The Blair girls wrestling team bested the Fort Calhoun Wrestling Invitational field in the team standings, but the host Pioneers matched them in individual bracket champions Monday.
Coach Terry Bellamy's Bears scored 162.5 team points, exceeding the second-place Auburn squad's 151.5, while coach Lilly Gossman's FCHS lineup finished fourth by a point behind third-place Palmyra during the 10-team tournament.
While both Emma Belnog and Kara Rodriguez won their weight classes for BHS, though, Ali Dill and Anna Rae Hartline did for the hometown team. Dill, notably, went 3-0 at 125 pounds, pushing her season record to 19-12 overall. She secured two first-period pins before besting finals opponent Rhiannon Tramp of Palmyra by 10-0 major decision.
Hartline's 135-pound weight class win came down to a 10-4 decision against 13-4 Auburn wrestler Tayla Jones. The Calhoun standout was 3-0 overall, pinning her way into the finals bout and improving to 21-11 overall.
Four more Pioneers earned top-four finishes at home, too. Emma Ochoa-Gomez (100 pounds) and Lydia Kmitta (170) each took fourth individually, while both Annaleigh McLaughlin and Madi Larrick reached the finals, but earned silver-medal results.
McLaughlin, a 19-8 105-pounder, went 3-1 Monday with three sub-50 second pins before Zaylee Kring of Raymond Central bested her in the last match.
Larrick, however, was 2-1 at 130 pounds, dropping her finals match to Belnog, Blair's 130-pound champ. The Bear — who is 24-4 — had to earn the win in overtime, though, securing a sudden-victory takedown.
Rodriguez, meanwhile, earned BHS' second weight class title of the day at 155 pounds. She went 3-0, improving to 18-9 overall. All three of her wins came by pin in less than 60 seconds.
Also medaling for Blair in Fort Calhoun were Ali Wheeler (second at 115 pounds), Katie Wheeler (second at 120), Jo Inget (second at 140), Madi James (second at 145), Emma Himes (third at 100), Stevie Avila (third at 105), Appelynn Berryman (third at 145), Lily Warren (third at 170), Bella Borges (fourth at 125) and Reata Malmberg (fourth at 190). The Wheeler sisters both went 2-1, securing four pins between them.
Inget, meanwhile, bounced back from a loss with two pins for BHS.
James, however, suffered just her third loss of the season after winning her semifinals matchup by 18-3 technical fall.
While the Bears next compete 9 a.m. Saturday during Gretna East's home dual tourney, FCHS is in action 3 p.m. today in Malcolm before Saturday's Omaha Northwest tournament at 9 a.m.
FORT CALHOUN WRESTLING INVITATIONAL
Monday at FCHS
GIRLS
Team standings: Blair 162.5 points, Auburn 151.5, Palmyra 87, Fort Calhoun 86, Raymond Central 76.5, Omaha Northwest 74, Omaha Skutt 74, Gretna 63, Papillion-La Vista South 58, Platteview 6.
Top-6 Fort Calhoun finishers: 1, Ali Dill, 125 pounds. 1, Anna Rae Hartline, 135. 2, Annaleigh McLaughlin, 105. 2, Madi Larrick, 130. 4, Emma Ochoa-Gomez, 100. 4, Lydia Kmitta, 170.
Top-6 Blair finishers: 1, Emma Belnog, 130 pounds. 1, Kara Rodriguez, 155. 2, Ali Wheeler, 115. 2, Katie Wheeler, 120. 2, Jo Inget, 140. 2, Madi James, 145. 3, Emma Himes, 100. 3, Stevie Avila, 105. 3, Applelynn Berryman, 145. 3, Lily Warren, 170. 4, Bella Borges, 125. 4, Reata Malmberg, 190. Junior varsity: 1, Bianca Moreno, 115. 1, Maren Thompson, 120. 1, Vivianne Shelton, 125. 2, Leah James, 115. 3, Sadie Madsen, 125. 4, Teigan Daniel, 115. 4, Alisson Romero, 125.
