Patriots, Bravettes headline Class B title chase at girls state wrestling

The 2026 NSAA Girls State Championships begin Tuesday, February 17th at the CHI Health Center in Omaha. Now in its second year as a standalone tournament, the Girls Championships promise to deliver high-level wrestling, an incredible atmosphere, and several unforgettable moments. 

The continued growth of girls wrestling in Nebraska has led to an unprecedented level of parity across the field of competitors, which lends itself to a very intriguing two days in Omaha. Wrestling begins at 3:00 PM on Tuesday and concludes with the Championship Finals, broadcast live on Nebraska Public Media, scheduled for 6:00 PM Wednesday evening. 

State Tournament information can be found at the following links. NFHS Livestream | Live Results | Class A Brackets | Class B Brackets

Class B: Patriots, Bravettes Headline Class B Title Chase

Adams Central has rolled through its competition this season. The Patriots boast 11 state qualifiers in an impressive lineup, the most of any team in the state regardless of class and they enter the state tournament in prime position to bring home a championship.

Led by a strong senior group featuring two-time state champion Kayden Sipp, the Patriots have built their success on consistency, culture, and belief.

“From day one, this group bought into doing the little things right. We emphasize daily discipline in how we train, how we recover, how we treat teammates, and how we handle adversity. Our kids have committed to being 1% better every day, and over the course of a season, that compounds,” said head coach Teran Boyer. 

“We also have tremendous leadership from our seniors. They’ve set the tone in the room with their work ethic and accountability. When your best wrestlers are also your hardest workers, it elevates everyone. At the same time, our underclassmen have embraced the standard and pushed our older girls. Iron sharpens iron.”

Despite high expectations, Boyer said his team remains focused on handling its business.

“We talk a lot about controlling what we can control, including our effort, our attitude, and our preparation. Expectations are a privilege,” Boyter added. “They mean you’ve earned respect. But they don’t win matches. Execution does.”

Adams Central will need to lean on its depth to cap an exceptional season with a state championship, as several other schools are prepared to challenge.

Foremost among them is Battle Creek. The Bravettes won the B-2 District and qualified six wrestlers for the state tournament.

“Winning both the conference and district tournaments has definitely given our girls confidence, but our message heading into the state meet is simple: momentum only matters if you keep earning it,” said head coach Brad Lanman. “The state tournament environment is different, with a bigger stage, a louder crowd, and tougher competition. 

“We remind the girls that the mat is still the same size and the match is still six minutes. Controlling what we can control, such as effort, attitude, and mental toughness, helps carry that momentum forward.”

Battle Creek returns two state medalists, including Taylor Ahlman, who won a state title as a freshman in 2025.

Last year’s team champion Yutan and runner-up Lakeview should also find themselves firmly in the mix for a state team trophy. Both programs return solid state tournament experience and have the potential to place multiple wrestlers on the medal stand.

Class B is loaded. Proven champions, deep lineups, and hungry challengers ensure that nothing will come easy. The team race may not be decided until the final round.

Class B Notes

Campbell, Sipp Aim for Historic Third Titles

Yutan’s Jordyn Campbell and Adams Central’s Kayden Sipp have been models of consistent excellence throughout their careers. Each wrestler reached the podium as a freshman before standing atop it as both sophomores and juniors. Now, in their final state tournament, they will look to close out historic careers as three-time champions. Campbell is the top seed at 135 pounds, while Sipp is seeded first at 140.

Loaded With Talent, Ten Returning Champions Headline Class B

An astonishing 10 returning state champions headline the Class B field this year. Not all will be able to repeat, as two weight classes feature two returning champions apiece. In each of those brackets, the former champions are on the same side, meaning neither weight class will feature defending champions meeting in the finals.

At 110 pounds, Abby Negley (Cozad) and Addisyn Darling (Yutan) both return to Omaha with their sights set on the top of the podium. Negley won their first meeting earlier this season. The other weight with two returning champions is 145, where Taylor Ahlman (Battle Creek) and Hayley Rusher (Chase County) are each vying for a second career gold medal.

