Lady Bronco wrestlers bounce back from loss in Aztec to finish fourth in Panguitch

by Art Adair
Contributing Writer
The San Juan girls wrestling team kicked off their season this past Wednesday, December 3 on the road against Aztec, New Mexico.
The Lady Broncos gave up 24 points early in forfeits due to wrestlers still trying to get down to their respective weights. The Lady Broncos ended up falling to Aztec 54-18.
Hannah Todachinnie went 2-0 on the night, winning both of her bouts by fall. Also getting falls on the night were Khatira Keith, Saraeya Mills, and first-year wrestlers LaRyeus Benally and Caydence Joe.
Other San Juan grapplers working hard were Lydia Hawks and Brecken Helquist, who both saw their very first action on the mat as freshmen.
Lyric Williams, Kadie Palmer, Kheirra Keith, Nevaeh Sampson, Saylor Dandy, and Morgan Kaytso also saw action on the night.
Following the season-opening bout Lady Bronco Head Coach Art Adair said, “It was a good preseason matchup to get us ready for our first tournament.
“A lot of girls came out timid in their matches against a very good Aztec team. It’s always good to get the first match out of the way and get them comfortable on the mat.”
The San Juan girls didn’t have to wait long to get back in action as they headed to the Panguitch Invitational the very next day, Thursday, December 4.
When wrestling began on Friday it was a much more relaxed and confident team that took the mats. The Panguitch Invitational included teams ranging from the 1A to 5A classifications, as well as a few tough out-of-state teams.
In all, 23 teams attended the one-day girls tournament with around 200 wrestlers competing. When the dust settled, the Lady Broncos came away with a solid fourth-place finish behind 2A Enterprise, 4A Dixie, and five points behind 3A Richfield.
San Juan finished ahead of 4A Crimson Cliffs, which rounded out the top five. Khatira Keith went 5-0 on the day, earning a first-place finish with a fall in the finals.
Saraeya Mills also went 5-0, winning her finals matchup by fall. Also reaching the podium, going 3-2 on the day was Kheirra Keith, who placed third.
The final Lady Bronco to reach the podium in the last match of the night was Morgan Kaytso. She battled hard in her finals match and came away with a second-place finish, completing a 4-1 day.
Other San Juan girls just outside the top four included Inez Tsosie, who placed fifth, going 4-1 and Saylor Dandy, who went 3-2.
“Inez wrestled a fantastic tournament, winning some big matches,” explained Coach Adair, “but unfortunately, with the scramble format the timing of the loss put her into the consolation bracket.”
Earning sixth-place finishes were Nevaeh Sampson (2-3) and first-year freshman wrestlers LaRyeus Benally (2-3) and Lydia Hawks (2-3).
Lyric Williams went 3-2 and wrestled tough on the day. Unfortunately even with a winning record her first two losses came in the preliminary round, which placed her on the bottom side of the bracket and out of medal contention.
Other wrestlers who saw action at the tournament and picked up a win were Breckyn Helquist, Hannah Todachinnie, and Jyel George.
Caydence Joe and Kadie Palmer earned two wins respectively. Coach Adair was very pleased with the effort and results at the end of the day.
“The girls came out a lot more confident and wrestled through some tough situations,” he stated. “Our upperclassmen really set the tone throughout the day, and our new wrestlers and freshmen battled hard and continued to learn with each match.” 
The San Juan girls will be back in action on Wednesday, December 10 at the Rumble in the Valley at Monument Valley High School.
Teams from Monument Valley, Whitehorse, and San Juan will square off in the second annual event. Wrestling is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
Then on Saturday, December 13 the girls will attend the Western Slope Showdown in Montrose, CO starting at 9 a.m.