COLUMBIA, Mo. — There is a tight race for first place through Day 1 of the Class 1 Missouri State High School Girls Wrestling Championships Wednesday at Mizzou Arena
Currently, Kearney is in first place with 49 points as the Bulldogs look to repeat as state champions. Brookfield isn’t too far behind as it is in second place with 40. Mid-Buchanan is still in the race, as well. It is third with 39 points and Marshfield is fourth with 37. Odessa (36.5 points) and Blair Oaks (33) are fifth and sixth, respectively and are in the mix for a state trophy.
The Bulldogs have two wrestlers in the semifinals as Bailey Martin (115) and Carli Vargas (190) made it through. Three others are still alive in the consolation bracket for Kearney.
Below is a breakdown of the wrestlers who made the semifinals in each weight class and how they got there:
100: Defending state champion My Hairston of Festus will have a chance to repeat as state champion as she made it to the semifinals. She made it there following a pin in the first period of Adrian junior Dailys Shaffer. She will take on Olivia Cunningham of Mid-Buchanan in the semifinals Thursday. Cunningham pinned Clinton senior Kylee Whalan in the quarterfinals to advance.
“I feel like I have done a lot better this year than I did last year,” Cunningham said. Today, I put in more work. I pre gamed my matches.”
At the bottom of the bracket DeSoto freshman Milayna Drummond will face off against Nico Brooks of Hillsboro. Drummond booked her ticket to the semifinals after a pin in 2:52 over St. Charles junior Cecile Puati in the quarters. Brooks advanced following a pin in 2:57 over Windsor freshman Kimber Drenon.
105: Herculaneum sophomore Emerson Reeves will have a chance to advance to the championship match Thursday. She made it to the semifinals after winning 8-1 over Kearney freshman Mya Wooldidge. Reeves will see Blair Oaks freshman Macie Kempker in the next round. Kempker took a 12-2 major decision against Rock Port junior Norah Watkins in the quarters.
In the other semifinal, Festus junior Addison Cupp will battle Lone Jack sophomore Lillian Mccleary. Cupp pinned Smithville freshman Rhemy Hutchcraft in 43 seconds, while Mccleary won by fall in 2 minutes in her match with St. Clair senior Janessa Avila.
“I had both pins in the first period, and it makes me feel good,” Cupp said. “I stuck to my work, and it’s been successful so far.”
110: At the top of the bracket DeSoto sophomore Cheyenne Kincade will see Lafayette County senior Kyana Huseynov in the semifinals. Kincade won 9-3 against Marshfield sophomore Graclyn Hursh in the quarters, while Huseynov won by fall in 1:58 over Fulton senior Olivia Weaver.
Defending state champion Jayden Keller improved her record to 43-0 following her pin of Kearney senior Ella Herndon in the second round. Keller will see Holden junior Haley Brooks in the next round. Brooks pinned Cameron senior Skye Mallen in the third period to secure her spot in the final four of her bracket.
115: Mid-Buchanan senior Delanie Smith will be looking to avenge her runner-up finish last season and is looking for her second state championship and her first since her sophomore season. She advanced to the semifinals after winning by fall in 2:46 over St. Genevieve freshman Alia Wolk. Smith will take on Carlynn Mynatt in the semifinals. Mynatt won by fall in 52 seconds over Odessa senior Addison Eddleman.
“I think I have been wrestling good all day,” Smith said. “I have been getting to my shots and wrestling my match.
In the other semifinal, Nevada senior Sydnee Baldwin will take on Martin. Baldwin edged Southern Boone junior Nova Porter 8-7 to advance, and Martin pinned Warsaw freshman Emmersyn Miskell in 2:21 to get one step closer to an individual state championship.
120: Warrenton sophomore Alexis Ruff will make her way to the semifinals and will see Odessa junior Aaliyah Sanders there. Ruff won 16-3 against Rock Port junior Emma Teten and Sanders won 7-3 over Mallori Edwards of Eldon.
At the bottom of the bracket, Fulton freshman Mackenzie Brewer will take on McDonald County sophomore Anjelika Alarcon. Brewer made it to the semifinals after getting a pin in the first period over Kearney junior Riley Walker. Alarcon made it to the next round after getting a pin in 2:17 against Excelsior Springs freshman Lilly Goetz.
“I wrestled pretty good, but there are a few things that I need to clean up,” Brewer said.
125: Booneville junior Alivia Bottoms finished sixth at state last season and is looking to take a big leap to first this season. She took a step toward that goal Wednesday after she pinned Holden junior Adasyn Yoder in the quarterfinals. She will see defending state champion Yoo Jung Lee in the semifinals. Lee made it following a pin of Zuzu Kountz in the quarterfinals.
In the other semifinal, Fulton senior Emmy Begemann will take on Brookfield sophomore Hadlye Sackrey. Begemann made it to the semifinals after pinning Harrisonville sophomore Rylie Ingrassia. Sackrey made it to the next around after she won 6-4 over Lexington sophomore Mireya Gonzalez.
“I went out and wrestled and did what I know how to do,” Begemann said. “She got aggressive, and I matched hers and it happened to work out for me. I caught her in a cow catcher.”
