How Sweet It Is! Russell Girls Capture First Team State Championship in School History, 7 Russell Wrestlers Medal Including 4 State Champs

One of the best seasons in school history culminated on Saturday, February 28 with the Russell Lady Broncos winning their first state championship in any sport in school history, four Russell wrestlers winning state titles and three others earning medals at the Class 3-2-1A Boys and Girls State Tournaments at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays.

It is the first team state championship, boys or girls, in Russell since 1979 when the boys basketball team won the Class 4A title.

Listen below to the State Tournament recap for the Lady Bronco Wrestlers from Class 3-2-1A Regional and State Coach of the Year, Luke Keller.

Listen below to the State Tournament recap for the Russell Boys Wrestlers from Assistant Coach Alex Windholz.

Averie Counts, Aalyiah Trevino, Arianna Weigel and Kinsey Zorn all captured state championships. Prior to this season, Russell had six total wrestlers, boys and girls combined, who had won an individual state title.

Counts pinned Maggie Holle from Atwood-Rawlins County to take the 130 pound division and finish the season with a perfect 44-0 record. The Russell sophomore pinned all four of her state opponents.

Trevino edged Cali Wagoner from Oakley on a 2-1 Decision to win the 155 title and finish her freshman season with an impressive 39-5 mark.

Weigel won the 120 pound division with a fall at the 1:30 mark over Josie Bell from Hoxie to cap off her freshman season with a 43-3 record. Weigel also pinned all four of her opponents at state.

Zorn took the 145 crown with an 8-0 decision over Sophie Homolka of Ellsworth to complete a perfect 30-0 season. It is the RHS junior's second-consecutive state title after winning the 135 pound division a year ago.

Russell had three others wrestle in state championship matches - Karsyn Hamlin, Xzander Donner and Xzephren Donner.

Hamlin lost by a fall (2:53) to Kaison Miller from Norton and wound up her freshman year with an 18-4 record and a state runner-up finish at 120. 

Xzander Donner lost on a 4-0 decision to top-seeded Corbin Franklin of Atwood-Rawlins County. The Russell sophomore finishes with a 40-2 record and runner-up at 106.

Xzephren Donner lost by a technical fall (4:10) to #1 seed Roman Tuttle from Southeast of Saline. Despite the loss, Donner will go down as one of the best wrestlers in Russell history. The RHS senior had a 139-33 career record and not only made the state tournament all four years, he medaled three. Donner finished third as a sophomore, state champion as a junior (first Russell boys state champ since 1969) and runner-up as a senior. He also ended his senior campaign with a 42-2 mark. Donner will continue his wrestling career at Fort Hays State University.

Russell had five other wrestlers make state, but fell short of the medal rounds.

On the girls side, Camry Ney went 2-2 at 115 and ended her freshman season with a 21-11 record. Mya Trevino ended her high school career by going 2-2 at 135 pounds. She had a 36-7 mark her senior season and finished with a 112-37 career record. Trevino went to state three times and finished as high as fourth her junior year. She will wrestle at Barton Community College. Chaysie Bachman went 1-2 at 140 in her second career trip to state and ended with a 34-7 record.

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For the Russell boys, Kolton Jones posted a 2-2 mark at 190. The two-time state qualifier finished his junior campaign at 29-7. Peyton Gibson was 0-2 at 215 in his first trip to state and ended his sophomore year at 16-26.

As a team, the Russell girls brought home their first state championship trophy after placing third a year ago. The Lady Broncos finished with 156 points, 13 ahead of second-place Norton who had 143. Hoxe had 196.5 points and won the boys team championship for the sixth-consecutive year. Caney Valley was second with 99 points. Russell finished 13th with 52.5 points.

Prior to the start of the championship matches, Russell girls head coach Luke Keller was presented with the Class 3-2-1A Coach of the Year plaque from the Kansas Wrestling Officials Association.

In the area, Sylvan-Lucas had a one state qualifier this year. Breckyn Gosvener went 0-2 at 190 and finished her senior season with a 19-17 record.

