The Van Buren County girls wrestling team finished fifth at the Bill Rex Girls Wrestling Invitational on Friday, December 5th, earning one silver medal and four bronze medals in the 12-team competition. Burlington claimed the team title with 158 points, while the Warriors totaled 122.5 points.
Team Standings
Burlington topped the field with 158 points, followed by North Mahaska (157), Sigourney-Keota (134), Pekin (126.5), Van Buren County (122.5), Davis County (121), Chariton (89), Fairfield (79), Cardinal (69.5), Lone Tree (60), Washington (51), and Moravia (46).
Van Buren County Results
The Warriors crowned five medalists in a strong team performance.
Jacqueline Singer (105) took second place after receiving a first-round bye. She won her next two matches convincingly before falling in the championship bout.
Brystol Wiley (110) also earned runner-up honors, dominating her first match 13-1 and winning her second before dropping a hard-fought final to Pekin’s Lexa Nelson.
Rory Philips (100) captured third place in dramatic fashion. After losing her opener and receiving a bye, she won her next match before delivering a stunning comeback in the third-place bout, earning a pin after trailing 5-13.
Hadley Noe (135) took third place after defeating Pekin’s Ivory Small in the opening round. Following a loss in her second match, she won two straight bouts to claim bronze.
Teagan Sickels (170) also earned third place, losing her opener before reeling off three consecutive victories, including a dominant 18-0 decision in the third-place match.
Mallory Brauns (105) finished fourth after receiving a first-round bye. She lost her second match, received another bye, then defeated Fairfield’s June Connor. After winning her fifth match, she fell to Pekin’s Bree Earnest in the third-place bout.
Rylee Caviness (125) also took fourth place. After a first-round bye, she defeated Pekin’s Autumn Coleman before losing her third match. She rebounded with a win in her fourth match but fell in the third-place bout.
Lexie Wiley (140) earned fifth place after receiving a bye, losing her second match, and getting another bye. She defeated Pekin’s Brinley Phillips 7-1 before losing her fifth match and winning the fifth-place bout.
Arianna Harvey (120) finished sixth after a first-round bye. She won a close second match by fall after trailing 9-8, but lost her next three matches to place sixth.
Randi Grimm (190) also took sixth place, losing her opener before receiving a bye. She fell to Pekin’s Carly Clubb in the consolation bracket and lost the fifth-place match.
Also competing for Van Buren County were Rylee Philips (120), who received a bye before losing two matches; Willow Worley (145), who lost both her matches; and Adisson McLain (170), who dropped both of her bouts.
The Warriors demonstrated depth across multiple weight classes, with 13 wrestlers competing and nine earning placement points for the team.
The Warriors will continue their season on Thursday, December 11th, in Washington against the host Demons and Fairfield.
Photography courtesy of Rylie Nelson.
