The first-ever Eastern Midlands Conference Girls Wrestling Tournament was Blair High School's last stop before districts in Fremont.
Bears 145-pounder Jaysie Garcia-Abalos understood the stakes Saturday at Bennington High School.
“Knowing the season is coming to an end is adding a little bit of pressure,” she said prior to the EMC meet. “Also, this is our first conference tournament. So, we're really hoping for that win.”
Coach Terry Bellamy's team got it done, outscoring second-place Elkhorn 148-115. Waverly was third with 80 points, Bennington was fourth and Lincoln Northwest took fifth.
“Keep the vibes good,” Garcia-Abalos said when asked what would lead to BHS success. “That's about it.”
She finished Saturday as one of the Bears' seven EMC champs. As the only 140-pounder in attendance, Jo Inget didn't have to wrestle a match to take first, but the rest of her teammates did.
Garcia-Abalos was 2-0 in Bennington, pinning both Annabella Phillips of Elkhorn and teammate Jaslyn Raymond. Raymond, meanwhile, claimed second at 145 pounds with her own 40-second pin of Phillips.
The Bears' Riley Martin added the 100-pound conference title with a pin of Bennington's Ciera Stevens. Josie Tilson pinned Harper Sutton of Elkhorn for first at 105, too.
Ali Wheeler went 2-0 at 115 pounds, pinning her way to an EMC title against opposition from the Antlers and Waverly. The 130-pound weight class champ, Savanah Roan, pinned Elkhorn's Tansi Praveen in 25 seconds and Northwest's Charlee Taylor in 2:59.
BHS senior Josie Biffar, meanwhile, spent just 16 seconds pinning Waverly's Ariana Rodriguez at 135 pounds. She improved to 14-8 this season with the conference win.
Like Raymond, the Bears' Madi James and Najmina Ahmadzada earned runner-up finishes. Both wrestlers were 1-1 with pins.
Fourth-place Ella Andahl secured a fall at 125 pounds, too.
Next, the first-year Blair girls wrestling program competes at the District A1 Tournament at Fremont High School. It starts Friday and continues into Saturday.
“I think everybody has a big shot of getting to state,” Bears senior Abigail James said. “Mainly, it's the mental game that will get us there.”
The BHS wrestler didn't compete Saturday in Bennington, but has prior experience at the state tournament when she qualified as a Ralston Ram before transferring.
“I think everybody has the skill and ability to get there, too,” she said.
The Bears started the 2022-23 season with little wrestling experience, but they're now EMC champions.
“Our team has grown a lot,” James said.
BHS beats Bellevue, 48-27
Before competing for EMC titles Saturday, Blair hosted its final dual of its inaugural season Thursday. Coach Bellemy's team won, too, besting a Bellevue co-op lineup 48-27.
Blair won five of the nine contested varsity matchups and the lone junior varsity bout. Wheeler, Roan, Biffar, Garcia-Abalos, Abigail James and Raymond all earned Bears pins. Wheeler's took just 24 seconds at 120 pounds, while Roan accomplished her's in 42 seconds at 130.
Garcia-Abalos pinned Jamela Khaitov in 56 seconds, too.
EMC INDIVIDUAL TOURNAMENT
Saturday at Bennington High School
Team standings: Blair 148, Elkhorn 115, Waverly 80, Bennington 70, Lincoln Northwest 43, Norris 0.
Blair Medalists: 1, Riley Martin, 100 pounds. 1, Josie Tilson, 105. 1, Ali Wheeler, 115. 1, Savanah Roan, 130. 1, Josie Biffar, 135. 1, Jo Inget, 140. 1, Jaysie Garcia-Abalos, 145. 2, Jaslyn Raymond, 145. 2, Madi James, 155. 2, Najmina Ahmadzada, 170. 4, Ella Andahl, 125.
