55 teams and over 380 female wrestlers competed at the Fifth Annual Lebanon Girls Wrestling Invitational on December 9. Girls Wrestling is one of two sports identified by the IHSAA as an “Emerging Sport” meaning the association is examining whether to include it as a sanctioned sport for future years. Junior Katie Emerson earned a sixth place finish at 110 pounds. Emerson started the day with a 23 second pin over Meyer-Cade of Harrison. Emerson lost on points 5 – 2 to eventual 110 runner up Alvarado of North Central before having another quick pin of 31 seconds over Van Vliet of Bishop Chatard. Emerson wrestled another tough North Central wrestler for fifth in which Emerson fell in the third period. Emerson is 8 – 8 on the season between boys and girls varsity matches. Junior Taylor Martin went 3 – 2 on the day and earned a seventh place finish at 145 pounds. Like Emerson, Martin had a fast start to the day, pinning Rogers of Penn High School in 52 seconds. Martin wrestled tough against eventual 145 pound champion Ella Morris of New Palestine, losing by major decision 14 – 3. Martin wrestled another full match against a New Palestine opponent next, defeating Kissel by 2 – 1 decision. Martin made a last ditch effort to secure a fall against Parsons of Jay County in her next match, but came up short in a 13 – 3 decision. She made quick work of Calcuttawa of Carmel, pinning her opponent in 44 seconds to earn the seventh place finish. Sophomore Anna Mills went 2 – 2 on her way to a seventh place finish at 170 pounds. Mills had a bad draw in the first round, being paired with eventual 170 champion Thomas of Whiteland. Mills fell in the first round but made quick work of her second match, pinning Marlee Stonebraker of Harrison in 55 seconds. Mills faced a solid riding opponent in Robinson of Illiana Christian. Although she secured one escape she lost by decision 6 – 1. Mills secured seventh place with her final opponent conceding by medical forfeit. Mills advanced to 6 – 7 on the season between boys and girls varsity matches. Sophomore Danielle Briseno went 2 – 2 to finish sixth at 170 pounds. Mills fell to eventual third place finisher, Cole of Warren Central, in the first round. She shook it off and secured a second period pin against Farabaugh of Illiana Christian in the second round. She failed to give up any back points to Nance of Alexandria Monroe for two periods to secure a 4 – 2 decision in the third round, before falling in the first period to Krug of Tri-County in the fifth place match. Junior Amaily Long went 0 – 2 at 170 pounds in her first varsity matches. Long, coming off ACL surgery, faced tough competition in Cordero-Balling of Hamilton Heights in the first round. Long showed stingy defense, picking up two takedowns off shots in the first period, but a takedown and back points were the difference in a 9 – 6 decision. In her second match Long faced Leazier of Columbia City and got caught in an underhook throw ending in fall in the first period.