A Fan's Guide to the Georgia Girls State Tournament
Welcome to SEWrestle’s Fan’s Guide to the Georgia 1A State Tournament. For those of you unfamiliar with the Fan’s Guide … here are a few things to know. First, I don’t believe in making predictions … happy to leave that to others. Anything can happen on the mat and these wrestlers must win multiple matches to earn a title … so don’t jump to the conclusion that the favorite is my prediction for the champ. Second, the Fan’s Guide is simply designed to give the average fan an idea of the bracket and who are some of the bets wrestlers to keep an eye on. This is determined by a number of different things including how they placed at the sectional tournament, how they performed at past state tournaments, etc. Third, if you have never heard the term “darkhorse” before … it is usually identified as someone “flying under the radar” that could surprise some people (for the purpose of the Fan’s Guide it will always be a wrestler that finished 3rd or lower at their sectional tournament). I don’t necessarily believe the darkhorse will win it all, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they found a way high onto the podium.
I hope you enjoy the state tournament and best of luck to everyone competing.
102 lbs.
Favorite: Catarina Velasquez (Chestatee)
Contenders:
Haley Zinninger (North Gwinnett)
Dej-Ann Angus (Hampton)
Aneri Patel (Woodward Academy)
Darkhorse: Lilianna Mckinely (Carrollton)
Best First Round Match: Lilianna Mckinely (Carrollton) vs. Elise Pennington (Cherokee Bluff)
What to Expect: Velasquez in the returning State Runner-up at weight … she won Section 3 over Elise Pennington of Cherokee Bluff (the 11 seed) and is 16-1 on the season. She takes the #1 seed and is the favorite. A year ago she pinned Angus in the 2nd round, McKinley in the quarters and Malek in the semis to make the finals. Haley Zinninger finished 5th a year ago and won Section 7 over Elora Waterman of Cartersville. She draws Angus as well McKinley, Pennington, and Whetstone on her side of the bracket. Patel comes in as the 4 seed, but it looks like she finished 3rd in Section 4 to #3 seed Dej-Ann Angus and #7 Rachel Whetstone. Two to watch are McKinely of Carrollton and Malek of Stephens County. Malek finished 4th last year after losing to Velasquez in the semis and McKinely just missed a spot on the podium after falling to Velasquez in the quarters. Velasquez is the favorite, but she might have to beat Malek again … the bottom side could be fireworks.
112 lbs.
Favorite: Lisa Glymph (Marietta)
Contenders:
Betty Cherry (East Coweta)
Aria Randall (Columbus)
Ollie Weiland (White County)
Darkhorse: Taylor Ragland (Coosa)
Best First Round Match: Taylor Ragland (Coosa) vs. Chloe Carver (Lumpkin County)
What to Expect: So in the video above - I mistakenly identified Glymph as a returning champ … I did so without looking (she is a 3x Placer, but has never broken through to claim the top step). She comes in as the favorite in her senior season, but she will have to beat a good bracket to walk away with the title in 2022. Glymph was 3rd a year ago at 102 and makes the move up to 112 this season and looked good in taking the Section 7 title. Betty Cherry comes in as the 2 seed and Aria Randall is the 3 seed. Keep an eye on Taylor Ragland … not sure if she is related to Jasmine Ragland who placed at this weight a year ago. Will Glymph breakthrough and claim a title?
122 lbs.
Favorite: Brooke French (Allatoona)
Contenders:
Dorothy Gerrell (Chestatee)
Jasmine Jenkins-Bey (Columbus)
Meta Xayabouth-Jones (Alexander)
Darkhorse: Samantha Patton (Cook)
Best First Round Match: Vera Spencer (North Oconee) vs. Aicha Hill (Jordan)
What to Expect: Super tough weight class that should be a grind. Dorothy Gerrell returns as the 2 seed after taking 5th a year ago at this weight. Not sure if we have the same Brooke French that competed at Whitfield a year ago … if so - the top seed was at 112 where she made the quarters before losing to eventual runner-up Valdiva (and finished just off the podium). Jasmine Jenkins-Bey has had a ton of success this season by taking 2nd at the Knockout, 1st at Queen of the County and Iron Maiden and is unbeaten against all girls in Georgia.
132 lbs.
Favorite: May Prado (Lassiter)
Contenders:
Brooke Ligon (Alexander)
Perla Hernandez (Ware County)
Zaniyah Davis (Jordan)
Darkhorse: Gracie Botts (Creekview)
Best First Round Match: Abby Plemmons (Chestatee) vs. Breshyia Farley (Putnam County)
What to Expect: Another solid weight that is headlined by Lassiter’s May Prado and Alexander’s Brooke Ligon. Both made the podium a year ago … in fact Prado beat Ligon in the consi semis to take 4th (and Ligon was 5th). Perla Hernandez, the 3 seed, went 4-2 a year ago - losing to Heroch in the 2nd round and just missing a spot in the podium. Keep an eye on Gracie Botts as well … she just missed making the podium last year and will be in the hunt this time around.
142 lbs.
