photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State senior Daijah Preston puts Lawrence senior Avery Sutton in a headlock during the Sunflower League girls wrestling meet at Shawnee Mission West on Friday, February 7, 2025.

For four years, Daijah Preston helped build the girls wrestling program at Free State to grow large enough to separate from Lawrence High School and require a full-time head coach.

Now, she’s off to help build a college wrestling program at Avila University, where she will be coached by Sara Hilliard, a Free State graduate in her second year leading the program.

“I think that was a sign that I was meant to go to Avila,” Preston said.

Preston participated in a college signing event at Free State on Wednesday, where she was joined by 28 other Firebirds getting ready for college. At the event, Preston was swarmed by peers and teammates alike.

“I’m so excited to continue my career, and it’s all thanks to (assistant) coach Tess (Kinne) and coach Sara (Hilliard),” Preston said. “They’ve done great, and I’m so excited to be a part of their program.”

Preston attended a prospect day at Avila during Free State’s homecoming weekend, where she met some of her future teammates and coaches. Immediately, the program’s culture felt right, and she eventually decided to commit.

“I love that it’s two female coaches,” Preston said. “That’s really inspiring. Overall, the community and the culture is impressive.”

This marks the end of Preston’s time with the Firebirds. She leaves with seven school records and an important role in building the chemistry of the program. Lawrence coach Carl Springer — who has been the acting Free State coach — and Melle Dye — who recently became the school’s head coach after serving as the de facto coach for two seasons — speak highly of Preston and her leadership on the mat. She helped build it from a one-girl team to a program with two returning state placers.

“It’s grown so much, and I’m honestly excited to see where it goes,” Preston said of the Free State team. “It’s only up from here. It’s going to be great to see how the program can grow from here and hopefully hold a state championship.”

For Hilliard, recruiting and signing Preston to her squad was special. As the sport grows nationally, Hilliard can build strong ties to Kansas wrestlers, including those at her alma mater. She can provide opportunities to wrestlers that were limited when Hilliard was in their shoes.

When it comes to Preston, Hilliard said her mentality is one of the best aspects of her game. With a mental sport like wrestling, a strong mental toughness is imperative, and Preston brings that. She’s battled on and off the court, including returning from a leg injury that kept her from postseason play during her junior year.

“You don’t have teammates you can pass a ball off to when you’re having a bad night shooting,” Hilliard said. “Having the right attitude is important — I really appreciate Daijah’s attitude. She’s really positive, really uplifting and resilient.”

This is only the fourth season that Avila will have a girls wrestling program, and Hilliard is in her second year leading it. As she works to set the culture and identity of the new program, it’s helpful to have athletes who have helped accomplish that somewhere else. Preston said she’s “excited to be part of the history that is to come” for Avila after having been a part of a Free State squad that has blossomed.

“Daijah has had the experience of being the foundation piece of her program, so it’s really important that I bring in the right type of people to be that foundation for what Avila women’s wrestling looks like for generations to come,” Hilliard said.

Women’s wrestling at all levels has grown significantly over the past few years. Numerous high school state associations are sanctioning the sport for the first time, and the NCAA will hold its first sanctioned national championship in women’s wrestling in the 2025-26 season. For Hilliard, it’s important for her team to understand the history of their sport and how they have arrived at this point.

Knowing what this means to the program and the sport, Preston is ready to get started on the next stage of her career and help build another program.

“I really just think it’s up from here,” Preston said. “My story just started. I still have so much ahead of me in the wrestling world, and I’m excited to see where that takes me.”