In a sign of parity among the girls wrestling teams in the Jefferson County Activities Association, De Soto High School became the third different team in three years to win the conference championship.
Windsor High won in 2024, Festus High captured its first last year, and the Dragons scored 178 points to win the title in their own gym Jan. 14. Festus (161), Windsor (127), Hillsboro (90) and Herculaneum (24) were next.
Herculaneum junior Emerson Reeves and Windsor senior Sydney Streckfuss added their names to the short list of three-time JCAA champions.
Reeves has qualified for the Class 1 state championships the past two years at 105 pounds. At the Class 3 state track and field championships last May, Reeves, Claira Davis, Amaya Ferguson and Finley Hamtil finished seventh in the 4x800-meter run.
“The (wrestling) competition gets better so I have to,” Reeves said. “I’m always working different ways, trying to find new things. I had tough matches in the conference.”
In a conference bracket at 105 consisting of five wrestlers, Reeves finished first. Nico Brooks finished second. Reeves pinned Brooks at 3:08 in their match. Brooks finished second in the JCAAs at 100 last season, behind Festus 2025 graduate Mya Hairston, a two-time state champion, and was third in the state.
The tables were turned when Reeves and Brooks faced off in the semifinals of the Sherri Lance Invitational at Rockwood Summit High on Jan. 16. Brooks pinned Reeves at 4:45 before dropping an 8-3 sudden victory to Festus senior Addison Cupp. Reeves won her next two Summit matches by decision and tech fall to finish third.
“(Summit) was rough,” Reeves said. “I didn’t wrestle to my best ability but have to be confident in myself.
I think the difference was (Brooks) had a different plan.”
The only thing Streckfuss regrets about starting to wrestle her sophomore year, is she didn’t start a year sooner so she could be a four-time JCAA champ. She had never wrestled before that. Streckfuss sprained her ankle the third practice of the season, taped it up and moved on. She won conference at 125 in 2025, a weight she’s qualified for state the past two years and she said she intends to drop down to before districts, and won a three-person bracket of De Soto junior Judith Wolfe (second) and Festus sophomore Alyvia Cusanelli (third) by pinning both in under a minute.
“(Wolfe) did surprise me because she came out faster than I thought,” Streckfuss said. “There was a scramble and I got her to her back.”
Streckfuss is committed to play soccer at Culver-Stockton College in Canton. She’ll begin her fourth season on the Owls soccer team this spring and has been named a team captain.
“The goal is to win (wrestling) districts and get to state and hopefully win a medal,” Streckfuss said.
A three-time state qualifier, and third in the state at 105 last season, Cupp finally broke through and won her first conference crown by winning the rubber match against De Soto junior Cheyenne Kincade at 110. The two pinned each other in their first two bouts before Cupp took a 10-2 major decision. Cupp scored a takedown and seven near fall points in the last match.
“I was a little nervous the first time I wrestled her. In the second and third matches, I came out strong,” Cupp said.
Another highlight for Cupp so far this season was finishing second at the Wonder Woman Tournament last month.
“She put together a beautiful tournament,” Festus head coach Jarad Sheppard said about Cupp at WW. “When she’s given a game plan and sticks to it, she’s really hard to beat. She’s very technical and she’s gotten very strong over the last two years. That’s a lethal combination.”
Festus senior Dani Gullet won the 140 conference title in 2025 by default as the weight’s lone entry. Gullet was third in the state at 140, stayed there, and had competition at this year’s JCAAs. She pinned De Soto sophomore Kelsey Urich and Windsor sophomore Isabella Ohmart to win her second conference title.
“Her prospects are looking very good going into February,” Sheppard said.
Of the 14 weight classes at the JCAAs, 155, 190 and 235 had just one entry. There were two entries for 110 and 170. Despite the Missouri State High School Activities Association adding a third class in 2026-2027, there’s still plenty of room for growth in the county. The 10 freshmen who came out at Festus this year was a record.
“There are a lot of eyes watching our upperclassmen leaders,” Sheppard said. “We’ve seen it pay off in the practice room and tournaments. The state’s growth is reflective here locally.”
Milayna Drummond spent her freshman year at De Soto sharpening her skills against Hairston and Brooks over and over until she finished second in the state, a 3-0 loss to Hairston as a parting gesture of both wrestlers’ talent.
Back at 100 at the conference meet this year, Drummond pinned Windsor sophomore Sydnie Christopher in 16 seconds and won a 15-0 tech fall over Festus freshman Lily White.
