Menke, Garcia claim state titles in Omaha

OMAHA, Neb. — Bridgeport’s Elizabeth Menke captured the Class B 115-pound state championship Wednesday at the Nebraska School Activities Association Girls State Wrestling Championships at CHI Health Center.

Menke (47-2) scored 26 team points on her way to the title. She opened with a 13-1 major decision over Bailey Gress of High Plains Community and followed with a 10-2 major decision against Rhiannon Tramp of Palmyra in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Menke earned a 12-6 decision over Brinkley Last of Battle Creek before claiming the championship by injury default over Leynn Luna of Boone Central in the finals.

Scottsbluff produced two Class A medalists. At 190 pounds, Jazmyn Garcia (31-1) finished as state champion. Garcia won the title with four consecutive falls, pinning Faith Wagner of Fremont, Jaslyn Munoz of Crete and Surenity Lewis of Alliance and Omaha North's Jayashree Bray.

Teammate Marcela Colin (41-15) placed fourth at 145 pounds. Colin recorded a 9-2 decision and a fall to reach the semifinals. She later won by injury default in the consolation semifinals before finishing fourth, adding 16 team points.

Gering’s Rylee Luce (42-7) earned a fifth-place finish at 110 pounds, scoring 13.5 team points. After a quarterfinal loss, Luce responded with a technical fall and a major decision in the consolation rounds before securing fifth by injury default.

Alliance's Surenity Lewis placed sixth in Class A 190 pounds.

Other area qualifiers included Gering’s Rileigh Dane and Autumn Hahn, Bridgeport’s Cammie Rader, Bayard’s Maliyah Olsen, Perkins County’s Haley Dunn and South Platte’s Audrey Moorhead.

The Nebraska high school boys wrestling Tournament begins Thursday and runs through Saturday.