Aberdeen Central displayed grit and determination on the way to capturing second place in the Region 3 Girls’ Wrestling Tournament at Golden Eagles Arena Thursday.

The Golden Eagles received a pair of thrilling wins from individual champs Madison Little and Lilly Nelson to rack up 172.5 points, second only to champion Pierre with 225.5.

“This was maybe the best we’ve wrestled all year,” said Central coach Jake Flakus, “and what a big time at regions.”

Both Little and Nelson avenged losses to opponents en route to the top of the podium.

Little found herself trailing Pierre’s Shaylee Speck 8-0 before turning the match around in rapid fashion and recording a pin with three seconds left in the second period.

“I really look up to her as a wrestler,” Little said. “She’s probably gotten me to where I am now by pushing me as hard as she did. That match I was going in there just trying new things that I’ve never tried before.”

Speck, who Little said, “she’s beaten me so many times, I can’t even count,” appeared well on her way to another win, putting Little in a cradle, before Little rolled through it and soon put Speck on her back.

Little said working on that move in practice helped her out.

“When she hooked up that cradle, I really thought I was done,” Little said. “But with a lot of experience with Jasmine (Maas) and rolling through cradles, I kind of think that helped a lot.”

Another key was Little’s mindset throughout the match.

“Maddy was definitely not favored in the finals, but she just stayed calm,” Flakus said. “Sometimes she can get a little hot and emotional in matches, but she stayed calm, even when she was giving up points. She stayed calm. I think that was the difference for her.”

Nobody had a bigger comeback than Nelson in the semifinals. She trailed 8-4 with time quickly winding down before getting a reversal and back points in the closing seconds for an 11-8 victory over Taylor DeJong of Mitchell.

“I’ve lost to her a bunch over the season,” Nelson said. “I don’t know. I really wanted it, to be region top finalist. It was good. I was very proud of the way I wrestled that all the way to the end. It was great.”

Nelson had no idea how much time was left when she made her move.

“It was a shot in the dark,” Nelson said.

Nelson took her coach’s advice about fighting to the final second.

“We’ve lost to that girl twice. Both times we kind of got our butt kicked,” Flakus said. “Same thing, Lilly stayed calm, stayed in the match. We preach to the girls that you’ve got to finish matches and that’s a perfect example of why you stay in it while there’s seconds on the clock.”

Nelson then recorded a pin in the championship against a foe she had never faced before.

“That was my first time seeing her,” Nelson said. “I think that helped me, because I didn’t worry about what she does. I didn’t know her. I just went in with a clear mindset.”

Even in defeat, the Golden Eagles showed physical and mental toughness throughout the tourney.

Allison Neitzel spent time on her back in both the semifinals and the finals, yet did not give up a pin on the way to finishing second place.

“Well, I’m not just going to sit there and lay on my back and get pinned,” Neitzel said. “There’s that or your can keep fighting and that’s what I decided to do.”

Neitzel trailed in the semifinals before regrouping to pin Lilliana Luque of Mitchell.

“I beat that girl last week at ESD, too, so I kind of knew what was coming for me,” Neitzel said. “Oh my gosh, when she had me in that cradle. I knew she wasn’t going to pin me from there, because the whole time I had my one shoulder up, so when it was the end of the period, I knew I had to get to work, because oh my gosh, that was not a good situation to be in.”

While Neitzel lost in the finals, she did not give up a pin.

“That was pretty sketchy,” Neitzel said. “Fortunately she didn’t pin me, but it wasn’t looking good.”

Flakus talked about the efforts of both Neitzel and Avery Bendewald.

“They spent a lot of match time on their back, but you know they didn’t get pinned,” Flakus said. “It’s really easy when you’re on your back, everyone’s cheering, to just roll over and give up, but both of them just fought. Even though they lost, they fought really hard, and I’m always proud of that effort.”

The Golden Eagles will be taking nine members to next week’s state tournament in Rapid City. Central received runner-up finishes from Bendewald, Jasmine Maas, Neitzel, and Rakyrah Wallace, third place finishes from Lin Paw Jone, and Augustana Hieb, and a fourth place finish from Grace Reszler.

“It is amazing,” Nelson said. “Our team has grown phenomenally over the year.”

When asked if the Golden Eagles can take the momentum from the region and carry it over to the state tourney, Flakus responded, “I sure hope we do. It’s about a perfect of a region as we could ask for.”

Team points: Pierre 225.5, Aberdeen Central 172.5, Bon Homme-Scotland-Avon 147, Mitchell 97.5, Miller-Highmore-Harrold 88, Huron 63.5, Madison 57, Wessington Springs-Woonsocket-Wolsey-Wessington 40, Todd County 34.5, Chamberlain 34, Burke-Gregory 31.5, Kimball-White Lake-Platte-Geddes 28, Winner 8, Lyman 4, Ethan-Parkston 3.

