You could describe Ryle’s Rider Trumble and Walton-Verona’s Emma Moore and Sophie Anderson with the same eight-letter word.
Champion.
Trumble won the 157-pound boys state wrestling title Saturday at Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. On Thursday, Moore won the girls 100-pound gold medal, and Anderson won at 132.
“I kind of knew this year that I had it because I had beat all the top guys in different tournaments over the season,” Trumble said.
Trumble compiled a 188-28 record over five seasons, including this year’s 55-2. Saturday was his last chance at a championship – he was third at 130 as a sophomore in 2023 and runner-up at 120 as a freshman.
“He was long and strong,” Ryle coach Tim Ruschell said Sunday. “He could cradle (wrap an arm around an opponent’s neck and a knee to his face) any kid from anywhere. They know it’s coming, and they can’t stop it.”
RELATED: Ryle wins Region 5 wrestling crown
It only took Trumble 1 minute, 28 seconds to pin North Oldham’s Zane McCoy in the first round. He needed 3:56 to subdue Paducah Tilghman’s Jayden Morris in the second round, 1:36 against Caleb Barnes of Johnson Central, and after a 7-2 decision over Boyle County’s Micah Thompson in the semifinals, he won the title by subduing Union County’s Jake Dowdy in 2:53.
Trumble plans to continue wrestling at the University of the Cumberlands.
Anderson and Moore won their second consecutive state titles. (Girls wrestling became a sanctioned Kentucky High School Athletic Association sport last year.) Because Moore opened the 2024 final round, she became the first Kentucky girls champion.
Moore couldn’t decide which title was nicer.
“I think they’re different,” she said. “Last year, I think, was special just because it was my first one in my first year in the sport, but I think this year was also cool because I got to see girls wrestling grow. The tournament was harder this year than it was last year.”
Moore’s title also continued a family tradition – she joined brothers Ryan and Spencer Moore.
“It’s pretty exciting,” Bearcats coach (and Emma’s dad) Jason Moore said. “She put in a lot of hard work and followed the examples of her brothers.”
Anderson (37-4) finished her high school career at 68-4; she was 31-0 last year. She plans to wrestle collegiately at Campbellsville University.
It didn’t take Anderson very long to win her first three matches: she pinned Ashland’s Ryleigh Mahan in 37 seconds, Louisville Valley’s Natalie Saint Louis in 1:18, and Louisville Moore’s Diva Hall in 1:49. She won the title with a 15-3 majority decision over Ohio County’s Talyn Clark.
Coach Moore said Emma has been wrestling for only two years. It’s been a stellar career so far – she’s 69-8, including this season’s 40-6.
Moore scored three pins in her four wins on Thursday – she needed just 1:58 to defeat Ohio County’s Lily Autry in the first round, 2:00 to subdue Boyle County’s Teagan Hundley in the quarterfinals and 1:39 to take care of Caldwell County’s Sophie Parrish in the semifinals. She won the title with a 7-0 decision over Taylor County’s Naiya De Los Santos.
Four Northern Kentuckians were runners-up – Simon Kenton’s Jonah McCloskey at 132, Ryle’s Landon Evans at 138, Walton-Verona’s Luke Hyden at 215, and Highlands’ Emma Hood at 152.
Union County won the boys team trophy over Johnson Central, 305.5-192.5. Ryle placed fifth with 143 points, Simon Kenton was 15th with 55, and Highlands was 18th with 52.5.
“We were in fourth down to the last match,” Ruschell said.
Lexington Lafayette won the girls team title over Taylor County, 131-118. Walton-Verona was ninth with 56.
“We were down a few spots this year, had a couple holes that we couldn’t get filled,” Jason Moore said. “So without a full lineup, it’s hard to get too high on the team list, so yeah, top 10 finish, that’s pretty good.”
Other boys to place on the podium were Ryle’s Bryant Brinkman (third place, 106 pounds), Conner’s Keaton Dicken (fifth place, 106), Ryle’s Aiden Brinkman (seventh place, 113), Conner’s Clayton Badida (fifth place, 120), Scott’s Michael Smith (fourth place, 126), Simon Kenton’s Braydan Blevins (fifth place, 126), Ryle’s Luke Cornwell (seventh place, 126), Highlands’ Travis Votel (fourth place, 132), Highlands’ Kayson White (fifth place, 132), Walton-Verona’s TJ Meyer (third place, 144), Dixie Heights’ Xavier Montanez (fourth place, 144), Campbell County’s Deacon Heisler (eighth place, 144), Covington Catholic’s Aiden Maher (eighth place, 157), Covington Catholic’s Keegan Bishop (fifth place, 165) and Ryle’s Keigan Riesenbeck (sixth place, 175).
Other girls to place on the podium were Ryle’s Peyton Brinkman (fourth place, 100 pounds), Conner’s Rose Thomas (seventh place, 126) and Simon Kenton’s Devon Banks (fifth place, 152).
Visit khsaa.org (bit.ly/3XoXt64) for complete results.