The Pekin wrestling program celebrated Senior Night on Thursday, January 15th, with a triangular meet that honored eight seniors—four girls and four boys—who have helped build the foundation of both programs. The evening was highlighted by Lila Miller becoming the second Pekin wrestler this season to reach 100 career wins.
Girls Wrestling Results
The Pekin girls dominated their two duals, going 2-0 on the night. Oskaloosa was scheduled to be there to make it a quadrangular, but they dropped out, causing this triangular instead.
Pekin 60, BGM 0
The Panthers completely shut out BGM in the opening dual. Bree Earnest started the night with a second-period fall at 2:33 after building a 7-0 lead over Morgan Stocks at 105 pounds. Lexa Nelson followed with a 59-second first-period pin of Jaeda Larsen at 110 pounds after gaining a 9-2 advantage.
Alyvia Traner received a forfeit at 115 pounds before Autumn Coleman pinned Gertie Lally in 1:48 of the first period at 120 pounds. Lila Miller demolished Aire Diaz with a 30-second first-period fall at 125 pounds, and Reece Brisby added a 46-second first-period pin of Emma Weeks at 130 pounds.
At 140 pounds, Hailey Pedrick dominated Mallory Warden, building an 11-2 advantage before finishing with a first-period fall at 1:15. Ella Rose, Carly Clubb, and Rylee Frye all earned forfeit victories at 155, 170, and 190 pounds respectively.
Pekin 42, Lone Tree 24
The second dual of the evening brought another victory and a historic milestone. Bree Earnest and Lexa Nelson both received forfeits at 105 and 110 pounds. Lone Tree’s Madeline Bell defeated Alyvia Traner by second-period fall at 3:12 at 120 pounds.
At 125 pounds, Lila Miller earned a forfeit victory that marked her 100th career win, joining teammate Hailey Pedrick as the second Pekin wrestler to reach that milestone this season. The accomplishment came on Senior Night, making it even more special.
Lone Tree’s Olivia Magruder defeated Reece Brisby by first-period fall at 1:15 at 130 pounds—the only other Pekin loss of the evening. Hailey Pedrick received a forfeit at 140 pounds, and Ella Rose picked up another forfeit at 155 pounds.
Carly Clubb delivered a clutch performance at 170 pounds, defeating Ella Leyh by third-period fall at 4:18 in a match that was tied 2-2. Rylee Frye capped the dual with a lightning-quick 7-second first-period fall over Savanna Jenks at 190 pounds.
Lone Tree received forfeit wins at 100 and 235 pounds.
Boys Wrestling Results
The Pekin boys split their two duals on Senior Night, falling to Burlington Notre Dame before bouncing back against Lone Tree.
Burlington Notre Dame 60, Pekin 18
Burlington Notre Dame dominated with forfeit wins at 106, 120, 126, 132, 138, 150, 190, and 215 pounds, accounting for the bulk of their points. They are also ranked sixth in Class 2A by IAwrestle.
In contested matches, Landon Crow earned Pekin’s first victory with a 48-second first-period pin of Zaylan Wenig at 157 pounds. Max Pickering added a quick 37-second first-period fall over Joseph Murphy at 175 pounds. Brantyn Sieren rallied from a 7-5 deficit to pin Maddox Dietsch in the second period at 3:05 at 285 pounds.
Burlington Notre Dame’s Joey Glendening defeated Hunter Chapman by first-period fall in 46 seconds at 165 pounds, and Jared Glendening pinned Zach Doud in the second period at 3:37 at 144 pounds.
Pekin 24, Lone Tree 18
The Panthers bounced back in the night’s final dual. Zach Doud opened with a 58-second first-period fall over Jackson Bandow at 144 pounds. Landon Crow, Hunter Chapman, and Max Pickering all earned forfeit victories at 157, 165, and 175 pounds respectively.
Lone Tree’s Tate Nelson defeated Brantyn Sieren by first-period fall at 1:22 at 285 pounds. The Lions also received forfeit wins at 120 and 138 pounds.
Honoring the Seniors
The evening celebrated eight seniors who have made significant contributions to their respective programs.
Girls Seniors: Lila Miller, Lexa Nelson, Hailey Pedrick, and Alyvia Traner
Boys Seniors: Landon Crow, Zach Doud, Reed Lauderman, and Max Pickering
Coaches’ Perspectives
Girls Head Coach Jeff Follman
Follman expressed deep appreciation for the seniors and the culture they’ve helped create.
“We would like to start by thanking the school and our fans for making Senior Night such an incredible and memorable event. Although our triangular did not feature a large number of matches, the matches we wrestled in were dominant performances, with Lila securing her 100th win. We finished the night losing just one match overall as a team, and I could not be more pleased with how the team performed. Watching our seniors shine on their special night was truly amazing.”
On the impact of the senior class:
“As for our four seniors, I cannot say enough about this group of young women. I have had the opportunity to coach them three out of their four years, and it’s been a fun and exciting journey watching them grow and improve each season. They are strong leaders who have helped build this program from the ground up. They treat underclassmen like family, creating a true sisterhood within our team. It is rewarding to see them take younger wrestlers under their wings during practice, offering guidance, encouragement, and support.”
On the team culture:
“Our team shares a strong bond, and that culture starts with our seniors. No one is ever left out, and that sense of unity is something special. We still have plenty of work ahead of us, and I am excited to finish this journey with them. While their season is far from over, I know they will be greatly missed in the future. These young ladies will always be able to take pride in knowing they helped start the first high school girls’ wrestling program at Pekin and have represented it with class and excellence. I am extremely proud of each senior and the entire team.”
Wrestler Perspectives
In an interview with Scott Fraise of Ottumwa Radio, who covered the meet live, two wrestlers shared their thoughts on the team.
Lila Miller on team chemistry:
“The three other seniors on our team definitely keep the atmosphere upbeat and as a team collectively I think we do really well at tournaments, and quads, and duals, like everyone has strength on the team.”
Reece Brisby on the team’s foundation:
“I feel like our team has a lot of leadership which carries us through the meets and a lot of hard-working girls on the team which carries us as well.”
Boys Head Coach Aaron Deutsch
Deutsch praised his team’s effort and reflected on the senior class’s legacy.
“I was proud of our effort tonight. The kids competed hard from start to finish and did a lot of the little things right—wrestled with a good pace, stayed aggressive, and battled through some tough situations.”
On the seniors’ impact:
“Our seniors have made an impact on this program. Their leadership, work ethic, and commitment have set the standard for our younger wrestlers. They lead by example in the room every day and have helped build a culture of accountability and toughness. What they’ve done goes beyond wins and losses.”
Looking Ahead
While Senior Night marked an emotional milestone, both Pekin wrestling programs still have work to do as they head into the final stretch of the regular season. The foundation built by these seniors will continue to influence the programs for years to come, as younger wrestlers carry forward the culture of leadership, unity, and excellence that has been established.
Both the girls and boys will be back in action on Saturday, January 17th at 9:30 a.m. with the girls at Pella and the boys at WACO.
Photography courtesy of Sharon Fritchen, Amber Earnest, and Rylie Nelson.
