By Ken Hansard

          Chanute High School junior Kiley Dillow did not begin wrestling until her freshman year.  Even so, she has accomplished more than most girls who are lifers in the sport. 

Dillow won Kansas Class 4-1A state last year as a sophomore, finishing an eye-popping 47-0.  She is currently ranked in the top 10 nationally in the 170 pound weight class. She also won the SEK, Regionals, and every other tournament in which she wrestled. So how does someone who has already accomplished so much follow up on that kind of success?  “I want to win state again this year. I also want to focus more on my skills rather than on my record.”

Dillow, like many other wrestlers, comes from a family where competition is just a way of life. “I grew up competitive. I have two older brothers that wrestle, so this was something we could do together. My freshman year, which was my first time wrestling, my team won state. I think that was the moment when I really fell in love with the sport and saw what it could give me. From that moment on, I was totally bought in.” 

Because girls wrestling is still relatively new to Kansas high schools, the nature of it presents a few unique challenges that Kiley has worked to overcome, “There are not many girls my weight in the practice room, so I struggle to have a practice partner. Also, mental toughness is something I can always work on. I train myself hard, so competition seems easy. I try to get my mind to let my body take that extra push. I run myself through tough workouts and practices all over the state.” 

Those offseason workouts apparently paid great dividends.  During the summer and spring, Kiley placed third at Folkstyle nationals. She also won Freestyle and Greco State and took seventh at Fargo. Additionally, she was named regional wrestler of the year.

All of those things have prepared Dillow for this season with the Comets, and Kylie seems to have her eyes fixed squarely on the task ahead of her, “I see myself as the leader of my team. Many of us have not been wrestling for very long, but I want everyone to have fun and enjoy this season. I am excited to see where our team and I go. We have a shot to do really well at state as long as we continue to work hard. I think we have a couple more girls that have really bought in and want to be successful, which will be very important for our team.” 

Dillow is active in other facets of Chanute High’s school culture.  She plays volleyball for the Comets and is in FFA, Student Council, and is a member of the prestigious National Honors Society. She is a standout in the classroom, as well, with a perfect 4.0 G.P.A., and as a sophomore, she was named a National Wrestling Scholar All-American.   After high school, Kiley would like to continue to wrestle in college and currently plans to study to be a veterinarian.