SIOUX FALLS – The Aberdeen Central Golden Eagles achieved multiple goals during the final day of the Girls Individual State Wrestling Tournament at the Premier Center on Saturday.

The Eagles put six girls on the podium and secured a fourth-place finish in the team standings, both high water marks for the program.

“We finished with six girls placing on the podium, which was really good considering last year we only qualified three,” said Central coach Jake Flakus, “so just getting six on that podium with a top-eight finish was huge.”

That individual success translated into team success as well as Central recorded its best finish at a state tourney in the short history of the program.

“Last year we placed 11th and this year we placed fourth, which is a really great accomplishment for my girls and all the work they put in this year,” Flakus said.

Madyson Gillen was Central’s top finisher taking third place. She capped her prep career with a pair of solid victories.

“She had a really good win (Friday) over that Pierre girl, and today she finished her career on a win over a girl she lost to previously in the tournament,” Flakus said, “so that was really good to see her go out on top and to wrestle to the best of her ability.”

Katrina Gibson finished fourth in her final tournament, and like Gillen got a key win Friday to move Central up in the team standings.

“Going out with a top-four finish, but also the legacy that they’ve wanted to build and doing their part to help us get a team trophy, which is what we set our goal on early in the year,” Flakus said of his senior leaders. “We wanted to make that top-six finish, so just to see all their work pay off and to make it there, just makes me really proud to coach them.”

Flakus also noted that four of his team’s six place winners will be back again in the future.

“Jasmine (Maas) and Lin (Paw Jones) were on our team last year and they didn’t quite qualify,” Flakus said, “but this year they qualified and Jasmine finished eighth and Lin finished fifth, which is a great accomplishment for them considering they’re both still eighth-graders.”

Flakus also talked about the team’s other two girls who made the podium.

“Lilly Nelson finished seventh and Nina Howard finished eighth,” he said, “and both of them this was their first year of wrestling.”

Meanwhile, Sophia Knittel of Ipswich-Bowdle fell in her championship match at 126 pounds, losing to unbeaten Regina Stoeser of Harrisburg, who is among the top rated wrestlers in the country.

Liza Krueger of Groton took third at 100 pounds, and Cateri Yellow Hawk of Sully Buttes was third at 126.

Pierre edged Canton by less than a point for the team championship. Central was fourth putting a fitting finish on the season.

“I’m really proud of my proud of my team and all that they accomplished this year,” Flakus said, “and it was good to go out on a high note.”

Aberdeen Central results

107: Madyson Gillen 3rd
Champ. Round 1 – Madyson Gillen (Aberdeen Central) over Essah Syverson (Custer) (Fall 0:16)
Quarterfinals – Akane Metcalfe (Kimball/White Lake/Platte-Geddes) over Madyson Gillen (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 5:19)
Cons. Round 2 – Madyson Gillen (Aberdeen Central) over Chalie Sah (Huron) (Fall 2:24)
Cons. Round 3 – Madyson Gillen (Aberdeen Central) over Brandy Marshall (Lakota Tech) (Fall 0:40)
Cons. Semis – Madyson Gillen (Aberdeen Central) over Sydney Uhrig (Pierre T.F. Riggs) (Dec 1-0)
3rd Place Match – Madyson Gillen (Aberdeen Central) over Akane Metcalfe (Kimball/White Lake/Platte-Geddes) (Dec 8-2)

114: Avery Bendewald
Champ. Round 1 – Hadley Bryant (Harrisburg) over Avery Bendewald (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 3:28)
Cons. Round 1 – Avery Bendewald (Aberdeen Central) over Capri Johnson (Madison) (Fall 1:54)
Cons. Round 2 – Langston Huffman (Rapid City Central) over Avery Bendewald (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 1:48)

120: Ula Martin
Champ. Round 1 – Ula Martin (Aberdeen Central) over Jayrn Warejcka (Canton) (Fall 1:28)
Quarterfinals – Danny Borja (Mitchell) over Ula Martin (Aberdeen Central) (MD 14-6)
Cons. Round 2 – Lainey Haines (Tea Area) over Ula Martin (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 1:28)

