The Idaho State Journal is announcing finalists for the annual Sports Stars Awards, set for May 5 at 6 p.m. at the Stephens Performing Arts Center on the campus of Idaho State University.
Moving to our winter finalists, up next is Girls Wrestling Athlete of the Year.
Keanna Conrad, Blackfoot
The junior claimed her third consecutive state championship with a 5-2 overtime victory over Post Falls’ Kahli Brown in the 135-pound final to complete a 43-1 campaign. Conrad became the first girl in Blackfoot history to win three straight state titles and just the third wrestler overall in program history to accomplish that feat. She also captured her third straight Rollie Lane Invitational title − a first for any Blackfoot wrestler. Conrad sports a remarkable 126-1 career record with her only loss coming this past season at the Reno Tournament of Champions, ending a remarkable 96-match winning streak. She handed Jerome’s Olivia Bezdicek, a national champion and three-time state champion, her only two losses this season.
Kinzie Williams, American Falls
After placing third as a freshman and finishing runner-up last year, the junior finally broke through to capture her first state championship with a 5-0 victory over Rocky Mountain’s Talea Nichols in the 115-pound final. Williams was one of only three girls in Idaho to go unbeaten this season, completing a perfect 38-0 campaign that included becoming the first girl in program history to win Rollie Lane. She became just the second girls state champion in American Falls history and the first to finish undefeated, dominating throughout the year by never allowing an opponent to score a single point from the neutral position.
Samantha Harper, Bear Lake
Just one week after being pinned in 43 seconds at districts, the senior claimed the 145-pound state championship with a second-round pinfall over Kimberly’s Cashlin Volkel. It capped a 42-3 season with other titles coming at places like the Madison Invitational. It was a year defined by resilience both on and off the mat. Harper came up short in her first two state appearances, failing to place as a sophomore and taking third as a junior. She also lost her mother, her biggest supporter, to cancer during that sophomore year. Now she’s the first girls state champion in program history and will continue her wrestling career at Chadron State in Nebraska.