photo by: Nick Krug

Free State's Madyson Gray pins Lawrence High's Abby Afful in the 130 pound match on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020 at Lawrence High School.

Free State sophomore wrestler Madyson Gray already has an unofficial state title on her resume, but if she wins another championship this year, she’ll make history.

This is the first season that girls wrestling has been a sanctioned sport by the Kansas State High School Activities Association, and Gray would become Free State’s first official state champion in girls wrestling if she were to win the 130-pound weight class on Thursday.

“It makes it 10 times more special than it being a normal state because this is real; this is the first actual, recognizable girls tournament,” Gray said. “It would mean a lot (to win). For it to be the first one, (it) would be so great.”

Gray is one of four area wrestlers competing in the state girls wrestling tournament at Salina’s Tony’s Pizza Events Center. Junior Emma Grossoehme and freshman Madi Hargett will represent Baldwin, while freshman Holly Colvert will represent Tonganoxie.

Gray has as good a chance to capture the state crown as anyone in the field.

Last season, she went 18-5 on Free State’s boys wrestling team before securing an unofficial title during an unsanctioned state girls wrestling tournament in McPherson, the Journal-World previously reported. This season, Gray has faced only female wrestlers and has gone undefeated. She enters the final week of the season with a 31-0 record and is ranked No. 1 in her weight class.

“I didn’t expect to go undefeated,” Gray said. “A lot of it is just that I practiced a lot. I went to every single practice and put in the work. Obviously, I’ve had my ups and downs through the season, but I just worked.”

Gray’s season has featured more ups than downs, and perhaps the biggest sign of her growth as a wrestler was her victory in the championship match of the regional meet at Paola High School.

Gray was trailing Topeka West’s Brianna Randles 9-2 in the title match, but she pinned Randles to capture the regional crown. It was the exact opposite of what took place in a meet last year, when Gray was pinned by Randles after leading by an 8-2 margin in the match.

“I’ve known Brianna Randles my entire wrestling career, and she’s so nice and a great person,” Gray said. “But beating her helped me realize how far I’ve come. I’ve just worked, so I’ve earned my place and I feel really good about where I am right now.”

Gray will have a bye during the opening round of the 130-pound weight class on Thursday. She needs two wins to advance to the championship match. On Gray’s side of the bracket is Great Bend sophomore Bre Ridgeway, who is ranked No. 3 in the 130-pound weight class.

Garden City junior Anjelina Serrano (No. 2 in the 130-pound weight class) and Randles (No. 4) are on the other side of the bracket.

Grossoehme (22-6), who is coming off a fourth-place finish in regionals, will face Emporia’s Gloria Peroza in the first round of the 143-pound weight class. Hargett (18-12) will square off with Chelsey Armbruster of Chapman in the opening round of the 235-pound weight class.

Colvert, who enters the event with a 25-7 clip, will face Angelina Gillegos of Wichita North in the first round of the 191-pound weight class.

The first round is slated to begin at 9 a.m. Thursday.