Lady Wildcats wrestling runner-up in conference tourney

BY KYLE TROUTMAN ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com

The Cassville girls wrestling team took 13 members to the Big 8 Conference tournament on Jan. 17, and 10 Lady Wildcats brought home a piece of hardware, half for the first time at the varsity level.

Breanna Gordon, at 120 pounds, and Faith James, at 140 pounds, both earned Big 8 championships. 

Runners-up included: Hailey Roark, 145 pounds; Rebekah Fry, 155 pounds; Heather Hall, 190 pounds; and Delight Otto, 235 pounds. 

In third place were: Isabella Bauman, 105 pounds; Jaqueline Cervantes, 115 pounds; Kennedy Truman, 125 pounds; and Saige Holman, 135 pounds.

Rounding out the results, fourth-place finishers included: Riley Stumpff, 100 pounds; Alexis Lopes, 110 pounds; and Elisa Ardos, 170 pounds.

As a team, Cassville finished in second place with 197 points, with Marshfield winning the event with 238.5 points. The Lady Bluejays, who are also in Class 2, District 3 with Cassville, won five gold medals total.

An added recognition, Cassville Coach Nathan Fortner was named 2024 Big 8 Coach of the Year.

“We did really good and wrestled hard,” Fortner said. “We started slow, but as it went on, we got better each match. We are definitely learning and getting better, especially with the young group we’ve got.”

Cassville had a last-minute change in its lineup, as well, as Fortner learned around noon that one wrestler had become ineligible.

“Saige has been a JV wrestler all year behind Faith and Hailey, and they talked before the tournament and Faith and Hailey went up a weight class to let Saige wrestle at 135,” Fortner said. “Faith and Hailey still did really well, and this says a lot about this team and how they sacrifice to help each other out, especially in the conference tournament because it’s highly individual. Hailey probably would’ve won at 140 pounds.”

Of the 10 total medalists, five earned their first at the varsity level, which Fortner was excited to see.

“Isabella wrestled up a weight and won her first medal, and Jacqueline won her first and beat a girl who had beat her previously,” he said. “Saige won her first varsity medal, and she didn’t even know she was going to wrestle. Heather and Delight also won their first in high school, and it was the first ever for Delight.”

Though she has medaled in other tournaments, Gordon won her first gold medal, and Fortner said she also exacted revenge on an opponent that had beaten her previously.

“They are all pretty close and get along really well,” Fortner said. “It’s cool to watch them cheer one another on — they are like a family.”

Fortner said looking ahead, he hopes the Big 8 performance will set the Lady Wildcats up to perform well in the 34-team district tournament, set for Feb. 9-10 in Nevada.

“We’re just taking it one match at a time and hope everything will take care of itself,” he said. “We’ll see what happens come February.”

Fortner said the team hopes Monique Lopez will return from injury, which will give the Lady Wildcats a full slate of 14 wrestlers at districts.

Full results at the Big 8 Conference tournament include:

100: Riley Stumpff (16-17) placed 4th and scored 4.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Averi Dawn (Nevada) 32-5 won by fall over Riley Stumpff (Cassville) 16-17 (Fall 2:47)

• Round 2 – Bianca Dockery (Marshfield) 26-11 won by fall over Riley Stumpff (Cassville) 16-17 (Fall 1:40)

• Round 3 – Ellysia Wasson (McDonald County) 15-8 won by fall over Riley Stumpff (Cassville) 16-17 (Fall 1:13)

105: Isabelle Bauman (20-15) placed 2nd and scored 18.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Isabelle Bauman (Cassville) 20-15 won by fall over McKenzie Lechilder (McDonald County) 6-12 (Fall 1:25)

• Round 2 – Isabelle Bauman (Cassville) 20-15 won by fall over Bayleigh Cruise (Marshfield) 5-9 (Fall 3:50)

• Round 3 – Mary Jastal (Monett) 23-5 won by fall over Isabelle Bauman (Cassville) 20-15 (Fall 0:46)

110: Alexis Lopez (9-14) placed 4th and scored 4.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Carlynn Mynatt (Marshfield) 33-5 won by fall over Alexis Lopez (Cassville) 9-14 (Fall 0:55)

• Round 2 – Sydnee Baldwin (Nevada) 31-5 won by fall over Alexis Lopez (Cassville) 9-14 (Fall 0:46)

• Round 3 – Skylea Sherer (Reeds Spring) 18-16 won by fall over Alexis Lopez (Cassville) 9-14 (Fall 1:26)

115: Jackelin Cervantes (9-16) placed 3rd and scored 9.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Graclyn Hursh (Marshfield) 28-7 won by fall over Jackelin Cervantes (Cassville) 9-16 (Fall 1:38)

• Round 2 – Jackelin Cervantes (Cassville) 9-16 won by decision over McKenzie Callaghan (Nevada) 15-8 (Dec 7-5)

• Round 3 – Jaslyn Benhumea (McDonald County) 9-12 won by major decision over Jackelin Cervantes (Cassville) 9-16 (MD 14-6)

120: Breanna Gordon (24-13) placed 1st and scored 26.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Breanna Gordon (Cassville) 24-13 won by medical forfeit over Brylinn Leer (Nevada) 4-5 (M. For.)

