Two girls will represent Central High School at this weekend’s Illinois High School Association Girls Wrestling State Meet. Wrestling will take place at the Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington and begin on Friday, February 23. This is the third year that the IHSA has recognized girls wrestling with a state wrestling tournament.
Senior Karmen Cody (pictured above on first spot)) nearly advanced to the state meet last year, falling in the consolation semifinal at the sectional meet. This year, Karmen captured the 190-pound IHSA Sectional Title at Geneseo. Three of her four wins at the sectional meet were falls (pins). Karmen enters the state meet with a 13-2 record and will face Reyna Padilla of Reavis in an opening-round match.
Freshmen Payton Temple (pictured above on fourth spot) punched her ticket to the state meet with a fourth-place finish at the IHSA Sectional Meet. Payton is 6-4 on the season and will face America Cabrerra of Phoenix Military Academy in Chicago. Payton is the only freshman in her weight class.
Karmen and Payton represent the first ever girl wrestlers from Central to qualify for the IHSA Girls Wrestling State Meet.
(PHOTO CREDITS: Becky Temple)