Michael Smith
After Lebanon had dominated the Class 2 girls wrestling scene for four out of the last five years, it may be another team’s turn to take the state trophy this season.
This season, it looks like Nixa could be that team to win its first team state championship on the girls side. Through Day 1, Nixa is in first place with 67 points that it earned on Friday at Mizzou Arena in Columbia. Francis Howell Central is in second place with 60.5 points, Lebanon is third with 56.5 and Francis Howell is fourth with 50.
Thus far, the Eagles have five wrestlers in the semifinals, including Kelsey Watts, Ashton Mayes, Addison Harkins, Brenya Crahan and Calyese Dupree.
The Class 2 girls wrestlers competed all the way through two rounds of wrestle backs and into the semifinals in the winner’s bracket. Hannibal has six wrestlers in the semifinals, while Carl Junction has five.
Below is a breakdown of the semifinals matchups and how each wrestler made it there:
100: Blue Springs South sophomore Killian Evans, ranked No. 3, made it to the semifinals in dominating fashion as she earned a 17-1 tech fall victory over Capital City freshman Aubrey Kempker in the quarterfinals. She will see No. 2-ranked Zoey Haney of Troy Buchanan in the next round. Haney won 14-2 over Belton junior Rylee Jones to advance.
In the other semifinal, Lee’s Summit West sophomore Kinley Harker will see Timberland senior Taylor Reiter. Harker pinned Washington freshman Cydni Buchanan, while Reiter pulled off a huge upset by knocking off No. 1-ranked Lilly Breeden of Liberty, 6-5.
105: Francis Howell sophomore Mialee Copeland, ranked No. 4, advanced to the semifinals after blanking Seckman junior Emma Donze 4-0. Copeland will have to take on Nixa senior Kelsey Watts in the next match. Watts, ranked No. 1, got a pin in the first period against Troy Buchanan junior Madison Haney to get one step closer to a state champion.
Lebanon senior Lillian Cottongim made it to the semifinals on the other side of the bracket as she got a pin against No. 3-ranked Paige Tihen of Fort Zumwalt South. Cottongim will have to get through Liberty sophomore Sandy Breeden to make the finals. Breeden pinned Willard senior Bailee Cash in 1:41.
110: Nixa freshman Ashton Mayes, ranked No. 5, just has to win two more matches to win a state title. She pinned Francis Howell senior Caroline Farris to make it. She will face Francis Howell North junior Isabelle Apple, ranked No. 4. The junior pinned Liberty senior Jaden Breeden in 3:33.
In the other semifinal, Camdenton junior Abigail Fuglsang, ranked No. 2, will take on Fort Osage senior Aroma Marrufo, ranked No. 1. Fuglsang got a pin in 3:22 in the quarterfinals against Northwest sophomore Alexis Lamb to advance and Marrufo pinned North Point senior Maghan Menke.
115: Lindbergh senior Audrey Scherer advanced to the semifinals after beating Belton sophomore Sydney Stifter 9-5 in the quarters. The No. 2-ranked senior will take on Francis Howell freshman Kenadee Mcdowell, ranked No 6. Mcdowell pinned Winnetonka freshman Annabelle Dunlop to keep her state title hopes alive.
The other side of the bracket will feature a semifinal matchup of Ft. Zumwalt North senior Jailyn Ebert and defending state champion Jessa Joiner. Ebert pinned Kirra Dunscombe in 2:53 to advance, while Joiner won by fall in 2:57 over William Chrisman junior Maya Saldivar.
120: Winnetonka junior Bailey Sontag is surging late in the season. She improved to 33-13 after winning 4-0 in overtime against Lafayette Wildwood junior Hannah Henderson