GIRLS

Russell

115 - Camry Ney (Fr., 21-11, ranked #6) (2-2, DNP at State in 2026)
1st RD - Won by Fall (1:56) over #9 Khloe Lif (Council Grove)
Quarterfinal - Lost by Tech Fall (2:39) to #1 Lahna Passmore (Chase County)
Cons. RD #2 - Won by Fall (:36) over #10 Arianna Ebner (Phillipsburg)
Cons. RD #3 - Lost by Fall (1:39) to #4 Jacynn Boeken (Sterling)

120 - Arianna Weigel (Fr., 43-3, ranked #1) (4-0, State Champion in 2026) (3rd Girls State Champion in School History)
1st RD - Won by Fall (:19) over #14 Chase Anna (Doniphan West)
Quarterfinal - Won by Fall (3:42) over #11 Madison Siegfried (St. Francis)
Semifinal - Won by Fall (1:12) over #10 Kit Donley (Ellsworth)
Championship - Won by Fall (1:30) over #4 Josie Bell (Hoxie)

125 - Karsyn Hamlin (Fr., 18-4, ranked #5) (3-1, Runner-up at State in 2026)
1st RD - Won by Fall (1:08) over #13 Kenzlie Friesen (Hillsboro)
Quarterfinal - Won by Fall (1:06) over #12 Sheyenne Pinkston (Whitewater-Remington)
Semifinal - Won by 9-0 Major Decision over #1 Emma Vice (Atchison-Maur Hill-Mount Academy)
Championship - Lost by Fall (2:53) to #3 Kaison Miller (Norton)

130 - Averie Counts (So., 44-0, ranked #1) (87-7 Career Record) (2x State Qualifier) (4-0, State Champion in 2026) (4th Girls State Champion in School History) (State Runner-up @ 130 in 2025)
1st RD - Won by Fall (:56) over #14 Naomi Black (Fredonia)
Quarterfinal - Won by Fall (1:00) over #6 Tessa McAlexander (Atchison County)
Semifinal - Won by Fall (3:57) over #2 Annabele Burton (Riley County)
Championship - Won by Fall (5:35) over #5 Maggie Holle (Atwood-Rawlins County)

135 - Mya Trevino (Sr., 36-7, ranked #3) (112-37 Career Record) (3x State Qualifier) (2-2, DNP at State in 2026) (4th @ 115 at State in 2025) (DNP @ 115 in 2024) (Barton Community College Wrestling Signee)
1st RD - Won by Fall (4:57) over #14 Jyllian Stapleton (Sabetha)
Quarterfinal - Lost by 9-6 Decision to #5 Jenna Borror (Ellinwood)
Cons. 2nd RD - Won by Fall (2:21) over #6 Jasa Crumley (Cherryvale)
Cons. 3rd RD - Lost by Fall (2:43) to #1 Mya Crabtree (West Franklin)

140 - Chaysie Bachman (Jr., 34-7, ranked #4) (80-41 Career Record) (2x State Qualifier) (DNP @ 125 in 2025) (1-2, DNP at State in 2026)
1st RD - Won by Medical Default (1:12) over #6 Mersaydes Stout (Caney Valley)
Quarterfinal - Lost by Fall (1:19) to #3 Halle Pfannenstiel (Norton)
Cons. 2nd RD - Lost by 7-1 Decision to #13 Taylor Runich (St. Marys)

145 - Kinsey Zorn (Jr., 30-0, ranked #1) (94-18 Career Record) (3x State Qualifier) (4-0, State Champion in 2026) (5th Girls State Championship in School History) (Back-to-Back State Champ) (State Champion @ 135 in 2025) (DNP @ 125 in 2024)
1st RD - Won by Fall (1:05) over #14 Jaylen Wilson (Wathena-Riverside)
Quarterfinal - Won by Fall (5:22) over #11 Karper Franklin (Smith Center)
Semifinal - Won by Fall (4:45) over #2 KayLynn Nicholson (Osage City)
Championship - Won by 8-0 Major Decision over #4 Sophie Homolka (Ellsworth)

155 - Aalyiah Trevino (Fr., 39-5, ranked #1) (4-0, State Champion in 2026) (6th Girls State Championship in School History)
1st RD - Won by Fall (5:10) over #14 Katie Hester (Cherryvale)
Quarterfinal - Won by Fall (2:36) over #11 Aurora Gray (Wathena-Riverside)
Semifinal - Won by 8-4 Decision over #2 MaKayla Connor (Silver Lake)
Championship - Won by 2-1 Decision over #4 Cali Wagoner (Oakley)

