Columbus East High School

COLUMBUS, Ind. — The offseason is where champions are made, and the Columbus East girls wrestling program has been putting in the work. Traveling across the region all summer long to refine their technique and sharpen their edge, the Olympians brought that momentum right back home to Nexus Park for one of the premier summer events on the national wrestling calendar: the 10th Annual War of the Roses tournament. Featuring 98 of the nation's elite teams competing across All-Star and Progressive divisions in K–8 and High School brackets, the duals tournament brought nearly 100 top-tier squads into Columbus. Representing the local contingency was the Columbus East women’s wrestling club, the Columbus Valkyries, who proved they belong on the national stage. In a tournament where most entries assembled All-Star rosters from across multiple schools and states, the Valkyries relied heavily on homegrown talent. A total of 13 Columbus East athletes stepped up to fill 15 of the team's weight classes across the 14-weight-class event structure. This weekend Columbus East Women’s wrestling club, Columbus Valkyries, competed in one of the largest women’s national dual tournaments in the country, said Columbus East head coach Ty Olds. In a tourney where each team was made up of multiple schools and states, 13 East girls filled 15 of the Valkyrie weight classes. The Valkyries set the tone early during Day 1 of pool play, marching to a 3-1 record. Their sole setback on opening day came in a nail-biting 45-40 decision in the final match, pushing the team into Day 2’s Silver placement brackets. In Silver bracket action, the Valkyries continued to push high-caliber opponents to the absolute wire. Columbus finished 2-2 on the day, with both losses coming by paper-thin margins: 44-42 and 45-40. It was an amazing performance from a bunch of local girls on a national stage, Olds added. The weekend was highlighted by standout individual outings across every grade level. Sophomore sensations Annie Redman and Gloria Cloud led the charge, going 8-0 and 7-1 respectively. Freshman phenoms Lexi Burns and Ella Pope also turned in impressive 7-1 finishes, while fellow regional Valkyrie freshman Kyra Dyer from Rushville added another 7-1 record. Key team contributions kept the momentum going throughout the weekend. Kaydence Spradlin chipped in crucial wins on her way to a 6-2 mark, Elle Bliton fought to a strong 4-2 record, and both Madison Shrader and Kyleigh Traylor delivered sharp 4-1 campaigns. With months of regional competition under their belts and a major national tournament success story now in the books, the Olympians are riding high into the upcoming winter campaign. With such a strong showing on a national stage, it looks like Olympian women’s wrestling fans could be in for another fantastic season, said Olds.