The Parkersburg girls wrestling team won Tyler Consolidated's Lady Knights Clash at the Castle Saturday. (Photo Provided)

Friday evening was ladies’ night at the Tyler Consolidated Lady Knights Clash at the Castle girls only wrestling tournament. The fastest growing sport in America continues to grow in West Virginia as 26 high schools stormed the Castle in Middlebourne. The Parkersburg Lady Big Reds led the charge and won the team crown over the second place Lady Vikings from Ripley, 224.5 points to 148. Morgantown Lady Mohigans finished one half point behind for third place followed by the Parkersburg South Lady Patriots in fourth and host Tyler Consolidated in fifth.

The Big Reds and South Patriots had three champions each followed by Wheeling Park with two champions. Ripley, Wirt County, Preston County and Tyler Consolidated had one champion a piece.

South’s Allegra Keaton kicked things off for the Patriots by winning the 100 pound tile with a fall of 2:20 over Calhoun’s Kyleigh Morris. South’s JV wrestler Braylee Bayne finished third with a 49 second pin over Emry Cobb of Ripley.

Ripley’s lone champion won the 107 pound tile as Lanie Knopp pinned Preston’s Tori Hovatter in 1:38. Magnolia’s Annalise Goddard defeated North Marion’s Halle Stevens for third with a 3:12 pin.

South’s Justice Anthony continues her quest to become the state’s next four-time state champion. She won the 114 pound title with a 1:31 pin over Ripley’s Savannah Modrzakowski. Daisy Tomblin of Logan pinned South’s Aubree Lopez for third. Anthony recently accepted a scholarship and will be wrestling for West Liberty next season.

The Big Reds Anniya Powell won the 120 pound title with a second period pin over Zoe Wolford of Morgantown. Powell won a state title two years ago and finished runner-up last season to Oak Hill’s Kirclyn Coleman. An anticipated rematch never occurred as Coleman injury defaulted to fourth place. Cameron’s Ava Lemasters finished third by forfeit.

Powell’s bigger little sister Amiya Powell won the 126 pound weight class with a first period pin over University’s Shane Friend. Big Red JV Raidyn Walker defeated Logan’s Jazlyn Gaiter for third with third period fall.

The Big Reds made it three straight as Karma Hedges looked tough in defeating Morgantown’s Madelyn Mazzoni with a second period pin in the 132 pound finals. Ripley’s Auston Nicholas won a 12-7 decision over Phillip Barbour’s Paityn Clower for third.

Preston County’s super sophomore Ava Turner took the 138 pound class by storm with a first period pin over Tyler’s Arianna Hartline. Turner is coming off a championship title from last weekend’s national Women of Ironman Tournament. Logan’s Karlee Tolliver finished third with a first period pin over Alivia West of Wheeling Park.

Anaston Carouthers is putting Wirt County back on the map in girls wrestling as she won the 145 pound title in a hard fought 12-5 victory over Nevaeh Feeley-Mack of Morgantown. Diana Isaacs of Parkersburg finished third with a second fall on Averie Smith of North Marion.

West Liberty bound and two-time defending state champion Eliana Winfrey of Tyler Consolidated pinned her way through the tournament by winning the 152 pound title with a first period fall over Allie Brown of St. Albans. Oak Glen’s Alexandra Watkins defeated Gracie Howell of Phillip Barbour with a third period mat slapper.

The 165 pound finals saw a Battle of the Burg as South’s Avery Ferguson won by injury default over Big Red Azlin Thrasher, who suffered an elbow injury in the back-and-forth final’s affair. Thrasher won an earlier round first period fall on Ferguson and the Olympic Style format allowed for a rematch in the finals. Thrasher is expected to be back and hopefully in time for “the dual”. Oak Hill’s Sawyer Robinson defeated Morgantown’s Helena Fowler with a first period pin for third.

Wheeling Park closed out the evening by winning back-to-back titles in the last two weight classes. Park’s Kymber Heldrith won the 185 pound title with a first period pin over John Marshall’s Jaycee McEndree, and teammate Terriona Gibbons did likewise with a first period fall over Joell Ackerson of Robert C. Byrd to take the 235 pound crown. Ripley’s Malazja Starcher scored a second period pin over Tyler Consolidated’s Chloe Dutton for third at 185 and Tyler Consolidated’s Toni Thomas closed out the evening with a second period pin over Oak Hill’s Kaelyn Rogers at 235 pounds for third place.