Over the weekend, both of the girls wrestling programs in The Cash-Book Journal’s coverage area had historic finishes in the team’s respective district tournaments.
First up in Class 2 District 1 was the Jackson wrestling team that had not one but three Indians qualify for the state championship tournament that will be held next week. This is the most the Jackson girls will have ever sent to the state tournament.
Making history on her own to become the program’s first two-time district champion was senior Mallorie Metzger (33-2) as she won the 120-pound bracket with ease.
Only one of Metzger’s matches lasted all three periods, which was in the first round in a 16-2 major decision over Lafayette Wildwood junior Mera Flores (5-20). Metzger won her next two matches via pinfall and was able to put Washington junior Ava Griffey’s (39-5) shoulders on the mat with 51 seconds left in the second period.
To claim her second and final district gold medal, Mallorie defeated Seckman senior Emily Palos (34-12) by technical fall at 17-2.
Next week, Metzger will be one of the 16 120-pounders to be competing for the Class 2 State Championship and only four of those wrestlers including Mallorie won a district title this weekend. The other three besides her were Class 2 District 2 Champion Holt senior Lily Steigerwald (27-4), C2D3 Champion Nixa freshman Mylee Harper (35-13) and C2D4 Champion Liberty junior Julia Breeden (24-4).
Joining Metzger at state will be her sister and fellow senior Gracie Metzger (25-6), who fell to the eventual 115-pound district champion Lindbergh junior Audrey Scherer (34-7) by a 5-3 decision in the semifinal round.
Gracie took care of business in the third-place match by beating Rockwood Summit junior Chaire Perks (22-9) via a 16-4 major decision to become a first-time state qualifier. She pinned her first two opponents of districts in under one minute.
The third and final state qualifier for Jackson’s girls wrestling team is senior Kassie Hodges (8-6), whose older sister Kayla was actually the program’s first-ever state qualifier back in 2021.
Kassie’s lone loss of the district tournament was to the 135-pound runner-up in Washington junior Annelise Obermark (41-7) as Hodges was pinned in the first round of the semifinal matchup. Prior to that, Hodges beat Eureka senior Avery McCollum (22-18) by a 10-0 major decision in the quarterfinals.
Kassie had to win her next bout if she wanted to reach state for the first time in her career, and she ended up beating Lindbergh senior Kaylin Homfield (32-18) by one point at 3-2 to reach the third-place match. Hodges took home third place by defeating Marquette junior Mari Blumenthal (24-14) 8-4.
Jackson had two other wrestlers compete in the district tournament as those Indians were 125-pound freshman Mollie Metzger (21-16) and 110-pound junior Josephine Collins (11-24).
Both Metzger and Collins won their first-round matches but fell in the quarterfinals. Mollie lost to Parkway West sophomore Lily Whittenburg (23-14) by pinfall (3:08), while Collins was beaten by Lindbergh senior Natalie Ford (21-16) via pin (2:29).
Collins and Metzger then both lost in their matchups of the consolation bracket for their 2022-23 seasons to come to an end.
Moving to the Class 1 District 1 Tournament, Notre Dame senior Emma Steimle (19-3) made school history by becoming the first girl in program history to qualify for state. Emma did so by taking silver in the 190-pound bracket as she was beaten by North County senior Brooke Bennett (26-4) via a 8-4 decision in the title match.
Steimle received a bye in the first round and pinned both her quarterfinal and semifinal opponents. She pinned St. Pius X senior Sophie Meyer (15-4) 41 seconds into the second period of the semifinal matchup.
Notre Dame 135-pound junior Lily Ahlvin (15-7) had her season end in the consolation semifinals since she had to forfeit the match due to an injury.
Prior to that, Ahlvin beat Festus sophomore Grace Dust (20-22) by a 16-11 decision in the quarterfinals before falling to St. Clair sophomore Jossie Hopkins (35-16) by pinfall in the semifinals.