Drummond won both of her matches at 100 by fall at Sherri Lance to win a second title in three days.
Owls finish second at SEMO
Ste. Genevieve High scored 347 points and pinned the other 14 teams in the SEMO Regional Wrestling Conference Tournament at Farmington High on Jan. 23. The Dragons finished first at 100, 120, 125, 130, 140, 155 and 170.
Windsor finished second with 192 points and freshman Morgan Meyer won the 135-pound bracket that had four wrestlers. After winning by fall in 58 seconds in her first bout, Meyer pinned Ste. Gen senior Ragan Picou at 1:16. Meyer was an experienced wrestler at lower levels and now is in the middle of what Windsor head coach Ryan Nuspl calls a “breakout season.”
“She has a lot of technical skill and is very aggressive and has the drive to get better every day in practice,” Nuspl said.
Nuspl said sophomores Isabella Ohmart and Karoline Kalisch are second-year wrestlers who have made big strides between seasons. Ohmart (140) and Kalisch (145) were both second at SEMO.
Junior Summer Mahurin was third at 170, and her twin sister, Elizabeth Mahurin, was fourth at 235. Junior Tessa Chadbourne pinned her first opponent at 110 in 12 seconds, lost in the semifinals and wrestled her way back to third place with a pair of pins. Nuspl said this was Chadbourne’s first meet since an injury scare. Streckfuss battled through illness to finish fourth at 130.
Hillsboro was sixth with 97 points at SEMO and sophomore Nico Brooks pinned her way to first at 105. The other tournament champion for the Hawks was freshman Elaine Hoth, who pinned Jackson senior Lillie Morningstar in 27 seconds. Morningstar pinned Ste. Gen sophomore Aila Wolk in the semifinals. Wolk was one match short of medaling at state last year. Hillsboro sophomore Libby Deutsch-Terry finished third at 125 when she won a 12-9 SV over Kelly senior Rivers Mason.
Dragons give Hawks a run for boys JCAA title
Due to injuries and illness, Hillsboro High School boys wrestling coach Matt Mitchell said the Hawks have yet to compete in duals and tournaments without their top lineup across 14 weight classes.
One month before Hillsboro heads to De Soto High for the Class 3 District 1 tournament and Mitchell isn’t concerned that the Hawks will convene in time to win their fifth district title in a row. Even with a depleted roster, Hillsboro repeated as the champions in the Jefferson County Activities Association after winning it with 225 points at De Soto on Jan. 14. The Dragons closed the gap from previous seasons and were second with 211.5, ahead of Windsor High (third, 154), Herculaneum (fourth, 88) and Festus (fifth, 80).
The Hillsboro wrestling program has long since measured itself against the state’s best, having finished in the top three each year since 2021, winning it all in 2023 and coming in second the past two seasons. During that run, the Hawks have crowned nine individual state champions.
At the JCAA meet, freshman Tucker Williams (106 pounds), sophomore Carter Pryor (113), senior Evan Litzsinger (120), senior Jack Rowan (157), freshman Patrick Buttner (165) and seniors Caden Roman (215) and Griffin Morris (285) won conference titles.
Pryor finished second in the state at 106 last season. He pinned all three opponents at 113 to win at the JCAAs. Hillsboro was right back in action in the Branson High Invitational on Jan. 17, and in a much deeper field, Pryor finished first. His only regret was not being able to wrestle Jefferson City Helias Catholic junior Greg Cizin, who lost in the semifinals. Cizin was a state qualifier at 113 last year.
“I think I had one of the easier brackets but I had some good kids,” Pryor said about Branson. “I think we’ll have a very competitive team at state. The leadership is different. Me and Evan are trying to step up and do that.”
Pryor has pinned his lasts seven opponents.
“He has good practice partners who helped get him to this point,” Hillsboro head coach Matt Mitchell said. “He took some losses at (KC Stampede) and was third in a tournament in Indiana, but since getting back he hasn’t taken a loss. We’re competing against kids now we’ll see at the end of the year. He’s coming into his own as a sophomore.”
Litzsinger is a two-time state medalist who’s ready to step to the top of the podium at the Mizzou Arena in Columbia next month. He ripped through conference with three pins and a tech fall and was fourth at Branson.
