The Mid-Prairie girls took eight girls to the Wilton Women’s Wrestling Tournament on Saturday and left with four first-place finishers. All eight Golden Hawks won at least one match. 

The match of the day came at 126 pounds between the Golden Hawks’ third-ranked Bronwyn Brenneman and No. 4 Ava Scranton of Anamosa. 

It was a rematch of a third-round state tournament bout from last year, which Scranton won by fall. Both wrestlers won their first two matches on Saturday to set up the anticipated match for first. 

Brenneman was up 5-4 at the start of the third and pinned Scranton to win the bracket.

“She gave up an early takedown but didn’t really give up much other than that,” said Mid-Prairie wrestling coach Dylan Walther. “Bronwyn is very comfortable on bottom, which kept her in the match today and also on Monday after she fell behind early.”

Golden Hawk senior Emil Harmston won her first career match on Saturday, and followed it up with her first career pin in the next one. 

“Emil was pretty excited after her first win today,” Walther said. “She has had a lot more confidence and mental toughness this year. Even in the matches she lost on Monday she was competitive and kept pushing.”

She finished second in her division, finishing the day with a loss despite a great effort. 

“Emil was right in the last match of the day,” Walther said, “getting an escape to pull within a point within the final 30 seconds before giving up a takedown and a pin at the end.”

Gabi Robertson went 3-0 on Saturday with an 8-4 decision over Solon’s Gretchen Marcy, followed by a pair of pins. Grace Conway also won all three matches with a pin in her second bout of the day. 

“Gabi and Grace are really starting to pick things up,” Walther said. “Gabi got a pin in her second match on a cradle, which we went over with her in practice last night. She controlled all three of her matches. Grace has grown in her mindset. She wrestled her first career matches on Monday and seemed to have a better grasp of things today. She has gone from being worried about hurting somebody anytime she drills takedowns to giving Bronwyn a tough go in practice last night.”

Madison Kelly was also a first-place finisher with three wins on Saturday. 

“Madison wrestled well and took care of business,” Walther said. “She had two first period pins and a 4-0 win that she controlled the entire match.”

Mia Garvey met state runner-up Keeley Kehrlie of East Buchanon in the first round on Saturday and lost by fall. She came back with a takedown and 78-second pin of West Liberty’s Laney Esmoil in the second round and won her third match by forfeit to finish second. 

Marissa Cline went 1-2 on Saturday and Ali Bolanos split a pair of matches. 

“This was the first meet for Ali Bolanos,” Walther said. “She went 1-1 and got a pin in her second match. She started up two weeks ago and is picking things up pretty well.”

After the winter break, Anamosa will host 26 schools including Mid-Prairie in a tournament on January 3.