Kaitlyn Hain (32-4) placed 3rd and scored 18.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Kaitlyn Hain (Wellington) 32-4 won by fall over Alexa Guzman (Lyons) 4-5 (Fall 0:40)
• Semifinal – Marissa Porsch (Hoxie) 40-1 won by decision over Kaitlyn Hain (Wellington) 32-4 (Dec 4-2)
• Cons. Semi – Kaitlyn Hain (Wellington) 32-4 won by fall over Madison Gottchalk (Ellis) 18-7 (Fall 1:24)
• 3rd Place Match – Kaitlyn Hain (Wellington) 32-4 won by fall over Kasey Dillon (Mulvane) 16-8 (Fall 1:25)

235

Averie Burns (5-10) placed 2nd and scored 18.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Averie Burns (Wellington) 5-10 received a bye () (Bye)
• Semifinal – Averie Burns (Wellington) 5-10 won by fall over Jaylyn Moore (Oakley) 5-12 (Fall 1:48)
• 1st Place Match – Emilie Schweizer (Buhler) 12-1 won by fall over Averie Burns (Wellington) 5-10 (Fall 0:21)
  

Boys

285

Hagen Wright (31-6) placed 6th and scored 4.0 team points.

• Quarterfinal – Hagen Wright (Wellington) 31-6 won by fall over Drake Van Scoyoc (Pratt) 15-11 (Fall 3:59)
• Semifinal – Declan Ryan (Colby) 36-5 won by decision over Hagen Wright (Wellington) 31-6 (Dec 5-1)
• Cons. Semi – Brandon Parker (Abilene) 22-7 won by fall over Hagen Wright (Wellington) 31-6 (Fall 4:24)
• 5th Place Match – Drake Van Scoyoc (Pratt) 15-11 won by forfeit over Hagen Wright (Wellington) 31-6 (For.)

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