On Senior Night, Arlington 12th-grade wrestlers Kelise Krivohlavek, Callee Shearer, Caitlyn Camp and Teagan Taylor were able to celebrate hosting and winning their team's first-ever home invitational.
Coach Layne Laaker's Eagles edged second-place Elkhorn on Friday, 177-174.5, claiming their own championship plaque with four individual gold medalists during the 15-team tournament.
Krivohlavek, Camp and Taylor — and junior Jaydin Allen — were establishing members of the inaugural AHS team in Nov. 2022.
“I'm very proud of the girls,” Krivohlavek said. “I'm very happy that we've come so far as a program.”
Like Brooklyn Ruskamp, Rylie Kyllo and Shearer, the senior won her weight class Friday night. The 125-pounder was 5-0 with five first-period pins. Her longest match against 25-5 Omaha Concordia wrestler Taelorrae Busch took just 1:40.
Ruskamp, meanwhile, won the 110-pound weight class with a 3-0 tournament mark. The sophomore pinned Elkhorn's Keira Hecht in the finals, helping herself and the Eagles in the team race.
Krivohlavek said she was excited for Ruskamp, who is still fresh to the lineup after starting the season with an injury.
“Her first meet back she was not very confident in herself, but I feel like she's finding her confidence again,” the senior said.
Kyllo's 115-pound win was the result of four-straight pins, too. The 18-7 wrestler pinned fellow finalist Lilli Walahoski of Lincoln Northwest in 2:33.
“Rylie's also finding her confidence and knowing that she's a good wrestler,” Krivohlavek said.
The 125-pounder was just straight-forward about Shearer, though. The 130-pounder was 3-0 with pins of Millard South's Ziah Griffin, Lincoln Northwest's Arrow Rasmussen and Peyton Jacobsen of North Bend Central.
“She's good,” Krivohlavek said, cracking a smile. “She's really good.”
In addition to its champions, six more Arlington grapplers earned their spots on the four-person podium by the end of Friday's home tourney. Three — Sofie Lewis (120 pounds), Allen (140) and Camp (155) — secured third-place results. Camp, notably, went 3-1 with three pins more than two years after she served as one of the founding members of the Eagles' girls wrestling team.
“I feel like I'm doing a lot better than I thought I would've been doing,” she said when asked to reflect on her progress.
AHS' Ella Chamberlain (145 pounds), Evie Bottger (155) and Dianna Flores (170) added fourth-place finishes at home, too, as the Eagles held off the Antlers for the team title. Now, Camp said, her team needs to keep moving forward.
“Keep working hard and push through toward districts and have, at least, five or 10 of us go to state,” she said, setting out Arlington's goals for the rest of the season.
Krivohlavek is looking forward to the attempt.
“I'm excited to see what we can do for the rest of the year,” she said as the crowd continued to disperse after the Eagles' first-ever home girls wrestling invite.
ARLINGTON INVITE
Friday at Arlington High School
Team standings: Arlington 177 points, Elkhorn 174.5, Tekamah-Herman 146, Lyons-Decatur Northeast 81, Omaha Skutt 76.5, North Bend Central 60, Raymond Central 57, Logan View 48, Omaha Concordia 48, Millard South 39, Lincoln Northwest 37, NEN 26.5, Lincoln Standing Bear 23, Oakland-Craig 7, Bancroft-Rosalie 2.
Top-4 Arlington placers: 1, Brooklyn Ruskamp, 110 pounds. 1, Rylie Kyllo, 115. 1, Kelise Krivohlavek, 125. 1, Callee Shearer, 130. 3, Sofie Lewis, 120. 3, Jaydin Allen, 140. 3, Caitlyn Camp, 155. 4, Ella Chamberlain, 145. 4, Evie Bottger, 155. 4, Dianna Flores, 170.
