Behind three individual state champions, the Daphne Trojans wrestled their way back to the top of the mountain as team state champions for the third time in four years.

The Alabama High School Athletic Association’s girls’ wrestling state tournament wrapped up with placement matches on Friday, Jan. 19, at the Birmingham Crossplex.

Alanah Girard (100), Emily Smith (114) and Kalyse Hill (132) took home individual championships where Girard defended her title and Hill grabbed her third consecutive gold medal. They were joined by McKenzie Nguyen (106) and Kimber Alford (145) who both earned state runner-up finishes to help Daphne finish first ahead of Central-Phenix City with a 44-point lead.

Titi earns Gulf Shores’ first gold

History was made in Gulf Shores as Tia Titi, a Marshall softball signee, became the program’s first individual state champion in the 235-pound division. Titi recorded a pin of Arab’s Niya Turner in only 57 seconds to become the first female Dolphin wrestler to claim a state title.

She was joined by three more teammates who earned podium finishes including Leah Guthrie who took home silver with a 6-1 decision loss to Daphne’s Hill in the 132-pound division. Rhyleah Gleber won fifth place with a 3:07 pin of Montgomery Catholic’s Olivia Parker and Khloe Henshaw registered eighth with a 3:31 fall loss to Baldwin County’s Jessinia Jones to help Gulf Shores finish ninth overall in the team standings.

More podium finishes for Baldwin wrestlers

Elberta had a pair of wrestlers finish in the top eight where Maya Curp earned fifth with a 3:15 pin of Northside Methodist Academy’s Josie Faison. Mia Edwards finished eighth with a 5:05 fall loss to Weaver’s Baleigh Brown which left the Warriors in 19th place overall in the team standings with 42 points.

Lone representatives included Abigail Pendergrass from Spanish Fort, Londyn James from Robertsdale, Jones from Baldwin County and Lelahn Iopu from Foley. The Toros and Golden Bears finished tied for 28th in the team standings with 37 points each.

Pendergrass earned fifth place in the 152-pound division with a 5:09 fall win over Northside Methodist Academy’s Teegan Robinson and Jones earned her win in the seventh-place match with a 3:31 pin of Gulf Shores’ Henshaw.

James from Robertsdale took home sixth place with a 2:41 fall loss to Daphne’s Kyla Smith and Iopu from Foley recorded an eighth-place finish with a 3:34 fall loss to Auburn’s Emily Lehr.

Daphne once again queen of the state

The Trojans’ return to state champions was highlighted by nine more podium finishes between four fourth-place finishes, two fifth-place finishes and one sixth-, seventh- and eighth-place finish each.

Daphne’s Smith was joined by Addison Hollis in the 120-pound division and Nina Whiteis in the 100-pound division in winning their placement matches. Hollis took fifth with a first-round pin in 25 seconds and Whiteis earned seventh with a first-round pin in 1:11.

Below are full local results from Friday’s placement matches of the AHSAA girls’ wrestling state championship in Birmingham.

State champs and runners-up

100 pounds: Alanah Girard – Daphne with a 3:29 fall over Molly Seidman from Auburn

106: McKenzie Nguyen – Daphne with a 1:45 fall loss to Kloe Robb from Sparkman

114: Emily Smith – Daphne with a 1:17 fall win over Juliana Eldridge from Wetumpka

132: Kalyse Hill – Daphne with a 6-1 decision win over Leah Guthrie from Gulf Shores

145: Kimber Alford – Daphne with 9-7 decision loss to Elizabeth Rosenstiel from NHS

235: Tia Titi – Gulf Shores with a 0:57 fall over Niya Turner from Arab

Podium finishers by school

Gulf Shores

Rhyleah Gleber (126): 5th place with a 3:07 fall win over Montgomery Catholic’s Olivia Parker

Khloe Henshaw (235): 8th with a 3:31 fall loss to Baldwin County’s Jessinia Jones

Elberta

Maya Curp (165): 5th with a 3:15 fall win over Northside Methodist Academy’s Josie Faison

Mia Edwards (185): 8th with a 5:05 fall loss to Weaver’s Baleigh Brown

Spanish Fort

Abigail Pendergrass (152): 5th place with a 5:09 fall win over Northside Methodist Academy’s Teegan Robinson

Robertsdale

Londyn James (100): 6th place with a 2:41 fall loss to Daphne’s Kyla Smith

Baldwin County

Jessinia Jones (235): 7th with a 3:31 fall win over Gulf Shores’ Khloe Henshaw

Foley

Lelahn Iopu (152): 8th with a 3:34 fall loss to Auburn’s Emily Lehr

Daphne

Lydia Pruitt (100): 3rd with a 0:55 fall loss to Arab’s Madelynn King

Kyla Smith (100): 5th with a 2:41 fall win over Robertsdale’s Londyn James

Nina Whiteis (100): 7th with a 1:11 fall win over Sparkman’s Kayla Bonds

Jenna MacDonald (120): 4th with a 10-3 decision loss to Central’s Arianna Dinkins

Addison Hollis (120): 5th with a 0:25 fall win over Montevallo’s Amylia Thomas

Ellawyn Laffery (126): 8th with a 2:38 fall loss to Brookwood’s Karleigh Wright

Annabella Harris (138): 4th with a 1:34 fall loss to Thompson’s Aenaya Vines

Taliah Wade (165): 4th with a 0:44 fall loss to Vestavia Hills’ Christiana Belcher

Esteisy Rodriguez (185): 6th with a 0:29 fall loss to Mortimer Jordan’s Savannah Bowie