Before the medals, before the packed brackets and full lineups, Alayna Slifer remembers when girls’ wrestling in Manhattan looked a lot different.
“When I was a kid, there was maybe one other girl in the city who also wrestled,” Slifer said. “And to come here now and see a full varsity roster for the first time, almost a full JV roster.
“I’m beyond proud of our community for getting involved with it and recognizing our growth in the amazing sport that we have.”
That perspective has shaped the way Slifer views her career. Not just through wins and losses, but through what the sport has become around her.
The Manhattan High senior capped that journey with a second straight Class 6A state championship at 135 pounds, going 39-1 this season and earning her 100th career win along the way. She needed just 5 minutes, 32 seconds of mat time across four matches at state to secure the title.
For her accomplishments and more, she is the Winter All-Flint Hills Female Athlete of the Year.
“I think of little me,” Slifer said. “I never thought I would come this far in the sport and fall in love with it as much as I have. It just means a lot to me because I know I have put in my work. There’s been a lot of tears, a lot of blood, and a lot of support. I’m just very grateful for everyone who has helped me get here, because I couldn’t have done it alone.”
That gratitude has been constant, even as expectations grew.
Coming off a state title and 38-2 record a year ago, Slifer entered her senior season with a target on her back. Instead of shying away from it, she leaned into it.
“I didn’t mind the target very much,” she said. “I actually was seeking out some of those tougher matches, because I do enjoy scrambles. I enjoy working for it, and to me, that’s the thrill of wrestling — being challenged.”
Manhattan High head wrestling coach Shawn Bammes hugs Alayna Slifer after she defeated Garden City’s Kylie Huber in a 135-pound championship match during the 6A state wrestling tournament Feb. 28 at AdventHealth Sports Park in Overland Park. It marked Slifer’s second straight individual title.
Even with that success, Slifer said she was rarely satisfied.
“I was still constantly looking to improve, even if it’s small things,” she said. “Trying to get one move in a match versus another… anywhere I went, I wasn’t satisfied, and I think that contributed to it a lot.”
Her mindset became a foundation not just for her own success, but for the program around her.
“She has been the heart and soul of our girls’ team,” head coach Shawn Bammes said. “There have been years she’s carried that girls’ team on her back, helping encourage and get them to where they’re at to be successful as a team.”
Bammes has known Slifer since she was 8 years old. He’s seen her wrestle in rooms where opportunities for girls were limited, and now on teams where the roster is full and expectations are high.
“She was around before girls had the opportunity to wrestle other girls, when they were wrestling boys,” Bammes said. “To see her stick with it and see the development and the growth.
“…She’ll always be remembered as the one who first came through for four years with the girls-only team, kind of helping lead them to where they’re at now — her mark will always be left on this program.”
Slifer is quick to credit the Manhattan community as a whole for the program’s growth, but she said it doesn’t stop there.
“It’s definitely a credit to our coaches, too, and the boys’ team,” she said. “They share the facility, they share the coaches. There are a lot of people out there who aren’t the most supportive or try to treat girls differently in these sports, but ours are amazing, and they give us their undivided attention.”
That environment helped shape not just her skill, but her identity in the sport.
“I started when I was eight years old,” Slifer said. “Initially, it was very rough. It’s a hard sport… not many kids like to do hard things, and I was one of them. But once it got to middle school, I realized it’s a privilege to wrestle, and it really became part of my identity.”
Now, as her high school career comes to a close, Slifer hopes that perspective is what lasts.
“I hope I leave a legacy of being a humble and eager-to-learn person,” she said. “I don’t want people to ever stop being curious, especially about this sport. I hope people aren’t ever scared and have an open mindset.”
Slifer’s impact extended beyond the mat during her time at MHS. She was involved in Students Against Destructive Decisions, National Honor Society and the Keystone Club, helping organize events and volunteer in the community.
