The No. 2 ranked Fort Osage Lady Indians delivered a memorable Senior Night performance, packing the gym and overwhelming the Warrensburg Tigers in a commanding 65-15 victory. The evening was highlighted by quick falls from Jauzlyean Gray, Madison Lightner, and Ayden Vaeao, but the heart of the night belonged to the seniors who took center mat one final time.
As the crowd rose to its feet, Fort Osage honored four senior wrestlers – Kylie Dunn, Ayden Vaeao, Alina Wackerman, and Bridget Wood – celebrating their dedication, leadership, and lasting impact on the program. The energy in the building reflected not only the team’s dominance, but the pride surrounding a group that helped elevate Lady Indians wrestling to new heights.
One of the night’s standout performances came from senior Alina Wackerman, who has found her stride at 125 pounds. Wackerman ignited the gym with a dominant technical fall over Delaen Bowers, setting the tone for a strong finish to the dual. Competing in front of a packed house on Senior Night brought a rush of emotions.
“It was a big crowd of people who love me and support me,” Wackerman said. “This night is all about the seniors, so the pressure was on, and that really fed the adrenaline.”
When reflecting on what sets this year’s team apart, Wackerman pointed to the collective mindset. “We work really hard here, and everyone pushes each other,” she said. “We get through losses, and we move on.” Now feeling stronger and more confident at 125, Wackerman takes pride in contributing to the team’s success and competitiveness. Following graduation, she plans to attend the University of Missouri to pursue a degree in nursing.
Senior Kylie Dunn, who has yet to finalize her post-high school academic plans, kept things lighthearted by joking that she might join the circus if school doesn’t work out. On a more serious note, Dunn reflected fondly on qualifying for the state tournament as a sophomore, her favorite high school memory. She closes senior night with an impressive 22–6 record, highlighted by a seventh-place finish at the KC Stampede and a fourth-place finish at the Wonder Woman Tournament.
Ayden Vaeao, another cornerstone of the senior class, will continue her wrestling career at Hastings College. When asked what advice she would give future wrestlers, her message was simple and powerful: “You will take losses-and that’s okay. You will move on and learn from it.”
Senior Bridget Wood plans to attend school for welding after graduation. Her favorite part of wrestling, she says, has been traveling with the team and experiencing the fun, off-the-mat moments that brought her closer to her teammates. While her mat time was met with a forfeit at 155, we can expect dominance going into the rest of the year.
The evening also paid tribute to four senior stat workers-Arely Aguilar, Ainsley Beckmann, Kamryn Jarrett, and Jolie Olvera-Cornish-whose behind-the-scenes contributions have been vital to the program. Kamryn Dawson shared her favorite memory: “When we went to Christmas in the Park for a fundraiser last January and I made Coach Wackerman laugh for the first time with a joke about petting a dog.” One can only hope that joke makes another appearance before the season ends.
Senior Night served as a fitting celebration of leadership, perseverance, and community-hallmarks of a Lady Indians program that continues to set the standard both on and off the mat.
Dual Results:
100 – Lexi Newman (Fort Osage) over “OPEN” (Warrensburg)
105 – Memri Snow (Fort Osage) over “OPEN” (Warrensburg)
110 – Kendra Oswald (Warrensburg) over Lilly Veach (Fort Osage) TF 15-0 1:28
115 – Alexis Ilnicky (Warrensburg) over Emmara hefter (Fort Osage) MD 9-1
120 – Avee Bevans (Warrensburg) over “OPEN” (Fort Osage)
125 – Alina Wackerman (Fort Osage) over Delaen Bowers (Warrensburg) TF 15-0 3:07
130 – Kylie Dunn (Fort Osage) over Cerissa Holsey (Warrensburg) Fall 3:30
135 – Jauzlyean Gray (Fort Osage) over Aurora McCune (Warrensburg) Fall 0:58
140 – Ariel Biggs (Fort Osage) over Frankie Nelson (Warrensburg) Fall 1:22
145 – Madison Lightner (Fort Osage) over Reba Cornelius (Warrensburg) Fall 0:56
155 – Bridget Wood (Fort Osage) over “OPEN” (Warrensburg)
170 – Isabelle Adams (Fort Osage) over Adrienne Keller (Warrensburg) Fall 1:20
190 – Ayden Vaeao (Fort Osage) over Gwen Baker (Warrensburg) Fall 0:55235 – Hali Windes (Fort Osage) over “OPEN” (Warrensburg)
