Week 10: Historic Firsts; Oak Hill Dual; Red Dragon Tournament, State Dual Wrestling Championships; and George Washington Tri-Dual.
The opening Shot.
Wow, what a week! Week ten of the 2025 – 2026 Greenbrier East Wrestling season is in the books, and what a week it was: Epic wins, history made, new wrestlers getting wins. Who could ask for more?
The Week in Review.
Oak Hill Dual. On Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, the team traveled to Oak Hill for a dual meet against Oak Hill High School. Our young and growing team wrestled hard against an established Oak Hill program. On the women’s side, one of the most anticipated matches of the evening did not occur due to illness. Oak Hill’s Kircyln Coleman (ranked no. 1 in the women’s 120 lbs. weight class) was scheduled to wrestle GEHS Maya Frank (ranked no. 5 in the women’s 120 lbs. weight class). However, due to illness, Ms. Coleman was not able to wrestle. GEHS wishes her good health, and we look forward to seeing her in the newly established women’s regional state qualifying tournament. We thank the Oak Hill program for inviting our entire team to wrestle at their facility.
Red Dragon Tournament. Old Man Winter once again took to the mat, but this time it ended in a draw. The Red Dragon Tournament, scheduled for Friday February 6, was cancelled, but quickly rescheduled to Saturday, February 7th. Take that Old Man Winter. The women braved the icy roads to travel to St. Albans for the tournament. As a team, the GEHS Spartan Women Wrestlers placed third – another huge victory considering GEHS only has wrestlers in half of the weight classes. Maya Frank and Elizabeth Blankenship each went undefeated and earned first place finishes. Freshman wrestler Ava Taylor took fourth, and had the takedown of the tournament, pinning her opponent after a blast double-leg takedown in the third period. The hard-fought match demonstrated proficiency in all aspects of wrestling and shows how Ava has responded to the coaching. We thank St. Albans High School for hosting a great tournament and in being persistent in not allowing Old Man Winter to get the win.
A HISTORIC FIRST! George Washington HS Women’s Tri-Dual Tournament. After the Red Dragon Tournament, the ladies turned around and traveled to Charleston on Tuesday, February 11, 2026, for a Tri-dual against George Washinton High School and Ohio’s Galia Academy. This was a history making event. This was the first all-women dual tournament in the history of Greenbrier East High School. This class of wrestlers continues to make history.
Freshmen Sativa Dunbrack and Eva Taylor earned wins on the night. Following her pattern all season, Izzy Blankenship won by pin. GEHS newcomer Piper Baldwin, despite joining the team late in the season, stepped on the mat and wrestled extremely well; in one of her matches wrestling against the state’s third ranked wrestler in her weight class.
After two quick pins earlier in the evening, Maya Frank wrestled in the much-anticipated match of the night. Every wrestler and wrestling fan has watched the movie, Vision Quest. The movie tells the story of the main character’s sacrifice and discipline as he drops multiple weight classes to wrestle the best wrestler in the state. Maya did the same in reverse, going up a weight class (from 120 to 126) to wrestle George Washington’s Presley Buckley, recognized as one of the best wrestlers not only in the 126-pound weight class, but in the state as a whole. There is a reason the match was saved till the end, as it was definitely the main event of the evening.
Behind by three points going into the second Period, Maya almost pinned Ms. Buckley, taking a 4 to 3 lead. Multiple “blood-time” stoppages occurred so blood could be cleaned off of the wrestlers and the mat. George Washington’s Presley Buckley eventually got the win by an 8 to 4 decision. After the match, the sportsmanship and respect that each wrestler had for the other was evident as they discussed the upcoming State Tournament and compared notes on their off-season training plans. This is the type of match that showcases the best of what wrestling is. Congratulations to Maya and to Presley for showcasing the strength of women’s wrestling.
We thank Galia Academy and host team George Washington High School for a great and historic dual tournament.
WV State Wrestling Dual Team Championship. The WV Fairgrounds were full of fans, media, and wrestlers for the WV State Wrestling Dual Team Championship.
Congratulations to the 2026 WV Division II State Duals Team Champion Ripley High School. In Division II the following wrestlers earned Outstanding Wrestler awards: Alex Rodriguez, Moorefield; Wyatt Wolanski, Oak Glen; Bobby Minor, Point Pleasant; Landon Burleson, Independence; Jackson Swingle, Keyser; Cole Smith, Williamstown; Hunter Hughart, Herbert Hoover; and Kendrick Durst, Ripley.
Congratulations to the 2026 WV Division I State Duals Team Champions – University High School. In Division I the following wrestlers earned Outstanding Wrestler awards: Chayden Johnson, Riverside; Tamarion West, Woodrow Wilson; Mikey Logsdon, John Marshall; Nathan Murphy, Parkersburg South; C. J. Carrodus, Parkersburg; And Ethan Koloski, University.
Thanks to all those who attended and volunteered at the event. We also thank our guest speakers Nick Hylton and Noah Adams.
Wrestler of the Week – Week 10 – Ava Taylor
One of the hallmarks of a successful student athlete is the ability to learn and grow during a season. The ability to receive and incorporate coaching is one of the most important traits a wrestler can have. Freshman wrestler Ava Taylor embodies the concept of coachability. When Ava first came into the GEHS wrestling room, she had never wrestled but committed to the steep learning curve all new wrestlers face. Ava walked into the Red Dragon Tournament with one win on the season and executed what may have been the takedown of the tournament – a very hard blast double-leg takedown, immediately followed by a pin. During the match she displayed the ability to take her opponent down, escape from the bottom, survive pinning combinations, and work pinning combinations of her own. She displayed these same techniques in the George Washinton Tri-dual. She is becoming a complete wrestler.
In her own words:
After the Red Dragon Tournament, we asked Ava some questions.
1. Why Wrestle?
I started wrestling to let some anger out and give me something to do in the off season. I hadn’t really thought about wrestling until Izzy [Blankenship] started
pestering me about it. I thought that it might be a good way to keep in shape for softball, and Izzy convinced me to give it a try.
2. What has been the hardest thing about learning a new sport?
The thing that has been hardest for me to learn to do is keep my head up and really put weight on people and be aggressive. The positions and techniques you learn in wrestling are sometimes a bit different than what you would expect. The position of your head and your toes can sometimes make all of the difference.
3. What is the highlight of your season so far?
The highlight of my season so far was finally getting another win and placing 4th.
4. How do you stay motivated in a tough sport?
I tell myself that all the practices are really going to help me in my matches and competing to keep myself motivated.
5. Do you have any advice for other young women who may consider wrestling?
My advice to other girls interested in wrestling is to try your best in practice and to show up to practice so you actually learn moves and know what you’re doing going into a match.
6. What are your goals as a person, student, and wrestler?
My goals overall in all aspects are to just better myself as a person, athlete, and student.
7. What are you going to do after high school?
I think after high school I’m going to go to college and major in psychology and criminology. I’m really interested in criminal justice, and I think the psychology part makes it a lot more interesting.
With Ava’s attitude and hard work, there is little doubt she will be a success on and off the mat.
Coming up Next. Next week the men compete in the Coalfield Conference Invitational, and the women travel to Morgantown on Valentines Day to wrestle in the Cupid’s Revenge Tournament. Both the men’s and women’s teams begin the process of preparing for the state qualifying regional tournaments.
Next Week.
Next week’s article will give results of the Cupid’s Revenge Tournament and the Coalfield Conference Invitational.
Live Stream. GEHS wrestling matches are now livestreamed and posted on the Greenbrier East Spartan Wrestling Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1400059887620954. If you cannot join us live, please join us online.