Aberdeen Central results

114: Arianna Goldade 6th
Quarterfinals – Reva McGaugh (Huron) over Arianna Goldade (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 5:29)
Cons. Round 1 – Arianna Goldade (Aberdeen Central) over Suedawn Homer (Todd County) (Fall 1:39)
Cons. Semis – Gemma Stangeland (Pierre T.F. Riggs) over Arianna Goldade (Aberdeen Central) (MD 11-0)
5th Place Match – Kennley Sedlacek (Burke/Gregory) over Arianna Goldade (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 2:14)

145: Lin Paw Jone 3rd
Quarterfinals – Lin Paw Jone (Aberdeen Central) over Libby Krcil (Burke/Gregory) (Fall 0:57)
Semifinals – Ireland Templeton (Pierre T.F. Riggs) over Lin Paw Jone (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 8-7)
Cons. Semis – Lin Paw Jone (Aberdeen Central) over Valonny Walking Bull (Chamberlain) (Fall 3:11)
3rd Place Match – Lin Paw Jone (Aberdeen Central) over Devrah Meyer (Madison) (Fall 3:22)

107: Avery Bendewald 2^nd

Quarterfinals – Avery Bendewald (Aberdeen Central) over Allyson Tilberg (Mitchell) (TF 19-3 3:14)
Semifinals – Avery Bendewald (Aberdeen Central) over Sydney Johnson (Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon) (Fall 2:00)
1st Place Match – Chalie Sah (Huron) over Avery Bendewald (Aberdeen Central) (TF 16-0 6:00)

185: Augustina Hieb 3rd

Quarterfinals – Augustina Hieb (Aberdeen Central) received a bye
Semifinals – Kyanne Traversie-Johnson (Pierre T.F. Riggs) over Augustina Hieb (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 5:42)
Cons. Semis – Augustina Hieb (Aberdeen Central) received a bye
3rd Place Match – Augustina Hieb (Aberdeen Central) received a bye

100: Madison Little 1^st

Quarterfinals – Madison Little (Aberdeen Central) received a bye
Semifinals – Madison Little (Aberdeen Central) over Hailey Schafer (Miller/Highmore-Harrold) (Dec 5-1)
1st Place Match – Madison Little (Aberdeen Central) over Shaylee Speck (Pierre T.F. Riggs) (Fall 3:58)

126: Jasmine Maas 2nd
Champ. Round 1 – Jasmine Maas (Aberdeen Central) received a bye
Quarterfinals – Jasmine Maas (Aberdeen Central) over Adrienne Fast Horse (Todd County) (Fall 0:42)
Semifinals – Jasmine Maas (Aberdeen Central) over Hadlee  Kracht (Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon) (Fall 1:00)
1st Place Match – Dani Ringstmeyer (Pierre T.F. Riggs) over Jasmine Maas (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 3:02)

132: Allison Neitzel 2nd
Quarterfinals – Allison Neitzel (Aberdeen Central) over Wounsina Homer (Todd County) (Fall 1:29)
Semifinals – Allison Neitzel (Aberdeen Central) over Liliana Luque (Mitchell) (Fall 2:30)
1st Place Match – Lexie Hillmer (Pierre T.F. Riggs) over Allison Neitzel (Aberdeen Central) (TF 16-0 6:00)

165: Lilly Nelson 1st
Quarterfinals – Lilly Nelson (Aberdeen Central) over Gwen Leading Fighter (Todd County) (Fall 0:59)
Semifinals – Lilly Nelson (Aberdeen Central) over Taylor DeJong (Mitchell) (Dec 10-8)
1st Place Match – Lilly Nelson (Aberdeen Central) over LaRae Severson (Kimball/White Lake/Platte-Geddes) (Fall 4:51)

152: Grace Reszler 4th
Quarterfinals – Grace Reszler (Aberdeen Central) received a bye
Semifinals – Ashley Tolsma (Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon) over Grace Reszler (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 6-0)
Cons. Semis – Grace Reszler (Aberdeen Central) over Rachel Michl (Winner) (Fall 3:19)
3rd Place Match – Kyler Foreman (Miller/Highmore-Harrold) over Grace Reszler (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 8-4)

138: Rakyrah Wallace 2nd
Champ. Round 1 – Rakyrah Wallace (Aberdeen Central) over Randi Norgaard (Ethan/Parkston) (Fall 0:51)
Quarterfinals – Rakyrah Wallace (Aberdeen Central) over Daniyah Dakam (Chamberlain) (Fall 0:17)
Semifinals – Rakyrah Wallace (Aberdeen Central) over Gabby Werdel (Miller/Highmore-Harrold) (Dec 7-1)
1st Place Match – Kezrey Benning (Pierre T.F. Riggs) over Rakyrah Wallace (Aberdeen Central) (Dec 6-0)

120: Jashila Williams
Champ. Round 1 – Jashila Williams (Aberdeen Central) received a bye
Quarterfinals – Gracie Lobbins (Madison) over Jashila Williams (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 0:41)
Cons. Round 2 – Jashila Williams (Aberdeen Central) received a bye
Cons. Round 3 – Aine Graesser (Chamberlain) over Jashila Williams (Aberdeen Central) (Fall 1:41)

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

https://www.trackwrestling.com/tw/predefinedtournaments/VerifyPassword.jsp?tournamentId=904150132