RAPID CITY – Led by senior semifinalist qualifiers, the Aberdeen Central girls’ wrestling team sits in fourth place after the opening day of the Rapid City Invitational, which began Friday at the Summit Arena.

Madyson Gillen (114 pounds) and Katrina Gibson 152 pounds) each won their opening three matches to qualify for the semifinals and a chance to compete for a spot in the finals.

That leads a contingent of seven Golden Eagles who are still alive in their respective brackets.

“(Thursday) night a lot of (the girls) were down in the dumps,” said Central coach Jake Flakus, referencing a trio of duals the Golden Eagles had, but with few contested matches. “They all really wanted to wrestle. (Friday), they were guaranteed two matches, and the more you win, the more you wrestle. So I just told them, take every chance you get as a blessing and a chance to wrestle. They took that to heart.”

Aside from Gillen and Gibson’s dominant performances, the Golden Eagles put three others in the quarterfinal rounds, including Avery Bendewald at 107 pounds, Ula Martin at 120 pounds and Lin Paw Jone at 145 pounds.

Despite losses at those three weights, Flakus said all three have a good chance to still claim a spot on the podium, as do Jasmine Maas (132) and Lilly Nelson (165), who are still alive in the consolation rounds.

“Placing in a tournament like this is a good thing to put on their resume,” he said.

Action resumes today at 9 a.m. (MST).

Avery Bendewald

Champ. Round 1 – Avery Bendewald (Aberdeen Central) received a bye

Champ. Round 2 – Avery Bendewald (Aberdeen Central) over Mataya Jacobs (Rapid City Central) (Fall 0:00)

Quarterfinals – Sydney Uhrig (Pierre T.F. Riggs) over Avery Bendewald (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 7-5)

Katrina Gibson

Champ. Round 1 – Katrina  Gibson (Aberdeen Central) received a bye

Champ. Round 2 – Katrina  Gibson (Aberdeen Central) over Ivy  Hayes (Lead-Deadwood) (Fall 1:12)

Quarterfinals – Katrina  Gibson (Aberdeen Central) over Emerson Skuodas (Harrisburg) (Dec 6-1)

Madyson Gillen

Champ. Round 1 – Madyson Gillen (Aberdeen Central) over Aleshka Oyola-Rodriquez (Huron) (Fall 0:30)

Champ. Round 2 – Madyson Gillen (Aberdeen Central) over Nevada McMahon (Lead-Deadwood) (Fall 1:38)

Quarterfinals – Madyson Gillen (Aberdeen Central) over Essah Syverson (Custer) (Fall 1:11)

Nina Howard

Champ. Round 1 – Nina Howard (Aberdeen Central) over Alexandra Thurston (Harrisburg) (Fall 2:15)

Champ. Round 2 – Eden Hach (Watertown) over Nina Howard (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 0:44)

Cons. Round 2 – Abagail Porter (Mandan) over Nina Howard (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 0:44)

Jasmine Maas

Champ. Round 1 – Carlee Roth (Thunder Basin High School) over jasmine Maas (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 3:26)

Cons. Round 1 – jasmine Maas (Aberdeen Central) over Ember Waters (Dickinson) (Fall 2:11)

Cons. Round 2 – jasmine Maas (Aberdeen Central) over Serenity Schell (Hot Springs) (Fall 2:07)

Cons. Round 3 – jasmine Maas (Aberdeen Central) over Rachel Dagel (Sioux Falls Roosevelt) (Fall 2:21)

Ula Martin

Champ. Round 1 – Ula Martin (Aberdeen Central) over Hayden Thomas (Watertown) (Fall 2:32)

Champ. Round 2 – Ula Martin (Aberdeen Central) over Lily Pettit (Rapid City Stevens) (Fall 0:34)

Quarterfinals – Frankie Kranz (Mitchell) over Ula Martin (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 3:44)

Allison Neitzel

Champ. Round 1 – Allison Neitzel (Aberdeen Central) over Bailee Campbell (Mandan) (Fall 1:30)

Champ. Round 2 – Candice  Matsuda (Spearfish) over Allison Neitzel (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 1:32)

Cons. Round 2 – Lilyahna  Hancock  (Sheridan) over Allison Neitzel (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 3:45)

Lilly Nelson

Champ. Round 1 – Lilly Nelson (Aberdeen Central) received a bye

Champ. Round 2 – Eva Anderson  (Sheridan) over Lilly Nelson (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 3:14)

Cons. Round 2 – Lilly Nelson (Aberdeen Central) received a bye

Cons. Round 3 – Lilly Nelson (Aberdeen Central) over Danica Shorey (Bismarck) (Fall 0:46)

Lin Paw Jone

Champ. Round 1 – Lin Paw Jone (Aberdeen Central) received a bye

Champ. Round 2 – Lin Paw Jone (Aberdeen Central) over Joselyn Shockey (Belle Fourche) (Fall 0:35)

Quarterfinals – Sarah Rickenbach (Hot Springs) over Lin Paw Jone (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 1:10)

Grace Reszler

Champ. Round 1 – Grace Reszler (Aberdeen Central) over Rayleigh Barnett (Harrisburg) (Fall 1:03)

Champ. Round 2 – Katelyn Yexley (Watertown) over Grace Reszler (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 1:46)

Cons. Round 2 – Grace Reszler (Aberdeen Central) over Melanie Wiggins  (Sheridan) (Fall 2:46)

Cons. Round 3 – Autumn Clark (Thunder Basin High School) over Grace Reszler (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 1:38)

Rakyrah Wallace

Champ. Round 1 – Kendalyn Pesch (Douglas/Rapid City Christian/New Underwood) over Rakyrah Wallace (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 1:22)

Cons. Round 1 – Katie Rice (Buffalo) over Rakyrah Wallace (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 6-5)