126: Allison Neitzel
Champ. Round 1 – Sophia Knittel (Ipswich/Bowdle) over Allison Neitzel (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 2:36)
Cons. Round 1 – Jersey Folkens (Canton) over Allison Neitzel (Aberdeen Central) (MD 14-2)

132: Jasmine Maas 8th
Champ. Round 1 – Jasmine Maas (Aberdeen Central) over Brenna Reker (Brandon Valley) (Fall 3:59)
Quarterfinals – Kezrey Benning (Pierre T.F. Riggs) over Jasmine Maas (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 5:58)
Cons. Round 2 – Jasmine Maas (Aberdeen Central) over Lakynn Qualseth (Canton) (Fall 4:24)
Cons. Round 3 – Brooklyn Brant (Sturgis Brown) over Jasmine Maas (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 3:27)
7th Place Match – Victoria  Verhey (St. Thomas More) over Jasmine Maas (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 10-8)

138: Rakyrah Wallace
Champ. Round 1 – Brooke Grajczyk (Webster Area) over Rakyrah Wallace (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 5-1)
Cons. Round 1 – Kieonna Smith (Canton) over Rakyrah Wallace (Aberdeen Central) (TF 16-0 3:24)

145: Lin Paw Jone 5th
Champ. Round 1 – Lin Paw Jone (Aberdeen Central) over Nevaeh  Schanbeck (Watertown) (Fall 1:46)
Quarterfinals – Sammie Reil (Harrisburg) over Lin Paw Jone (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 3-2)
Cons. Round 2 – Lin Paw Jone (Aberdeen Central) over Ivy  Hayes (Lead-Deadwood) (Fall 1:45)
Cons. Round 3 – Lin Paw Jone (Aberdeen Central) over Maddie Feiock (Viborg-Hurley/Irene-Wakonda) (Fall 2:44)
Cons. Semis – Sarah Rickenbach (Hot Springs) over Lin Paw Jone (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 2:04)
5th Place Match – Lin Paw Jone (Aberdeen Central) over Kenzie King (Canton) (For.)

165: Katrina Gibson 4th
Champ. Round 1 – Katrina Gibson (Aberdeen Central) over Blair Merkwan (Vermillion) (Fall 4:33)
Quarterfinals – Katrina Gibson (Aberdeen Central) over Brittney Hanson (Hill City) (Fall 4:35)
Semifinals – Gia Miller (Viborg-Hurley/Irene-Wakonda) over Katrina Gibson (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 3:31)
Cons. Semis – Katrina Gibson (Aberdeen Central) over Natalia Long (Canton) (Fall 4:10)
3rd Place Match – Rhiannen  Heimdal (Harrisburg) over Katrina Gibson (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 7-4)

185: Lilly Nelson 7th
Champ. Round 1 – Lilly Nelson (Aberdeen Central) over Josie Becker (Dell Rapids) (Fall 5:45)
Quarterfinals – Lilian Hamner (Brandon Valley) over Lilly Nelson (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 4:57)
Cons. Round 2 – Lilly Nelson (Aberdeen Central) over Tayla Schiltz (Harrisburg) (Fall 1:00)
Cons. Round 3 – Marlee Heltzel (Spearfish) over Lilly Nelson (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 6-2)
7th Place Match – Lilly Nelson (Aberdeen Central) over Emalee Larson (Pierre T.F. Riggs) (Fall 2:53)

250: Nina Howard 8th
Champ. Round 1 – Destiny Triplet (Douglas/Rapid City Christian/New Underwood) over Nina Howard (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 2:46)
Cons. Round 1 – Nina Howard (Aberdeen Central) received a bye
Cons. Round 2 – Nina Howard (Aberdeen Central) over Grace Eagle Elk (Lakota Tech) (Fall 4:39)
Cons. Round 3 – Unique Clairmont (Todd County) over Nina Howard (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 0:40)
7th Place Match – Heavenly Thompson (Pierre T.F. Riggs) over Nina Howard (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 2:35)

To see complete tournament results, click on the following link:

https://www.trackwrestling.com/tw/predefinedtournaments/VerifyPassword.jsp?tournamentId=771081132