Lady Cats finish second at EPPJ Invite

Four and one-half points.

That’s the margin that separated first and second places, Friday, at the Elgin Public Pope John Girls’ Wrestling Invitational.

Elkhorn Valley landed just ahead of the Bobcats, 123.5 to 119. West Holt finished third, scoring 73; Schuyler junior varsity, fourth, 68; and Neligh-Oakdale, fifth, with 61 points in the 13-team field.

Ava Cleveland struck gold in the 110-pound class. She opened with a win by fall, in :45, over Eva Bermel of Randolph and pinned Schuyler’s Gabriela Romero, in 1:49 in round two. Her pinning ways would continue in the next three rounds, as she pinned Randolph’s Karma Henry in 1:11; Homer’s Lilyanna Dziurawiec in :59 and Neligh-Oakdale’s Baylee Chessmore, in 4:47.

Ammy Arroyo ended in first place in the 190-pound class and was flawless as she worked through the bracket. Arroyo ended with wins over Kyah Bruhn, Summerland, in 2:23; Alexis Jessen, Homer, in :43; Raelyn Brummels, EV, 3:26; Dannyka Smidt, EPPJ, in :13 and Calie Cockburn, Tri-County Northeast, in 1:10

It only took Raina Krebs two matches to conquer the 235-pound division. She pinned Clover Hirsch, Homer, in :18 and Cadey Schaaf, WH, in 1:29.

Abbey Chipps picked up a silver medal in the 130-pound class. She opened with four wins, by fall, in 1:00 over Makenzie Mosel, Plainview; in :29 over Zuhady Gonzalez, Schuyler; in :35 over Schuyler’s Genesis Borja and in 1:18 over Melina Bullard, EV. In round five, Jordan Aschoff, NC, pinned Chipps in 3:52.

Kaylee Thiele brought home a second-place medal in the 135-pound division. She finished 4-1 on the day, picking up wins, by fall, in 2:27, against Shelby Schukei, Sandhills/Thedford; in 1:26 over Charley Pittet, Plainview; in :41 over Elvia Morales, Schuyler and in 1:17 over Nyla Wright, N/V. In the fifth round Lillian Hagemann, EV, pinned Thiele in 5:37.

Ashlyn Galvin brought home a bronze medal in the 115-pound class. She opened with a bye and pinned Danika Runnels, Niobrara/Verdigre, in 1:23 before falling to Morgan Nincehelse, Plainview, in 1:08 in round three. She finished with a loss, by fall, in :48 to Jacquely Perez, Schuyler.

The Lady Cats earned two medals in the 120-pound division.

Savannah Gallagher finished fourth and Beatrize Milkem, fifth.

Gallagher opened with a 4-1 loss to Felycia Kerkman, WH and rebounded to pin Hailey Gomez, Schuyler, in 1:32. In round three, Gallagher pinned her teammate, Milkem, in 1:22 but lost by fall, in 1:00, to Josslyn Hoefer, NO, in round four. In the fifth round, Gallagher dropped a 5-1 decision to Gracie Wortman, Randolph.

Milkem opened with a loss to Wortman, by fall, in :35 and was pinned by Hoefer, NO, in :51. She lost to Gallagher in the third round and was pinned by Kerkman, WH, in 1:44 in round four. In the final round, Milkem pinned Gomez, Schuyler, in 1:05.

Kyah Bruhn ended in fifth place in the 190-pound class. After opening with a loss to Arroyo, Bruhn was pinned by Smidt, EPPJ, in 1:22; Cockburn, TCN, in 1:10; and Brummels, EV, in 2:45. In the fifth round, Bruhn pinned Homer’s Jessen, in 3:03.