Kapaun girls wrestling rolls to fifth straight City League title, eyes state run
The Kapaun Mt. Carmel girls high school wrestling team has moved beyond chasing firsts.
They’ve had individual state champions. And last season, they won their first team state championship. Now, the Crusaders are looking to make finishing on top a habit.
With a dominant performance last weekend, Kapaun captured its fifth straight City League team title and crowned seven individual champions in the process. The result reinforced what has become the program’s identity: depth across the lineup, veteran leadership at the top and a steady wave of newcomers ready to contribute immediately.
Now comes the postseason. Kapaun heads into Saturday’s Class 5A West regional in Newton ranked No. 2 in the 5A team rankings and carrying the expectations that come with being the defending state champion after winning the inaugural 5A title last season.
Inside the wrestling room, though, the focus is more narrow.
“If we wrestle the best version of ourselves on the mat, then what is supposed to happen will happen,” coach Quinton Burgess said. “If we’re capable of winning, then we will if we wrestle our best and if we don’t, then we can live with it if it doesn’t go our way. Kids wrestle their best when they’re loose and free, so we just try to take away some of the pressure and let them do their thing.”
That mindset showed up clearly at the City League meet.
Kapaun produced champions across the board: freshman Hailey Estrada (105), junior Cassidy Le (110), senior Courtney Nye (125), freshman Brynnley Lerch (130), sophomore Ayva Besco (140), senior Bella Green (145) and senior Kristine Schmidt (235). The Crusaders also added runner-up finishes from junior Grace Hare at 135, plus third- or fourth-place points from Bella Johnston (100), Caitlyn Bruening (115) and Marissa Bebermeyer (155) to separate from the field.
The star power is obvious at the top. Nye, the defending state champion at 125, is ranked No. 1 in 5A and owns a 32-2 record this season. Green, a returning state runner-up, is 27-4 and ranked No. 4 at 145. Hare is ranked No. 3 at 135, whiel Schmidt sits No. 3 at 235. Estrada has also made an immediate impact, climbing to No. 3 at 105 with a 32-4 record.
But what has elevated Kapaun from a good program to a consistent favorite is how the lineup keeps filling in around those anchors.
Lerch, another freshman, delivered one of the most impressive wins of the tournament when she scored an 11-2 major decision over Southeast senior Karen Gonzalez, ranked No. 2 at 130 in 6A.
The balance is reflected in the rankings. Kapaun currently has seven wrestlers ranked in their respective 5A weight classes. That kind of scoring depth is what has Kapaun in line with another team trophy at the state tournament.
Burgess said that kind of across-the-board strength is not accidental. It’s built intentionally through internal accountability and peer development, especially from veteran wrestlers who understand their influence.
“We talk to our top kids that they have a responsibility as a hammer,” Burgess said. “If you’re a hammer, it’s your job to find someone else in the room and by the time you leave, they should be ready to take the torch and be a hammer for the next season.”
That philosophy has taken root with this senior class. Wrestlers like Nye and Green helped establish the competitive culture that newer athletes walk into, one where postseason expectations are normal and daily practice intensity mirrors championship settings. Instead of rebuilding each year, the program has created continuity.
“Kids see the success and the culture and I think that’s something that entices kids to want to come out and be a part of it,” Burgess said. “That exposure and recognition for our girls helps a lot.”
One of the most meaningful wins from City League belonged to Le at 110 — not because it was expected, but because of how far she has come. After taking her share of losses while learning the sport, Le broke through to win a league title, a milestone that underscored the program’s developmental side.
“She just keeps getting better with more mat time and experience, but she’s also just super coachable,” Burgess said. “Smart kids make good wrestlers and she’s a super smart kid. It’s been really cool to see those pieces of the puzzle put together for her and she’s starting to see some really big gains.”
Those gains matter in February. Team trophies in the postseason are rarely won by stars alone. They’re won by lineups, by bonus points, by back-side scraps and athletes who outperform their seed. Kapaun’s ability to turn newer wrestlers into point-scorers has been a separator during its rise to power.
The next measuring stick comes quickly. The 5A West regional in Newton features other top contenders like Newton, Emporia, Salina Central and Hays, and it will play a major role in shaping the team race.
The top eight finishers in each weight class advance to the state tournament at Hartman Arena on Feb. 27-28, making a strong regional showing critical for Kapaun to qualify as many wrestlers as possible and maximize its chances of repeating as Class 5A team state champion.
City League girls wrestling championship
Team scores—1. Kapaun, 214; 2. North, 118.5; 3. Northwest, 112; 4. South, 103; 5. Heights, 87; 6. East, 72.5; 7. Carroll, 64; 8. Southeast, 54; 9. West, 32.
100 final—Amirce Robertson, so., Northwest, pinned Brooklyn Kates, jr., East, 0:44; 105—Hailey Estrada, fr., Kapaun, pinned Jayden Gittrich, fr., Northwest, 1:51; 110—Cassidy Le, jr., Kapaun, pinned Cassandra Ternes, fr., North, 3:22; 115—Romain Bagaya, sr., South, pinned Summer Sath, sr., Southeast, 1:42; 120—Reese Anderson, so., North, pinned Molly Tra, fr., Carroll, 1:15; 125—Courtney Nye, sr., Kapaun, maj. dec. Peace Nyakume, jr., Heights, 14-5; 130—Brynnley Lerch, fr., Kapaun, maj. dec. Karen Gonzalez, sr., Southeast, 11-2; 135—Jalaya Gibson, sr., East, pinned Grace Hare, jr., Kapaun, 0:57; 140—Ayva Besco, so., Kapaun, pinned Ana Amador, sr., North, 3:09; 145—Bella Green, sr., Kapaun pinned Lily Land, sr., Northwest, 3:52; 155—Kylie Hallacy, sr., Carroll, dec. Nayomey Jennings-Smith, sr., South, 8-7; 170—Aariyah Jackson, sr., North, pinned Christiana Buckles-Camarillo, so., West, 2:52; 190—Maray Rogers, jr., Northwest pinned Jazlynn Vernon, fr., East, 1:16; 235—Kristine Schmidt, sr., Kapaun pinned Aneisa Ornelas, jr., South, 2:37.
This story was originally published February 11, 2026 at 6:03 AM.
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