KANSAS CITY — The Sand Springs’ girls wrestling team proved it belongs on a national-stage at the Kansas City Stampede, finishing 10th overall in a massive 67-team field during the tournament held Dec. 18 and 19. The Lady Sandites scored 120.5 team points against programs from across the Midwest.
In a tournament that has grown to overwhelming depth, Sand Springs stayed competitive through individualgritandwell-timed placements, finishing ahead of dozens of established programs and emerging as one of Oklahoma’s strongest finishers in the field.
At 100 pounds, Hannah Stephenson fought her way into the medal rounds and finished fourth, advancing deep before falling in the third-place match to Randall freshman Lillian McHam. Stephenson’s run produced valuable team points in one of the tournament’s toughest brackets and set the tone early for the Lady Sandites.
Sand Springs added another placement at 105 pounds behind Ambrielle Chambers, who secured seventh place with a pin of Nixa’s Hanna Egley in 1:34 in the placement round. Chambers’ ability to finish when it mattered turned a long bracket into a scoring opportunity and kept Sand Springs climbing in the standings.
At 125 pounds, Baylin Maynard also reached the podium, finishing sixth after advancing through a competitive draw that featured several state-level contenders. Maynard’s placement added to Sand Springs’ team total and helped solidify the Lady Sandites’ top-10 finish.
In a field topped by Missouri power Nixa and Kansas programs Garden City and Gardner Edgerton, Sand Springs’ 10th-place showing stood as a reminder of how far the program has come — and how well it travels. With three placers contributing at different points in the lineup, the Lady Sandites demonstrated balance, resilience, and the ability to score under pressure.
For Sand Springs, the Kansas City Stampede wasn’t about chasing titles in December. It was about surviving one of the toughest girls tournaments in the region and leaving with proof that the program can compete — and score — on one of wrestling’s biggest early-season stages.