130: Mid-Buchanan sophomore Sophia Smith made her way to the semifinals as she won 9-2 in the quarterfinals over St. Clair senior Jossie Hopkins. Smith will see Lexington junior Elizabeth Hager in the next round. Hager made it to the final four of her bracket by pinning Knob Noster senior Kylie Miller in 2:54.
On the other side of the bracket, defending state champion Emily Bischoff of Odessa will face off against Wright City junior Sadie Sehnert. Bischoff clinched her spot in the semifinals after a 15-0 tech fall against Nevada freshman Brooklyn Hoag. Sehnert won by fall in 4:46 against Adrian sophomore Libby Nebocat.
135: Carl Junction junior Isabella b’ Montez advanced to the semifinals after she earned a 20-1 tech fall win over Peyton Dunn of St. Clair. In the next round, she will take on Lawson freshman Josie Holman, who won by pin in 2:40 over St. Charles West junior Payton Hammack.
In the other semifinal, Centralia senior Ava Ward will face off against Oak Grove senior Lauren Phillips. Ward pinned Smithville’s Virginia Myers in 1:50 to make it, while Phillips won by fall in 1:51 over Knob Noster junior Amelia Brown.
140: St. Genevieve sophomore Keely Fallert, who was a runner up last season, will get another shot at a state championship. She will wrestle in the semifinals against Blair Oak junior Sam Lage on Thursday. Fallert pinned Southern Boone junior Zafaran Satterfield in 2:50 and Lage won by fall in 3:38 against Osage senior Caitlyn Sullivan.
On the other side of the bracket, Brookfield senior Riley Howell will go against defending state champion Dorie Richardson of Sullivan. Howell edged Festus junior Dani Gullet 3-2 in the second round, while Richardson won by fall in the second period over Mid-Buch senior Molly Stanton.
“I got some stuff I need to work on,” Richardson said. “This last match, I didn’t go for as many shots like I usually do. I was defensive because she was aggressive. I defended and ended up on top.”
145: At the top of the bracket, Principia Julian Smith will see Gallatin Karydon Jones in the semifinals. Smith won by fall in 5:40 over Marshfield sophomore Sarah Wilson. Jones took a 9-5 decision over Trenton senior Avery Clark to clinch her spot in the next round.
On the other side of the bracket, defending state champion Breanne Gibbs of Moberly pinned Lawson senior Aliyah Jesse in 1:54 to make it to the final four. She will see Knob Noster senior Zoey Schroeder in the semifinals. Schroeder won by fall over Potosi sophomore Launa Cantrell.
“I feel good about how I wrestled,” Schroeder said. “I was smart out there. I achieved my goal to win my first two matches.”
155: Lafayette County junior Lorelei Weaver will make her way to the semifinals on Thursday as she got a pin in just 38 seconds against Warrenton junior Allison Vacek in the quarterfinals. She will get a chance to face Brookfield senior Mya Sackrey, who won by fall in 3:06 over Odessa senior Brooke Butler.
“I have been pulling out different moves that I have been working on in practice,” Sackrey said. “These are moves I have not used all season. I used a high (crotch), which I have not done all season.”
On the other side of the bracket, Clinton senior and former state champion Amitria McNack punched her ticket to the final four after she won by fall in 2:57 against Ellyse Lorenson of Palmyra. She will be in the circle with Maysville freshman Claire Barton, who won by fall in 1:02 vs. Hannibal senior Sidney Zimmerman.
170: At the top of the bracket Wright City senior Caelyn Hanff will face defending state champion Alana Thelin in the semifinals. Hanff pinned St. Clair sophomore Alivia Webb in just 45 seconds, while Thelin got a pin by fall in 2:56 over St. Charles West junior Justice Sebree.
On the other side of the bracket, defending state champion and Centralia sophomore Jayci Shelton will match up with Smithville junior Adalee Pickett. Shelton pinned Marshfield junior Gracelyn Bull in 44 seconds. Pickett was trailing 8-1 in her match before she made a comeback and got a pin in 3:03.
190: California senior Kaylee Thompson qualified for the semifinals following her pin in 47 seconds over Marshfield freshman Rolanda Francois. In the semifinals, Thompson will see Kirksville junior Brooklynn Rader-Johnson, who took a 13-0 major decision against Sherwood senior Kayleen Gariepy.
In the other semifinal, St. Charles West junior Lexington Johnson will face off against Vargas. Johnson pinned Clinton sophomore Gwen Phillips in 1:28, while Vargas won by fall in 46 seconds against Logan-Rogersville junior Kaylee Mastroianni.
“My doubles were really good,” Johnson said. “I am also pretty confident on top.”
235: Marshfield senior Sherlyn Solano made it to the semifinals following her pin of Lexington sophomore Lainie Schumacher in 2:44. In the next round, she will face Blair Oaks senior Loghan Sumner, who won 4-1 against Nevada junior Drew Leer.
The other semifinal will feature defending state champion Annabelle Rowe of Adrian and Mexico junior Alexus Johns, which will be a rematch of the Class 1, 235-pounds championship bout from last season. Rowe made it to the semifinals after a 7-3 win over Holt senior Isabella Winnigar. Johns made her way to the next round after pinning Raytown South senior Sandra Mancera-Campos.
