By Brennan Stebbins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Nixa, which beat Ozark by 82 points to win last year’s tournament, placed its entire lineup on the podium Friday night in Webb City and came away with four individual champions to claim a second straight COC championship.
The Eagles edged the Tigers by six in the team standings.
“We actually lost a couple close ones we’d like to have back,” Nixa coach Dustin Martin said.
“I think we have a really good team and I think we’ll really start showing our team strength when we get into tougher tournaments like districts and state,” he said.
Nixa won individual championships at 115, 125, 135 and 155 and its other 10 wrestlers each finished in the top four to earn a medal.
Kelsey Watts (37-5) was the winner at 115 with falls over Ozark’s Emma Tsaruk, Branson’s Sommara Darnell and Republic’s Rebecca Griffin.
Addison Harkins (40-4) turned in three pins while winning the 125-pound bracket. She topped Republic’s Emily Carter, Branson’s Cameryn Warner and Ozark’s Anjelika Tsaruk.
Brenya Crahan (42-0) stayed unbeaten in winning at 135 with two falls, a technical fall and a 7-3 decision. She pinned Ozark’s Hannah Maskrod and Webb City’s Kylie Jennings, then beat Joplin’s Ericka Washom by 18-1 technical fall and finished off the day with a 7-3 win against Willard’s Ashlan Thompson.
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At 155, Calyese Dupree (41-5) pinned each of her three opponents: Willard’s Gina Sellers, Joplin’s Mya Ndepe and Ozark’s Faith Shepard.
Ava Hansen (26-11) was second at 105, Abigail Weitzel (33-12) was second at 130, Megan King (23-17) was second at 140, Jessie Nelson (28-17) was second at 190 and Larissa Downs (29-15) was second at 235.
Brooke Chandler (100), Ellie Moore (110), Mylee Harper (120) and Taelor Dorr (145) each earned third place, and Katy Wilson (170) nabbed fourth.
“Brenya Crahan, our two-time returning state champ, got a win against the Willard girl (Ashlan Thompson) who we wrestled last weekend and we were actually down in the match at one point before coming back and winning,” Martin said. “This week we came out and kind of controlled the match, so that was good. 125 is a freshman for us, Addison Harkins, and she had a strong finish with pins all the way through and 115 is probably our next big strength on the team with sophomore Kelsey Watts, who pinned her way through the tournament as well. The bonus points if you win by fall, getting an extra two points every match, that made a big difference in today’s tournament.”
Ozark leads with seven winners
Ozark, which led at various points throughout the night, had 12 wrestlers in action on Friday and more than half of them earned first place finishes.
Adilyn Hoelzle (29-16) was the winner at 100 pounds with a pair of decisions against NIxa’s Brooke Chandler and Branson’s Lillian Moore.
Emily Price (31-14) won at 105 with two falls against Nixa’s Ava Hansen.
Victoria Dunn (34-8) pinned Nixa’s Ellie Moore, Branson’s Emma Melton and Joplin’s CoryAunna Mueller in winning the 110-pound bracket.
At 120, Maelynn Sundlie (37-6) had four falls and a technical fall while beating Willard’s Kamayah Mace, Branson’s Daphne Worley, Republic’s Anna McBroom, Carl Junction’s Bryanna McCabe and Nixa’s Mylee Harper.
Clarice Wheeler (36-8) won at 130 with four falls and a 5-2 decision. She pinned Branson’s Priya Raghani, Willard’s Gabriella Rogers, Neosho’s Jilian Ramirez, Carl Junction’s Isabella Montez and then beat Nixa’s Abigal Weitzel by decision.
Janelle Spohn (20-23) won at 140 with three falls and a medical forfeit. She pinned Willard’s Alexzandrea Holmes, Webb City’s Layla Espinoza and Nixa’s Megan King.
And Delaney Cardin (29-15) won at 145 with a fall over Nixa’s Taelor Dorr and an 8-5 win against Joplin’s Amy Kessler.
Finishing second for the Tigers were Anjelika Tsaruk (37-10) at 125 and Sarah Cazier (35-10) at 170.
Emma Tsaruk was third at 115 and Faith Shepard was fourth at 155.
“I thought our kids wrestled well and in the end that’s what it’s all about is competing well,” Ozark coach Tod Sundlie said.
“It was just a collective effort,” he said. “Everybody wrestling well and here at the end it’s just trying to be your best and gaining confidence. I feel like that was good today. We’re moving in the right direction. That’s where you want to be moving into districts and that’s where we’re at.”
Three from Willard win titles
Willard was the only other school with individual champions on Friday and the Tigers had three of them. Haley Autterson (25-13) won at 170 with two decisions, two falls and a medical forfeit. Harmony Moore (27-8) won at 190 with two decisions and a fall, and Catherine Dutton (19-0) won at 235 with a technical fall and a pin.
Branson was led by a second-place finish at 100 pounds by Lillian Moore. Cameryn Warner took third at 125, and Emma Melton (110), Sommara Darnell (115) and Daphne Worley (120) each earned fourth.
Carl Junction’s top finisher was Bryanna McCabe, who took second at 120. Isabella Montez was third at 130.
Joplin’s CoryAunna Mueller was second at 110 and Amy Kessler was second at 145. Ericka Washom took third at 135, Mya Ndepe finished third at 155 and Illahna Burtrun was fourth at 190.
Neosho’s Jilian Ramirez placed fourth at 130.
Republic’s Rebecca Griffin earned second at 115, Kylie Vance was third at 190 and Emily Carter finished fourth at 125.
Webb City’s Emma Combs was third at 170, Kylie Jennings was fourth at 135 and Layla Espinoza was fourth at 140.
Team scores
Nixa 216.5
Ozark 210.5
Willard 119.5
Joplin 63.5
Branson 55
Republic 38.5
Carl Junction 34
Webb City 31.5
Neosho 18
