The Pekin girls and boys wrestling teams competed at a quadrangular meet hosted by Davis County on Monday, January 5th, with the girls winning two of three duals while the boys faced challenges with a smaller lineup.
Girls Results
The Pekin girls went 2-1 in dual competition, defeating Cardinal 45-18 and Moravia 54-6 while falling to Davis County 48-24.
Pekin 45, Cardinal 18
Bree Earnest (105) defeated Malery McFarland by fall in the second period after building an 8-2 advantage. Lexa Nelson (110) wrestled up a weight class due to Cardinal not having a 110-pound wrestler and won a hard-fought 13-11 decision over Kendall Birk after the full six minutes.
Lila Miller (125), Carly Clubb (190), Ivory Small (135), and Rylee Frye (235) all won by forfeit. Hailey Pedrick (140) pinned Avery Countryman in the second period after taking a 9-2 lead. Ella Rose (145) defeated Reagan Vaughn and Autumn Coleman (120) fell to Autumn Sertterh in the second period.
Davis County 48, Pekin 24
Lila Miller (125) provided a highlight with a 50-second pin of Isabelle Henderson. Hailey Pedrick (145) won by fall in the first period over Ashlyn Olinger. Ella Rose (155) won by forfeit. Rylee Frye (235) dominated Alexandria Morrow with a 35-second pin.
Bree Earnest (105) fell to Lydia DeKraai in the first period. Alyvia Traner (120) lost to Adalyn Hobbs by fall in the second period. Ivory Small (135) dropped her match to Noelle Hill by fall in the first period. Carly Clubb (190) fell to Myah VanLaningham in the first period.
Pekin 54, Moravia 6
The Panthers dominated Moravia with seven forfeit victories for Bree Earnest, Lexa Nelson, Alyvia Traner, Autumn Coleman, Ivory Small, Hailey Pedrick, and Carly Clubb.
Lila Miller (130) won by fall in the first period over Kenna Spencer. Rylee Frye (190) defeated Bristal Dowdy by fall in the first period. Frye didn’t surrender a single point in her two matches throughout the evening.
Ella Rose (155) fell to Breegan Ellison in the first period.
Boys Results
The Pekin boys fell in all three duals, losing to Cardinal 48-18, Davis County 60-21, and Moravia 54-6.
Cardinal 48, Pekin 18
Zachary Doud (144) won by fall in the first period over Tyler Keasling. Hunter Chapman (165) recorded a quick 17-second pin of Tristen Burk. Landon Crow (157) won by forfeit.
Gabe Gentry (132) and Brantyn Sieren (285) both fell in the first period.
Davis County 60, Pekin 21
Gabe Gentry (132) earned a 10-5 decision over Calvin Williams. Zachary Doud (144) won by fall in the third period over Jaiven Jacob. Landon Crow (157) and Brantyn Sieren (285) both won by forfeit.
Hunter Chapman (165) fell to Svend Skaggs in the first period.
Moravia 54, Pekin 6
Landon Crow (157) provided the lone victory with a first-period pin of Jayden Hatfield.
Gabe Gentry (132) fell to Tripp VanZante in the first period. Zachary Doud (144) lost to William Kok in the third period. Hunter Chapman (165) and Brantyn Sieren (285) both fell in the first period.
Coaches’ Perspectives
Girls Head Coach Jeff Follman was pleased with his team’s performance and improvement.
“I was really pleased with our performance last night. We picked up two dual wins and showed improvement coming off Saturday,” Follman said. “As we prepare for Friday at Highland, our focus is on getting better each day and staying healthy.”
Boys Head Coach Aaron Deutsch praised his team’s effort despite competing with a limited lineup.
“Every one of our wrestlers competes hard and shows a lot of heart. With a small lineup, there’s nowhere to hide, and these kids embraced that challenge throughout the year. They’re gaining experience, improving each match, and representing our program the right way. We are proud of the effort they give on the mat,” Deutsch said.
Deutsch emphasized the developmental benefits of the smaller roster.
“Having a smaller group has allowed us to focus heavily on individual development, accountability, and building a strong team culture,” Deutsch said.
He stressed that results don’t tell the whole story.
“Numbers don’t always tell the full story. These athletes are competing hard and laying the foundation for the future of our program. We’re proud of their effort and the progress they continue to make each week,” Deutsch said.
The girls will be back in action at Highland on January 9th, and the boys will be back the following day on Saturday, January 10th at North Mahaska.
Photography courtesy of Rylie Nelson.
