Alabama Girls State Tournament Preview
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The Girls State Tournament in Alabama will take place at Thompson High School on Saturday January 22nd. This is just the second edition of the grassroots tournament and the number of girls as well as the number of teams competing continues to grow significantly. At present, more than 180 girls are registered representing 41 teams from across the state. There is no qualifying event for the girls state tournament … and as a result the brackets will not be constructed until after weigh-ins.
That is a bit challenging when writing an in-depth preview because it is hard to know who will be at the tournament and what weight they will actually wrestle. But we will give it a shot and try to identify those girls to keep an eye on as they seek to win an Alabama State Title.
By the way - usually the designations below are based on the brackets having already been released … that’s not the case here. A favorite is exactly what we think - the favorite to win the weight based on past results. A contender is someone that has demonstrated this year that she has the tools to make a push for the title and a darkhorse is a wrestler that might be “off the radar” a bit, but could surprise some people … never sleep in the darkhorse in a bracket.
102 lbs. (14 wrestlers)
Favorite: Erin Clarkson
Contenders:
La’Nia Riley of Daphne
Alanah Girard of Daphne
Kaylan Brown of Thompson
Darkhorse: Hailey Gentry of Foley
Clarkson enters as the favorite after taking 2nd at 95 lbs a year ago to Lynleigh Weltzin of Thompson. Clarkson should be challenged though by a pair of Daphne wrestlers in La’Nia Riley and Alanah Girard. Clarkson does have a loss to Riley this year (and has also beaten her twice) - so don’t think that she has the title already in the bag. Keep an eye on Kaylan Brown of Thompson who has wrestled up at 120 before making the descent to 102 (where she is unbeaten).
There are 14 wrestlers in the weight and a ton of 7th and 8th graders … so this is a perfect example of the type of growth girls wrestling is having in the state.
109 lbs. (18 wrestlers)
Favorite: Mariah Jones of Central Phenix City
Contenders:
Jenna MacDonald of Daphne
Erika Childers of Gulf Shores
Lynleigh Weltzin of Thompson
Darkhorse: Jaiden Melendez of Piedmont
Central Mariah Jones finished 2nd a year ago at 105 to Evelyn Holmes-Smith. Jones returns looking to take the top step in 2022. she has wrestled up at 112/114 with much success and has a win over 95 lb. Champ Lynleigh Weltzin earlier this year. I don’t know if she has wrestled MacDonald or Childers this season and that could be one to watch. Keep an eye on Jaiden Melendez of Piedmont … tons of matches this season in helping the boys team at 106 and that should serve her well as she comes into this bracket.
116 lbs. (15 wrestlers)
Favorite: Evelyn Holmes-Smith of Enterprise
Contenders:
Carlie Tait of WS Neal
Maggie Whitaker of Arab
Zoey Blair of Thompson
Darkhorse: Kloe Robb of Sparkman
Evelyn Holmes-Smith has been a mainstay for those of us that have watched wrestling in the Southeast over the last several years. She is all over the place competing against some of the best girls around and has demonstrated (both in folkstyle and freestyle) that she is a force to be reckoned with. She won the 105 lb title a year ago as an 8th grader and is back to make it two in a row. Carlie Tait of WS Neal looks like he greatest challenge as she has had a solid year in South Alabama. She has stepped in for the boys team at both 113 and 120 and has wrestled well. Maggie Whitaker and Zoey Blair have both put together solid seasons and will be in the mix as well.
122 lbs. (23 wrestlers)
Favorite: Aenaya Vines of Thompson
Contenders:
Brooklyn Grant of Mary Montgomery
Stella Hawks of Daphne
Nadia Smith of Sparkman
Hannah McNeese of Daphne
Darkhorse: Jessalynn Allen of Grissom
Vines took care of business a season ago in her climb to the top step at 115 lbs. … she returns with the same force and has to be the favorite to take the title again in 2022. Brooklyn Grant of Mary Montgomery has had an exceptional season and the senior is looking to knock the freshman Vines from the top step and take the title back south. Nadia Smith of Sparkman, Stella Hawks of Daphne, and Hannah McNeese of Daphne are a few others you might want to keep an eye on. Keep an eye on the Grissom 8th grader - Jessalynn Allen.
128 lbs. (13 wrestlers)
Favorite: Carly Thomas of Bob Jones
Contenders:
Jaicee Massey of Baker
Nevaeh Browder of Prattville
Rhyleah Gleber of Gulf Shores
Darkhorse: Breanna Heaton of Foley
Carly Thomas is yet another returning champ - she won it last year at 120. She has to be the favorite here, but both Jaicee Massey and Neveah Browder are two to watch … both have had good seasons and have traded wins with one another. I’d expect they will be on the bottom side of the bracket and that could be a semifinal to watch.
