Staff writer
Marion recently became the home of a 6-year-old wrestling princess.
Brylee Haws took third place at the USA Wrestling Kansas Girls State Championship at Central Christian College in McPherson.
Brett Haws, her father and coach, said Brylee was pinned by one competitor, lost by one point to another, and pinned another in the first 30 seconds of a match to take third out of a four-girl bracket.
He said she performed a double-leg takedown and got the pin with using a power half-nelson move.
“I’m pretty happy,” Brylee said. “I jumped up when I won.”
She said she hugged her dad after winning her match.
Brett Haws has coached her for two years.
“She started wrestling because she wanted to be like her older 11-year-old brother, Clint,” Brett said. “There’s a fine line between being a coach and a dad. I guess it’s a little easier to be harder on your own kids.”
Even though wrestling isn’t necessarily a common thing for little girls to do, he said he approaches coaching his daughter the same he coaches boy wrestlers.
“We attack it very much the same way,” he said. “She wrestled boys throughout the entire season.”
Brylee said she likes meeting other girl wrestlers and making new friends at tournaments.
Brett Haws said it was the first time she had been invited to the tournament. Leading up to state, she placed third at two tournaments and second at three tournaments, Brett Haws said.
Brylee finished the season with a 20-9 record.