By Pat Dailey (For OzarkSportsZone.com)
COLUMBIA — Nixa and Lebanon were locked in an exceptionally tight race with Francis Howell Central for the team championship at the Class 2 Girls State Tournament over the weekend, with Francis Howell Central narrowly edging the Lady Eagles and Lady Yellowjackets.
The three teams finished separated by a point Saturday, with Francis Howell Central totaling 125.5 points, Nixa 125 and Lebanon 124.5.
“That’s crazy, it was pretty exciting,” Nixa 155-pound champion Cali Dupree said. “The energy level was super high the entire tournament.”
Pair of Lady Eagles crowned state champions
Dupree captured her first state championship to cap her 40-2 junior season, after medaling as both a freshman and sophomore.
She pinned Washington’s Maggie Ortmann (51-5) in 3:08 in their title tilt. A year ago, they met in the quarterfinal round, with Dupree winning by fall in the first period.
Same result, but that’s about where the similarities end, Dupree noted.
“We are completely different wrestlers than we were last year,” Dupree said. “This was definitely more of a technical match. You had to slow it down a bit, while still working hard.”
Nixa’s Brenya Crahan completed an undefeated senior season by capturing the 145-pound championship with a 6-3 win against Rockwood Summit’s Madeline Haynes (33-2).
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With a 52-0 record, Crahan topped the Class 2 field in victories.
The three-time champion was thankful to receive a strong challenge from Haynes. Crahan won by decision only three times all season, with all her other wins being pins or forfeits.
“It means more winning that way versus wrestling against somebody not worth anything,” Crahan said. “I wrestled cautious and smart, not wanting to give up any free points.”
With a 186-5 career record, Crahan is Nixa’s all-time winningest wrestler.
The Lady Eagles had four finalists. Kelsey Watts (43-3) was a runner-up at 115 and Addison Harkins (49-6) was second at 130.
Trio of champions for Lebanon
Lebanon’s champions include Jessa Joiner (48-0) at 115, Halea Bartel (40-7) at 130 and Mariyah Brumley (39-0) at 190.
Joiner topped her perfect junior season by pinning Francis Howell’s Kenadee McDowell (42-5) in 4:53.
“When I started (wrestling), I never thought I would go undefeated,” Joiner said. “I wrestle a lot of people I know can beat me. I know I still need to get better to beat them because they’re getting better.”
Bartel pinned McDowell in the first period at the Kansas City Stampede earlier this season and nearly put her on her back at the end of the first period this time around.
“I was hoping for it and was super close to it,” she said. “But at the same time, I wasn’t hoping for it so I could get my mat time and work.”
Joiner is 171-4 for her career.
Brumley (39-0) also won by fall to finish off an undefeated senior season and repeat as champion. She pinned Oak Park’s Kendall Angelo (40-15) in 2:23.
Bartel staged a somewhat improbable championship run, given that she finished third at districts. But she’s a four-time medalist and this was her second appearance in the finals, after being a runner-up as a freshman three years ago.
“It’s been a rough three years, and I was a little worried how this season was going,” Bartel said. “I was losing to people I shouldn’t have been losing to. I’m very thankful I got to be back in the finals my senior year. This feels fantastic.”
Bartel defeated Nixa’s Addison Harkins (49-6) 7-3. They have met three times, with Bartel winning twice. Earlier this season at the Wonder Woman Tournament, Harkins beat Bartel 4-2.
“If I’m being honest, I feel like she was a little stronger than me,” Bartel said. “But I had started working harder in practice to get my endurance up and that’s what won me this match. With me working harder, I had endurance left in the tank. It sounded like she was breathing pretty heavily.
“I was a little nervous going into this because of how Wonder Woman ended up,” she added. “But I knew I should have done better at the Wonder Woman. I was tired during that tournament and knew I had to build up my endurance.”
Class 2 Medal Round Results
105 – First Place – Sandy Breeden (Liberty) 42-2, So. over Kelsey Watts (Nixa) 43-3, Sr. (SV-1 9-4)
105 – Third Place – Lillian Cottongim (Lebanon) 38-8, Sr. over Paige Tihen (Ft. Zumwalt South) 37-9, So. (MD 13-0)
110 – Third Place – Abigail Fuglsang (Camdenton) 45-1, Jr. over Jaidyn Pohlsander (Central (Springfield)) 32-9, Jr. (MD 9-1)
110 – Fifth Place – Jaden Breeden (Liberty) 47-7, Sr. over Ashton Mayes (Nixa) 36-14, Fr. (Fall 0:55)
115 – First Place – Jessa Joiner (Lebanon) 48-0, Jr. over Kenadee Mcdowell (Francis Howell) 42-5, Fr. (Fall 4:53)
130 – First Place – Halea Bartel (Lebanon) 40-7, Sr. over Addison Harkins (Nixa) 49-6, So. (Dec 7-3)
135 – Fifth Place – Ashlan Thompson (Willard) 40-6, Sr. over Bailey Bridges (Francis Howell) 25-8, Jr. (Dec 3-1)
140 – Fifth Place – Alexis Dunwiddie (Jefferson City) 33-6, Jr. over Ericka Washom (Joplin) 31-7, Sr. (Dec 3-1)
145 – First Place – Brenya Crahan (Nixa) 52-0, Sr. over Madeline Haynes (Rockwood Summit) 33-2, Jr. (Dec 6-3)
145 – Fifth Place – Serenity Tilford (Rolla) 38-9, Jr. over Caraline Klump (Farmington) 29-12, Sr. (Fall 2:46)
155 – First Place – Calyese Dupree (Nixa) 40-2, Jr. over Maggie Ortmann (Washington) 51-5, Jr. (Fall 3:08)
155 – Third Place – Dana Thee Sanchez (Francis Howell Central) 40-5, Jr. over Kalyn Brumley (Lebanon) 33-14, So. (Dec 5-4)
155 – Fifth Place – Ellie Higginbotham (Willard) 44-12, Fr. over Maria Ignatova (Ft. Zumwalt West) 36-12, Sr. (Dec 2-1)
170 – Third Place – Mckenzie Moffet (Waynesville) 37-5, Sr. over Melanie Butler (Neosho) 30-7, Fr. (Dec 5-0)
170 – Fifth Place – Emily Brixey (Willard) 34-13, Fr. over Paige Strauch (North Kansas City) 36-8, Jr. (Dec 5-3)
190 – First Place – Mariyah Brumley (Lebanon) 39-0, Sr. over Kendall Angelo (Oak Park) 40-15, So. (Fall 2:23)
235 – Third Place – Clara Rathmann (Camdenton) 21-1, Sr. over Aaliyah Grammer (Lafayette) 34-7, Jr. (Dec 3-0)
