photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence wrestler Goldy Stephens gets a pin on the second day of the 6A state wrestling tournament on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk in Overland Park.

OVERLAND PARK — Lawrence placed 20th and Free State finished 29th in the 6A state girls wrestling tournament with nine wrestlers between the two schools wrestling in the two-day tournament.

Lawrence sent five wrestlers to the tournament and got one to the podium. Senior Goldy Stephens placed fifth in the 235-pound weight class, which was the second time Stephens reached the state podium.

“I was a little worried around January… every team hits a spot where they’re struggling, and we lost to Baldwin and Free State,” Lawrence coach Carl Springer said, “but then you remember that it’s part of the process. You don’t need to be your best self in January, you need to be the best wrestler in February. We punched five tickets.”

Lawrence had a smaller team this year after a few graduations from the 2024-25 team. But the Lions over half of the final roster qualify for state, and more wrestlers picked up wins in the state tournament than a season ago.

“We put ourselves in a good position to have a shot,” Springer said. “I feel like our program is on the rise. It was cool to bounce back and punch some tickets.”

Stephens finished her career as the winningest wrestler in Lawrence history with 122 wins including 101 pins. She qualified for the state tournament three times and took fifth in the 235-pound weight class her junior and senior years.

“It’s been a lot of hard work,” Stephens said. “I’ve enjoyed it, but it’s been a lot of hard work. Thinking back to four years ago, it definitely didn’t fly by.”

Springer said he’s already having a hard time emotionally dealing with the fact that Stephens won’t be wrestling for the team next year and said that who she is as a person is irreplaceable.

“The level of wrestling aside, just having a kid who started the program, set the standard and is the girl for Lawrence High… you can’t replace that,” Springer said.

In the tournament, Stephens went 4-2. She started with a pin in the first round but lost to the eventual runner-up in an 11-4 decision in the quarterfinal. Stephens rebounded with two pins in the consolation bracket, the latter of which came in a bout that Stephens quickly fell behind 10-2 and was on her back before a quick maneuver put Stephens in position for the pin.

Stephens lost the consolation semifinal match in a 15-11 decision but finished with her hand in the air with an 8-6 decision win in the fifth-place match.

“I’m relieved,” Stephens said. “I didn’t get quite where I wanted to be, but the season is over. I can’t change it. There’s no reason to feel super negative about the experience because of this tournament. I gave it my all, which is all I’ve got.”

Stephens’s days wrestling on the mat are over, but she’s not done with the sport. She will be back at the Lawrence High School wrestling room next season as an assistant coach.

“I’m excited — I’m tired of being an athlete,” Stephens said. “Just to chill out and help people out and do their best is what I’d rather do than focus on myself. I see a lot of potential in every single one. I’ve gotten to know them as teammates, and I feel that’ll help me as a coach.”

Sophomore Annabelle Ackerman went 2-2 in the 115-pound bracket. After starting with a loss, Ackerman got a 47-second pin in the first consolation round and a second-period pin in the second consolation round. Ackerman was pinned for her second loss in the third consolation round.

Sophomore Juliana Hout picked up a win in the 135-pound weight class and made it to the second day of the tournament. Her win came on a pin in the first period during the first consolation round. Sophomore Imogen Matter got her win in the first consolation round of the 145-pound weight class with a pin.

Junior Paige Fishburn at 120 pounds reached the state tournament but lost her first two matches on the first day.

Free State had four wrestlers at the state tournament, three of whom wrestled onto the second day. Coach Melle Dye knew it would be a challenge for the Firebirds at the tournament given the team’s regional results, but Dye was proud of how the team fought.

“The second day, the first matches, we wrestled really well,” Dye said. “We caught some wins, beat some girls we weren’t supposed to. The second round was tough.”

Senior Delaney Earl went 2-2 in the 125-pound weight class, picking up her two wins in her middle two bouts. After a loss to start, Earl won by medical forfeit in the first consolation round and picked up a 14-9 decision win in the second consolation round. She was pinned in her next bout, which concluded her tournament run.

“That was a tough girl she had to wrestle, and it was 2-1 going into the third period,” Dye said of Earl. “She wrestled really tough.”

Earl is one of two seniors on the team, and both she and Madilyn Pierson have been instrumental in helping Dye set standards and expectations for the team in its first year separated from Lawrence.

Earl started wrestling her sophomore year and quickly became an impressive wrestler. She qualified for state twice and was a leader in the wrestling room. As sad as it was for her and the team that she didn’t get to the podium, Dye is confident in the future of her wrestling career at Southeastern Community College in Iowa. Earl said she’s happy to have found a college program that wanted her.

As far as her finishing her Free State career up, it all coming to an end is still a little hard to believe.

“Obviously no one is 100% happy walking out of here other than whoever wins their bracket,” Earl said. “It was important as a newer program (to leave it all on the mat). I had a lot of great senior role models when I was younger, so it was good for me to try to be.”

Freshman Brielle Preston went 2-2 in the 110-pound weight class. Preston lost her first match by a pin but won with a first-period pin in the second bout and got an 11-7 decision win in her third match. She was pinned in the third consolation round, which ended her season.

Freshman Jessica Berg went 1-2 at 120 pounds and picked up a win in the first consolation round with a second-period pin. A late pin in the third consolation round put her out of the tournament.

Junior AJ Collins lost both of her two matches in the tournament, but the 235-pound wrestler impressed her coaches for being completely new to the sport.

“It’s crazy to be a junior, never stepping foot on the mat and deciding to try it,” Dye said. “Her record was 22-18. She was out there winning matches. To go out there and place at regionals shows the hard work she puts in.”

Collins hasn’t decided yet if she will come back to the wrestling mat next year, as her main focus is and has been softball. But if she does, Dye is confident in her.

“It was great to have this experience,” Collins said. “I can’t even believe I made it to state.”

For both Lawrence and Free State, getting girls to join the team and also get mat time over the offseason will be a point of emphasis. Both teams brought a number of young wrestlers to the tournament, and for those young wrestlers to take the next step, it starts in the summer.

“If we can get some girls in the room committed throughout the summer, I think by the time we get here next year we will be sitting in a pretty good spot,” Dye said.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence wrestler Goldy Stephens grabs her opponent on the second day of the 6A state wrestling tournament on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk in Overland Park.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence wrestler Goldy Stephens gets her hand raised after a win on the second day of the 6A state wrestling tournament on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk in Overland Park.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State wrestler Delaney Earl wrestles on the second day of the 6A state wrestling tournament on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk in Overland Park.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State wrestler Brielle Preston wrestles on the second day of the 6A state wrestling tournament on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk in Overland Park.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence wrestler Juliana Hout wrestles on the second day of the 6A state wrestling tournament on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk in Overland Park.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State wrestler Jessica Berg gets on top of her opponent on the second day of the 6A state wrestling tournament on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at AdventHealth Sports Park at Bluhawk in Overland Park.