Other returning champions in the field include Jordyn Campbell (Yutan, 135), Kayden Sipp (Adams Central, 140), Maggie Fiene (Conestoga, 155), Rylee Kursave (Arcadia/Loup City, 170), Addison Arvdal (Sutherland, 190), and Evelyn Bryan-Aldrich (Palmyra, 235).

The Wildest Weight: B115 Wide Open

Class B at 115 pounds has been one of the most compelling weights to follow this season. Entering the state tournament, there is no clear favorite to claim the title. The bracket features several returning state medalists, and matchups among the top contenders have produced back-and-forth results throughout the year, setting up a slate of intriguing showdowns in Omaha. The only certainty is that fans are in for a treat. Whoever emerges on top will have navigated one of the tournament’s deepest and most unpredictable brackets to earn gold.

Chasing Perfection

Three Class B wrestlers arrive in Omaha riding the momentum of undefeated seasons. Emma Finecy (Lakeview, 170), Arvdal (Sutherland, 190), and Bryan-Aldrich (Palmyra, 235) are each four wins away from capping off perfect campaigns. All three enter as the top seed in their respective brackets.

Thunderbirds Dominate the Lower Weights

Johnson County Central has controlled Class B’s lightest weight classes in recent seasons. Last year, the Thunderbirds produced state finalists at 100, 105, and 110. Three-time state champion Jocelyn Prado has graduated, but both Haylee Trew (100) and Alajandra Reyes (105) return. Each has earned the top seed at her respective weight and enters the state tournament with a combined 98-2 record this season.

Class A: Momentum Meets Experience in Class A State Battle

Top-ranked Omaha Westside has been waiting for the 2026 State Championships to arrive since the end of last season’s edition, which saw the Warriors finish runner-up to Norfolk. A mainstay atop the Class A field, Westside is in prime position to capture its second team championship after earning its first in 2024. 

They willl bring eight wrestlers to the CHI Health Center and boast several medal contenders in their lineup, including defending state champion Addeline Graser (155) and returning medalists Mara Vanderpool (100), Gabriell Price (120), Ireland Dyer (135), and Macy Barber (190).

To claim the championship, they will need to compete at their best, as a large chase pack appears poised to give a serious push.

Among the teams best positioned to challenge Westside are Kearney, Millard South, Norfolk, Lexington, and Beatrice. Each of these squads has had significant success this season and will look to add more in Omaha.

Kearney may be the leader of the chase group. Only in the third year of its program, Kearney is relatively new to the upper echelon of girls wrestling. The Bearcats’ ascent up the ranks has been rapid, and according to Coach Trey Schlender, much of that is a credit to the senior leaders who helped start the program three years ago and have set the standard ever since.

“Buy-in and leadership have helped create success. Our leaders in the room have shown what it takes to be successful at a high level, and our team trusts the process,” Schlender said. “They show up every day, learn, and get better. We have a great group of student-athletes who have been very disciplined and accountable, which has led to a lot of success.”

That leadership has also helped the team stay focused on improvement rather than lofty expectations.

“Trusting the process of development and getting better should allow our wrestlers to perform at a high level without focusing on expectations,” the Bearcat coach said. “We talk about putting our expectations of our wrestlers, coaches, and program to the side and focusing on what we can control each and every day.”

That mindset has positioned the Bearcats for a strong run at the state meet. They’ve qualified nine wrestlers for the championships, including five district champions.

Another team coming off an excellent district performance is Lexington. The Minutemaids have the most qualifiers of any Class A squad with 10. Lexington has long been a leader in girls wrestling, but this may well be its most successful season yet. Coach Art Banderas credits much of this season’s success to senior leadership and team captains.

