There was history being made all over the place for the Mount Vernon and Lisbon girls’ wrestling programs on Friday, Jan. 31, at the Class 1A State Qualifier in Solon.

Mount Vernon won the team title for the first time in program history, and sent six wrestlers to the state tournament this week in Coralville.

“That’s the story of our team this year,” Mount Vernon Coach Trevor Trende said. “So much adversity. Everyone is battling something. Our girls rose up and became champions.”

Lisbon, in its first season of having its own girls’ program, had two wrestlers qualify for state – senior Lillian Gaiser, who placed first at 120 pounds, and freshman Emma Dietsch, who placed second at 145 pounds.

Gaiser pinned her way through the tournament. In the championship, she was trailing No. 8 Saidee Hamilton of Tipton 3-1 after two periods, got her in a headlock in the third period, and recorded the pin (5:36).

“I’ve got to do, what I’ve got to do,” Gaiser said of her thoughts entering the third period. “It’s the last period, so go big or go home. I had to do it. If it don’t do it. I have to go home.”

Dietsch had a different path. After getting beat in the finals by Addi Whisner of Mount Vernon by technical fall, 16-0, she had to bounce back in a wrestleback.

(A wrestleback occurs after the finals to determine a true second-place finish when the second- and third-place finishers didn’t wrestle in the semifinals.)

Dietsch pinned Mardie Berry of Mid-Prairie in the first period (1:24), to secure her spot at state.

“That’s a tough thing to do, and for a freshman to do it, nonetheless,” Lisbon Coach Seth Hall said. “That’s a big spotlight match after a tough loss.”

Mount Vernon also had a wrestler who had to prove it in a wrestleback. No. 3 Gracie Pinckney lost in the finals to No. 2 Layna DeMoss of Benton by decision, 9-4.

“I felt a little disappointed, but that’s the best I’ve ever wrestled and I felt good afterwards,” Pinckney said. “I knew I had that girl (Sophia Stephan of Cascade). I went out there confident.”

Pinckney pinned Stephan in 59 seconds.

“She wrestled all summer at high-level tournaments,” Trende said of Pinckney. “Something like this wasn’t going to phase her. I knew she was going to come back refocused.

“If you are going to take anyone to go to war with you, I’ll choose her every time.”

Kate Martin at 105 and Kaylee Kintzel at 155 both also finished second, but didn’t have to wrestleback. That was a good thing for Kintzel, who hurt her arm in her finals match against No. 3 Lizzy Wolf of Benton and would’ve had to forfeit.

Trende hopes she’ll be okay to wrestle at state.

Then there were the title winners. Kiersten Swart (110), Whisner (145), and Libby Dix (190) all went undefeated at the SQM and punched their tickets to state.

No. 3 Swart beat No. 4 McKenna Rogers of Solon in the finals 7-4, a week after topping her 1-0 at the WaMaC Tournament.

“I tried to be more offensive today, which I think worked out for me,” Swart said. “I got a few points in the first period, which helped me out.”

Swart led 7-1 after two periods, then held on to win.

“I told Kiersten that she keeps aging me every time she wrestles,” Trende said. “She keeps learning, winning, and improving.”

Whisner had two pins and a technical fall on the night.

“She just wrestled phenomenal tonight,” Trende said.

Speaking of phenomenal, defending state champion Libby Dix remained undefeated with three pins, including in the final over No. 6 Teagyn Hartz of West Branch (3:11).

“Libby is a great leader and a great wrestler,” Trende said. “We’re soaking in these moments. It’ll be her last state tournament. These girls look up to her as a peer, as a leader, and as a teammate.”

No. 3 Mount Vernon won the team title with 189 points. No. 6 Solon was second with 179. Lisbon was seventh with 100 points.

That state tournament is Thursday and Friday at Xteam Arena in Coralville.

“I’m excited,” Swart said. “We have so many going, it is awesome and super exciting.”