Competing for a state title in any sport is an honor, to be the only athlete from your school to compete for a state title is an honor on a whole other level.
That’s what McCracken County freshman Eelynn Hayden got to experience on Thursday as she represented the Lady Mustangs wrestling team at in the second-ever KHSAA Girls State Wrestling Championships in Lexington. And, not only did she represent her school, but she returns to western Kentucky with a 3rd place finish in the 126 pound weight class.
“This year alone, I spent around 200 hours in the wrestling room and it’s definitely really rewarding to see that pay off,” Hayden said. “This season has taught me a lot of discipline and perseverance and I know that representing my team is more important than winning each of my matches.”
While representing her team was important, going 4-1 on the day and claiming each of those four wins by pin was pretty important as well, resulting in that third place finish.
“There were some matches where I was a little nervous because I was putting a lot of pressure on myself,” Hayden said. “But, I try to go into a match with the mindset that it’s about scoring the next point and less about going into the match focused on winning.”
The 2025 state championship was the second in a row for Hayden as she finished seventh last year on the same stage. She says the improvement she’s seen in herself shows her that the sky is the limit and it’s only up from here in the rapidly growing sport of female high school wrestling.
“Being able to physically see the growth and the number of people in the tournaments getting bigger, it almost doesn’t feel real.”
Hayden reflects on her younger wrestling days wrestling against boys almost exclusively.
“I went to state when I was younger and it was just me and a bracket of guys,” Hayden said. “So being able to wrestle in an all girls tournament, especially at state, is such a big deal for me.”
And, while her 2025 high school season is over, her preparation for next season is just getting started. She wrestles for Team Kentucky in the offseason and says she has some high goals for herself in the upcoming months.
“I’m planning on going to some freestyle tournaments and I hope to qualify to compete in Fargo, North Dakota,” She said. “I’m also going to try and learn some different styles this summer and go to some advanced camps to learn some new moves and help with my skill set for next season.”