Window Rock’s Paige Kee starts new streak

JOSEPH CITY, Ariz. – Window Rock grappler Paige Kee has one blemish for the 2023-24 season.

Kee came up short to Ben Franklin’s Madelyn Oliver during Window Rock’s home meet at the Veterans Memorial Invitational last month. The junior wrestler came up short by an 8-2 count.

“I feel a little disappointed in myself for losing that one match, but the only thing I’m happy for is I didn’t get pinned,” Kee said. “I just have to keep reminding myself that I lost by points and not by a pin.”
Since that loss, Kee has been working extra hard on the mat. She used that setback to secure the 165-pound title at the Joseph City Invitational on Saturday.

In the championship bout, Kee beat Page senior Ilina Robbins by a fall in the second period, improving her overall record to 21-1.

“I’m trying to start a new streak going,” Kee said. “My main goal is to keep winning. We have three more tournaments before sectionals and I’m hoping to keep winning.”

Last season, the Window Rock wrestler missed qualifying for the Arizona all-girls state wrestling tournament. Based on her body of work, she is projected to make this year’s state field.

“Her confidence is there,” Window Rock coach Marc Hillis said. “You can see that in the way she moves out there and the way she wrestles. She’s executing her mover and takedowns.

“For this tournament, she definitely knew what her game plan was, and she followed it,” he added. “Everything she did came in her favor. She pinned everyone in this tournament.”
The Window Rock coach has been tracking Kee’s progress and he’s seen vast improvements in her development.

“A lot of it is just working in the wrestling room,” Hillis said of his pupil. “For the most part, it’s just going over what works for her. That is what I do for all my wrestlers. I try to cater to what moves and techniques work best for them because there is not one size that fits all.”

In addition to Kee, the Window Rock team also got a fifth-place finish from sophomore Chaniqua Begay at 132 pounds.
“She’s really stepping her game too,” Hillis said.

And although they didn’t make the Joseph City trip, Hillis has high hopes for seniors Olisha Greymountain at 126 and Adeezhi Morris at 120.

On the boys team, senior Jimmy Tsosie (138) and junior Jovonny Smith (126) are his most promising wrestlers. Due to the Arizona Interscholastic Association five-tournament limit, Hillis did not field a boys team at Joseph City.

“They’ve done very well this year,” the Window Rock coach said of his two prospects.

Hillis said freshman Deon Jones at 126 is another promising wrestler.

“He’s been a huge surprise,” the Window Rock coach said. “He’s only a freshman so I have a few years to work with him.”

The Scouts are forgoing the Doc Wright Invitational in Winslow and the Garrison Spencer Memorial Duals in Shiprock. Instead, Window Rock is competing in the Verrado Viper Invitational in Buckeye, Arizona this weekend.

“They came to our tournament, so I thought it’d be a nice change for us,” Hillis said.

Later this month, the Hillis-coached team will compete in the Pojoaque Valley tournament in New Mexico.

“They were also at our tournament, so we’re looking forward to going there too,” he said.

On Jan. 16, the Scouts will host Chinle, Ganado, Wingate and possibly Shiprock for senior night.

The state qualifying sectional meets are scheduled for Feb. 3 for girls and Feb. 10 for boys. The girls meet will be held at Payson High and the boys at Winslow High.

The state boys and girls meet is scheduled Feb. 15-17 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix.

New to this year’s state tournament is the introduction of two separate girls classification. The larger schools will compete in Division I and the smaller programs will make up Division II.
In previous years, the AIA had one classification.

“I think it’s more inclusive this way,” Hillis said of having two separate classes. “Our kids won’t be wrestling against Division I schools like Liberty and Sunnyside. As you know, those are the top two girls programs in the state.”

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