After being injured for the majority of last season, senior Khloe King hopes to end her wrestling career this weekend with more than 100 UIL career wrestling wins and a state medal.
“[The State Meet] is giving me the chance to prove myself, and everything I have worked for,” King said.
King isn’t new to the Berry Center, the Houston stadium where the UIL State Wrestling Championships are held. Her sophomore year she was an alternate for the 100-pound weight class at State.
She qualified for the meet this year after winning her second consecutive district title and finishing with silver at Regionals last weekend. She enters the State Meet with a 37-11 record and 98 career UIL victories. Her first match is at 11 a.m. today.
“The 100-pound class should be deep and tough,” wrestling coach Jeff Knight said. “There are five returning medalists from last year. Khloe can compete with all of the girls. I believe that if not for having to overcome a concussion for most of last year, she easily could have been there in ‘24.”
Knight and assistant coach Eric Coovert are familiar with the wrestling state championships. In each of Knight’s 14 seasons of coaching, at least one wrestler has qualified for State. Among the duo’s elite wrestlers are two-time state champions Lexi Shannon (2021, 2022) and Maddie Sandquist (2020, 2021).
“I am most excited about the fact that Khloe gets to end her wrestling career at the biggest stage in Texas,” Knight said. “Her dad Kasey was our assistant coach when Khloe was in junior high, so it’s been fun to see him watch her compete. They spend a lot of time reviewing video and working on strategy. And I have enjoyed seeing how proud he and her mom Laura have been of her.”
King doesn’t take this opportunity she has earned lightly. While school has been closed this week for February break, King has been in the wrestling room training with senior Josh Corkern, a fellow wrestler. She has focused on technique and conditioning.
“I think that has been helping quite a bit,” King said. “Even though he’s not in season anymore, he knows that I still need the work; so he’ll put it at 100 percent.”
Other than daily practices at school, King has been visiting the gym to make sure she makes weight at the required weigh-in.
King is only familiar with the two other Region 3 wrestlers in the 100-pound bracket, but she is trying not to let the unfamiliarity with the others impact her mindset about her matches.
To help prepare, King also relied on former teammates Brandon Waggoner and Parker Wardlow, who were state qualifiers in the past.
“I’ve learned [from the past state qualifiers] to actually put all the effort in because there’s times where I really do just slack off,” King said. “But just watching them reminds me I really need to put 100 percent in all the time.”
With the state tournament in Houston, King’s family will be in attendance cheering her on, along with her coaches. Knight has had his outfit planned all week.
“Khloe is undefeated this year when I wear my white KP pullover and green Nikes, so I will definitely be wearing that on Friday,” Knight said.
