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Aulani Davis stands atop the podium after winning her third straight state title.

When the 2022 Indiana High School Girls’ Wrestling State Finals were held in Memorial Gym on Jan. 14, Kokomo was well-represented. Aulani Davis, Brielle Humphries and Leah Mitchell all took to the mat and competed for spots on their weight class podiums. 

Davis, who has been wrestling since she was just a kid, won the state title for the third year in a row.

“It was electric as always,” head coach Jacob Bough said of the championship match. “I am a very enthusiastic coach to begin with. If you come to any wrestling meets you can see that. I am always in the match just like if I were wrestling out there for the wrestlers. Aulani has worked hard over the past few years and has battled back from some tough injuries so I know how much it meant for her.”

For the second straight year, Davis won the 145-pound weight class. She claimed the state title at 132-pounds during her freshman season. She was named the Co-Athlete of the Week by the Kokomo Tribune.

Humphries is a freshman and this was her first year competing in the finals. She placed in the top five, but predicts that she will get first for the rest of her high school career. She said she enjoys wrestling because it allows her to take out her anger. She decided to join wrestling after Bough told her he wanted to make her a state champion. She’s hoping to get a scholarship out of wrestling.

”I can’t wait to see how the next years go,” she said.

Girls’ wrestling is currently the fastest growing sport in all of high school athletics. Bough believes it’s because of the toughness the sport allows to shine.

“In my opinion it has gained popularity because girls can be just as tough as boys and this sport lets them shine as individuals. There is no one to blame if you lose but there is also no one to share the glory with besides coaches when you win. With the insurgence of MMA for ladies it was only a matter of time before high school girls’ wrestling became popular,” he said.

KHS hopes to leave its mark on the girls’ wrestling stage in the coming years.

“The future for girls’ wrestling is very bright,” Bough said. “I have four middle school girls’ wrestlers and three girls in the club that practice twice a week. I’m always on the recruiting trail. If girls think they are tough, this is the sport to come out and prove it in!”