The Kearney girls wrestling team is establishing itself as a dynasty.
The Bulldogs have won the last three Class 1 Missouri State High School Wrestling Champions team titles as they are primed to go for a fourth in 2026.
They showed why in last Saturday’s Class 1 District 4 tournament at Kearney High School as Kearney had five wrestlers capture first place as the team scored 236.5 points, good enough for first as a squad.
Mid-Buchanan took second with 196, Lathrop was third with 110 and Lexington was fourth with 106.
The top four finishers in each of the 14 weight divisions qualified for the 2026 Missouri State High School Girls Wrestling Championships. For Kearney, it pushed through eight wrestlers.
Those who took first for the Bulldogs were Zolah Williams (105 pounds), Mya Woolridge (110), Riley Walker (115), Izabella Wentzel (145) and Carli Vargas (190).
Others to qualify were Rebecca Ladollette (106, fourth place), Aida Appenfeller (140, second) and Ella Chavez (235, second). Of all the qualifiers, only one was a senior.
“Honestly, the team is pretty amazing,” Walker said. “I don’t know if you saw our crowd, but it was pretty amazing. It’s been like that for our home dual and Senior Night. Hopefully be like that at state, too.
“I feel good about our chances of winning state. Some of the other teams around us lost their best athletes.”
Vargas echoed similar confidence in her team.
“I am really proud of our team,” Vargas said. “We all work together and support each other. It’s really special.
“Zolah is coming into our program as one of the best wrestlers in the world. She’s so good. It’s great to have great people around you. Mya always puts up a fight, too.
Below is a summary of the championship matches and a list of the 56 state qualifiers:
100: Plattsburg sophomore Isabella Hofmeister used a late takedown in the third period to seal a 7-3 victory over Lathrop senior Aubrey Schrunk.
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Isabella Hofmeister of Plattsburg
2nd Place – Aubrey Schrunk of Lathrop
3rd Place – Nealeigh Ziolkowski of Benton
4th Place – Rebecca Lafollette of Kearney
105: Kearney freshman Zolah Williams improved to 39-2 on the season as she won by fall in 2:30 against Mid-Buch junior Olivia Cunningham.
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Zolah Williams of Kearney
2nd Place – Olivia Cunningham of Mid-Buchanan
3rd Place – Rhemy Hutchcraft of Smithville
4th Place – Analese Happy of Excelsior Springs
110: In a marquee matchup, Woolridge pinned Winnetonka junior Annabelle Dunlop in 1:28 to earn first place. In a previous matchup between the two skilled wrestlers, Woolridge injured her knee and had to miss three weeks of wrestling due to injury.
“I had to get some screening done, but luckily it wasn’t anything bad,” Woolridge said. “I think I defended my legs better than I usually do.”
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Myla Woolridge of Kearney
2nd Place – Annabelle Dunlop of Winnetonka
3rd Place – Norah Watkins of Rock Port
4th Place – McKenzie Bauman of Maysville
115: Walker was the lone senior to punch her ticket to state for Kearney as took just 32 seconds to pin Rock Port senior Emma Teten.
“I think I did pretty well, but there are obviously some things I need to fix,” Walker said.
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Riley Walker of Kearney
2nd Place – Emma Teten of Rock Port
3rd Place – Jade Hadley of Lathrop
4th Place – Molly Meehan of Mid-Buchanan
120: Rock Port junior Evelyn Heintz pinned Mid-Buch sophomore Zuzu Kountz in 3:30 to earn a No. 1 seed at state.
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Evelyn Heintz of Rock Port
2nd Place – Zuzu Kountz of Mid-Buchanan
3rd Place – Hailey Lewis of Penney
4th Place – Lilly Goetz of Excelsior Springs
125: Winnetonka senior Jorgie Johnson clinched her beaker following a pin of Lexington junior Mireya Gonzalez in 3:24.
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Jorgie Johnston of Winnetonka
2nd Place – Mireya Gonzalez of Lexington
3rd Place – Dominicque Ellis of University Academy Charter
4th Place – Addison Bailey of West Platte
130: Lathrop junior Izzy Kidwell got a reversal and nearfall in the second period and that was enough to take down Cameron sophomore Kiana Green 6-2 to capture first.
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Izzy Kidwell of Lathrop
2nd Place – Kiana Green of Cameron
3rd Place – Apple Davis of Lincoln College Prep
4th Place – Charleigh Mooney of Plattsburg
135: Mid-Buch junior Sophia Smith pinned Lexington senior Elizabeth Hager in just 3:04 to take a top seed for the state tournament.
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Sophia Smith of Mid-Buchanan
2nd Place – Elizabeth Hager of Lexington
3rd Place – Dotty Bolling of Polo
4th Place – Danica Ballard of Smithville
140: Polo senior Allexa Storts earned a win by fall in 2:37 against Appenfeller.
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Allexa Storts of Polo
2nd Place – Aida Appenfeller of Kearney
3rd Place – Haylee Ray of Excelsior Springs
4th Place – Tayja Hernandez of Mid-Buchanan
145: Wenzel used a reversal to set up a pin in 2:16 against Lathrop junior Gracie Rindom to take first place.
“Our team is putting opponents down pin after pin after pin,” Wenzel said. “This is something really special. I knew she was going to chop on the left side because she was going to see the switch coming, so I kind of turned into her.”
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Isabella Wenzel of Kearney
2nd Place – Gracie Rindom of Lathrop
3rd Place – Ava Rome of Polo
4th Place – Dru Pearson of Mid-Buchanan
155: St. Joseph Benton junior Makayla Peters only took 1:32 to pin Maryville senior Avery Berry to earn first place.
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Makayla Peters of Benton
2nd Place – Avery Berry of Maryville
3rd Place – Aireona Ealy of Center
4th Place – Taylor Baker of Richmond
170: Maysville Claire Barton won by fall in 3:01 over Smithville senior Adalee Pickett to win her bracket.
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Claire Barton of Maysville
2nd Place – Adalee Pickett of Smithville
3rd Place – Savannah Crook of Mid-Buchanan
4th Place – Victorria Barron of Benton
190: Vargas pinned West Platte sophomore Aylah Gray in 1:20 to punch her ticket to a No. 1 seed at state as she aims for her second state individual title.
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Carli Vargas of Kearney
2nd Place – Aylah Gray of West Platte
3rd Place – Madycen Hedgpeth of Cameron
4th Place – Makenna Bottcher of Gallatin
235: Gallatin junior Mia Parker pinned Chavez in 1:49 to win her bracket.
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Miah Parker of Gallatin
2nd Place – Ella Chavez of Kearney
3rd Place – Lainie Schumacher of Lexington
4th Place – Avery Burnett of Van Horn
