AP/GC junior Grace Storjohann earned the 1A-120 runner-up finish, and teammate Kira Cox placed eighth at 170 to conclude their runs at the IGHSAU Wrestling State Tournament at Xtream Arena Friday.
After two first period wins by fall Thursday, Storjohann opened the day in the semifinals with a 7-3 decision over familiar foe Lilli Cooper of Denver, whom she was previously 1-2 against. In the championship match, Storjohann dropped a 15-7 major decision to top-seeded Silvia Garcia-Vasquez of West Liberty.
“In the first period or two I had a pretty good control over the match,” Storjohann says. “I was winning and then in the second period ended up with double bars and I fought pretty good off that. I didn’t lose on the near fall but then unfortunately in the third period I did fall for a throw, so there’s definitely things I can continue to improve on. But I think I did pretty good overall throughout the tournament, and I just hope to continue to get better next year. I mean even though I got second today, I got seventh last year and I didn’t place a year before that, so I just keep progressing. So hopefully that trend continues.”
Cox began her day in the consolation quarterfinal, where she lost a 4:13 fall to Gracie Pinckney of Mount Vernon. That advanced her to the seventh place match, where she lost a 0:19 fall to Raelene Hawkins of Iowa Valley, concluding her tournament run.
“I’m just proud of myself and my coaches and my teammates for just getting all of us this far,” Cox says. “I just hope that it’s encouraging for other people and that they’ll go out for the sport, because I just love it. I think everyone should try it out.”
It was the third state tournament appearance for Storjohann and Cox’s first.
