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TF South’s Dutchess King wrestles her way to second place in State

By Josh Bootsma

LANSING, Ill. (February 28, 2022) – Though she’d never been to a state wrestling tournament before, TF South senior Dutchess King made her way to the final round of competition over the weekend before placing second in her 100-pound weight class.

“I’m still trying to gather all of this at once because it happened so fast but overall I’m proud of myself,” said King on Sunday. “I achieved something I worked really hard for.”

Dutchess King takes second place

Following multiple rounds of competition on Friday, King wrestled in a final round on Saturday, losing in a 6-2 decision to Angelina Cassioppi of Hononegah Community High School in Rockton.

“Dutchess had a good tournament. She was focused and determined … but fell a little short. Even though she did not finish as a state champion I was very proud of her effort and determination to continue to dominate her opponents on her way to the finals. It was a fun and exciting journey to watch her compete and do well,” said TFS wrestling coach Mike Tisza.

Off the mat, King has wrestled stereotypes surrounding the male-dominated sport throughout her time at TFS, and sat on the sidelines while she watched teammates go to regional, sectional, and state competitions. To end her wrestling career at TF South, she claimed second place in the first-ever state competition.

“My overall career was successful. Even though COVID took two years off of my wrestling experience, I still went through with wrestling and made history.”

After graduating, King will move on to Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa, a school whose female wrestling team has won two national championships in a row. Beyond college, King is considering pursuing fighting as a career, perhaps in boxing or UFC-style fighting.

Quincy Onyiaorah

TF South freshman Quincy Onyiaorah also went downstate to compete, but did not make it on to the final rounds.

“For Quincy, it was a great opportunity to see what she needs to do to get better for next year. To be on that type of stage it takes maturity and experience to compete. Everyone who makes it to state knows how to wrestle. So I see big things for Quincy if she sets new goals and works on the off-season,” coach Tisza said.

TF South is located at 18500 Burnham Avenue in Lansing.

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Josh Bootsma
Josh Bootsma
Josh is Managing Editor at The Lansing Journal and believes in the power and purpose of community news. He covers any local topics—from village government to theatre, from business openings to migratory birds.
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