The three-time Bonneville state qualifier did just that a season ago, winning the 140-pound title and her first state championship after finishing third as a sophomore. But in that time, Mitchell’s prediction doubled in accolades with the emergence of fellow senior Hannah Bowler.

Bonneville returns two defending state champions in Kirkland and Bowler, the latter winning her first title in the 155-pound championship last year, to a still-growing program led by Mitchell and currently sharing the mats with the boys team led by Bowe Behymer.

It was the small coach-to-player instruction ratio — and a bit of prodding from Kirkland — that added the Lakers’ reigning champ Bowler to Mitchell’s roster. Bowler said the appeal to wrestling is personal responsibility, a quality she wasn’t feeling out through other activities.

“Volleyball or basketball, they talk to you as a team,” Bowler said. “It’s not individual. You get benched and stuff whereas this, you’re always able to play and (improve) because we have a smaller; team they’re better at paying attention to each individual person.”

CONNER BECKER, Standard-Examiner

Kirkland and Bowler received different experiences at the onset.

As an eighth grader, Kirkland received coaching from Mitchell and entered the prep scene with a decent sense of what to expect but, as her coach describes, plenty of nerves along the way.

Sharing Bowler’s search for a taste of confidence, Kirkland said those early seasons were formative in many ways to what’d become a 34-7 record and 29 total pins recorded during her junior campaign.

Kirkland went on to defeat Cedar Valley’s Rhya Balmforth in the 5A 140-pound title match.

“The feeling you did it yourself is just really rewarding,” Kirkland said. “That’s why I liked it so much and that’s why I tried to get (Bowler) to do it all the time. … It’s 100% you, whether you win or lose.”

Bowler emerged as a contender during a sophomore practice when Mitchell was demonstrating the fireman’s carry. Bowler recorded her first-ever pin in the next match and suddenly began knocking down state qualifiers and champions alike.

As a junior, Bowler finished 41-3 with 36 total pins en route to defeating Springville’s Hayley Harris in the 5A 155-pound title match.

“She became a machine,” Mitchell said.

Kirkland and Bowler approach their senior season with premeditated goals in mind — some for the team and some for themselves. Kirkland believes this Lakers roster includes a full load of state placers.

Likewise, Bowler said challenging every girl on the team may just light a fire beneath another potential champion, this season or beyond.

“I want to become another person’s motivation,” Bowler said. “After losing to specific girls, I needed to do better and I was thinking about them every day in practice. I want them to be thinking about me in practice and wanting to beat me — but they’re not going to.”

Bonneville opens the season at Roy on Jan. 8.

Connect with prep sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.