By Pat Dailey (For OzarkSportsZone.com)
Jessa Joiner and Mariyah Brumley were part of two teams that won big in Class 2 District 3 action at Ozark on Saturday.
Joiner and her Lebanon teammates captured the team championship by accumulating 234 points and four individual titles.
For the Lady Yellowjackets, it’s their fifth District championship in the five years MSHSAA has sponsored girls wrestling. With the split to two classes this year, this was their first Class 2 title.
Joiner and Brumley were also part of a championship trio who last summer were each named Missouri All-Americans at the United States Marine Corps 16U Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota.
Joiner, Brumley and Nixa’s Cali Dupree each were named All-Americans at Fargo and followed up by winning District titles Saturday.
“I made a lot of new friends at Fargo who have helped me get to where I am now,” Joiner said.
“Having that experience and wrestling people across the country, I improved a lot,” Dupree said. “Also, getting to know those girls last summer has made this season so much more enjoyable for me. Now, whenever I come to these (tournaments), I know those girls.”
Lebanon foursome finishes first
Lebanon’s individual titlists included Joiner at 110 pounds, Halea Bartel at 125, Bailey Joiner at 145 and Brumley at 190.
Jessa Joiner upped her record to 46-1 with a technical fall of Sedalia Smith-Cotton’s Jazlyn Smith-Freeman (40-5) in their title tilt. Joiner totaled 20 points in 3:24, but wasn’t impressed with her execution.
“I was really sloppy in that match, which ticks me off,” she said. “Every time I shot, I didn’t run the corner like I’m supposed to, so my takedowns were bad. Getting up off the mat, I was bad because I didn’t turn my hips away. I just did a lot of things sloppy.”
Bartel (41-3) is a two-time state medalist and was a state runner-up in 2021, but this was her first district championship. She picked up a 19-6 major decision against Nixa’s Addison Harkins (42-5) in the 125 final.
The past two seasons, Bartel had a series of matches with Nixa two-time state champ Brenya Crahan, who is now at 135.
Bailey Joiner (41-5) claimed her second District championship, thanks to an 11-3 major decision versus Belton’s Louise Jutt in the 145 title tilt. She was also a District champ her sophomore season two years ago, was second as a junior and third as a freshman.
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Brumley (44-2) pinned Willard’s Harmony Moore (30-9) in 1:52 in the 190 final.
Nixa has four champions crowned
Dupree, Crahan, 115-pounder Kelsey Watts and 120-pounder Mylee Harper won championships for Nixa.
Crahan (46-0) pinned Lebanon’s Taylor Johnson (37-6) in the 135 title tilt. Crahan has beaten Johnson in each of their three meetings this season.
Dupree (44-5) pinned Raymore-Peculiar’s Brynn Elkins (38-11) in 2:39 in the155 final. They were roommates at the 16U Fargo Nationals.
Watts (40-5) earned her first state berth while winning the 115 title when Lebanon’s Adeline Cottongim (20-5) medical forfeited.
“I wrestled her a few weeks back and she’s a tough opponent,” Watts said. “I’m disappointed I didn’t get to wrestle her this time, but glad I won.”
Harper (35-13) took the 120 championship by upsetting top-seeded Maelynn Sundlie (40-7), of Ozark. Harper was trailing 3-0 when she posted a pin in 4:24.
Camdenton’s Fuglsang remains undefeated
Camdenton sophomore Abi Fuglsang upped her record to 43-0 by pinning Parkview’s Becca Waterman in 4:46 for the 100 championship.
It was their fifth meeting this season. In all five matches, Fulgsang has won by fall.
“It’s fun wrestling her because I’m wrestling one of my buddies,” Fuglsang said. “Going back and forth, we’ve seen how much we have improved. She doesn’t fall for my arm-bar anymore, so I have to work different stuff against her. That challenges me and I haven’t had much competition this year if I’m being honest.”
Fuglsang has not had a match go the distance this season. In addition to pins and wins by forfeit, she has one technical fall that was stopped in the second period. Her longest match is a pin in 4:58 against Waterman at the Republic Tournament.
Fuglsang will be seeking her first state championship. She fell to Nixa’s Ashlyn Eli 7-6 in last year’s 100 final. Over the past year, she has drawn motivation from the loss.
“A lot of the work I put in has been with the mindset that I’m going to see her again and beat her one day in college,” Fuglsang said. “I had worked the hardest I ever worked to beat her and thought I could beat her. It’s helped fuel me to become a better wrestler. There was kind of a realization that I’m going to become better because of that loss.”
