Wrestlers from schools in the Jefferson County Activities Association won six of the 14 weight classes at the Class 1 District 1 girls tournament in Union Feb. 9-10.
St. Clair won the district championship with 163 points. Sullivan was a close second with 153 and Owensville third with 134. De Soto was the top JCAA team, taking fourth with 124. Festus tied for sixth with 99, followed by Herculaneum (10th, 54), Windsor (11th, 48),
Hillsboro (15th, 32) and St. Pius X (20th, 20). All but the Lancers are sending wrestlers to the state championships Feb. 21-22 at Mizzou Arena in Columbia.
A past state medalist at 159 and 155 pounds (third place both years), De Soto senior Ella Bradley won the district title at 155, pinning Sullivan senior Maria Schatzl at 1:25 of the final. Bradley, who pinned her first two district opponents in under a minute, takes a record of 37-4 to Columbia with sights firmly set on her first state championship.
Right after Bradley punched her ticket, Dragon freshman Macie Tomlinson clinched her first state berth, capturing the title at 170. In a light bracket, Tomlinson (37-4) didn’t take the mat until the quarterfinals and pinned her way to the finals in 16 and 18 seconds. In the final, Owensville junior Bailee Dare took Tomlinson down in the first period, but the young Dragon struck back with an escape, takedown and three near-fall points before pinning Dare at 3:01.
Kya Aubuchon (fourth, 105), Cheyenne Kinkade (second, 110) and Emma Taylor (third, 120), all freshmen, are each making their first journey to state for a
De Soto program that could be formidable for years to come.
Herculaneum sisters Emerson and Eddyson Reeves have mowed down opponents all season and now both are district champions.
With six wrestlers in the bracket at 105, Emerson (37-3), a freshman, only needed to wrestle two matches to win the weight. She pinned Aubuchon at 3:50 of the semifinals and took 90 seconds to plant St. Clair junior Janessa Avila (40-6) in the final. Avila had won decisions over Emerson in their previous two bouts.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the way we competed,” Herculaneum head coach Chris Bahr said. “The Reeves both beat good girls. Emerson had two or three girls to look out for and she is a laser-focused kind of girl who knew what she wanted to do. We got into good position for a cradle and got (Avila) pinned.”
Eddyson (42-6), a senior who recently logged the 100th win of her career, was a “bubble round” casualty at district her first two seasons. Last year she won districts at 130 and finished fourth in the state. After two byes at 140, she pinned her first two opponents in the first period, including Festus sophomore Dani Gullet in the semifinals.
Sullivan junior Dorie Richardson (34-3) was sixth in the state at 140 last year and had beaten Reeves twice this season. Reeves trailed Richardson 3-1 in the third when she suddenly pinned her for the title.
“She got locked up in a throw position and got underneath (Richardson) and pinned her,” Bahr said. “In the semifinals, Eddyson defended a good shot from Dani, sprawled and got points out of it. She kept good pressure on her from the top and turned her for the pin.
“Eddy knew she had her work cut out if she was going to win this.”
Now the Reeves duo has a chance to make school history and become the first Blackcat girls state champs.
“They know what they’re good at and what they want,” Bahr said. “Before the season, we touched on goals and they both had their sights set on a state medal. They’re confident in what they’re capable of.”
In another bracket with only six competitors, Festus junior Mya Hairston (29-2) cruised to the title at 100 with two quick pins. Fourth in the state at 100 last year, Hairston pinned Sikeston junior Ellie Douglass at 2:00 of the final. Hairston has gone all six minutes in just a few matches, but Tiger head coach Jarad Sheppard said he isn’t concerned about her stamina.
“Her gas tank’s never been an issue,” said Sheppard, who is taking four wrestlers to Columbia. “She had a pretty breezy couple of days, with it being a smaller bracket. She wrestled smart and aggressive and took care of business quickly.”
Festus freshman Trinity Butler was the No. 3 seed going into districts at 135, a much deeper weight class. Butler (37-7) pinned three opponents before taking a 14-5 major decision over top-seeded Jade Studdard (37-3), a senior from Sullivan, in the final. Butler pinned second-seed St. Clair senior Audrey DeClue (44-10) in the semifinals.
“She had seen a couple of those girls already, but not (DeClue),” Sheppard said. “She dominated every aspect of that match. You never know how a freshman is going to react when you get to these bigger tournaments. Do they have the maturity to rise to the occasion and put together a consistent tournament? Trinity rises to the occasion in the big matches.”
Sophomore Addison Cupp (third, 105) and Gullet (third, 140) are the other Tigers state-bound. Festus is still looking for its first state champion.
“Every girl we’re bringing has an opportunity to place, and place high,” Sheppard said. “If Mya wrestles smart, she’s going to get it done. Addi and Dani are coming out of tough districts, so if they can survive that, they have opportunities for success at state.”
Windsor sophomore Sydney Streckfuss had never been on a mat before this season. Only a sudden-victory loss in the semifinals kept her from vying for a district crown at 125. St. Clair sophomore Lindsay Rampani beat Streckfuss 8-6 with a takedown in overtime. Streckfuss headed to the bubble round needing a win to go to state and took a 7-4 decision over Lift for Life Academy sophomore Mekhirah Broom to punch her ticket. Ste. Genevieve senior Addison Geiler, the defending state champion at 125, pinned Streckfuss in the third-place match.
“(The Rampani match) was neck and neck,” Windsor head coach Ryan Nuspl said. “(Rampani) had pinned us the week before at (the Lady Owls Scramble). We went toe-to-toe with her. We tried a head-and-arm in the third and they scored the two (points) and won the match.
“Sydney’s very athletic. (As) a varsity soccer player, she has the power in her legs. She (also) has a tumbling and gymnastics background. She’s stubborn and doesn’t give up.”
Joining Streckfuss at Columbia for the Owls will be freshman Ashley Hansen, who was fourth at 235.
“(Hanson is) fresh and hasn’t done a whole lot of sports in general,” Nuspl said. “She’s worked hard and picked it up fast. Districts is her best performance all season.”
Nuspl said the state tournament is a tough environment for first-year wrestlers.
“I’m pleased with what they’ve already done,” he said. “State will be a positive, rewarding experience. We’ll review footage from districts, but my main goal is to get them through two weeks of practice without injuries and enjoy the rest of the season.”
Hillsboro came away with one state qualifier. Senior Alleigh Culley returns to state, finishing third at 145. Last season, she was one match away from the state medal round at 155. Culley (34-13) beat Park Hills Central junior Addisyn Gasaway 4-0 in the third-place match.