The Blair Bears closed 2022 competition at Winnebago and started 2023 on Monday during Conestoga's Spotlight on Girls Wrestling.
Three of coach Terry Bellamy's wrestlers reached the Spotlight finals as the Bears took sixth out of 15 scoring teams. Josie Tilson, Alison Wheeler and Abigail James all claimed runner-up results in their weight classes.
Tilson, a 105-pounder, went 1-1. She beat Crete's Ruby VanHorn by second-period pin before dropping her finals match to Makenzie Martin of Millard North.
Wheeler was 1-1 at 115 pounds, too. The BHS grappler picked up her 13th win of the season against Millard South's Addison Bundy by pin before dropping her own title match to Wahoo's Grace Darling.
James also left Conestoga with 13 wins this season after a 3-1 showing at 155 pounds. She earned three first-period pins before dropping a match to Papillion-La Vista South's Alexandra Grow in the finals.
The Bears' Jaysie Garcia-Abalos and Madi James added top-six individual finishes Monday, too. After Garcia-Abalos won her first 145-pound match of the day by pin, she lost her second, but bounced back to finish third.
Madi James, meanwhile, went 1-2 at 155 pounds to take sixth. She pinned Jaquiesha Fischer of Millard North by pin, but lost a pair of matches by pin, too.
Shelby Kain added a contested Blair win in Conestoga as well, but fell short of a top-six finish. She was 11th at 170 pounds.
The Bears get back to competition Jan. 12 in a 6 p.m. dual at Missouri Valley.
Bears take 20th at Winnebago
In their first competition after the holiday break, the Blair girls finished 20th out of 39 teams at the Winnebago Invite.
Abigail James and Tilson led the Bears, claiming podium spots. James was fifth at 155 pounds, going 4-1 with four pins. Her fastest match took just 1:15 when she pinned Sheccid Vallin of Fremont.
Tilson, meanwhile, earned sixth at 105 pounds. She was 2-2 during the tournament, pinning Lexi Hunt of Stanton in 35 seconds to start consolation bracket action.
Overall, Bri Matzen scored BHS' fastest pin — 28 seconds. She led six junior varsity Bears who medaled in their brackets with a third-place result at 115 pounds.
BHS GIRLS WRESTLING RESULTS
Monday
Conestoga Spotlight on Girls Wrestling
Top 10 teams: Millard South 188, Crete 175, Wahoo 111, Yutan 94, Millard North 93, Blair 86, Louisville 85.5, Conestoga 84, Omaha Skutt 79, Glenwood (Iowa) 78.
Blair Medalists: 2, Josie Tilson, 105 pounds. 2, Alison Wheeler, 115. 2, Abigail James, 155. 3, Jaysie Garcia-Abalos, 145. 6, Madi James, 155.
Dec. 29
Winnebago Invite
Top 10 teams: South Sioux City 185, Norfolk 117, Fremont 104, Omaha Westside 103.5, Harrisburg (Iowa) 94, Wahoo 92, Scribner-Snyder 80, Yutan 68, Albion Boone Central 65, Stanton 60. Also: 20, Blair, 34.
Blair Medalists: 5, A.James, 155 pounds. 6, Tilson, 105. JV: 3, Bri Matzen, 115. 4, Ella Andahl, 125. 4, Jaslyn Raymond, 145. 4, Najmina Ahmadzada, 170. 5, Bailey Domann, 145. 6, Karlie Dewitt-Dodd, 135.
