Daphne’s Alanah Girard found herself on her back late in the first period of Friday’s 100-pound championship match at the AHSAA Girls Wrestling Championships at the Birmingham CrossPlex.

Girard successfully stayed alive with an impressive bridge to run out the first-period clock against Auburn’s Molly Seidman before rallying for a win by pin.

Girard’s win started a big day for the Trojans, who had 14 wrestlers place – meaning they finished in the top eight – in 10 of the 12 weight classes. The Trojans had three individual champs and won the 2024 state title. Daphne finished with 277 points, followed by Central-Phenix City with 233 and Enterprise with 160.

Daphne now has three girls wrestling state tournament titles in the event’s 4-year history.

“I’m super proud of the girls,” Daphne coach Greg Jefcoat said. “They showed tremendous grit and work ethic. This is about them, not me. They work extremely hard to be the best wrestlers they can be.”

Girard, a ninth-grader who finished with a 26-2 record, won her second straight individual title in the 100-pound weight class and took home the Most Valuable Wrestler Award. Senior Erin Smith (38-0) won the 114-pound crown, her first individual state title. Kalyse Hill (40-0), a junior, repeated as the 132-pound champion and earned her 100th career win by beating Gulf Shores’ Leah Guthrie in the 132-pound championship match.

The three-day tournament started with preliminary and elimination matches at Thompson High in nearby Alabaster on Wednesday and Thursday. Placement matches in all 12 weight classes were held on Friday at the CrossPlex, alongside the boys wrestling duals semifinals and championship rounds.

Mountain Brook won the Class 6A Duals title earlier Friday at the CrossPlex and Scottsboro won in Class 5A. Semifinals and championship matches for Classes 1A-4A and Class 7A are scheduled for later Friday.

Enterprise junior Evelyn Holmes-Smith (37-0) remained undefeated all-time against girls and won the 126-pound girls championship, earning a fourth state title. She has an 89-0 record all-time against AHSAA girls and holds a 113-4 record overall.

Three other Enterprise wrestlers won individual titles – Taimane Benemerito (34-3) at 126 pounds, Mackenzie Schultz (32-0) at 152 pounds and Mallory Ladd (32-1) at 185 pounds – to push the Wildcats to a third-place finish. Ladd scored late in the final period to beat Pinson Valley’s Aniyah Griffin (25-2) in the championship round, preventing Griffin from repeating as the 185-pound champ.

Central-Phenix City finished as team runner-up, despite having no wrestler advance to the championship round. The Red Devils had six wrestlers take home third place in their respective weight classes.

Weaver’s Lena Johannson (40-0) completed a second straight undefeated season and repeated as the 138-pound state champ. Sparkman’s Kalea Loving (28-0) also completed a perfect season by pinning Brookwood’s Patience Ransom in the 165-pound final.

There were 63 different teams that scored at the 2024 Girls State Tournament, which showcases the sport’s growing popularity.

“Wrestling is Alabama is growing,” Jefcoat said, “but when you put (AHSAA Assistant Director) Jeff Segars in charge, it’s like putting Miracle Grow on your product. He’s the perfect guy at the AHSAA to be over our sport.”

AHSAA GIRLS WRESTLING TOURNAMENT

Championship Matches

100 pounds: Alanah Girard, Daphne (26-2) pinned Molly Seidman, Auburn (32-3) (Fall, 3:29)

107 pounds: Kloe Robb, Sparkman (28-3) pinned McKenzie Nguyen, Daphne (35-3) (Fall, 1:45)

114 pounds: Emily Smith, Daphne (38-0) pinned Juliana Eldridge, Wetumpka (18-3) (Fall, 1:17)

120 pounds: Evelyn Holmes-Smith, Enterprise (37-0) pinned Lynleigh Weltzin, Thompson (34-4) (Fall, 1:36)

126 pounds: Taimane Benemerito, Enterprise (34-3) decisioned Carly Thomas, Bob Jones (21-1) (4-2)

132 pounds: Kalyse Hill, Daphne (40-0) decisioned Leah Guthrie, Gulf Shores (26-6) (6-1)

138 pounds: Lena Johannson, Weaver (40-0) pinned Bianca Hart, Buckhorn (32-3) (Fall 2:31)

145 pounds: Elizabeth Rosenstiel, Northridge (28-1) decisioned Kimber Alford, Daphne (38-2) (9-7)

152 pounds: Mackenzie Schultz, Enterprise (32-0) pinned Heather Butler, Chelsea (28-3) (Fall, 0:34)

165 pounds: Kalea Loving, Sparkman (28-0) pinned Patience Ransom, Brookwood (19-7) (Fall, 2:24)

185 pounds: Mallory Ladd, Enterprise (32-1) decisioned Aniyah Griffin, Pinson Valley (25-2) (5-4)

235 pounds: Tia Titi, Gulf Shores (30-4) pinned Niya Turner, Arab (26-2) (Fall, 0:57)