Lady Bulldogs channel warrior spirit at Wonder Woman Tournament

COLUMBIA, Mo.  —Sikeston’s girls wrestling team battled through one of the state’s toughest fields at the Wonder Woman Tournament, finishing 62nd out of 83 teams at Battle High School. Despite the challenging competition, several wrestlers earned hard-fought wins and valuable experience on the mat.

Ellie Douglass led the Lady Bulldogs’ effort in the 100-pound division. Douglass opened her tournament with a decisive pin over St. Charles West’s Lindsey Sanchez-Ayala at one minute and 54 seconds. She followed by catching Eureka’s Iris Richardson in a quick fall, finishing the match in just 33 seconds.

Douglass later faced Edwardsville’s Emma Rogers, ultimately dropping a 13-4 major decision.

In the consolation rounds, Douglass continued to grind through tough competition. She controlled the tempo against Canton’s LT Diephuis for a 7-3 decision before pinning Fort Zumwalt North’s Kate Cochran in 2:30. Douglass’s tournament run concluded in the next round with a loss by fall to Hillsboro’s Nico Brooks at 2:07, capping a strong showing in a stacked bracket.

At 155 pounds, Shanell Williams made an impact with a series of dynamic matches. She opened with a dominant technical fall, outscoring Roxana’s Emma Gischer 17-2 in 5:27. Williams kept the momentum going, pinning Park Hill South’s Marlie McNerney in 3:23. Her run toward the championship halted in the next round, where Belton’s Dreya Scherfenberg secured an opening-period fall.

Williams bounced back in the consolation rounds, making quick work of Blue Springs South’s Halle Goodrich with a pin at 1:16. However, she fell to Bixby’s Gracie Cooper in the next round after getting pinned late in the match.

Sikeston’s other competitors also battled hard throughout the tournament. At 130 pounds, Charlie Torres received a bye in the first round but was defeated in the second round by Lucy Ullery of North Point in a quick fall. In the consolation bracket, Torres faced Emma Gardner from St. Charles West but was again pinned, this time at 4:06.

Mackenzie Mason (125 pounds) started her tournament with a tough loss to Megan Vasquez from Olathe Northwest, who pinned her at 1:34. In her second match, Mason was again pinned, this time by Dannica Hassler from Hallsville at 1:48.

Michaiahes Mays (190 pounds) received a bye in the first round but was quickly pinned in the second round by Yisel Perez of Waynesville in 0:13. Mays faced Atiana Atkins from Clarksville High School in the consolation round, where she was pinned again at 0:43.

Demi Wren (120 pounds) was pinned by Mallori Edwards from Eldon at 1:54 in the first round. In the consolation round, Wren faced Kailyn Parsons from Francis Howell Central but was again pinned at 1:55.

At 170 pounds, Emma Franco’s tournament started with a quick loss to Sonora Reece from Broken Arrow, who pinned her in just 0:57. Franco received a bye in the first consolation round but was pinned by Ariel Thomas from Central (Park Hills) at 2:58 in the second consolation round.

In the 235-pound division, Dayten Owens received a bye in the first round and faced Amiona Errasti from St. Clair in the second round, where she was pinned at 2:58. Owens bounced back in the consolation bracket, defeating Ella Chavez from Kearney with a fall at 2:47. However, Owens’ tournament ended in the next round with a 1:56 fall against Gwen Hillermann from Washington.

Sikeston will return to action at Poplar Bluff on Jan. 8.