Lebanon graduate Sophiea Quinn ended her high school wrestling career on a positive note.
She competed one last time in the U.S. Marines Corps Junior Nationals before she heads off to William Jewell College to compete at the NCAA Division II level.
Quinn finished with a 4-2 record and took seventh place to earn All-American honors in the 235-pound junior division at the tournament last month at the FARGODOME in Fargo, N.D.
“I did it mostly for fun and to get the mat time in and just challenge myself,” Quinn said. “I mean, it was the last tournament I would be doing as a high schooler, so it was for memories.”
The now college freshman established herself as one of the top heavyweight women’s wrestlers in Missouri as she also finished as a runner-up in the Class 2 Missouri State High School Girls Wrestling Championships in February, winning three matches before falling to Liberty’s Alexis Stinson by pin in the championship.
At Junior Nationals, she pinned Minnesota’s Charlize Laban in the first round then took down Washington’s Mia Cienega 8-5 to advance to the quarterfinals.
“She is a very strong girl. I love wrestling her,” Quinn said of Cienega. “I won because of my snap downs so I am grateful for that.”
She then fell to Kansas’ Lulu Kirk 5-2 in the quarterfinals to move to the consultation bracket. In the ensuing match, she pinned Ohio’s Riley Alborn in the blood round to qualify for an All-American honor.
She lost by pin to Oregon’s Vivianna Scott by fall in the consolation semifinals before pinning Wisconsin’s Kimura Segersson-Hutter using a head and arm in the seventh-place bout.
Quinn said competing in the event helped her spot things she needs to work on before she starts her offseason training at William Jewell.
“I noticed I was rushing at the beginning of matches,” she said. “I have to remind myself to be patient and just enjoy the moment.”
“My snap downs and low singles were pretty good in this tournament. Usually I struggle wirth them a lot, but I have been working on it, and I think Fargo highlighted that for me.”
Looking back at her high school career, Quinn said she is pleased with how it went, ending her career with a runner-up finish and two all-state finishes. She was also a part of Lebanon’s two team state championships as a freshman and sophomore.
“There are a lot of things I could improve on and do better,” Quinn said. “At the end of the day, I am proud of how I went out.”
Now she will turn her attention to competing at the collegiate level. She said she had a few offers to compete in wrestling at the college level but ultimately chose Willam Jewell because it had a “homey feel.”
She said she is looking forward to keep competing in the sport that she loves.
“William Jewell reminds me of a college you would see in a movie,” Quinn said. “The people there were super fun to be around and I felt connected to them. It just felt like the right decision for me.
“Wrestling has had a huge impact on my life. If I had to tell anybody to join it, I would.”