“They set the tone for what this program is about every single day. This group understands it’s never been about one wrestler,” Banderas said. “It’s about the team and building something bigger than ourselves for the girls who will come after us. We focus on development, selflessness, attention to detail, and treating this team like a family.” 

While the team has set big goals, it has not gotten caught up in them.

“We’ve been very intentional about focusing on what is in front of us each week. We know what the destination is, but we don’t spend time staring at it,” Banderas added. “Our attention goes into the details of today’s practice and today’s match. That mindset has helped us stay present and continue to grow all season.”

Lexington enters the tournament riding a wave of positive momentum and will look to be a primary challenger for the team title.

Defending state champion Norfolk cannot be discounted. The Panthers have a deep lineup and several medal contenders who will keep them firmly in the team race. They have proven success in Omaha and will rely on that experience to remain among the leaders.

Millard South and Beatrice also have opportunities to contend for team trophies. Both are built similarly, with several strong state title contenders who will do much of the heavy lifting. They’ll need to maximize production from their entire roster of qualifiers to push toward the top, and both teams have shown the ability to do so this season.

In a field loaded with experience, momentum, and belief, the margin for error will be razor thin. Westside may enter as the favorite, but in Omaha, championships are earned one match at a time, and this year’s Class A race promises to be one of the most competitive yet.

Class A Notebook

Harrill Hunts for Third Title

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a career as dominant as Skutt Catholic junior Kaylyn Harrill’s. She enters the state championships with a 56-0 record this season. Harrill has recorded either a pin (44) or a technical fall (10) in every contested match this season. Ranked 11th nationally by FloWrestling, Harrill is a heavy favorite to capture her third state championship Wednesday night at 120 pounds and stay on track to become the first four-time girls NSAA state champion.

Lyons Aims to Close Career a Champion

Omaha Westview senior Kalynn Lyons has been one of the standard-bearers for girls wrestling in Nebraska throughout her career. Her success on the national level has helped elevate the state’s profile across the country. In-state, she has been rarely tested and enters her final state tournament with a 45-0 record. Lyons will seek her second consecutive state title at 130 pounds.

Anderson on Fast Track for Four 

Bennington High School has a history of producing four-time state champions, and sophomore Mia Anderson is on pace to become the next four-timer for the Badgers. She has been incredibly dominant in her first two seasons on the mat. Aside from one technical fall, she has pinned every opponent she has defeated. Anderson enters the state tournament riding a streak of 18 consecutive first-period falls.

Senior State Champions Headline 105

Lauren Frihauf and Madelynn Bohnet will both look to cap off incredible careers atop the podium at 105. Unfortunately, there’s only room for one at the top. Both wrestlers captured state championships last season, and Bohnet was also a 2024 champion. They have met once this season, with Frihauf claiming victory. Should they both navigate their way to the finals, fans could be in for an epic showdown Wednesday night.

First-Round Fireworks

We’re in for a hot start Tuesday, with several high-profile first-round matchups that will go a long way in determining who reaches the podium and who faces a challenging path back through the wrestlebacks. Several of these bouts will also carry major implications for the team race. Wrestlers must be ready to go from the opening whistle.

A few to watch include Addisyn Gates (Grand Island) vs. Brooklyn Ludwick (Papillion-La Vista South) at 105; Rylee Luce (Gering) vs. Martina Alonzo-Gomez (Fremont) at 110; Samara Baker (Lincoln East) vs. Jayden Jones (Westside) at 125; Kinzey Long (Norfolk) vs. Ireland Dyer (Westside) at 135; and Lucy Wing (Westside) vs. Lesli Garcia Gomez (Grand Island) at 170.

Fans will be treated to high-quality matchups from the first whistle to the last.

Top Seeds Aim to Make School History

This may be the year several Class A schools crown their first individual state champions. Lincoln High, Lincoln Southeast, Omaha Benson, Scottsbluff, and Lexington each have wrestlers who have earned the top seed in their respective brackets. If they reach the top of the podium, they would become the first individual gold medalists in school history.