Michael Smith
By Michael Smith/Special to The Examiner
Fort Osage’s Battle of the Braids event is a unique one.
It’s a girls wrestling tournament that divides individual weight brackets into five or six different divisions. Instead of there being one big bracket for a weight class, the event features multiple smaller round-robin brackets with two or three wrestlers in each one.
Thursday’s Battle of the Braids Tournament at Fort Osage High School had 71 different divisions and 19 different teams in it.
Host Fort Osage led all teams with 11 individual winners, with Belton closely behind them with 10. Truman had two competitors who won their weight class while Blue Springs South had one.
A pair of Fort Osage wrestlers – freshman Anita Bertling and senior Naomi Bernard – liked the concept of the Battle of the Braids.
“I like it because it’s quick, fast and easy,” Bertling said. “Wrestling with the old and the new people helps me gain a lot of experience.”
Added Bernard: “I am glad it was only two matches because I am definitely winded. I love Battle of the Braids. Every year, it’s so fun.”
Returning state runner up Aroma Marrufo, a senior, noted there were some pros and cons with the event.
“It’s definitely complicated with all the brackets,” she said. “It was nice though. It’s something new and it’s something different.”
Bertling, Marrufo and Bernard all had impressive showings at the tournament as they were three of the 11 winners for Fort.
Bertling, spent a total of 1 minute and 1 second on the mat in two matches as she pinned Kearney’s Gracie Danner twice.
“I could’ve done a little bit better, but I think I did well overall,” Bertling said.
Like Bertling, Bernard (120) also won both of her bouts via fall.
“I faced some good competitors. It all went really well,” she said. “I felt like my low single (leg takedown) was working really well.”
For Marrufo (110), the tournament was a momentum builder for the upcoming Kansas City Stampede Tournament, which features some of the best boys and girls wrestlers from the Midwest. She spent just 54 seconds on the mat as she got two pins against Park Hill South’s Eva Estrada.
“I feel lke you have to go in there and act like you are wrestling the best person no matter what tournament you’re in.” said Marrufo, who won her bracket at the Stampede last season.
Madison Lightner (140) had a strong showing at the tournament, as well. She edged Oak Park’s Diamond Keytue 9-8 and pinned Ruskin’s Amiah Smith in 13 seconds to take first place.
“I could’ve done better in my first match,” Lightner said. “I thought my base my pretty decent but I didn’t take any shots.”
Other Indians to win their brackets included Mikayla Stickler (100), Frankee Cordato (115), Kylie Dunn (125), Becca Marlow (130), Princess Mueller (155), Naomi Bitzer (155) and Isabelle Adams (190).
Below is a list of the other winners in the tournament:
100A: Kinley Harker, Lee’s Summit West
100B: Ashley Jara-Escalante, Belton
100C: Dallys Shaffer, Adrian
105A: Killian Evans, Blue Springs South
105B: Lela Boone, Belton
105C: Lyric Freelon, Park Hill
105D: Allie Mills, Oak Grove
110A: Jackie Penaloza, Belton
110B: Victoria Maldonado, Harrisonville
110C: Alice Keefe, Park Hill
110D: Brookley McDowell, Paola
110E: Nyiomi Bradley, Adrian
110F: Lillian Ayers, Ruskin
115A: Sydney Stifter, Belton
115B: Bailey Martin, Kearney
115C: Abigail Hayes, Belton
115D: Molly Saak, Truman
120B: Rylie Ingrassia, Harrisonville
120D: Danielle Bolling, Adrian
120E: Abigail Monaco, Park Hill South
125A: Lauren Patrick, Belton
125B: Mackenzie Davis, Grain Valley
125C :Temperance Lowe, Park Hill South
125D: Ashlynn Pershing, Liberty North
130A: Savannah McDowell, Kearney
130B Dezariah Brown, Truman
130D:Aryana Taylor, Belton
130E: Stella Grothaus, Park Hill
135A: Savanna Franklin, Belton
135B: Alexis Rusley, Liberty North
135C: Molly Drake, Park Hill South
135D: Darilyn George, Lee’s Summit West
135E: Addy Bruce, Columbia Hickman
135F: Lauren Phillips, Oak Grove
140A: Louise Juitt, Belton
140C: Julia Smith, Park Hill South
140D: Camryn Mather, Paola
145B: Germara Guillory, Park Hill South
145C: Tia Thorn, Liberty North
145D: London Cozart, Park Hill
145E:Keely Fallert, Oak Grove
155B: Kylee Hastings, Harrisonville
155C: Bella Scherfenberg, Belton
155D: Allison Dunteman, Harrisonville
170A: Carli Vargas, Kearney
170B: Taniyah Goolsby, Columbia Hickman
170C: Graciella Ortiz, Park Hill South
170D: Allison Hubler, Harrisonville
190A: Ellie Baska, Paola
190B: Kenzie Brown, Harrisonville
190C: Eva Alexander, Oak Grove
190D: Annabelle Rowe, Adrian
190E: Judith Lee, Columbia Hickman
235A: Kena Leonard, Paola
235B: Jayden Johnson, Harrisonville
235C: Egypt Nelson, Ruskin
235D: Brooklyn Westerfield, Kearney
235E: Jahcin Bryant, Liberty North
235F: Bella Doughty, Oak Grove
