Kansas high school girls wrestling regional results: Mulvane’s Landreth becomes ‘buzz saw’

When Leiannah Landreth was 8 years old, she would pester her parents about joining her older brother on the wrestling mat.

Hesitant at first, her parents eventually acquiesced with the expectation their daughter wouldn’t take to the sport.

“She surprised us,” said Joe Landis with a laugh. “She turned out to be a natural.”

Landreth, a sophomore at Mulvane, is now hailed as the best 115-pound high school girls wrestler in the state of Kansas, backed by a perfect 34-0 record and countless dominant performances like the one she delivered on Saturday at a Class 4A regional tournament hosted by Wellington.

Not only did Landreth secure the regional title and punch her ticket to the state tournament, to be hosted at Tony’s Pizza Events Center in Salina on Feb. 22-23, but she did so in less than three minutes of mat time. Her four matches all ended in first-period pinfall that lasted a total of 19 seconds, 14 seconds, 90 seconds and 44 seconds in the final.

“She is a buzz saw,” Mulvane wrestling coach Jesse Myers said. “She just gets after it and is a super hard worker. She doesn’t really do anything fancy, she just gets out there and takes care of business. When she’s on the mat, she’s something special.”

That quickly became evident to her parents, as well.

In the Mulvane junior league, kids are given two years to wrestle in the novice division as they learn the sport. It only took a couple of meets for Landreth to prove she was already prepared for better competition. In her first year wrestling, she moved up to the open division, wrestled against boys and finished sixth at state.

“She just had a lot of natural ability,” Joe Landis said. “She was always athletic and competitive, but we never noticed anything with her as far as wrestling. But she didn’t even know any moves yet and she already had a natural feel for where to put her body to not let the other person score on her.”

What Landreth lacked in experience, she more than made up for with her tenacious style. She proved to be relentless on the mat and the accolades followed: high finishes at Nationals, a freestyle state championship, a spot on Kansas’ national dual team.

The girl who once wasn’t allowed to wrestle now has dreams of earning a college scholarship and maybe even representing her country to do the sport she loves.

“She’s got this drive to be the best and that’s very apparent when you watch her wrestle,” Joe Landis said. “We’ve been all over the country on this journey with her and it’s been so fun to watch her grow. Me and my brother grew up wrestling, but she’s at the point now where she’s far surpassed my ability. I can’t even coach her anymore.”

Landreth’s drive to be the best only intensified after she lost a 5-2 decision to Lakin’s Josiah Ortiz in the 109-pound finals at the state tournament. Even though she finished with a 34-3 record and a silver medal in her debut high school season, Landreth wanted more.

“I want to be a champion,” she said. “I want to get that top spot.”

The two very well could be on a collision course for a championship rematch this season, as Ortiz (36-1) also won her regional in the 115-pound division.

Myers thinks Landreth has done everything in her power to prepare herself for a title push this season.

“It’s tough because Leiannah gets after it so much that a lot of her matches end pretty quick,” Myers said. “But I’ve seen her in tough spots before and she keeps her cool really well. She’s been down in the past and has continued to battle and figured out a way to come out on top. It’s pretty special to watch.”

While Landreth pursues standing atop the podium at state for the first time, she is able to train with and learn from a former state champion in senior Kammie Schanz, who is a 3-time state medalist and currently 37-0 and ranked No. 1 in the 145 class rankings.

They will be joined at the state tournament by junior Loren Gonzalez, who reached the 170 finals, and freshman Dacia Root, a first-year wrestler who won three straight matches in the consolation bracket to secure her place.

Before Landreth and Schanz, two of the top wrestlers in the state, took care of their business in the finals, they were both more emotional watching Root realize her season-long dream than they were winning their own gold medal.

“That’s a big deal for a freshman to make it to state, so I was just so excited for her,” Landreth said. “I was so proud of her.”

Top-notch wrestlers like Landreth and Schanz have helped establish Mulvane as a girls program on the rise, but it is the character of his two best wrestlers that Myers says impresses him the most.

“You have kids that are on their level and they’re out there on the mat in between matches going over certain things with Dacia and reviewing stuff that we’ve done in practice,” Myers said. “It truly is amazing to watch. These are some incredible girls.”

Class 6-5A Wichita Southeast regional results

Wichita North finished runner-up in the team standings with 135 points led by its lone individual champion in senior Larissa Garcia, who improved to 35-5 this season with a second-period pin over Southeast’s Alivia Wilson in a City League rematch in the 110 finals. Other team qualifiers included sophomore Xitlaly Meraz (115), senior Diana Urista (130), junior Jaycee Tyler (140), sophomore Tori Buss (145) and Nathalia Hernandez-Martinez (190).

Other regional champions from the area included Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior Jayla Johnson, who won a 6-3 decision over North’s Jaycee Tyler in the 140 finals to improve to 32-4 this season. Newton senior Emily Torres picked up a second-period pin over Emporia’s Katina Keosybounheuang in the 120 finals to improve to 29-8 this season. Valley Center senior Grace Timmons improved to 30-2 this season with a first-period fall in the 170 finals over Wichita Southeast’s Kyra Cole.

