Fairfield and Pekin girls wrestling teams competed Monday night, January 12th, at Ottumwa High School as the final event of a week-long wrestling extravaganza. After boys high schoolers competed in a two-day tournament on Friday and Saturday, and youth wrestlers took over on Sunday, the high school girls closed out the festivities on Monday.
Host Ottumwa dominated the 18-team field with 224.5 points, while East Buchanan finished second with 136 points and Sigourney-Keota placed third with 127.5 points. Pekin finished seventh with 77.5 points, and Fairfield took twelfth with 57 points.
Neither team fielded a complete lineup. Fairfield was missing key wrestlers Aislinn Wise and Bailey Belzer, while Pekin competed without Ivory Small and Alyvia Traner.
Team Standings
- Ottumwa – 224.5
- East Buchanan – 136
- Sigourney-Keota – 127.5
- Davis County – 113
- North Mahaska – 104.5
- Albia – 85
- Pekin – 77.5
- Centerville – 76.5
- Cardinal – 68.5
- EBF – 67
- Chariton – 58.5
- Fairfield – 57
- Clarke – 51
- Lone Tree – 43
- Keokuk – 34
- Moravia – 10
- WACO – 7
- Earlham – 0
Fairfield Results
Sam Lyons – 1st Place (170 pounds)
Top-seeded Sam Lyons continued her absolute dominance with another jaw-dropping performance. After winning three matches at North Mahaska by a combined 56 seconds, Lyons decided to one-up herself at Ottumwa.
She pinned her first opponent in just 11 seconds, followed that with a 20-second fall, and completed her championship run with another 11-second pin. Her three victories took a combined 42 seconds—even faster than her previous tournament’s 56-second total. The junior remains one of the most dominant wrestlers in the state.
Kendra Allison – 2nd Place (235 pounds)
Second-seeded Kendra Allison earned runner-up honors at 235 pounds. Allison opened with a 53-second first-period fall before facing adversity in her second match. After being taken down and trailing 5-5, her opponent secured a reversal and got the pin in the second period at 3:35. In the championship match, Allison fell by first-period fall in 55 seconds.
June Connor – 5th Place (105 pounds)
Seventh-seeded June Connor battled her way to fifth place with a gutsy performance at 105 pounds. After receiving a bye and losing by first-period fall, Connor bounced back with a first-period pin at 1:39 after building a 12-5 lead.
She lost a close third-period match at 4:47 where she trailed 11-8, coming close to winning in the first period with a takedown and near fall but couldn’t finish. In the fifth-place match, Connor pulled off an upset over third-seeded Emmalyn Chounlamany of Ottumwa with a dramatic third-period fall. After trailing 10-4, Connor scored seven straight points to take an 11-10 lead before securing the pin.
Other Fairfield Results
Kensley Fligg, seeded eighth at 115 pounds, went 0-2 on the night, losing by technical fall in both matches. Bekah Zirkle competed at 105 pounds and also went 0-2, losing both matches by first-period fall.
Pekin Results
Lexa Nelson – 2nd Place (110 pounds)
Top-seeded Lexa Nelson, still battling illness, fought through to a second-place finish at 110 pounds. After receiving a bye, Nelson dominated her semifinal match with a first-period fall at 1:53 after building an 11-2 lead. However, she medically forfeited the championship match, choosing not to wrestle due to not feeling well enough to compete.
Hailey Pedrick – 2nd Place (145 pounds)
Second-seeded Hailey Pedrick earned runner-up honors at 145 pounds. The senior received a bye before destroying her first opponent with a 23-second first-period fall. She followed with a 57-second first-period pin before falling in the championship match by first-period fall at 1:14.
Rylee Frye – 3rd Place (190 pounds)
Second-seeded Rylee Frye claimed third place at 190 pounds with an impressive showing. Frye opened with a lightning-quick 32-second first-period fall before losing to the eventual champion by first-period fall at 1:11. She rebounded with an 18-second first-period pin and secured third place with a 27-second first-period fall.
Bree Earnest – 6th Place (115 pounds)
Bree Earnest, wrestling up from her usual 105-pound weight class and seeded sixteenth at 115 pounds, earned sixth place. After losing her opener by first-period fall, Earnest rallied with a 37-second first-period pin over tenth-seeded Lillian Bishop of North Mahaska. She followed with a dominant 19-2 technical fall in the third period over sixth-seeded Gracee Wade of EBF. Earnest lost by second-period fall and then dropped the fifth-place match by second-period fall at 2:48.
Lila Miller – 6th Place (125 pounds)
Second-seeded Lila Miller placed sixth at 125 pounds despite winning her first two matches. Miller opened with back-to-back first-period falls in 54 and 53 seconds. However, she lost by second-period fall at 3:15 and then was forced to medically forfeit her next two matches, ultimately finishing sixth.
Ella Rose – 5th Place (155 pounds)
Fourth-seeded Ella Rose took fifth at 155 pounds after going 0-4 in matches. She lost a close 16-10 decision in her opener, then dropped a tight second-period fall at 3:46 after leading 13-10. Rose lost two more matches by first-period fall to finish fifth.
Other Pekin Results
Autumn Coleman competed at 120 pounds and went 0-2, losing both matches by fall. Reece Brisby wrestled at 130 pounds and also went 0-2, losing both by first-period fall.
Coach’s Perspective
Pekin girls wrestling head coach Jeff Follman reflected on the challenging tournament and his team’s resilience.
“The team faced another challenging tournament tonight, competing against strong opponents, including several teams we’ve not seen before. Getting that new competition is valuable as we continue to grow and measure ourselves throughout the season. Our main focus right now remains staying healthy and avoiding injuries. We are dealing with some bumps and bruises, but we are hopeful there are no long-term injuries coming out of the night.”
On his team’s podium finishers:
“Hailey had a strong performance, battling through tough competition to earn a second-place finish. Rylee also had a great night, finishing third. And with Lexa getting a second place finish. Overall, six of our wrestlers placed, which speaks to the continued effort and progress of this group.”
Looking ahead:
“We will get back to practice, keep working hard, and continue focusing on getting better each day. I’m especially excited for Senior Night on Thursday, as our senior girls truly deserve to be recognized for their dedication and commitment to the program.”
Moving Forward
Both teams continue to gain valuable mat time against quality competition as the postseason approaches. Fairfield’s Sam Lyons remains one of the state’s most dominant wrestlers, while Pekin’s depth showed with six place finishers despite dealing with illness and competing without a full lineup.
Pekin will celebrate Senior Night on Thursday, January 15th as they honor the dedication and commitment of their senior wrestlers who have helped build the program. Fairfield will be back in action on Tuesday, January 13th at Oskaloosa.
Photography courtesy of Rylie Nelson.
