By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Walton-Verona teammates Emma Moore and Sophie Anderson won weight class titles for the second consecutive year at the girls state wrestling tournament on Thursday at Kentucky Horse Park.
The championship finals began with Moore defeating Naiya Delos Santos of Taylor County, 7-0, in the 100-pound weight class. The Walton-Verona junior, who won the same weight class last year, finishes with a 36-6 record.
Anderson capped her senior season with a 15-3 decision over Talynn Clark of Ohio County in the 132-pound final and was named the outstanding wrestler in the state tournament.
Last year’s 132-pound state champion, Anderson posted a 33-4 record this season.
Highlands sophomore Emma Hood, who entered the state tournament undefeated, lost to Braylyn Maynard of Pike County Central in the 152 title match on a pin in the final seconds of the third period. Hood finished the season with a 29-1 record.
In one of the state tournament’s third-place matches, Peyton Brinkman of Ryle lost to Madyson Votaw, 8-6, at 100 pounds.
Lexington Lafayette won the girls team title with 131 points. Walton-Verona placed ninth in the 29-team standings with Moore and Anderson scoring 56 points for the Bearcats.
Top teams will battle in girls 9th Region showdown
The two teams with the best records will face each other in one of four first-round games at the 9th Region girls basketball tournament on Sunday at Northern Kentucky University’s Truist Arena.
Holy Cross (25-7) will play Cooper (22-5) at 2:30 p.m. in the premier game of the day. Cooper won the last three 9th Region tournaments and was ranked No. 3 in the final statewide media poll, but Holy Cross defeated the Jaguars, 66-54, in an early season game.
Cooper sophomore Haylee Noel was voted 9th Region Player of the Year by the coaches. The other first-team all-region selections in the tournament are Caroline Eaglin of Newport Central Catholic, Marissa Green of Highlands, Aumani Nelson of Holy Cross and Catherine Buddenburg of Dixie Heights.
Eaglin and Buddenberg will be facing each other in the tournament’s opening game between NewCath and Dixie Heights at 1 p.m. Sunday. The other first-round matchups are Highlands vs. Ryle at 6:30 p.m. and Notre Dame vs. St. Henry at 8 p.m.
Last year, Ryle defeated Highlands, 49-43, in the semifinals to reach the region final for the third consecutive year. The last time Highlands made it to the title game was 2013.
9TH REGION GIRLS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
(at Northern Kentucky University’s Truist Arena)
SUNDAY
Dixie Heights (20-8) vs. Newport Central Catholic (16-16), 1 p.m.
Cooper (22-5) vs. Holy Cross, (25-7), 2:30 p.m.
Highlands (21-8) vs. Ryle (9-22), 6:30 p.m.
Notre Dame (20-7) vs. St. Henry (14-16), 8 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
Semifinal games, 6:30 and 8 p.m.
FRIDAY
Championship game, 7 p.m.
Campbell will face top scorer in 10th Region opener
Brossart and Campbell County will play teams that weren’t on their regular season schedules in the opening round of next week’s 10th Region girls basketball tournament at Campbell County Middle School.
In the opening game on Monday, Campbell County (17-9) will face Nicholas County (19-12) at 6 p.m. That game will feature the state’s scoring leader, Maggie Simons, who is averaging 30.6 points per game for Nicholas County. The 5-foot-10 sophomore was voted 10th Region Player of the Year by region coaches.
Brossart (24-7) will take on Montgomery County (20-12) in the tournament’s final first-round game at 7:45 p.m. Tuesday. During the month of February, Montgomery County had a 6-5 record and Brossart went 8-2. The Indians have three players with double-figure scoring averages.
George Rogers Clark has won the 10th Region girls tournament seven of the last eight years. The team’s only loss during that run came against Brossart in the 2021 semifinals. Last year, GRC defeated Campbell County, 73-36, in the region final.
10TH REGION GIRLS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
(at Campbell County Middle School)
MONDAY
Campbell County (17-9) vs. Nicholas County (19-12), 6 p.m.
George Rogers Clark (22-7) vs. Mason County (21-9), 7:45 p.m.
TUESDAY
Bracken County (22-10) vs. Harrison County (15-16), 6 p.m.
Brossart (24-7) vs. Montgomery County (20-12), 7:45 p.m.
FRIDAY
Semifinal games, 6 and 7:45 p.m.
SATURDAY
Championship game, 7 p.m.