Douglas High School’s Ella Kavanagh gets her hand raised moments after winning the Nevada state title at 105 pounds. Kavanagh won her first state title Saturday in Fallon and took home Douglas’ first state title as a program since 2011.
Just a few months ago, Douglas High School junior Ella Kavanagh thought a knee injury might sideline her for the season.
Saturday in Fallon, Kavanagh won the 105-pound state title by pin in 4:46.
“I’m really excited that I decided to wrestle this season. I’m just so glad that I put in all the work that I did to get me here. Through every tough time, it doesn’t even matter right now. It was all worth it to get here,” said Kavanagh.
The Tiger grappler becomes the first girls wrestler in Douglas history to win a state title.
It marks the first state title in the program since Dillon Spates won the boys 4A 130-pound state title in 2011.
“I’m so excited. I’m still in shock. It doesn’t feel real,” said Kavanagh. “This has been my goal since freshman year. I did not want to leave this place without a championship.”
EARLY WOES
The moments leading up to triumph were not free from anxiety.
Kavanagh trailed, 7-3, in the third period after SLAM Nevada’s Bertha Cabrera scored a reversal, following taking bottom position at the start of the period. Cabrera had scored the last seven points after Kavanagh led off the match with a takedown in the opening seconds.
Following her opponent’s reversal, the Tiger junior kept her left arm into her opponent and, as she built her base, flipped Cabrera over her hip and onto her back in a swift, title-solidifying move.
“I was really hoping to get that reversal and turn on top, and I did,” said Kavanagh.
After taking a few moments to soak it in and shake the hands of the opposing coaches, Kavanagh leaped into the arms of her own coach and father, Adam.
Her first two matches to reach the title match had the same result.
Kavanagh’s first round win at the state tournament was a pin in 3:14 and her semifinal match ended in 2:53 with a victory by fall.
(Ella Kavanagh looks at the official moments before pinning SLAM Nevada's Bertha Cabrera and winning the 105-pound Nevada state title. / Carter Eckl)
TIGERS FINISH OFF DAY TWO
The second day of the state tournament started with the consolation semifinal, featuring a trio of Douglas wrestlers.
Freshman River Klein fell by 7-6 decision to Taylor Rogers of Sierra Vista, ending her tournament.
Klein’s final match of the season went down to the wire after the Tiger 110-pounder fell behind, 7-2.
In the third, Klein grabbed three nearfall points to trail, 7-5, and picked up an additional point via opponent stalling in final seconds. Klein finished her first state tournament with a 1-2 record, picking up a win by fall (1:24) in the first round.
On the boys side, another freshman made waves this season by not only making state, but going 3-2 over the weekend.
Hunter Smokey won his opening round by pin (4:29) and added another pin (1:44) in his first consolation match after a loss in the quarterfinal.
His final victory at state was a 13-5 major decision in the third round of the consolation.
Kolton Zinn advanced into the semifinal on day one after a bye and a pin in 2:27.
Zinn’s semifinal match ended with a 15-0 technical fall defeat, dropping him into the consolation semifinal.
The senior’s first match of day two didn’t go his way, bouncing out of the tournament by a 13-4 major decision.
Fellow senior Cody Highfill concluded his final state tournament on day two as well, going 2-2 overall.
Highfill dropped his quarterfinal match, but used a pin in 2:44 to advance out of his first elimination match. He won his second consolation match by an 8-6 decision to get to Saturday.
Highfill’s final match finished with a 16-0 tech fall loss.
Uriah Brady (106), Isaac Bedrosian (126), Kai Blumenthal (138), Spencer Roussel (144), Vincent Cereghino (150), Jesse Reiner (165), Izaak Conkle (175), Raiden Barnes (215) and Mica Klein (145) all dropped their first two matches of the state tournament.
(Douglas High senior Kolton Zinn looks for back points against an opponent in the consolation semifinal Saturday at the Nevada state wrestling tournament in Fallon. / Carter Eckl)