Jefferson City junior Lexi Dunwiddie is halfway to her goal of repeating as a state champion after Day 1 of the Class 2 girls wrestling state championships at Mizzou Arena in Columbia.
After winning the Class 1 state title at 130 pounds last season, Dunwiddie began the Class 2 140-pound bracket with two wins Friday.
“That was it for Day 1 when we had our meetings with captains. She blatantly said, ‘Coach, wherever I go, 30, 35, 40, I want to be in the finals and I want to win another one,’” Jefferson City coach Darrell Luebbert said. “It’s been a long time since Jeff City has had a back-to-back state champion and she wants to do that.”
Dunwiddie began her tournament run with a second-period pin (3:26) of Emily McGlasson of Kirkwood in the first round.
She then clinched her third state medal in as many seasons, becoming the first Lady Jays to medal three times, with a 10-1 win by major decision against Brylee James of Nixa in the quarterfinals.
Dunwiddie (32-4) will square off with Washington’s Annelise Obermark (49-2) in the semifinals, which are set to begin at 10:15 a.m. today.
“We are going to have to study the film and figure out what we can do,” Luebbert said. “It’s going to be a real tough match, but Lexi is wrestling really well and hopefully she can come out on top.”
Junior Kyla Finney advanced to Day 2 for the second consecutive year at 190 after winning two of her three matches Friday.
Finney began the day with a win by decision (3-1) against North Kansas City’s Stephen Thomas before dropping into the consolation bracket with a loss by fall (1:46) against Zoe Freeman of Poplar Bluff.
Finney kept her season alive with a 6-2 win by decision against Shyla Reid of Webster Groves.
Finney (36-11) will wrestle against Lexington Johnson (32-2) of McCluer North in the bubble round today, needing one win to secure a second consecutive state medal.
Finney finished sixth in Class 1 at 190 last season but has her sights set higher as she enters the final day today.
“In my meetings with her that is what she talked about, she wants to be a couple steps higher,” Luebbert said. “As soon as she lost, she came off the mat she said, ‘Coach, I know what I have to do. I can’t be a state champion but third is still in sight. Let’s keep going.’”
Freshman Samara Nyatanga was the final Jefferson City wrestler to take the mats Friday at 235 pounds.
Nyatanga picked up her first victory at the state tournament but had her season end after finishing 1-2.
She started with a second-period pin (3:08) of Joplin’s Ilannah Burton in the first round before losing by fall (1:25) against Jayden Moehle of Grandview in the quarterfinals.
Nyatanga’s season came to an end after being pinned in 4:35 by Kamauri Fowler of Rockwood Summit in second-round wrestlebacks.
She finished her freshman season with a 21-13 record after not having any wrestling experience coming into the season.
“Freshman that never wrestled before a day in her life, comes out in October and we told her she’d be wrestling at state. She didn’t believe us and she’s here,” Luebbert said. “… Her just getting a win is great.”