Manhattan High’s Alayna Slifer is joined by family during a senior night recognition before a home dual against Bonner Springs on Dec. 11.
As she turns the page from wrestling, Slifer plans to attend Johnson County Community College to study dental hygiene while also giving back to the sport through youth wrestling coaching.
Her advice to future wrestlers is simple.
“Once you really start having fun with this sport is when you start doing good,” she said. “If you’re focused on a tournament that’s three months away, you aren’t taking advantage of the opportunity you have that weekend.”
And while her time on the mat is finished, the standard she helped build remains.
“She’s one of those ones — it’s always fun to be in her corner,” Bammes said. “She’s always working hard, she always wants it. But there are times when I think she wants it more for her teammates than herself. And that just shows how special she is.”
From a program with only a handful of girls to one filled with competitors chasing championships, Slifer was there through it all.
And in the process, she didn’t just win. She helped build something that will last.
Now, as she leaves the program behind, Slifer has one final piece of advice for the Manhattan community.
“If you have a kid, please put them in wrestling,” she said. “It’s great for them. I promise.”
THE MERCURY’S ALL-FLINT HILLS SELECTIONS
How we made our selections:
We chose the teams from athletes who we felt represented the top level of the sport this past season. We considered coaches’ recommendations, statistics, school size and postseason success.
Girls’ wrestling
Wrestler of the Year
Alayna Slifer, senior, Manhattan
Sophia Hoeme, junior, Manhattan
Eva Lucios, senior, Manhattan
Evelyn Thornburg, senior, Manhattan
Kayla Cramer, junior, Manhattan
Tasia Miller, sophomore, Manhattan
Kalena Borge, freshman, Manhattan
Tierra Young, junior, Manhattan
Erica Li, senior, Manhattan
Kimberly Altamirano-Cruz, sophomore, Manhattan
Alison Kaupp, freshman, Manhattan
Eleanor Radi, junior, Manhattan
Chloe Ramos, junior, Manhattan
Allison Sprenkle, senior, Wamego
Leolyn Karnowski, freshman, Wamego
Nevaeh Beatty, freshman, Wamego
Peyton Brazzle, junior, Wamego
Rachel Barber, junior, Wamego
Ali Wilcoxson, sophomore, Rock Creek
Claire Steeves, senior, Rock Creek
Dakoda Moeller, senior, Rock Creek
Joee Perkins, senior, Rock Creek
Liliauna Nold, sophomore, Rock Creek
Megan Ryan, sophomore, Rock Creek
RaeLynne Wilson, junior, Rock Creek
Annabele Burton, freshman, Riley County
Kinsey Loecker, freshman, Riley County
Alysia Werner, sophomore, Council Grove
Khloe Lif, junior, Council Grove
Savanah Johnson, junior, Council Grove
Savannah Stewart, sophomore, Council Grove
Girls’ basketball
Player of the Year
Lexi Hecht, senior, Wamego
First Team
Lexi Hecht, senior, Wamego
Kat Ball, senior, Manhattan
Kylee Frazee, junior, Rock Creek
Rory Pitzter, junior, Rock Creek
Grace Zeller, junior, Wabaunsee
Second Team
Kendall Mayer, sophomore, Wamego
Talen Orton, junior, Wabaunsee
Delaney Larson, senior, Manhattan
Evie Banks, sophomore, Manhattan
Brynlyn Brockman, senior, Blue Valley
Third Team
Audrey Holle, sophomore, Riley County
Jelena Depusoir, junior, Manhattan
Lucy Martinie, junior, Rock Creek
Bailey Busch, junior, Manhattan
Bryleigh Brockman, sophomore, Blue Valley
Honorable Mention
Addi Gutsch, freshman, Riley County
Lydia Dumler, junior, Blue Valley
Rylie Friess, junior, Rock Creek
Rileigh Mitoska, junior, Riley County
Girls’ bowling
Cortlynn Millington, sophomore, Manhattan