photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence's Ivy Ford faces Free State's Delaney Earl in the City Showdown wrestling dual at Lawrence on Jan. 21, 2026, in Lawrence.

Ivy Ford was preparing for the 6A East regional tournament last year with a path to the state tournament in sight. Then came a cold.

“I didn’t have it until like the night before at 9 p.m.,” Ford said. “If I did try to go, it probably wouldn’t have ended well. And I didn’t want to risk getting other people sick … It was really unfortunate because I was checking the brackets and a lot of the girls would have been wrestlers that I’ve already won against.”

The sickness prevented Ford from wrestling in the regional tournament, which also meant that she couldn’t earn a spot at the state tournament. So for Ford’s senior year at Lawrence, she has her sights set on the state tournament to make up for the year she missed as a junior.

A number of Lions, including Ford, have been at the school over summer for workout sessions. Many of the wrestlers split time with other sports or have trips planned that take them away from every summer wrestling session. But when they’re available, wrestlers have shown up and improved.

Ford said that last year she felt that she wasn’t as conditioned as she could’ve been, leaving a few wins on the mat that she had the talent and technique to take. Continuing to improve her mindset before and during matches is another area of growth for Ford.

“Mindset is a big part of it,” Ford said. “Mental block is a big part of it, and it happens to everyone. It becomes a lot easier, and you have more confidence in yourself once you start telling yourself you can do it.”

Confidence and mindset are crucial, and wrestlers can get it from teammates as well as from themselves. Ford and former teammate Goldy Stephens tried hard to build that team chemistry last year, which includes always supporting whichever teammate is wrestling by cheering next to the coaches. Having that support makes a difference, whether a wrestler is winning or losing a match.

“Having your coaches there is one thing, but having your teammate there supporting you, whether you’re winning or losing, really helps you on the mat,” Ford said. “It helps you realize, ‘Oh, I’m not alone.'”

The bond on the team is strong, in large part because of the intense mental and physical season they go through together. But finding ways to strengthen it in the summer before the season starts makes a big difference, and Ford has seen the team do just that.

Ford was already one of the team’s leaders last year, and that role becomes bigger as she enters her final season with the team. She’ll be one of a few seniors on the team, and it’ll be up to her to leave the team culture in a good place.

“I’ve had teammates that have graduated, and they’ve really set a good example,” Ford said. “It’s really important to carry on what the upperclassmen have taught you, and it’s important to keep that going for the younger girls.”

It’s been bittersweet for Ford to think about this being her final year at Lawrence. Ford has family members who have wrestled, but she didn’t get into the sport until her freshman year at Lawrence. In that time she’s worked and grown into a state-level wrestler, and the credit for that accomplishment is shared between her own hard work and the culture of the team.

Building a culture is an important step for this year, and the only other way to better cap off her career at Lawrence is with a state tournament run. Losing the opportunity to even wrestle last year has stayed with Ford, and she’s ready to make it happen.

“(Not being able to wrestle in the regional tournament) just really makes me want to work harder,” Ford said. “It puts a lot of fire in my spirit and makes me want to do better.”