• Round 2 – Breanna Gordon (Cassville) 24-13 won by fall over Natalie Canales (Monett) 1-2 (Fall 0:38)

• Round 3 – Breanna Gordon (Cassville) 24-13 won by fall over Alyxandrea Keifert (Marshfield) 24-6 (Fall 1:16)

125: Kennedy Truman (16-11) placed 3rd and scored 9.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Chloe Bateman (Marshfield) 19-11 won by fall over Kennedy Truman (Cassville) 16-11 (Fall 4:00)

• Round 2 – Kennedy Truman (Cassville) 16-11 won by decision over Case Parnell (Aurora) 13-10 (Dec 10-6)

• Round 3 – Louzella Graham (Seneca) 25-6 won by fall over Kennedy Truman (Cassville) 16-11 (Fall 3:17)

135: Saige Holman (1-2) placed 3rd and scored 11.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Isabella Kilgore (Marshfield) 25-12 won by major decision over Saige Holman (Cassville) 1-2 (MD 17-6)

• Round 2 – Saige Holman (Cassville) 1-2 won by fall over Allie Adair (Logan-Rogersville) 1-15 (Fall 1:13)

• Round 3 – Mallory Wiggans (Nevada) 12-19 won by fall over Saige Holman (Cassville) 1-2 (Fall 4:26)

140: Faith James (36-2) placed 1st and scored 30.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Faith James (Cassville) 36-2 won by fall over Payton Boyce (Marshfield) 24-12 (Fall 1:41)

• Round 2 – Faith James (Cassville) 36-2 won by fall over Jasmine Koehler (Aurora) 7-6 (Fall 0:22)

• Round 4 – Faith James (Cassville) 36-2 won by fall over LeAndra Shotts (Nevada) 16-9 (Fall 0:44)

• Round 5 – Faith James (Cassville) 36-2 won by fall over Macie Smith (McDonald County) 7-14 (Fall 0:33)

145: Hailey Roark (24-6) placed 2nd and scored 22.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Hailey Roark (Cassville) 24-6 won by fall over Allison Olson (Nevada) 15-17 (Fall 1:10)

• Round 2 – Kierstin Allen (Reeds Spring) 34-4 won by fall over Hailey Roark (Cassville) 24-6 (Fall 1:02)

• Round 4 – Hailey Roark (Cassville) 24-6 won by fall over Stacy Lopez-Apolinar (McDonald County) 11-11 (Fall 3:20)

• Round 5 – Hailey Roark (Cassville) 24-6 won by fall over Sarah Wilson (Marshfield) 35-8 (Fall 4:31)

155: Rebekah Fry (23-12) placed 2nd and scored 24.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Rebekah Fry (Cassville) 23-12 won by fall over Melissa Barnett (Aurora) 3-10 (Fall 0:49)

• Round 3 – Rebekah Fry (Cassville) 23-12 won by fall over Lindsey Keithley (Reeds Spring) 16-20 (Fall 3:11)

• Round 5 – Rebekah Fry (Cassville) 23-12 won by fall over Abygail Spencer (Marshfield) 17-9 (Fall 3:35)

• 1st Place Match – Ella Heathman (Nevada) 29-8 won by decision over Rebekah Fry (Cassville) 23-12 (Dec 7-4)

170: Elisa Ardos (18-18) placed 4th and scored 8.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Blaiklee Cagle (Reeds Spring) 33-5 won by fall over Elisa Ardos (Cassville) 18-18 (Fall 0:26)

• Round 3 – Elisa Ardos (Cassville) 18-18 won by fall over Alexyia Sullivan (Monett) 9-20 (Fall 1:52)

• Round 4 – Isabella Whitlock (Marshfield) 31-6 won by fall over Elisa Ardos (Cassville) 18-18 (Fall 1:20)

• Round 5 – Morgan Barber (Seneca) 8-12 won by fall over Elisa Ardos (Cassville) 18-18 (Fall 1:27)

190: Heather Hall (8-5) placed 2nd and scored 22.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Heather Hall (Cassville) 8-5 won by fall over Jennifer Aguilar (Nevada) 6-13 (Fall 1:44)

• Round 2 – Heather Hall (Cassville) 8-5 won by fall over Gisel Aragon (McDonald County) 10-3 (Fall 3:52)

• Round 3 – Isabella Renfro (Seneca) 28-0 won by fall over Heather Hall (Cassville) 8-5 (Fall 1:23)

• Round 4 – Heather Hall (Cassville) 8-5 won by medical forfeit over Kaylee Mastroianni (Logan-Rogersville) 6-11 (M. For.)

• Round 5 – Gracelyn Bull (Marshfield) 21-12 won by decision over Heather Hall (Cassville) 8-5 (Dec 1-0)

235: Delight Otto (6-8) placed 2nd and scored 10.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Drew Leer (Nevada) 25-5 won by fall over Delight Otto (Cassville) 6-8 (Fall 0:24)

• Round 2 – Drew Leer (Nevada) 25-5 won by fall over Delight Otto (Cassville) 6-8 (Fall 1:04)