In a sign Hillsboro is starting to assemble all of its pieces, Morris made his season debut at 285 for the conference meet and started to gain confidence his surgically repaired knee could withstand the rigors of wrestling some of the strongest men in the state. Ranked No. 1 in the state at heavyweight, Morris won his third JCAA title with three pins in just over 2:00. At Branson, he finished third and picked up his 100th career victory. Not only did Morris have to come back from knee surgery, but he missed most of last season with an elbow injury.
He’s glad to be back with his teammates.
“I worked hard getting my quad muscle back so I could get back as soon as I could,” Morris said. “I’ve been getting my endurance back and moving more. It feels great now.”
The JCAA hasn’t produced a heavyweight champion since Landon Porter for De Soto in 2019.
“(Morris) struggled with some of the better heavyweights (at Branson),” Mitchell said. “Right now, he’s healthy but he has to get the wrestling rust off, too.”
Windsor senior Max Coerver (144) and junior Jayden Grindell (190) won conference titles. Coerver qualified for state at 144 last season and currently has a record of 27-2. The Owls wrestle next at Pacific High on Saturday.
“It’s been going great,” Coerver said of his season. “Keep getting good wins over good kids and not trying to focus on wins and rankings and more on getting better at wrestling and not taking it too seriously. Keeping it simple.”
A state medal would be a perfect culmination to Coerver’s career with the Owls.
“It’s not as nerve-wracking as it may seem,” he said about state. “Some guys choke on the big stage. I’ll try and get my nerves worked up. Focus on wrestling because state’s really fun.”
Grindell won a match by fall, one by medical forfeit and pinned Hillsboro junior Brandon Bequette in 37 seconds to improve to 20-4.
Winning conference titles for the host Dragons were senior Brenton Drummond (126), sophomore Landon Tomlinson (132), junior Dominic Eakins (150) and junior Levi Huck (175). Drummond won the JCAA crown at 120 last year before finishing third in the state. He’s 25-1 this season and his toughest JCAA match was a 17-6 major decision over Festus senior Nehemiah Ford (13-2). Third at state at 175 last year, Huck won conference with two quick pins and a tech fall.
Hillsboro grappled for the title with Jackson, a rising Class 4 squad, at the SEMO Regional Wrestling Tournament at Farmington on Jan. 24.
The Indians were moved up 11 spots from 2024 to 2025 at state and finished 11th last season. They won the weight classes at 120, 132, 144, 157, 175, 190 and 285.
Pryor (115) and senior James Penick (126) won their weight classes for the Hawks, whose other top finishers were Williams (second, 106), freshman Jacob Schatzman (fourth, 132), senior Brady Armstrong (sixth, 150), Rowan (third, 157), freshman Patrick Buttner Jr. (fifth, 165), senior Jack Hoven (third, 175), Bequette (third, 190), senior Caden Romaine (third, 215) and Morris (285).
Fox wins MICDS meet
The Fox High School boys wrestling team won the Eric Lewis Invitational at MICDS on Jan. 23-24 after scoring 195 points. Belleville Althoff Catholic High (186.5), Liberty Wentzville High (147) and SLUH (122.5) finished behind the Warriors in a field of 23 teams.
“We came ready to wrestle,” Fox head coach Denny Kleinschrodt said. “We were loose and locked in mentally heading into the tournament. We were open at two weight classes. We are going to celebrate this step in the right direction, but we have much more to accomplish. Some of our guys have high expectations for themselves and are starting to turn the corner at the right time.”
Senior Charles Chapman improved to 17-2 this season for the Warriors after he won the title at 175. Chapman’s last two victories were by tech fall, including 15-0 in the final against Parkway Central junior Ali Mohsen (32-5). Chapman is seeking his first trip to the state tournament.
This is the deepest Fox team in Kleinschrodt’s five seasons in charge. Freshman Jace Ravellette (second, 106), junior Trace Treiber (fifth, 113), sophomore Mason Pixley (fourth, 126), junior Ahmet Mamakhov (second, 144), senior Chandler Price (second, 157), junior Cole Theobald (third, 190), sophomore Carter Spink (fourth, 215) and junior Eli Spicer (second, 285) all did their part in the Warriors winning the tournament.
A Class 1 school, unaffiliated St. Pius X finished 10th with 73.5 points at Eric Lewis among mostly Class 3-4 programs. Junior Gavin Florek won the lone Lancers 106 title at the tournament when he racked up 63 points in three tech falls. Sophomore Hunter Hodum (second, 126) and junior Cody Shaver (second, 190) made it to the finals. Liberty Wentzville High senior Clark Carpenter handed Shaver (19-1) his first loss of the season.