Clemens’ Dawkins clinches top seed in 6A tourney
Two years ago, Clemens wrestling coach Andy Rogers thought the Buffaloes’ girls wrestling program might die.
But then Kyllysta Dawkins showed up.
The Clemens junior started wrestling again as a freshman after originally quitting the sport in the third grade. But Dawkins fell in love again with the sport once she joined the Buffaloes’ wrestling team.
Her dedication showed up Saturday. Dawkins beat Judson’s Jaylah Burns, 4-1, in the girls’ 138-pound division final at the Region IV-6A championship at the Blossom Athletic Center and clinched a top seed heading into the Class 6A state tournament on Friday in Katy.
“We went from not getting girls to state to getting girls to state,” Rogers said. “Now we’ve got regional champions going. We have district champions going on, and big things are happening here. So she’s part of the change.”
Dawkins made the state tournament last year as an alternate and finished fifth. This season, she’s 32-3, with all three losses by decision.
“I really wanted to go back to state,” Dawkins said. “So I started going to club (wrestling) a little bit more often. I was also doing club track on the side. And I was really working hard on just trying to build everything up and just really work.”
Steele sophomore Asaiya Golphin had a chance to make the state tournament last year, but after tearing her ACL in the Region IV-6A semifinals, she had to sit out the rest of the year. But Golphin’s setback didn’t deter her motivation for wanting to avenge her loss last year and make it to her first state tournament.
Golphin said that her recovery started right after surgery, and she was training three times daily to get back to this point.
Saturday, at 185 pounds, she pinned San Benito’s Lauren Cantu in 5:46 to win her first regional title and advance to state.
“It means everything to me coming in last year, not being able to do this, knowing this opportunity was taken away from me,” Golphin
said. “It means so much to be a regional champion. Now, I’m so proud of everybody who helped me: my dad, my sister, my coaches. They mean everything to me.”
Golphin drew henna tattoos all over her body as a good luck charm.
“I’ve done this the last 2-3 weeks, and every time, I’ve done really well,” Golphin said.
Judson’s Samaria Barnett beat Clemens’ Christina Nunn, 9-0, at 152 pounds.
Barnett finished second at the 6A state meet last year at 165 pounds but decided to drop weight this season to compete at a higher level.
Once Barnett’s hand was raised, she screamed out loud and ran over to her coach.
“So last year, I had got
second place at regionals after losing to the girl I beat in district,” Barnett said. “So when I won this match, it felt so gratifying for me because I get to say I’m a regional and district champion. I worked hard, especially after dropping weight classes, working even harder to maintain my strength and technical skill.”
Reagan’s Shobhana Spielmann pinned Churchill’s
Rebecca Ridling in 5:32 to win at 107 pounds.
This is the sophomore’s second time qualifying for the state tournament. She was named a captain this year by her teammates.
“This year, I was cutting weight and making sure I was there for that,” Spielmann said. “I was just making sure my mind was right for this season because I moved up a weight class. So it’s a whole different ballpark.”
Churchill senior Curtis White had an emotional overtime 4-2 win over Johnson’s Garrett Patterson in the boys’ 113-pound division.
White, a two-time district champion, qualified for his third state tournament. He was the only Region IV-6A boys wrestler to win a region championship.
“He’s unflappable,” Churchill wrestling coach Brian Hawkins said. “He’s truly bought into what we do in our wrestling style, truly believes in the idea that if he focuses on the little things that matter, he’ll get the results he wants. He’s super competitive, and he’s really tough.”