Sylvan-Lucas

190 - Breckyn Gosvener (#15 Seed) (Sr., 19-17) (0-2, DNP at State in 2026)
1st RD - Lost by Fall (5:05) to #2 Layton Roberts (Douglass)
Cons. RD #1 - Lost by Fall (4:29) to #10 Maddison Sudermann (Solomon)

Final Girls Team Standings
1. Russell 156 (State Champs)
2. Norton 137
3. Oakley 100.5
4. Plainville 97.5
5. Silver Lake 67
6. Phillipsburg 66.5
7. St. Francis 60.5
8. Minneapolis 51
9. Caney Valley 48.5
10. Rossville 45.5

BOYS

Russell

106 - Xzander Donner (So., 40-2, ranked #2) (78-7 Career Record) (2x State Qualifier) (3rd Place @ 106 in 2025) (3-1, Runner-up at State in 2026)
1st RD - Won by Fall (1:42) over #11 Carson Tyrell (Ellsworth)
Quarterfinal - Won by Fall (:22) over #3 Sawyer Friesberg (Caney Valley)
Semifinal - Won by 12-1 Major Decision over #2 Waylon Courtois (West Franklin)
Championship - Lost by 4-0 Decision to #1 Corbin Franklin (Atwood-Rawlins County)

120 - Xzephren Donner (Sr., 42-2, ranked #2) (139-33 Career Record) (4x State Qualifier) (3-1, Runner-up at State in 2026) (State Champ @ 113 in 2025) (*First Russell Boys State Champ Since 1969) (3rd @ 106 in 2024) (DNP @ 106 in 2023) (FHSU Wrestling Signee)
1st RD - Won by Fall (2:29) over #15 Maddox Hughes (Eureka)
Quarterfinal - Won by Fall (:39) over #7 Korbyn Stinnett (Sabetha)
Semifinal - Won by Technical Fall (2:18) over #3 Tanner Holt (Jayhawk Linn)
Championship - Lost by Technical Fall (4:10) to #1 Roman Tuttle (SE-Saline)

190 - Kolten Jones (Jr., 29-7) (72-31 Career Record) (2x State Qualifier) (DNP @ 190 in 2025) (2-2, DNP at State in 2026)
1st RD - Won by Fall (:39) over #13 Elias Williams (SE-Saline)
Quarterfinal - Lost by 11-0 Major Decision to #5 Elijah Webb (Atchison County)
Cons. 2nd RD - Won by 24-14 Major Decision over #11 Cash Roth (Phillipsburg)
Cons. 3rd RD - Lost by Fall (1:36) to #9 Cyrus Harding (Royal Valley)

215 - Peyton Gibson (So., 16-26) (27-43 Career Record) (0-2, DNP in 2026)
1st RD - Lost by Fall (5:44) vs #3 Houston Schletzbaum (Atchison County)
Cons. RD #1 - Lost by 13-2 Decision to #11 Brandon Jones (Anthony-Harper-Chaparral)

Final Boys Team Standings
1. Hoxie 196.5 (State Champs)
2. Caney Valley 99
2. Atchison County 99
4. Norton 92.5
5. Ellsworth 86
6. Lyons 81
7. Smith Center 77
8. Council Grove 74.5
9. Silver Lake 73.5
10. West Franklin 65
13. Russell 52.5

Final State Results (courtesy of Track Wrestling)

Our state wrestling coverage was presented by:

• USD 407 Russell County Schools
• Agrilead, Incorporated
• The Bank – Gorham and Victoria
• Al’s Auto Glass and Deidra’s Stylin’ Salon and Spa, Gary and Dee Schmidtberger and Massage Therapist Cristy Duden
• Farm Bureau Financial Services Agent Jason Pfeifer
• 21st Century Construction in Gorham
• Southwind Bank
• Russell Oil, Incorporated
• Werth Family Dental in Hays
• Nex-Tech
• Hair Haven – Cheryl and Brad Prester
• Wilson State Bank
• Shane’s Casing
• Quality Oilwell Cementing
• Jason’s Oil
• Jason and Nicale Ney and Merlin and Bonita Ney
• Gudenkauf and Malone Incorporated – Pam, Jim and Kelli
• Wallpe Chiropractic Restoration of Russell