Macey Kilty celebrates (Photo/Wisconsin Wrestling Online)If that weren't enough, the Kilty-Anglin semis match itself was an epic thriller. Major newspapers in both Madison and Milwaukee described it as "the match of the day." It was epic-length, too, weighing in at 8 minutes, 30 seconds, with four overtime tie-breakers.
It all ended when Kilty started on top in the ultimate tiebreaker and rode out Anglin to score a 5-4 victory.
The win was historic, as Kilty became only the second woman to advance to the state finals in Wisconsin, and the first freshman woman to do so. (2016 U.S. Olympic hopeful Alyssa Lampe did it in 2006, placing second as a senior.)
"The way Macey Kilty and Zack Anglin saw it, all they were doing was wrestling," the Wisconsin State Journal of Madison reported. "But a loud, appreciative crowd at the Kohl Center Friday evening saw their battle as one of the most thrilling and inspirational matches in WIAA state tournament history."
In commenting on the crowd noise, Kilty said, "I could hear them. I tried blocking them out."
Anglin led most of the way during the match. The junior scored the takedown in the first period to go up 2-1, the Ashland Daily Press reported.
. In the second period, Anglin scored on an escape to make it 3-1; Kilty added an escape of her own to make the score 3-2. The match became tied 3-3 when Anglin was penalized for stalling in the final seconds of regulation.
After a minute-long sudden death overtime period and first tiebreaker, the score was still knotted. Kilty managed another escape in the second tiebreaker to take a 4-3 lead. Kilty was penalized for a hand lock late in the period, however, forcing an ultimate tiebreaker round.
Anglin scored the first points in the match and chose to start on bottom, needing an escape to clinch a spot in the title match, but Kilty used her length to keep Anglin contained and earned the final point as time expired.
"I'm just really happy right now that I could pull it off," Kilty told the Wisconsin State Journal. "Everything I did in that match was worth it," Kilty told the Marshfield News-Herald . "I just dug down deep because I knew that if I held him down, I'd win."
"It was difficult on my feet," Kilty continued. "I wanted to go on one knee, but I didn't feel powerful so I stayed on my feet. It was tough because you can't shoot under him."
"The whole place was just electric. It was unbelievable. Everybody was cheering, and everybody was just glued to that match," Ashland coach Joe Hasskamp said. "A freshman girl wrestling in a state semifinal against Zack Anglin. He's a fantastic kid, he works hard, and that whole match was just unbelievable. Great match."
Kilty's dream of becoming the first female to win a Wisconsin state title was dashed Saturday night, when the Stratford freshman lost to Clear Lake's Ryan Anderson, 9-5, in the 106-pound Division 3 finals.
Watch the epic WIAA semifinals match between Macey Kilty and Zach Anglin here.
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