Favorite: Kendra Heroch (Chattooga)
Contenders:
Genevieve An (Kennesaw Mountain)
Raven Cook (Jackson County)
Te`yarah Lett (Monroe Area)
Darkhorse: Leia Bossie (Alexander)
Best First Round Match: Mia Garro (North Cobb) vs. Migdalys Ramos (Mt Zion-Jonesboro)
What to Expect: The best weight in Macon? Perhaps. Both Heroch and An are returning runners-up … Heroch lost to Scarbrough in overtime at 142 and An finished 2nd to Mullis of Baldwin at 132. An has the more difficult road as the 2 seed. She gets fellow 132 lb. Placer Raven Cook on her side as the 3 seed and draws Kelsea Whitaker in the first round (Whitaker was 5-2 a year ago and lost in the bloodround) … it is surprising she is not seeded higher than 15th.
152 lbs.
Favorite: Sidney Sullens (White County)
Contenders:
Heidi Raines (Dade County)
Arieana Bacon (Greenbrier)
Tatiana De Jesus Cano (Osborne)
Darkhorse: Samuelha Kpangni (Eagle’s Landing)
Best First Round Match: Samuelha Kpangni (Eagle’s Landing) vs. Chelsey Frye (Fannin County)
What to Expect: If 142 is not to the best weight in Macon then 152 is. Sullens is the defending State Champ after wrecking havoc on the 152’s a year ago. Sullens had 2 1st period falls, a 6-4 win over Arieana Bacon and a 3-2 win over Sam Hauff. Heidi Raines, the 2 seed, claimed a state title two years ago and returns looking to take another one home to Dade County. Bacon has already shown she has the ability to roll with anyone and is a legit threat in the bracket. This weight is outstanding from top to bottom.
162 lbs.
Favorite: Jayde Massa (Greenbrier)
Contenders:
Azariah Mobley (Perry)
Caitlyn Mixon (Ware County)
Ashley Godinez (Chestatee)
Kayleigh Hilley (Oglethorpe County)
Darkhorse: Zoe Parris (Cherokee)
Best First Round Match: Litzy Soto (Johnson, Gainesville) vs. Alexzandry Kekoanui (East Coweta)
What to Expect: Another odd seeding … Both Massa and Mobley are tough, but Caitlyn Mixon is the defending Champ after pinning Kayleigh Hilley in the finals a year ago. Neither of the top two seeds placed a year ago … Massa lost to Hilley in the quarters and Mobley lost to Massa in the round before. Both may have made huge jumps over the last year … but unless both have beaten Mixon this season I don’t understand the seeds. Ashley Godinez was 2nd at 152 behind Sullens a year ago and Hilley made the podium at 162 (as did Parris who finished 3rd at 142). If head-to-head wins put Massa and Mobley above the others - then that makes a ton of sense … otherwise I need to understand the criteria used to seed.
172 lbs.
Favorite: Beyonce McColumn (Northside)
Contenders:
Taylor Scheisser (Gilmer)
Ayla Evans (SW DeKalb)
Shania Joseph (New Manchester)
Darkhorse: Skyy Hargrove (Kendrick)
Best First Round Match: Markeriya Fields (Langston Hughes) vs. Adisen Lowell (Harris County)
What to Expect: Pretty much what we would expect in terms of seeds. McColumn lost in the 172 finals last year to Dream Santiago and Scheisser was 3rd (in fact McColumn pinned Scheisser in the semis). Evans made the semis before losing to Santiago and then Hargrove 3-2 in the consis semis .. no idea if they have wrestled this season. Another strange seeding (unless they have wrestled one another) is Hargrove coming in at #5. She was the 2 seed last year and finished 4th. If we get a McColumn vs. Hargrove semi - it will be a rematch of the quarters from last year where Mccolumn won by fall.
197 lbs.
Favorite: Amariah Marenco (Carrollton)
Contenders:
Lilly Chavis (Jackson County)
Mia Bernacki (Effingham County)
Jazmin Torres (Chestatee)
Darkhorse: Brooke Kennedy (Union County)
Best First Round Match: Phoebe Melvin (Greenbrier) vs. Brooke Kennedy (Union County)
What to Expect: Both Lilly Chavis and Mia Bernacki had success at the 2021 State Tournament - so we can see why they are seeded #1 and #2. Chavis placed 4th at 225 after making the semis and Bernacki lost in the bloodround at 197. But Amariah Marenco - the 3 seed - is nationally-ranked and is the defending champ at 197 … I’m still confused how she is not the top seed. Now she is 26-3 on the season - so if she has losses to Chavis and Bernacki then that makes sense - otherwise the seeding only hurts Bernacki on the bottom side of the bracket.
225 lbs.
Favorite: Isabella Redlinger (Chestatee)
Contenders:
Kiarra Nylander (Osborne)
Montrease Tucker (Hardaway)
Antonia Martinez (Johnson, Gainesville)
Darkhorse: Madison Baxter (Pepperell)
Best First Round Match: Ava Jasso (Northside, Columbus) vs. Heather St Clair (Lamar County)
What to Expect: Redlinger is the defending 225 lb. State Champ and Nylander is the returning state runner-up … they both took the top 2 seeds. The question is whether anyone else can disrupt a possible state final rematch. Neither Montrease Tucker or Antonia Martinez wrestled at the state tournament a year ago … Madison Baxter made the semis before losing to Redlinger 4-1 - so she is definitely one to keep an eye on … as is Lily Buckelew (the 5 seed) who lost to Baxter in last year’s quarters.