Nothing motivates a wrestler more than falling just short of the state tournament medal stand (top six wrestlers).
In 2024, Eureka then-sophomore Kirra Dunscombe slipped out of the running for a medal at 115 pounds in the second consolation round. For the Wildcats’ Mya Willis, then a junior, a loss by 4-1 decision in the “bubble round” at 155 was all that separated her from a spot on the podium.
Accompanied by three teammates, Dunscombe and Willis returned to the Mizzou Arena in Columbia for the Class 2 state championships Feb. 28-March 1. And this time they didn’t go home empty-handed. Competing at the same weights as last year, Dunscombe placed fifth to finish 44-8 while Willis (43-11) came in sixth. Both of their medal matches were decided by one point.
“They definitely earned their medals,” said head coach Clayton Wegener, who completed his first season in charge.
After Dunscombe won the District 1 championship Feb. 15, she needed a knee brace and was limited in practice up until leaving for Columbia. She wore the brace in all six of her matches over two days.
Dunscombe was a No. 1 seed and pinned Raymore-Peculiar sophomore Danielle Totten (24-13) at 1:52 before losing a 14-3 major decision to Platte County junior Charley Sims (30-9) in the quarterfinals. Knocked to the backside of the bracket, Dunscombe stayed alive with a pin and an 8-6 decision, advancing to the fifth-place match for a return engagement against Sims. This time, Dunscombe won a 2-1 decision, scoring a reversal in the second period.
“In the first match, she wasn’t at her best,” Wegener said. “She was on her back but she fought hard to get off. In (the quarterfinals), we battled adversity. In the bubble match, she dominated the first two periods, but she scared me because she was leading 7-0 and (Central St. Joseph junior Abby Donovan) threw her on her back to make it 7-6. Kirra fought like her life depended on it. It was an awesome moment seeing her hand raised.”
Willis won a 15-0 technical fall at 1:55 over Pattonville junior Samantha Mokwa (35-16) in her first match, but a 7-1 loss to North Kansas City senior Paige Strauch (46-7) gave her no margin for error. Willis pinned her next two opponents to reach the fifth-place match. Strauch was waiting for her there after losing a 5-4 decision in the semifinals to Willard sophomore Ellie Higginbotham (41-2), the eventual state champion. A takedown in the second period was the difference in Strauch’s 3-2 victory over Willis.
“(Strauch) is 6-3,” Wegener said. “She was too hard to handle in that first match. (Willis) said she was going to get her medal (Friday night). Sixth place is the lowest medal, but she got it through pure determination.
“She’s a third-year wrestler and got to a medal match. She might wrestle in college. I see a bright future for her. She was timid last year, not opening up with her attacks. This year she was always trying to score points.”
With a district title and No. 1 seed in her pocket, Wildcat junior Mira Richardson (43-7) also was determined to earn her first medal after falling in the consolation second round at 125 the year before. Richardson won her first match at 130 by fall before a 13-9 loss in the quarterfinals sent her to the consolation side, where she won by fall. But in the bubble match, with a spot in the medals round at stake, Willard sophomore Adia Hull ended Richardson’s season with a 7-4 decision. Hull scored two takedowns and ended up third.
“(Richardson) did her best to get on the medal stand,” Wegener said. “If she was on the other side of the bracket, she’d be a medalist. She’s a stud. It wasn’t her weekend. She had some things affecting her injury-wise. She’s already told me she wants to be a state champion. Last year she was a one-trick pony with her move on top. We’ll work on her neutral so she’s sound on all three positions.”
A three-time state qualifier at 235, Eureka senior Addison Neumann finished fifth in the state in 2024. Her sister, Emily, won a fourth-place medal at 135 in 2022. Neumann has committed to wrestle at Central Methodist University.
Down 2-1 in her first state match, Neumann and Jefferson City senior Kyla Finney crashed to the mat on top of Neumann’s knee. The bout was stopped at 3:02 and Finney was declared the winner by injury. Neumann briefly tried to wrestle in the first consolation round against Natalie Gaytan of Branson, but her damaged knee had other ideas.
“I’d say that’s a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament),” Wegener said. “Most people wouldn’t have gone out for that second match, but she had the doctors tape it up. It lasted 10 seconds.
