The Fort Osage girls wrestling team is one that could compete for a state championship in 2026.
The Indians are currently ranked No. 1 in the MissouriWrestling.com Class 2 team poll and they showed why in last Saturday’s Class 2 District 4 Tournament at Platte County High School.
Fort Osage saw four of its wrestlers win their brackets, while two others qualified for state as the squad won the tournament with a score of 180.5.
Staley was second with 155.5, Liberty was third with 152 and North Kansas City was fourth with 151.
This season, the Indians have received a huge boost from a pair of elite freshmen – Jauzlyean Gray (135 pounds) and Ariel Biggs (140), who have both burst onto the Class 2 girls wrestling scene. Both of them joined junior Madison Lightner and senior Kylie Dunn (130) as competitors who took first place at districts.
Junior Isabelle Adams (155, third place) and sophomore Hali Windes (235, second) also qualified for the state tournament. The top four finishers in each weight division punched their ticket to state.
“I think it’s been one of our best teams in the entire time that I have been here,” Lightner said. “It’s really cool that we all support each other throughout the entire tournament, win or lose.
“I feel pretty good about it (the team’s chances of earning a trophy at state). We have some really good girls on this team.”
Gray and Biggs both noted they have a close relationship and they help each other get better during practice.
“Ariel is one of my best friends and she helps push me,” Gray said. “It helps us bond and helps our team, too.”
Added Biggs: (Jauzlyean) has been catching up to me so for the past few weeks I have been training harder.
Me and Jauzlyean are super close. We have grown up together on our club team. She makes me a lot better. It’s kind of like an iron sharpens iron situation.”
Below is a summary of each championship match and a list of state qualifiers:
100: Liberty senior Lilly Breeden is aiming for her third state individual title, and she gave herself a better chance of achieving that goal by locking up the No. 1 seed following a pin of Lee’s Summit West senior Kinley Harker in 1:29.
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Lilly Breeden of Liberty
2nd Place – Kinley Harker of Lee`s Summit West
3rd Place – Aubrey Schaefer of Blue Springs
4th Place – Ariel Humpreys of Platte County
105: Liberty senior Sandy Breeden showed why she is one of the top wrestlers in the state as she pinned Staley junior Natalie Nammavaly in 2 minutes.
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Sandy Breeden of Liberty
2nd Place – Natalie Nammavaly of Staley
3rd Place – Juliana Tice of North Kansas City
4th Place – Alexa Braton of Lee`s Summit
110: Blue Springs South senior Killian Evans was in a battle with North Kansas City senior Alissa Chanda but was able to squeak out a 14-11 win by decision to take first place.
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Killian Evans of Blue Springs South
2nd Place – Alissa Chanda of North Kansas City
3rd Place – A`Shay White of Staley
4th Place – Grace Cronk of Lee`s Summit North
115: A third-period takedown helped Platte County senior Charlie Sims earn a 5-3 decision over Northtown senior Anh Ngo.
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Charley Sims of Platte County
2nd Place – Anh Ngo of North Kansas City
3rd Place – Avery Edwards of Lee`s Summit North
4th Place – Abby Donovan of Central (St. Joseph)
120: Park Hill South junior Abigail Monaco edged Raytown junior Ulalia Butler 12-10 to earn a No. 1 seed at the state tournament.
State Qualifiers:
1st Place – Abigail Monaco of Park Hill South
2nd Place – Ulalia Butler of Raytown
3rd Place – Da`Neya West of William Chrisman
4th Place – Gabriella Ciccarelli of Platte County
125: North Kansas City junior Temperance Low pinned Grandview senior Yomara Gutierrez in 1:56 to take first.
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Temperance Lowe of North Kansas City
2nd Place – Yomara Gutierrez of Grandview
3rd Place – Angel Patton of Liberty
4th Place – Carlie Hulme of Liberty North
130: Dunn is aiming for a state championship after finishing in fourth place at state last season. She will go into state with a No. 1 seed as she won by fall in 3 minutes over Lee’s Summit West junior Dailyn Goerge.
“I probably could have been a little faster on my feet,” Dunn said.
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Kylie Dunn of Fort Osage
2nd Place – Darilyn George of Lee`s Summit West
3rd Place – Emily Velasquez of North Kansas City
4th Place – Reilly Kastner of Park Hill
135: Gray was aggressive from the start of her match with Liberty senior Heaven Patton and it paid off with a pin in 50 seconds as Gray will have a No. 1 seed at state.
“I like to wrestle aggressively,” Gray said. “I think it makes my opponent a little intimidated. It gets in their head and gets me in my game and in my positions.”
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Jauzlyean Gray of Fort Osage
2nd Place – Heaven Patton of Liberty
3rd Place – Ava Blankenship of Platte County
4th Place – Allison Heins of Staley
140: Biggs got a big win over Staley junior Ja’Ziya Miles as she earned a win by fall in 3:33.
“I used a (chicken) wing to get a pin,” Biggs said. “I think I did really well on top. The wing is my bread and butter.”
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Ariel Biggs of Fort Osage
2nd Place – Ja`Ziya Miles of Staley
3rd Place – Diamond Keytue of Oak Park
4th Place – Clara Meyer of Lee`s Summit
145: Lightner used three takedowns to earn a 11-1 major decision over Blue Springs South sophomore Leah Hill.
“I felt pretty good,” Lightner said. “I made some mistakes. Like, I tried to go for a body lock when I shouldn’t have, but I think it was a well wrestled match for the both of us.”
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Madison Lightner of Fort Osage
2nd Place – Leah Hill of Blue Springs South
3rd Place – Cecilia Del Real of Grain Valley
4th Place – Shantel Wilson of Grandview
155: Lee’s Summit North freshman Kaylee Scott pinned Oak Park senior Bailee Wardlow in 3:58 to earn first place.
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Kaylee Scott of Lee`s Summit North
2nd Place – Bailee Wardlow of Oak Park
3rd Place – Ari Bartholomew of Blue Springs
4th Place – Brooklyn Koepkey of Grain Valley
170: Raytown senior Leuia Vai Iatala pinned Staley junior JoAnna Hinrichs in 2:43 to capture first place.
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Leuia Vai Iatala of Raytown
2nd Place – JoAnna Hinrichs of Staley
3rd Place – Isabelle Adams of Fort Osage
4th Place – Maysoun Esia of Liberty
190: Defending state champion Kendall Angelo had two takedowns and an escape as she blanked Grain Valley senior Jayden Moehle 7-0.
State qualifiers:
1st Place – Kendall Angelo of Oak Park
2nd Place – Jayden Moehle of Grain Valley
3rd Place – Alayna Leslie of Staley
4th Place – Majisty Harrison of Truman
235: Liberty senior Alexis Stinton took just 25 seconds to pin Windes and take first place.
1st Place – Alexis Stinson of Liberty
2nd Place – Hali Windes of Fort Osage
3rd Place – Cerina Woods of Oak Park
4th Place – A`Nyla Davis of Truman
