Missouri Wrestling
Seneca’s Isabella Renfro has been named the 2024 Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award Winner for Missouri.
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame announced the state winners of the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award (TSHSEA) on Wednesday.
First awarded in 2014, this honor is named after Tricia Saunders, a trailblazer in women’s wrestling who achieved four World Championships. Saunders also holds the distinction of being the first woman inducted as a Distinguished Member into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006, and later, the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2011.
The TSHSEA celebrates the most exceptional high school senior female wrestlers across the nation, recognizing their achievements in wrestling, academics, citizenship, and community service.
Lee Roy Smith, the Executive Director of NWHOF, praised the recipients: “The winners of our Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award are an extraordinary group of young women who exemplify the highest standards of personal achievement, excelling in the classroom, on the wrestling mat, and as leaders and community servants.”
Smith highlighted the comprehensive criteria for selecting TSHSEA winners, including their wrestling successes, sportsmanship, academic performance, and community involvement.
The announcement of winners for the Central, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, and West Regions is scheduled for May 1, with the national winner revealed on May 8.
Furthermore, the state winners for the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award, which similarly honors outstanding high school senior male wrestlers, will be announced on Thursday. This award also emphasizes excellence in wrestling, scholarship, citizenship, and community service, with regional winners announced on May 2 and the national winner on May 9.
Regional winners for both the TSHSEA and DSHSEA are chosen from among the state winners, and the national winner is selected from these regional champions.
