By Pat Dailey (For OzarkSportsZone.com)
WILLARD — Nixa’s girls wrestling team maintained their program’s stranglehold on the COC Tournament, completing a hat trick Friday by winning their third team championship in the three years the league has hosted a tournament.
The Lady Eagles totaled 271 points to easily outdistance runner-up Willard’s 155 points and third-place Ozark’s 144
It’s the largest margin of victory for Nixa at the COC Tournament. Two years ago, the Lady Eagles beat second-place Ozark by 82 points and last year they edged Ozark by six.
Nixa’s three-peat included seven individual champions.
Four Lady Eagles repeat as champions
Nixa’s Brenya Crahan stayed undefeated on the season while running her record to 36-0 and taking the 145 championship. The two-time state champion and three-time COC Tournament champ has won all but one of her matches by fall.
Crahan pinned Willard’s Haley Auterson (21-10) in :41 in the final round. Auterson was a COC Tournament champ last year 170.
“She didn’t let me take her down like most girls,” Crahan said. “It was nice to have a struggle.”
In a matchup of state place winners and COC Tournament champs from last season, Nixa’s Addison Harkins (42-5) pinned Ozark’s Maelyn Sundlie (35-8) in 3:19 for the 130 championship.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE TOURNAMENT
“I was able to get a good takedown and was able to ride her the whole time,” Harkins said.
The Lady Eagles’ Caly Dupree, like Crahan, three-peated as a COC Tournament champ. Dupree (28-2) pinned Willard’s Ellie Higginbotham in 3:40 in the 155 final.
Nixa 105-pounder Kelsey Watts (31-2) repeated as a tourney champ by pinning Ozark’s Emily Price (34-10) in their title match.
Nixa has two freshmen champions
Nixa’s Ashton Mayes and Abigail Counts claimed championships as freshmen.
Mayes (30-9) won the 110 championship by pinning Ozark’s Katie Hartgraves (22-16) in 3:53 in their title match.
Counts (30-10) won at 125 by pinning Willard’s Adia Hull (26-10) in 3:35 in the final round.
Nixa sophomore Mylee Harper (31-9) captured the 120 championship by pinning Branson’s Daphne Worley (26-7) in their title tilt.
Familiar script for Joplin’s Washom
Ericka Washom continues to be the setter of all standards at Joplin by becoming the Lady Eagles’ first COC champion.
“That’s all she does is make history at Joplin,” coach Jeremy Finley said.
Washom last season became the Lady Eagles’ first state qualifier and later picked up the program’s first win at state.
“It’s really been a progress,” Washom said of the Lady Eagles’ program. “I was (the coaches’) first girl, so they were awkward and weird at first. They didn’t know how to coach girls. Now, we have quite a big team and we’re really good.”
Washom (22-3) won by fall in :47 against Webb City’s Emma Combs (29-8) in the 140 final.
“I thought I had a pretty good chance of taking first,” said Washom, who was third at the COC Tournament last year. “I try to be confident, but not cocky, and keep a level head.”
The tournament ended with Joplin having another champion crowned, as sophomore Ilannah Burtrum won the 235 title.
Burtrum (16-5) pinned Branson’s Natalie Gaytan (17-5) in 3:00 in their title tilt.
Butler wins championship for Neosho
Neosho freshman Melanie Butler pinned Nixa’s Taelor Dorr in 3:58 for the 170 championship.
Afterward, Butler had nothing but praise for Dorr, who opted to compete with an injured shoulder rather than submit an injury default.
“I watched her dislocate her shoulder (in an earlier match), pop it back in place and go back and wrestle. So, I knew she was going to tough it out,” Butler said. “I respect her for that. I’ve watched her wrestle for a couple years and wanted the chance to wrestle her.”
Butler (20-4) is a freshman and Dorr (26-7) is a senior.
Butler has exceeded her expectations.
“I thought I wasn’t going to do very well this season because I’m just a freshman and thought the other girls were going to older and stronger than me,” she said. “I’m proud of myself. I feel like I’ve been doing pretty good. I’m hoping I can place at Districts and make it to State.”
Host Willard has a pair of champions
Willard’s Ashlan Thompson and Harmony Moore won championships on their home mat, with Thompson taking the 135 title and Moore the 190 title.
Moore, a sophomore, is a repeat tourney champ. She upped her record to 30-2 pinning Nixa’s Jesse Nelson (27-11) in 3:23 in their title match.
Thompson (29-4) pinned Nixa’s Ava Frye (33-8) in 1:46 in their title match.
Pair of champions for Ozark
Ozark’s Adilyn Hoelzle won the 100 championship and Emma Tsaruk took the 115 title.
Hoelzle (29-14) won by major decision 12-2 against Webb City’s Hadley White (17-15) in their title tilt.
Tsaruk (25-15) had just one match, with only two 115-pounder in the field. She made quick work of Nixa’s Brooke Chandler (12-17) by pinning her in :26.
