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The 2023-24 season of George Rogers Clark High School Wrestling came to a conclusion over the weekend of February 16th – 18th, but not without much to be satisfied by. 

After only three years, the team’s competition at the KHSAA State Finals at Alltech Arena in Lexington netted two state placers – junior Aanyah Betancur and sophomore Bailey Fletcher – while seven male and female wrestlers competed overall. 

Betancur, who finished third in the 138-lb. weight class, demonstrated adversity. 

“Aanyah showed some real grit. She sprained her ankle during her second match and then wrestled back 4 matches on the taped up injury to take 3rd place,” said GRC head Wrestling coach Chad Grant. 

Placing third, Betancur scored 22.0 team points. 

In the championship round 1, she won over Boyle County’s Payton Turner, while losing by injury default to Madison Southern’s Jeila Ramos-Sanchez in the Quarterfinals. Betancur then swept through the consolation rounds – winning four matchups including the 3rd place match – defeating Hannah Fetters of Bell County, Jenny Fortner of Harrison County, Val Sears of Whitley County and Mayte Lopez of Apollo. 

In addition to Betancur, Fletcher placed sixth in the 120-lb. Class and scored 10.0 team points. 

She was victorious in the championship round 1 and quarterfinals, defeating Lakelynn Janssen of McCracken County and Camara Carter of DuPont Manual, before a defeat to Union County’s Sutton Fuller. During the consolation round semifinal and fifth place match, she would come up just short to Fort Campbell’s Lillianah DeWitt and Montgomery County’s Brooklyn Banfield. 

Other competitors for the squad included Quentin Falls, Braylen Livingston, Bryan Falls, Danica Patrick and McKenzie Bush. 

Bryan Falls was defeated in the 215-lb. class by Walton Verona’s Luke Hyden in championship round 1, and in a tie breaker by Trinity’s Joshua Lingle in consolation round 1. 

Quentin Falls, in the 165-lb. class, scored 1.0 team points, suffering a narrow defeat in sudden death to Central Hardin’s Samuelu Hazelwood in championship round 1 before winning by decision over Fern Creek’s Dan Molowayi in consolation round 1. He would fall in consolation round 2 to Lafayette’s Jeffrey Temprano. 

Braylen Livingston, in the 150-lb. class, scored 2.5 team points. In championship round 1, he fell short against Westin Brown of LaRue County, before coming back to defeat Montgomery County’s Dawson Jackson in consolation round 1. Livingston was defeated in consolation round 2 by Covington Catholic’s Keegan Bishop. 

Danica Patrick competed at state in the 126-lb. class. After being defeated in championship round 1 by Montgomery County’s Bailey Duh, Patrick – a 7th grader – fell to Eastern’s Sera Gutterman in consolation round 1. 

McKenzie Bush also competed, scoring 3.0 team points. She was defeated in championship round 1 by Boyle County’s Hailey Childers, before winning consolation round 1 by medical forfeit over Harrison County’s Maddie Jones. She was defeated by Central’s Rhionna Baughman in consolation round 2.