Trigg County’s Makenna Hendricks remained unbeaten in the 2023-24 wrestling season, finishing first on Thursday at the Fort Campbell Invitational.
Hendricks ran her record to 8-0 with two wins by a pin that took just over four minutes of total mat time.
She was declared the winner when her opponent in the championship match – Fort Campbell’s Brooke Arbic – took a medical forfeit after winning in the semifinals.
The sophomore has finished in the top three at the girls’ state wrestling tournament each of the past three years. After several years sponsored by the state Coaches’ Association, girls’ wrestling is sanctioned by the KHSAA for the first time in 2023-24.
“It means a lot. I’m glad there’s more going for wrestling now that it’s getting bigger,” Hendricks said. “Hopefully more girls will come out to enjoy the sport.”
The KHSAA approval has seen more schools either begin or expand their girls’ wrestling programs. That also holds true at Trigg County where Hendricks has girls teammates for the first time.
“It’s definitely a lot different. I usually would be rooting on friends from other teams but this year it’s like I have people really looking at me. They’re my teammates so they’re looking up to me,” she said. “It’s a big role and if they lose, you’re just trying to pep them up.”
Trigg County’s first-year coach Scotty Hampton has seen the transformation of McKenna from wrestler-only to teammate.
“McKenna’s role is a lot different this year because now she is a teammate to other girl wrestlers and in the past, it was pretty much just her so she’s having to mentor and cheer on,” he said. “One of the biggest things I’ve seen with McKenna is just being the leader in the girls’ bunch.”
Trigg County has six wrestlers, four of whom wrestled on Thursday. Hampton said Hendricks has been instrumental in helping recruit more teammates.
“She wanted to expand the team and wanted more girls on the team. I told her we must work together and try to fill this girl’s squad up in the mat room. She was trying to drag more girls out on the team and she’s making a big impact so far.”
On the mat, Hendricks knows there is still work to do if she wants to join her former coach Ralph Stevens as the only Trigg County wrestlers to win an individual KHSAA state title.
“I want to get better and stay well-conditioned. I’ve definitely improved on becoming more of an offensive wrestler and doing my moves instead of letting others work theirs on me,” she said.
I’ve definitely improved on becoming more of an offensive wrestler and doing my moves instead of letting others work theirs on me.
Hendricks discussed her season of adjustment in this YSE interview.
