Lady Knights senior wins second state championship
Greensboro – Label her as you wish: role model, trendsetter or even unstoppable.
Just don't peg her as ungrateful.
For the second time in just 7 ½ months, Lady Knights senior Aynsley Fink has reached the mountaintop in state women's wrestling, sawing through four opponents across Friday and Saturday to win the 107-pound crown at the Greensboro Coliseum Fieldhouse.
"To have names such as 'role model' or 'trendsetter' is truly mind-blowing to me," Fink said. "I was once that little girl that looked up to older girls for guidance. It is amazing to say that I am now that older girl that other little girls look up to.
"I want to thank my teammates, friends, family and my community as a whole for all the support I have been granted through this sport. I'll forever be grateful for the opportunities I have been given."
Fink (37-11) never trailed in any of her four bouts over the weekend, with three of the wins coming via pinfall.
At the RISE Indoor Sports Complex in Advance on Friday, she flattened Cherokee's Selu Swayney (11-15) in the first round, at the 3:13 mark; North Mecklenburg's Favor Springs (6-4) in a scant 39 seconds; and punched her ticket to the state-title bout by gritting out a 4-2 decision over Pinecrest's Megan Rowland (21-9).
The deciding showdown took place Saturday in Greensboro. In a mere 1:41, Fink hooked McDowell's Morgan Repasky in her patented double chicken-wing, tiptoed Repasky onto her shoulders and waited for the definitive slap to hit the mat.
"I worked on getting stronger in the offseason – as well as my technical side of the sport – to improve my performance,” Fink noted.
Fink won the 106-pound crown June 19, becoming the first female in Robbinsville history to win a state wrestling title. She also became the first-ever woman to win a Smoky Mountain Conference individual championship, conquering the 106-pound weight class June 10.
"Rather than last year, I felt like I had more pressure on me," Fink said. "As a Robbinsville wrestler, strong work ethic and dedication is expected. After winning state last year, I felt like it was my duty to go out my senior year with a bang.”
Fink has competed in the 113-pound weight class for Robbinsville over the second-half of this season. As a sophomore, she finished second at the inaugural state women's invitational in 2020.
"I can't wait to see what women's wrestling has in store over the next decade," Fink added.