Four local wrestlers placed in the second annual Maine Girls’ High School Wrestling Invitational, held at Mt. Blue High School in Farmington on Feb. 18.
The 2008 defending 115-pound champ Cheyenne Augustine, placed second at 113 pounds for Medomak Valley. Lincoln Academy’s Nikki Leeman placed third at 99 pounds, Olivia Genthner third at 145 pounds and Harley Benner fourth at 108 pounds. Also competing was Anna Abbotoni.
Going into the state championship matches, the Mt. Blue High School gym lights were turned off and a single light was lowered over the center of the mat. The state contenders lined up on the sides and the mat and were introduced. Wrestlers then went to the mat in darkness, in eerie silence and without fanfare to contend for a state title.
Nikki Leeman (99) drew a bye in the first round, was pinned by Stephanie Hayslip of Lisbon in 3:14, drew a bye to the consolation finals, where she pinned Jassamyn Ouellette of Oak Hill in 3:49 for third place.
Harley Benner (108) pinned Winslow’s Kayla Vigue in 3:01, lost a 12-6 decision to Gina Southivony of Ellsworth, and pinned Vigue of Winslow in 3:11 in the consolation finals for third place.
Cheyenne Augustine (113) pinned Lincoln Academy’s Anna Abbotoni in 3:17, and pinned Kiwi Morazik of Washington Academy to advance to the state championship match with Camden’s Logan Rich.
Augustine trailed by three points late in the third period, when Rich turned a reversal and picked up three back points before the buzzer to win 13-5. Abbotoni lost to Ashleigh Sheedy of Noble 9-0 to be eliminated from the tournament.
Olivia Genthner (145) lost a 7-2 decision to Erskine’s Candis Howard, beat Brook Patchloski of John Bapst by a pin in 5:54 to advance to the consolation finals, where she pinned Monmouth’s Tamara Cushman in 3:18 for third place.
