Winslow grappler exceeds expectations as a first-year wrestler

WINSLOW – The prep wrestling season has been nothing but gratifying for Winslow sophomore McKenna Hardy.

The 138-pound wrestler has exceeded her expectations as a first-year wrestler by finishing as the sectional runner-up on Saturday.

With her finish, Hardy (34-7 overall) earned her ticket to the Arizona Interscholastic Association Wrestling State Championships, which is scheduled for Feb. 21-22 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix.

“My goal for this season was to have a winning record,” Hardy said. “Now, that I’ve qualified for state, I definitely went far beyond what I thought I could do.”

Last season, Hardy made the varsity basketball team for the Winslow Lady Bulldogs as a freshman.

She made the transition from the hardcourts to the wrestling mat and so far she’s doing extremely well at her new sport

“I didn’t think I could excel at basketball more than I would at wrestling,” Hardy said of her decision to change sports. “I was told my whole life that I could be a good wrestler and so I took the chance. Now it’s paid off well.”

Hardy is one of two girls wrestlers for Winslow that qualified for state at the sectional meet that was held at Winslow High School. The top four wrestlers in each weight classes earned bids for state.

The Bulldogs also qualified senior Amanda Childers for state at 107 pounds.

“McKenna is having a great season,” Winslow coach Kendal Ybarra said. “Right now, they have her ranked No. 6 in the state. That’s pretty good for her. She’s coming in as a first-year wrestler and she’s doing awesome.”

As for Childers, who placed fourth at sectionals, Ybarra said his pupil is also have an exceptional year as a first-time wrestler.

“She went into this tournament at 21-5,” Ybarra said. “They’re both going to give it a run at state.”

At Saturday’s state qualifying meet, Winslow filled in six of 12 weight classes, which is slightly down compared to past years.

“We lost four girls to injuries in our second week of the season,” Ybarra said. “They didn’t recover, so we ended up running six for this tournament. It was tough for us, but at least we got two in.”

In the 138 championship bout, Hardy wrestled Snowflake’s Kaytlin LaDuke for the first time. And while she gave it her best effort, the Snowflake senior outmaneuvered Hardy by a 13-6 decision.

“I was really looking forward to this match,” Hardy said. “I wanted to see where I stacked against other good wrestlers, and so far it’s looking pretty good.”

The biggest takeaway, Hardy said, was knowing that she can hold her own against a wrestler like LaDuke, who improved to 28-3 overall.

“With the way I wrestled her, I definitely have a chance to place at state this year,” Hardy said. “I could maybe even go into the finals.”

Looking back at her season, the Winslow grappler believes she’s made vast improvements from her technique to her speed.

“At the beginning of the season, I honestly used my strength against a lot of people,” Hardy said. “Now that I’ve wrestled for a few months, I’ve learned to have better technique. I’m also working a lot of faster, so it’s help me build more confidence.”

As for state, Hardy is looking to earn a medal this year. But for the next few seasons, she wants to aim higher.

“I just want to place at state this year,” Hardy said. “But next year, I’m definitely going for that state title. I want to win it my senior year, too.”

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