Lady Wildcat wrestlers show up, show out at Sullivan

Staff Report

Mount Vernon’s four individual champions combined for a 19-0 record at the Sullivan Fall Brawl, winning 17 matches by pin, one by technical fall and one by major decision Saturday, Nov. 7.

Those unbeaten performances by Paislee Hoehn, Justice Stillwagoner, Mariyah Buchanan and Ellie O’Neil helped the Wildcats finish second among 25 teams with 201.5 points, trailing Southridge’s 232.

The results were particularly significant given Mount Vernon’s inexperienced lineup. Nine of the 14 wrestlers competing for coach Ashton Forzley were freshmen, including half of the team’s six top-three finishers.

Stillwagoner, a junior, was especially efficient at 120 pounds, pinning all five opponents in a combined 3:43. Her first three matches lasted a total of 1:31: she pinned Washington’s Jessa Boger in 31 seconds, Southridge’s Kaydence Hobert in 29 seconds and Bloomington North’s Eisley Porter in 31 seconds. She followed with a 1:22 fall over Terre Haute North Vigo’s Lylee Kraemer before pinning Southridge’s Morgandy Esparza-Humbert in 50 seconds for the title.

Hoehn, a sophomore, opened her 110-pound run with four straight pins, beating Washington’s Morgan Farley, Bloomington North’s Nayeli Pioquinto, Borden’s Ashton Conley and Owen Valley’s Katarina Reuter. She closed with a 17-1 technical fall over Southridge’s Marcella Valenciano in 2:21 to claim the championship.

Buchanan, a junior, pinned her first four opponents at 130 pounds before taking the title with a 16-6 major decision over Southridge’s Kori Hunefeld. Her first two pins required a combined 49 seconds. Buchanan defeated Bloomington North’s Maddilyn VanMeter in 32 seconds and Southridge’s Zoey Vaal in 17 seconds. She then pinned Carmel’s Olivia House in 1:18 and South Putnam’s Hannah Woodall in 42 seconds. Hunefeld was the only wrestler who avoided a pin against her.

O’Neil, a freshman, completed the four-title performance with four pins at 135 pounds, three of them in 1:30 or less. She opened by pinning North Posey’s Chazlynn Rexing in 30 seconds and teammate Maddie Hargrove in 29 seconds, then pinned Southridge’s Autumn Wiscaver in 1:30. She sealed the championship with a 3:26 fall over Bloomington North’s Alexzandria Burns, finishing her first high school tournament unbeaten.

Freshmen Liberty Buchanan and Reese Collins added eight wins between them. Buchanan placed second at 105 pounds and Collins finished third at 140.

Liberty Buchanan dropped her opener to eventual 105-pound champion Emma Ellis of Terre Haute North Vigo, then won four straight by pin. She pinned South Putnam’s Lilly Elliott in 32 seconds, Jasper’s Mya Hidalgo in 30 seconds, Pike Central’s Sophia Goodrich in 41 seconds and Jasper’s Rachel Carpenter in 36 seconds. Those four falls totaled 2:19.

Collins went 4-1 at 140 pounds, reaching the semifinals before falling to Carmel’s Laila Mack by an 11-2 major decision. She rebounded with a 1-0 victory over North Posey’s Bree Mauck for third place.

Her earlier victories included pins against Terre Haute North Vigo’s Llewella Hampton and South Vermillion’s Savannah Scott, along with an 8-3 decision over Jasper’s Madison Morales.

Hargrove placed fifth at 135 pounds with three pins, closing with consecutive falls over Southridge’s Ellie Mullins and Evansville North’s Terryiae Hill.

Baylee Stallings finished sixth at 115 pounds, Maliya Brothers placed eighth at 125 and Hadley Breeze took 11th at 120. Emma Jade Brenner and Aryann Greathouse each placed 14th, while Jaylie Denning and Ellie Meinschein finished 17th.