Defending state champ Riley-Washington dominates
Kickapoo’s Wendy Riley-Washington (26-1) needed just 1:15 to pin Sedalia Smith-Cotton’s Addisyn Hunt (21-6) in the 170 title tilt.
Riley-Washington charged at Hunt from the outset and took her down to the mat.
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“I talked to her right before the match and it’s really hard to wrestle my friends,” Riley-Washington said. “I don’t really want to make friends. It’s just hard to spear one of my friends or something that is a go-to move for me. But I can’t change my wrestling. I felt bad, but I knew what I had to do. Once I got on the mat, I was like, ‘We’re not friends anymore’ and that’s kind of how it is in our wrestling room. I’m glad that kicked in for me. She could have thrown me if I would have taken it easy.”
Riley-Washington is hoping at State she has the chance to avenge her lone loss this season. She was pinned by Ali Haiser (40-0), of Marquette, in 4:26 at the Wonder Woman in Columbia in December.
“If I get to the state finals, I have a feeling she will be the one I see,” Riley-Washington said. “From what I hear, she’s a really sweet girl. She’s a great wrestler and I admire her. I hope I get the chance to face her again. It would be a blessing to give myself a second chance against her to see if I have improved. I know I will leave it all out there.”
Willard’s Dutton keeps perfect record intact
Willard’s Catherine Dutton picked up three pins while improving to 33-0. She won the 235 final by medical forfeit against Lebanon’s MaKenna Lucas (29-6).
100
1st Place – Abigail Fuglsang of Camdenton
2nd Place – Becca Waterman of Parkview
3rd Place – Kinley Harker of Lee`s Summit West
4th Place – Adilyn Hoelzle of Ozark
1st Place Match
Abigail Fuglsang (Camdenton) 43-0, So. over Becca Waterman (Parkview) 29-7, Sr. (Fall 4:46)
3rd Place Match
Kinley Harker (Lee`s Summit West) 24-9, Fr. over Adilyn Hoelzle (Ozark) 31-18, So. (Fall 0:42)
105
1st Place – Lilly Soendker of Smith-Cotton
2nd Place – Ava Hansen of Nixa
3rd Place – Lillian Cottongim of Lebanon
4th Place – Jaidyn Pohlsander of Central (Springfield)
1st Place Match
Lilly Soendker (Smith-Cotton) 31-2, Sr. over Ava Hansen (Nixa) 29-12, Fr. (Fall 1:16)
3rd Place Match
Lillian Cottongim (Lebanon) 35-11, Jr. over Jaidyn Pohlsander (Central (Springfield)) 30-8, So. (Fall 3:40)
110
1st Place – Jessa Joiner of Lebanon
2nd Place – Jazlyn Smith-Freeman of Smith-Cotton
3rd Place – Brionna Madden of Belton
4th Place – Victoria Dunn of Ozark
1st Place Match
Jessa Joiner (Lebanon) 46-1, So. over Jazlyn Smith-Freeman (Smith-Cotton) 40-5, So. (TF-1.5 3:24 (20-4))
3rd Place Match
Brionna Madden (Belton) 19-7, Sr. over Victoria Dunn (Ozark) 36-10, Sr. (Dec 6-0)
115
1st Place – Kelsey Watts of Nixa
2nd Place – Adeline Cottongim of Lebanon
3rd Place – Alyvia Myers of Ozark
4th Place – Kaitlyn DuBois of Belton
1st Place Match
Kelsey Watts (Nixa) 40-5, Jr. over Adeline Cottongim (Lebanon) 20-5, Sr. (Inj. 0:01)
3rd Place Match
Alyvia Myers (Ozark) 31-12, Jr. over Kaitlyn DuBois (Belton) 33-12, Sr. (Fall 3:44)
120
1st Place – Mylee Harper of Nixa
2nd Place – Maelynn Sundlie of Ozark
3rd Place – Sydney Stifter of Belton
4th Place – Daphne Worley of Branson
1st Place Match
Mylee Harper (Nixa) 35-13, Fr. over Maelynn Sundlie (Ozark) 40-7, So. (Fall 4:24)
3rd Place Match
