Leiszler makes history with second-place finish at state

SALINA — Senior Kassidy Leiszler made history by becoming the first female wrestler in Concordia High School history to qualify for the Kansas High School Girls State Championships. She then added to that by becoming the first to medal.
Picking up two wins before falling in the championship match, Leiszler placed second in the 101-pound class at the first-ever girls state championships Thursday at the Tony's Pizza Event Center.
Leiszler has placed first and third in the state tournament the previous two years, but those events were not sanctioned by the high school activities association.
Leiszler (19-4) received a bye in the first round of the tournament. She then pinned Arianna Ortiz, Kansas City-Turner, in 2:47 in the quarterfinals.
Moving into the semifinals, Leiszler won a 3-1 decision over Josiah Ortiz, Lakin.
Ortiz had won by technical fall, 15-0, over Alexandria Bruce, Shawnee Heights, and then pinned Rylee Cagle, Fort Scott.
Leiszler met up with an old nemesis in unbeaten Amanda Newcomb, Osawatomie, in the championship match.
Newcomb 21-0 had defeated Leiszler 6-5 in the unofficial state tournament last year and 5-2 in the championship match of the 2019 Kids Kansas Wrestling State Folkstyle Championships.
Leiszler fell for a third time to Newcomb, 7-0, in the title match.
Newcomb also received a first-round bye. She pinned Maria Chanthasone, Liberal, in 1:37 and pinned Breckyn Elliott, Great Bend, in 5:12 before defeating Leiszler.
Washburn Rural won the first state team tile with 84 points. Great Bend finished second with 80 and Paola was a distant third with 44.