SIOUX FALLS — The Canton girls wrestling team is zeroing on its elusive state championship. 

The C-Hawks, who have finished every season since 2022, lead after Day 2 of the South Dakota state wrestling tournament at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center on Friday. Canton has scored 140 points, ahead of Watertown (113.5) and Spearfish (92).

Canton’s Brooke Warejcka (120 pounds) and Finley Evjen (125) advanced to championship matches on Saturday. Evjen is gunning for back-to-back state championships, and will face a familiar foe in the title match. Evjen will face Rapid City Central’s Anna Henstein for the second straight season in the state championship match. Evjen edged Henstein, 2-1, in last season’s 120-pound state championship match. 

Warejcka is looking to improve upon her third-place finish from last season. 

For Watertown, Olivia Anderson (120), Allison Konrad (190) and Eden Hach (235) advanced to the finals. Spearfish’s Mathilde Matsuda (135) and Marlee Heltzel (190) are into the finals. 

Semifinal Matches

100

Semifinal - Ella Coomes (Madison) 38-0 won by fall over Jenika Leonhardt (Sturgis Brown) 45-12 (Fall 5:53)

Semifinal - Shaylee Speck (Pierre T.F. Riggs) 39-5 won by major decision over Kyra Vandenberg (Belle Fourche) 42-2 (MD 15-3)

105

Semifinal - Liza Krueger (Groton Area) 45-2 won by decision over Kadee Frankfurth (Clark/Willow Lake) 34-7 (Dec 3-0)

Semifinal - Jewel Vardsveen (Madison) 34-1 won by fall over Harper Gibson (Tri-Valley) 33-9 (Fall 3:03)

110

Semifinal - Annalee Pierson (Sturgis Brown) 50-1 won by fall over Aubrey Jensen (Viborg-Hurley) 23-11 (Fall 3:17)

Semifinal - Madison Little (Aberdeen Central) 31-2 won by decision over Gracie Peters (Brandon Valley) 34-16 (Dec 4-1)

115

Semifinal - Savannah Bell (Custer) 39-3 won by decision over Gabrielle Nelson (St. Thomas More) 36-7 (Dec 4-1)

Semifinal - Alexis Bryant (McCook Central/Montrose) 49-6 won by fall over Brooklynn Randall (Watertown) 37-3 (Fall 3:12)

120

Semifinal - Olivia Anderson (Watertown) 50-3 won in tie breaker - 1 over Jasmine Rueles-Hertz (Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon) 35-6 (TB-1 8-1)

Semifinal - Brooke Warejcka (Canton) 33-10 won by decision over Tahnie Yellow Hawk (Sully Buttes) 32-5 (Dec 8-7)

125

Semifinal - Finley Evjen (Canton) 34-1 won by tech fall over Olivia Kolbrek (Sioux Falls Washington) 47-11 (TF-1.5 6:00 (15-0))

Semifinal - Anna Henstein (Rapid City Central) 49-3 won by tech fall over Kanyn Padden (Harding County) 45-12 (TF-1.5 4:47 (15-0))

130

Semifinal - Regina Stoeser (Harrisburg) 19-0 won by fall over Hadlee Kracht (Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon) 44-11 (Fall 2:27)

Semifinal - Cateri Yellow Hawk (Sully Buttes) 33-2 won by decision over Candice Matsuda (Spearfish) 40-4 (Dec 5-4)

135

Semifinal - Britney Rueb (Bon Homme/Scotland/Avon) 28-0 won by fall over Brooklynn Baird (Sturgis Brown) 50-8 (Fall 5:13)

Semifinal - Mathilde Matsuda (Spearfish) 43-6 won by decision over Lexie Hillmer (Pierre T.F. Riggs) 32-4 (Dec 4-0)

140

Semifinal - Quinn Butler (Lemmon) 46-0 won by tech fall over Brooke Grajczyk (Watertown) 45-11 (TF-1.5 2:37 (15-0))

Semifinal - Langston Huffman (Rapid City Central) 40-4 won by fall over Rakyrah Wallace (Aberdeen Central) 32-11 (Fall 5:35)

145

Semifinal - Sarah Rickenbach (Hot Springs) 23-3 won by fall over Ivy Hayes (Lead-Deadwood) 27-11 (Fall 1:56)

Semifinal - Winry Yaggie (Yankton) 38-5 won by fall over Lakynn Qualseth (Canton) 36-8 (Fall 3:14)

155

Semifinal - Summer Guthmiller (Sioux Valley) 41-0 won by fall over Katie Snyder (Hot Springs) 35-5 (Fall 1:40)

Semifinal - Bella Morteo (Rapid City Stevens) 40-9 won in the ultimate tie breaker over Abbigail Lewis (Pierre T.F. Riggs) 32-2 (UTB 2-0)

170

Semifinal - Blair Merkwan (Vermillion) 30-9 won by decision over Rhiannen Heimdal (Harrisburg) 39-1 (Dec 8-7)

Semifinal - Lainee Gebhart (Lemmon) 32-6 won by fall over Macie Letsche (Sioux Falls Jefferson) 36-18 (Fall 1:16)

190

Semifinal - Marlee Heltzel (Spearfish) 39-7 won by fall over Jessica Hite (Custer) 38-4 (Fall 5:51)

Semifinal - Allison Konrad (Watertown) 43-1 won by fall over Natalia Long (Canton) 29-9 (Fall 4:29)

235

Semifinal - Eden Hach (Watertown) 45-1 won by fall over Caydan Halls (Hot Springs) 30-9 (Fall 1:37)

Semifinal - Kendis Sackreiter (Brookings) 27-3 won by fall over Unique Clairmont (Todd County/White River) 34-3 (Fall 3:29)