Sydney Stifter (Belton) 38-11, Fr. over Daphne Worley (Branson) 22-18, Jr. (Fall 0:23)
125
1st Place – Halea Bartel of Lebanon
2nd Place – Addison Harkins of Nixa
3rd Place – Cherokee White of Parkview
4th Place – Lauren Patrick of Belton
1st Place Match
Halea Bartel (Lebanon) 41-3, Jr. over Addison Harkins (Nixa) 42-5, Fr. (MD 19-6)
3rd Place Match
Cherokee White (Parkview) 24-7, Sr. over Lauren Patrick (Belton) 33-16, Jr. (Fall 3:33)
130
1st Place – Savanna Franklin of Belton
2nd Place – Clarice Wheeler of Ozark
3rd Place – Jasmine Wolfe of Smith-Cotton
4th Place – Ava Frye of Nixa
1st Place Match
Savanna Franklin (Belton) 45-5, So. over Clarice Wheeler (Ozark) 38-9, Sr. (Fall 3:46)
3rd Place Match
Jasmine Wolfe (Smith-Cotton) 38-9, So. over Ava Frye (Nixa) 28-12, So. (Fall 2:35)
135
1st Place – Brenya Crahan of Nixa
2nd Place – Taylor Johnson of Lebanon
3rd Place – Ashlan Thompson of Willard
4th Place – Ericka Washom of Joplin
1st Place Match
Brenya Crahan (Nixa) 46-0, Jr. over Taylor Johnson (Lebanon) 37-6, Sr. (Fall 3:41)
3rd Place Match
Ashlan Thompson (Willard) 35-6, Jr. over Ericka Washom (Joplin) 29-10, Jr. (Dec 4-1)
140
1st Place – Jacinda Espinosa of Capital City
2nd Place – Rylee Meredith of Belton
3rd Place – Andrea Childress of Lebanon
4th Place – Lucinda Baker of Camdenton
1st Place Match
Jacinda Espinosa (Capital City) 37-4, So. over Rylee Meredith (Belton) 33-12, Jr. (Fall 0:30)
3rd Place Match
Andrea Childress (Lebanon) 28-19, Fr. over Lucinda Baker (Camdenton) 25-19, Jr. (Fall 1:48)
145
1st Place – Bailey Joiner of Lebanon
2nd Place – Louise Juitt of Belton
3rd Place – Haylee Fort of Waynesville
4th Place – Taelor Dorr-Tilla of Nixa
1st Place Match
Bailey Joiner (Lebanon) 41-5, Sr. over Louise Juitt (Belton) 43-10, So. (MD 11-3)
3rd Place Match
Haylee Fort (Waynesville) 28-6, So. over Taelor Dorr-Tilla (Nixa) 3-4, Jr. (Fall 0:51)
155
1st Place – Calyese Dupree of Nixa
2nd Place – Brynn Elkins of Raymore-Peculiar
3rd Place – Sarah Cazier of Ozark
4th Place – Gina Sellers of Willard
1st Place Match
Calyese Dupree (Nixa) 44-5, So. over Brynn Elkins (Raymore-Peculiar) 38-11, Sr. (Fall 2:39)
3rd Place Match
Sarah Cazier (Ozark) 38-11, Sr. over Gina Sellers (Willard) 18-21, Jr. (Fall 1:22)
170
1st Place – Wendy Riley-Washington of Kickapoo
2nd Place – Addisyn Hunt of Smith-Cotton
3rd Place – Cayley Maynard of Raymore-Peculiar
4th Place – Mckenzie Moffet of Waynesville
1st Place Match
Wendy Riley-Washington (Kickapoo) 26-1, Sr. over Addisyn Hunt (Smith-Cotton) 21-8, Jr. (Fall 1:15)
3rd Place Match
Cayley Maynard (Raymore-Peculiar) 29-15, Sr. over Mckenzie Moffet (Waynesville) 33-15, Jr. (Fall 4:13)
190
1st Place – Mariyah Brumley of Lebanon
2nd Place – Harmony Moore of Willard
3rd Place – Yisel Perez of Waynesville
4th Place – Reina Morton of Belton
1st Place Match
Mariyah Brumley (Lebanon) 44-2, Jr. over Harmony Moore (Willard) 30-9, Fr. (Fall 1:52)
3rd Place Match
Yisel Perez (Waynesville) 36-10, So. over Reina Morton (Belton) 31-6, Sr. (Fall 1:15)
235
1st Place – Catherine Dutton of Willard
2nd Place – MaKenna Lucas of Lebanon
3rd Place – Isabelle Lemmond of Waynesville
4th Place – Anna Fahrni of Raymore-Peculiar
1st Place Match
Catherine Dutton (Willard) 33-0, Sr. over MaKenna Lucas (Lebanon) 29-6, Sr. (Inj. 0:01)
3rd Place Match
Isabelle Lemmond (Waynesville) 30-12, Fr. over Anna Fahrni (Raymore-Peculiar) 26-19, Jr. (MD 13-0)