The hard work and dedication of the girls' wrestling team paid off this season as Wright City High School sent four to the state tournament.
All four Wright City wrestlers placed in the top 8 in the state. Lizzy will receive all-state honors for placing 3rd.
Head Coach Fredrick Ross and the state-bound wrestlers specialized their practices leading up to the state tournament.
“We focused more on specialized techniques and the moves that they like to use. So we really focused on those to try and prepare them,” Ross said when asked how they switched up practices before state, if at all. The specialized practices led to great results at the state level.
Senior Sam Yates led the team off at state, taking the mat in the first round just after noon. Unfortunately, she lost in the first round by points in a 5-14 loss, which sent her to wrestlebacks to fight her way back into the tournament.
Sophomore Kali Jensen and Senior Lizzy Riggs both won their opening rounds by pin, advancing them in the bracket. Sophomore Sadie Sehnert fell in her opening round to Odessa.
Soon after Yates won her first round of wrestlebacks by pin, Jensen lost in her second round by pin. After that, Sehnert returned from behind in her first round of wrestlebacks pinning her opponent.
Riggs won her second round, advancing her further. Yates, Jensen, and Sehnert all lost in their second round of wrestlebacks, officially ending their seasons. Riggs went on to lose but wrestled her way back and ended her season with an 11-9 win, placing third in the state.
“Everybody got a win, which is big,” Ross said. They all finished at least top 8 in the state. Then Lizzy finished 3rd, so she’s all-state at 125 pounds.”
This year is the first time in Wright City history that five girls finished the season with 30 or more wins.
The team departed Wright City High School on Wednesday, Feb. 21, and began their trip to Columbia. Missouri University-Columbia hosts the state tournament every year.