“I give her credit for trying to medal her senior year. That’s a tough state bracket. There were no promises she was going to be a state champion. It was hard to watch a senior end her career that way.”
Nixa won its first state championship with 139.5 points. Francis Howell Central and Liberty tied for second with 88 and Troy Buchanan was fourth with 87. The Wildcats were 20th with 32.5.
Four Eureka wrestlers qualified for the boys Class 4 tournament: Juniors Connor Stephans (126) and Taybryn Geiler (150), senior Blake Forke (165) and sophomore Noah McCollum (285)
Despite losing his first match, Forke (39-11) made it the farthest, reaching the bubble round against Rock Bridge junior Tyler Abell (21-4). Forke took Abell down for a 3-0 lead in the first, but Abell answered with two reversals and a 4-3 win before going on to finish third.
Liberty scored 187 points to win its sixth straight Class 4 title. Hickman (157), Lafayette (125.5) and Neosho (116.5) captured the other team trophies. Eureka finished 39th with four points.
Eureka opens districts with win
Already having lost to schools with sharpshooting guards – Vianney’s Luke Walsh (33 points per game) and Scottie Adkisson of Webster Groves (24) – the Eureka boys had to stop senior guard Noah Barnes to beat visiting Parkway South in the first round of the Class 6 District 2 tournament March 5.
Barnes scored 26 points, but the Wildcats got 19 points from ace bench player John Haberkorn and beat the Patriots 60-41. Eureka plays top-seeded Marquette (18-8) tonight at Kirkwood at 5:30 p.m.
Barnes was scoring at a 22.8 points-per-game clip and drained 73 3-point baskets in 26 games. A year ago, he played for Windsor and was named the most valuable player in the Jefferson County Activities Association large-schools division. He transferred between seasons and has helped the Patriots reverse records from 10-17 last year to 18-9 this season. Eureka senior forward Logan Basler drew the defensive assignment on Barnes.
Eureka (16-9) is the No. 4 seed with South seeded fifth. The two schools play in different pools of the Suburban Conference (Eureka in the No. 1 Yellow pool and the Patriots in third-tier Green) and have not faced each other since 2021.
Marquette (17-8) is the top seed in District 2. The Mustangs beat Waynesville (6-18) 67-36.
The Mustangs held off the Wildcats 75-69 in an intense, high-scoring game in January. Brody Owen (22 points) and Alex Komorech (21) led Marquette in scoring. Jaxson Joggerst (15 points), John Haberkorn (15), Jack Cubbage (14) and Joe Rauls (13) all scored in double figures for the Wildcats, who outrebounded the victors 38-23.
Eureka won its final two games of the regular season, a 54-45 victory at Parkway West (8-18) on Feb. 27 and 46-30 over host St. Dominic of O’Fallon (12-14) the next night.
Against St. Dominic, Haberkorn did what he does best: come off the bench and provide instant offense. His 21 points against the Crusaders was the most since he poured in 22 in the season opener against St. Francis Borgia.
Senior forward Jack Cubbage pulled down 16 rebounds and blocked four shots. The Wildcats’ front wall of Cubbage (6-10), Haberkorn (6-3), Basler (6-4) and Joggerst (6-6) helped them outscore the Crusaders 30-8 in the paint.
“St. Dominic simply was the polar opposite of us; little and young,” Kirby said. “We felt like we had to dominate the glass. Jack (Cubbage) set the tone. That’s pretty close to the school record (24 by Jack Mansfield in 1969-1970). That’s a lot of rebounds. When a team that shoots as well as SD (gets) limited to one shot and done, that’s extra possessions for us.
“(Haberkorn) got into the flow. The offensive rebounds he got were stickbacks for easy points. Otherwise, he was aggressive and was able to get to the basket. His teammates got him some baskets in transition.
“He’s a weapon off the bench who allows us to change the makeup of the people we have on the floor. When he’s in, we’re a bigger lineup. It’s hard to match up with three or four guys taller than 6-3.”
Eureka limited Parkway West to 21 points through three quarters, and Kirby said his team handled the Longhorns’ pressure well. Rauls (14), Cubbage (13) and Haberkorn (12) were the top point producers as the Wildcats shot 52 percent (16-for-31) from inside the 3-point arc and 72 percent (13-for-18) from the free-throw line.
