Kahok girls wrestle against the best in the Midwest
by Mark Jurgena
When you have a 58-team event over a Holiday break you know you are going against some of the best.
The Wonder Women wrestling tournament at Columbia, Mo. (Battle) is that event.
Collinsville sent three wrestlers to the event on Jan. 4 with Taylor Dawson bringing back a runner-up finish at 140 lbs.
Dawson, who won the Wonder Women title last year at 130, beat wrestlers from three states none of which was Illinois.
This year she fell in the finals to Louise Juitt of Belton, Mo. by a pin at the 4:55 mark. Juitt is the number three ranked wrestler in the nation at 140 pounds and is now 25-0.
Prior to the title match, she beat Navaeh Smith of Cottleville, Mo. (Francis Howell Central) in the semifinals by a 15-6 major decision.
The quarterfinals saw her beat Kyra Hains of Lincoln, Neb. (East) by a pin at the 1:55 mark while opening the tournament with a tech fall over Jacee Cox of Clarksville, Tenn.
Tasheiya Taylor went 3-2 at the tourney facing wrestlers from Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma.
She beat Kalee Holt of the host school by a pin at 26 seconds before falling to Jay’la Ford of Bixby, Okla. after a pin at the 4:24 mark.
She bounced back with a pin over Grace Dust of Festus, Mo. at the 2:29 mark then pinned Riley Roblyer of Broken Arrow, Okla. at 2:17.
Her tourney ended after falling to Sevyn Donovan of Shawnee Mission, Kan. (South) by a tech fall.
Freshman Londyn Long went 4-2 at 125 in her first appearance at the prestigious event.
She beat Muryn Wallace of St. Charles, Mo. by a major decision before pinning Dannica Hassler of Hallsville, Mo. by a pin at 2:55.
Long won a major decision over Jennifer Lopez-Alvarado of North Kansas City, Mo. before beating Addilyn Masters of Shawnee Mission South by a 12-7 decision.
She dropped her opening and final matches of the event.
Anna Bowles of St. Charles (Francis Howell) pinned her at the 4:27 mark while Kyah Lebya of Broken Arrow, Okla. ended her tourney with a pin at 2:34.
Kahok Addyson Bailey went 2-2 in the 130-pound class.
She won her opening match by pinning Kendra Baker of Park Hills, Mo. (Central) at the 1:32 mark then beat Madalyn Riegert of Festus by a pin at 1:21.
Bailey was pinned by Kinnley Smith of Canton (Illinois) then lost by a tech fall to Alyxandrea Keifert of Marshfield, Mo.
Claire Dudley won one match at 105 by pinning Gracie Shaw of Washington, Mo. at the 1:24 mark.
Emma Ford also competed for the Kahoks.
In the team standings, Broken Arrow took the championship with 230.5 points to beat Bixby by 62 points.
Collinsville finished in a tie for 33rd place with Olathe, Kan. (North) with 60.5 points.
Wonder Women Notes
Freshman Chloe Skiles of Roxana won the 105-pound class at the event with Highland’s August Rottmann took second at 170.
Upcoming Schedule
Collinsville will compete in the Southwestern Conference tournament on Friday before traveling to Lafayette, Mo. for the Fred Ross Girls Wrestling Invite at Lafayette High School.