134 lbs. (14 wrestlers)
Favorite: Kalyse Hill of Daphne
Contenders:
Natalee Black of Thompson
Keoni Knotts of Robertsdale
Kameron Glenn of Sparkman
Amaya Smith of Mae Jemison
Darkhorse: Gabrielle Sims of Thompson
Kakyse Hill has had a very good freshman campaign to this point and will look to finish things off with an individual state title. She has dominated this season - except for a little bump in the road - a loss to Jaycee Massey in late December. Based on her wrestling this season she has to be the favorite, but don’t look past the contenders making a push. Black, Knotts, Glenn, and Smith will all have their say in who takes the title and keep an eye on Gabrielle Sims who has some good wins and could surprise some people.
140 lbs. (13 wrestlers)
Favorite: Lena Johannson of Weaver
Contenders:
Tristin Robinson of Northside Methodist
Phillipa Parker of Montgomery Catholic
Kimber Alford of Daphne
Darkhorse: Elizabeth Rosenstiel of Northridge
Lena Johannson won a title a year ago as an 8th grader and has been on the radar in Alabama for the last several years. She is uber talented and we are looking forward to her making a splash in the SE this coming year. Robinson, Parker, Alford and others will be in the hunt, but no one has come close thus far to knocking off Johannson … will someone make that happen this weekend?
147 lbs. (16 wrestlers)
Favorite: Yasmine Oliveira of Spain Park
Contenders:
Estrella Islas of Thompson
Akerah Artis of Sparkman
Charlotte Parker of Montgomery Catholic
Darkhorse: Haley Pate of Brookwood
Few wrestlers in Alabama have had as good of a 12-month run as Yasmine Oliveira since January of 2021 (and that includes the guys). Yasmine lost in the finals a year ago to Lena Johannson and then spent the next 12 months showing that she was determined to get better and claim a title in 2022. She went to Fargo and wrestled very well and most recently won the prestigious Knockout in Florida over the Holiday break. Islas, Artis, Parker, and others will need to have their “A” game ready if they are going to beat the only nationally ranked wrestler in the field (Evelyn Holmes Smith and Kaylee Holder might be ranked as well, but I know Yasmine is in the top 20 of her weight nationally). Keep in mind though - Oliveira isn’t the only returning runer-up in the bracket. Artis was 2nd a year ago at 150.
154 lbs (10 wrestlers)
Favorite: Sage Rosario of Daphne
Contenders:
Reagan Grant of Sparkman
Autumn Boutwell of Arab
Darkhorse: Trinity Carter of Weaver
Rosario has been an absolute tear this year and looks to be the clear favorite at 154 … she beat Reagan Grant back in November and her only loss has come to Oliveira. Grant and Boutwell will lead the charge, but someone will need to wrestle lights out to beat Rosario.
167 lbs. (14 wrestlers)
Favorite: Kaylee Holder of Daphne
Contenders:
Kalea Loving of Sparkman
Rachel Crowe of Thompson
Zailyn Morton of WS Neal
Darkhorse: Molly Eaton of Brookwood
Daphne’s Kaylee Holder dominated a year ago and has been on a tear since the last state tournament. Like Yasmine Oliveira, Holder spent time in Fargo this past summer and has really “upped” her game … Loving, Crowe, Morton, and others will need to wrestle lights out in order to knock off the defending Champ. Keep an eye on Molly Eaton … this is a good bracket - they just happen to share it with Holder. Crowe is a returning runner-up - so if Holder gets tripped up - look for Crowe or Loving to step in.
187 lbs. (14 wrestlers)
Favorite: Allison Tryon of Montevallo
Contenders:
Ava Nguyen of Thompson
Gracie Cook of Baker
Ashlynn Johnson of Phenix City Central
Darkhorse: Maya Curp of Elberta
Allison Tryon looks to be the favorite after downing Nguyen earlier this season. Nguyen, in turn, beat Gracie Cook this season. I don’t believe Cook and Tryon have wrestled and that doesn’t mean that Cook will beat Tryon (there is no transitive property in wrestling). But it does mean that Tryon will likely be the top seed and Cook will need to beat Nguyen to get a match with her in the finals (because it looks like Nguyen will be the 2 seed and Cook the 3 seed). I haven’t seen much of the field wrestle this year so who knows if there isn’t someone lurking and ready to take the title.
237 lbs. (12 wrestlers)
Favorite: Katey Quebodeaux (Thompson)
Contenders:
Jayla Lofton (Saralnad)
Lauren Durbin (Baker)
Olivia Lanier (Foley)
Darkhorse: Tamara Reed (Baldwin County)
Looks like a fairly open weight … Quebodeaux does have a loss to Thomasville’s Victoria Sanders, but she isn’t currently registered. Quebodeaux also has wins over both Lofton and Durbin - making her the favorite given who is registered.
285 lbs. (4 wrestlers)
Just 4 wrestlers registered at the weight and it looks like Leona Kenny-Parkman of John Carroll is the only returner in the field. Keep an eye on Abby Theiss of Alabama School for the Blind who is 4-4 this season and could make a run for the top step.