Garcia, Lindberg runners-up

Khendra Garcia and Ashley Lindberg got on the doorstep of greatness in their second year of varsity wrestling for the Carrington Cardinal girls.

Garcia, at 130 pounds, and Lindberg, at 250, reached the state championship match in their weight classes at the one-class State Individual Girls Wrestling Tournament Thursday-Friday, February 16-17, at the Fargodome.

As a team, the Cards tied for 11th place with Valley City, scoring 58 points. Bismarck won their second championship in girls wrestling's third year as a sanctioned varsity sport, followed by Minot, Bismarck Legacy and 2022 champion Central Cass.

Garcia would fall by first-period pin to Bismarck freshman phenom Julia Araujo, who concluded an undefeated season on the mat for the Demons.

Lindberg also met up with the top seed in her class, Phoenix Lindseth of Legacy, and lasted 70 seconds before the match ended by fall.

Carrington's only other placer was Jazmyn Ybarra, who took seventh at 124 pounds. Ybarra had two overtime matches on each end of the tournament with Bismarck's Kassidi Monroe, losing the first but winning the second.

Entering as a seeded wrestler at 106, senior Taya Lura battled sickness and the weight of her own expectations to finish 1-2 and out of the podium.

Kendall Kovar was the other wrestler to get a win at the state tournament, taking an injury default in the wrestlebacks at 136.

Other qualifiers included Kelsi Neuman (124) and Karlee Lesmann (170).

State Individual Girls

Wrestling Tournament,

Fargodome

Thurs.-Fri., February 15-16

Team Scores

Bismarck 202, Minot 172, Bismarck Legacy 156, Central Cass 116, Bismarck Century 94, Grand Forks Knightriders (Central/Red River) and Mandan 86, West Fargo United (West Fargo/Sheyenne/Horace) 75, Napoleon 71.5, South Border 63, Valley City and Carrington 58, Dickinson 54, Lisbon 51, Jamestown 45, Pembina Co. North 43, Fargo Stingers (Davies/North/South) and Hettinger/Scranton 41, Des Lacs-Burlington 28, Devils Lake 26, Beulah/Hazen 22, Kenmare/Bowbells and New Salem-Almont 20, Ellendale-Edgeley-Kulm and LaMoure 19, Williston 18, Northern Lights 16, Kindred 14, Watford City 10, HWC 7, Rugby and Stanley 6, Grafton, Hillsboro/Central Valley, Killdeer and Turtle Mountain 3.

Individual Results

(final record in parentheses)

100: OPEN

106: Taya Lura (35-16) - DNP 1-2; Pinned by Bailey Ferderer (Cen) 3:09; Pinned Arlie Ramerman (Lis) 2:46; Pinned by Hailyann Turner (Bis) :55

112 & 118: OPEN

124: Jazmyn Ybarra (46-18) - 7th 3-2; Decd by Kassidi Monroe (Bis) 3-1 SV-1; Pinned Kelsi Neuman (Car) 2:49; Pinned Kashtyn Bredahl (DL-B) 2:12; Pinned by Acaila Olson (H-S) 4:23; Decd Monroe (Bis) 8-6 SV-1

124: Kelsi Neuman (22-25) - DNP 0-2; Pinned by Maggie Thielges (Bis) :19; Pinned by Ybarra (Car) 2:49

130: Khendra Garcia (42-6) - 2nd 3-1; Pinned Brianna Edwardson (DL) 3:28; Pinned Bryn Larson (GFK) :29; Decd Emersyn Schwab (Lis) 3-1; Pinned by Julia Araujo (Bis) 1:25

136: Kendall Kovar (22-22) - DNP 1-2; Pinned by Mylee Christianson (VC) 1:21; InjDef over Phoebe Wade (Bis) 4:02; Decd by Madison Reems (Bis) 3-2

142, 148 & 155: OPEN

170: Karlee Lesmann (20-20) DNP 0-2; Pinned by Grace Bercier (Jam) 5:17; Decd by Ivy Griffin (Leg) 5-0

190: OPEN

250: Ashley Lindberg (36-7) - 2nd 3-1; Pinned Lacy Whittmayer (GFK) 2:19; Pinned Jade'ence Fletcher (Min) 3:37; Decd Kathryn Sullivan (GFK) 3-1; Pinned by Phoenix Lindseth (Leg) 1:10

State Champions

100: Anna White, Central Cass

106: Ava Litsey, South Border

112: Alicia Kenfack, Bismarck Legacy

118: Alexis Schneider, Napoleon

124: Maggie Thielges, Bismarck

130: Julia Araujo, Bismarck

136: Aleiya Cullinan, Bismarck Legacy

142: Aubrie Overson, Bismarck

148: Cadence Cook, Bismarck Century

155: Emily Novak, Grand Forks Knightriders

170: Alexis Storsved, Mandan

190: Cambree Anderson, Bismarck

250: Phoenix Lindseth, Bismarck Legacy