HOUSTON - The impact of a State Championship can be measured in many ways.
For Kingwood Park's Lexi Shannon she has back-to-back titles to her name. A pair of gold medals that will hang on her wall and banners that will don the walls of her high school for years to come.
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But the ultimate impact of her success paired with former teammate and fellow State Champion Maddie Sandquist is already being felt by the program.
"Last year we only had four girls and after Maddie and I won, we had 18 girls," Shannon said. "It was just really cool. Most of them stayed with us through the season and just growing the program. Getting girls to be interested and come wrestle and win their first matches. It's great to see and help the sport of women's wrestling.
"I think our program is going to grow even more. It's really cool to leave a legacy behind."
VYPE 🎥: Call her Back to Back State Champion!! @HumbleISD_KPHS senior Lexi Shannon finishes it off with the pin to win the 215-pound title. #UILState @KPARKmedia @HumbleISD @HumbleISD_Ath @KPark_Football @WrestleTexas pic.twitter.com/jO4JsGeeNt
— VYPE Houston (@vypehouston) February 20, 2022
On Saturday, inside the Berry Center, Shannon put the cap on her high school career with another gold.
Shannon entered the 2022 UIL State Wrestling meet with an overall record of 47-0. In the two-day event she defeated Caelyn Gaddy (Frisco Independence), Jaycee Portee (Lubbock Monterey), Leilani Sanchez (El Paso Andress) and Samyra Thomas (Houston Kashmere) all by pin to complete the perfect season.
With her 51-0 record, over the past two seasons, Shannon finishes with an overall mark of 82-2 and a pair of Class 5A- 215-pound state titles.
“Not everyone can say they are a state champion, especially in Texas,” Shannon said on what this run will mean in years to come. “And in woman’s wrestling, that’s just so cool. I think it’ll mean as much then as it does now.”