Park Hill South enters the wrestling season with renewed energy in the program, blending returning experience with a growing wave of underclassmen as the Panthers aim to take another step forward.
The girls program is led by head coach Brad Jones, assisted by Mya Carter, and continues to build off a season that featured multiple district qualifiers and steady growth throughout the lineup. Although the Panthers no longer have district runner-ups Temperance Lowe and Lucia Henriquez, the foundation has been established to carry into a deeper and more competitive roster.
Junior Abigail Monaco returns as one of the team’s most proven wrestlers after a breakout sophomore season in which she emerged as a consistent contender at the district level with a 42-14 record. Her experience made her a tone-setter in the room, while returning wrestlers Dillan Piersel and Kadinse Jones provide added stability in the middle weights after gaining valuable varsity experience early in their careers.
Upper weights remain a factor for Park Hill South, highlighted by senior Chikako Kotani, who brings leadership and physicality after posting nearly 30 wins a season ago. Julia Smith and Evelyn Rosas return with added confidence, while Hailey Clingan gives the Panthers a reliable presence in the heavyweight classes.
The Panthers have also leaned into youth development, with a large freshman class already being tested in competition. Alexandria Pike, Grace Agron, Rikako Kotani and Evelyn Beyer are among the newcomers gaining early experience to accelerate growth as the season progresses.
On the boys side, Park Hill South begins a new chapter under first-year head coach Bryce Dennis, who is joined by returning assistant Tucker MacWilliam and new assistant coaches Jimmy Carpenter, Duke Newsted and Drew Carter. In addition to his extensive wrestling experience, Dennis hopes to use his strength and conditioning background to positively influence the program’s future.
“The priority is establishing a strong culture built on effort, discipline, and competitiveness,” Dennis said. “We want to be a team that is difficult to wrestle every match, shows steady improvement throughout the season, and competes with confidence by postseason.”
The Panthers lost both of last season’s state qualifiers in Landen McDowell and Magnus Hoenshell. McDowell captured a conference championship and finished as a district runner-up last season, while Hoenshell earned third-place finishes at both conference and district competition.
Wyatt Toigo does return for his senior year after placing fourth at conference, finishing with a record of 15-13. He is joined by a deep mix of returning contributors and first-year wrestlers stepping into larger roles. Vincent Farrell, Zachary Zeltwanger, Tommy Wolfgeher and Logan Jackson add experience across the middle weights, while several freshmen have been inserted into the lineup to bolster depth and competition.
“Their experience will be critical in setting the standard for our younger wrestlers,” Dennis said. “We also have a strong group of underclassmen and new wrestlers who have shown early promise and competitiveness, and we expect multiple new faces to contribute at the varsity level as the season progresses.”
The Panthers have emphasized the importance of discipline and pride as they work to build the program up for long-term growth. Across both teams, the focus has remained on steady improvement, accountability and building toward peak performance at the right time.
As the season unfolds, Park Hill South’s blend of leadership and talent development hopes to pay off on both the boys and girls sides while continuing to strengthen the foundation of the program.