“We had a bunch of guys scoring,” Kirby said. “We handled everything they threw at us. They played zone and ‘man’ (to-man) and tried to pressure us. We controlled the game for three and a half quarters and they made some 3s to make the game closer than it looked.
“We left there feeling pretty good. That’s a good leadup to districts.”
A 53-47 loss to Kirkwood on Feb. 25 helped flip the district seeding in the Pioneers’ favor.
“Kirkwood was huge because we felt if we could beat them, we’d get the three seed,” Kirby said. “We led for three quarters, but we (ultimately) lost, which means we’re going to play three tough teams. We’re going to have to show up three nights in a row. Our best is good enough if we show up and play well.”
Wildcats repeat as conference champions
With a 42-38 overtime win at Parkway West Feb. 27, the Eureka girls basketball team claimed the championship of the Suburban Conference Yellow Pool for the second straight year, going 5-0 against some of the best programs in the area.
The Wildcats are 21-2 against pool opponents over the last four years.
“I wasn’t expecting us to do that; I expected a pretty big drop,” Eureka head coach CJ Herbert said. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised and we are better than I thought we’d be.”
Eureka (18-8) entered this week’s Class 6 District 2 tournament with the wind at its back, winning 10 of its last 11 regular-season games and earning the No. 2 district seed. The Wildcats open at home tonight (March 6) against No. 7 Waynesville (7-19). Eureka hammered the Tigers 82-55 in the first round of district play last year.
Rolla (22-4) is the No. 1 seed in District 2 and pounded Waynesville 65-31 Feb. 10. Like Eureka, the Bulldogs have won 10 of their last 11. Senior Akaela Caquelin set Rolla’s single-season record for 3-point baskets this season with 81. The Bulldogs play No. 8 Northwest (5-14) tonight at Lafayette, the district host. Also tonight, the No. 6 Lancers (12-14) host third-seed Marquette (13-11). The Mustangs knocked Eureka out of the district tournament last season. Kirkwood (12-8) is the No. 5 seed and plays No. 4 Parkway South (11-14) tonight at Eureka. The semifinals are Saturday at noon and 1:30 p.m. and the championship is March 11 at 5 p.m.
“Rolla is guard-oriented,” Herbert said. “They like to play fast and shoot 3s. Marquette’s schedule (was) harder than ours. Rolla had nice wins, they’re 22-4, but Marquette is probably playing better than anyone in the district right now. I’d say they’re the favorite.”
Herbert said the Mustangs are greatly improved since Eureka beat them 58-40 Jan. 10. And the Wildcats got all they could handle in the conference-clinching win over Parkway West (19-5, 3-2). It was the third road game in six days for Herbert’s squad.
At the end of regulation, Eureka held the ball for the last 45 seconds and Marleigh Allen got a good look at a layup but missed it.
“She was pretty devastated, but made the exact same play in overtime,” Herbert said.
Allen scored all four Wildcat points in OT, knocking down a basket and two free throws in two attempts, while Eureka held the Longhorns scoreless. Allen was the only Eureka player in double figures with 14 points, just above her season average.
“(West) plays a slower style and we want to play faster,” Herbert said. “We couldn’t pressure them in the full court like we like to. In the second half, we switched to a half-court defense. Marleigh disrupted them so much there they couldn’t get into their offense. She deflected almost every pass they made.”
Twenty-four hours after that emotionally draining victory, Eureka hosted Lindbergh (9-17) in the regular-season finale for both teams. The Flyers led 9-8 after the first quarter but the hosts wrested control to lead 21-13 at halftime and preserved that advantage in the second half, despite being outrebounded 32-23 for the night.
Allen had her typical well-rounded game with 15 points, eight rebounds, three assists and five steals. The Wildcats forced 24 turnovers.
“We were mentally and physically exhausted from the Parkway West game,” Herbert said. “We shot it horribly (27 percent from the floor). The opponent matters in terms of how good our defense looks.”
The Wildcats’ late-season run included a 53-41 win at Ladue (10-15) Feb. 25. Eureka led by 21 going into the fourth quarter but was outscored 17-8 in the final eight minutes. Allen led the team in scoring with 17 points to go with six assists and four steals, and Jenna Cubbage and Mia Cuneio each contributed 10 points.
“(The Rams) kept playing hard and cut it to nine or 10. We weren’t great that night, but we were good enough.”