INDEPENDENCE
Four hours of the girls state wrestling championships are complete, and five wrestlers in the Leader coverage area are still alive for medals.
Up next at the Cable Dahmer Arena are the semifinals and wrestleback semifinals to see who advances to the championships and third- and fifth-places matches tonight (Tuesday).
In the semifinals, De Soto senior Jaycee Foeller is on track to win her third state championship after she pinned Tipton sophomore Lily Burns in 38 seconds of their match at 174 pounds. Foeller puts her undefeated record of 37-0 on the line in the semifinals against Marshfield junior Kiana Massie (35-5). Foeller won state at 166 last season and is shooting to finish her career without a loss.
In one of the 102-pound semifinals, Eureka sophomore Lilly McCollum (30-5) wrestles Nixa junior Ashlyn Eli, who is 40-0 and the returning state champion at 103. The Missouri State High School Activities Association added two more weight classes and adjusted the weights from a year ago.
Northwest junior Madison Bellinger (107), Festus junior Kirsten Klein (112) and Seckman junior Madison Bellinger (132) will all try to keep their medal hopes alive as they compete in the “bubble matches” that are at the same time as the semifinals.
Lebanon leads the team competition with 74 points. Lafayette, second last season, is second with 50 points. Northwest leads teams from Jefferson County with an eighth-place score of 48 points.