Other area state qualifiers include Kapaun Mt. Carmel freshman Taylor Barringer (105), junior Vy Do (125), sophomore Aalyra Arguelles (135), junior Chinyereugo Okafor (155) and senior Catie Burr (190), Wichita Southeast junior Alivia Wilson (110), junior TaNayaih Hunt (115) and sophomore Kyra Cole (170), Newton freshman Avery Hinojos (110), freshman Jaeann James (130) and senior Jaymie Murry (155), Valley Center sophomore Reese Kieso (130) and senior Gracie Orr (235) and Andover sophomore Olivia Randle (140).

Class 6-5A Dodge City regional results

There were four local regional champions from the 6-5A tournament hosted at Dodge City.

Wichita West junior Druzzla Johnson maintained her perfect season and improved to 20-0 by winning the 190 title.

Goddard senior Ashlynn Goodwin continued her domination this season with a second-period pin over Dodge City’s Yareli Garcia in the 140 finals to improve to 37-1 this season.

Derby junior Amara Eshe improved to 26-2 this season with a first-period pin over Dodge City’s Jessica Rivera in the 105 finals.

Eisenhower senior Mackenzi Popp registered a third-period pin over Garden City’s Karime Guzman in the 155 finals to improve to 22-3 this season.

Other local state qualifiers include Bishop Carroll sophomore Alexis Means (130) and junior Karla Martinez (190), Wichita Northwest junior Kimberly Valdovinos (155), freshman Aariyah Jackson (170) and freshman Grace Alessi (235), Wichita West senior Jacqueline Salas (100), sophomore Ariyana Norphlet (120), Eisenhower senior Lainie Burkhart (115) and sophomore Karli George (170), Goddard sophomore Breann Kellogg (155), Derby freshman Brooke Downs (130), junior Trinity Williams (190), freshman Chloe Spears (170) and freshman Analicia Lopez (235), Campus senior Erin Jackson (120) and Hutchinson senior Anna Cullens (110).

4-1A Wellington regional results

Pratt won the team championship with 168 points, 54 more than second-place. The Greenbacks featured regional champions in senior Jadyn Thompson (130), sophomore Wendy Candia (135) and freshman Miranda Webb (120) and state qualifiers in senior Lilly Herrman (105), junior Keimarla Thompson (140), junior Gloria Webb (145), freshman Gracelyn Hembree (125)

Smoky Valley finished runner-up in the team race with 114 points, which included state qualifiers in senior Noelle Peters (110), junior Keira Mullen (135), junior Shaylee Scheetz (155), sophomore Kenzlie Crain (115), sophomore Taytum Reed (120), freshman Sara McCullick (105).

Augusta junior Jill High won a 4-0 decision in the 125 finals to improve to 34-1 this season, while her senior teammate Emily Hess won an 8-2 decision in the 155 finals to also capture a regional title. El Dorado junior Trinity Motter pinned Abilene’s Jo Hottman in the 100 finals to improved to 28-3 this season. Circle senior Katelyn Schmidt improved to 37-3 this season with a third-period pin in the 140 finals.

Buhler freshman Kimber Crabbs won a 9-4 decision over Cimaron’s Veronica Greene in the 105 finals to improve to 23-3 this season, while her senior teammate Emilie Schweizer is 28-0 this season after a first-period pin in the 190 finals. McPherson sophomore Ciara Rawson made a first-period pin in the 235 finals to improve to 24-2 this season. Chaparral senior Jaiden Jones registered a first-period pin to claim the 170 title to improve to 35-6 this season.

Other state qualifiers include El Dorado senior Bella Wernli (120) and sophomore Hannah Gantz (130), Rose Hill junior Ryleigh Page (110) and senior Payton Sholander (190), Augusta senior Brooklynn Smith (170), Clearwater freshman Rachel Peirce (235), Buhler freshman Macey Parks (140), Wellington sophomore Kaylee Horinek (170) and junior Aubrey Hunt (190), McPherson senior Braelynn Patterson (120) and junior Hunter Wilson (155), Halstead freshman Mariah Swarts (115), sophomore Kahlyn Davis (135) and junior Faye Thompson (235), Chaparral senior Rebeca Hunter (130), senior Madison Haley (190) and senior Nakietta Macias (235), Remington senior Addison Evans (115) and Nickerson freshman Brooklyn Schneider (125).

4-1A Coffeyville regional results

Winfield junior Sheena Gocela kept her unbeaten season alive with a pin in the 100 finals over Columbus’ Grace Noel to improve to 29-0.

Bluestem sophomore Payton Burton won a 16-9 decision over Coffeyville junior Emma Hall to hand her just her third loss of the season.

Other state qualifiers include Winfield senior Hannah Selle (105), senior Jazmin Wilson (170), sophomore Cora Moon (140) and freshman Abby Brenn (190), Bluestem junior Cadence Williamson (120), Douglass senior Tye Rozell (115) and Cheyenne Wagoner (140) and Burden-Central freshman Aubrey Miller (105).