Missouri Girls Wrestling Doesn’t Follow the Wave; It’s Creating It

2026 Missouri USA Freestyle/Greco State Tournament Recap *results at the bottom

Springfield, Missouri | May 2–3, 2026Wilson Logistics Arena

There are tournaments… and then there are moments that feel like a shift.

This weekend in Springfield wasn’t just another stop on the calendar. It was a statement about where women’s wrestling in Missouri is, and where it’s going. And if you were inside Wilson Logistics Arena, you felt it immediately.

The energy was different. The depth was real. And the message was loud:

Missouri girls wrestling isn’t coming, it’s already here.

Saturday: Greco Didn’t Just Show Up, It Headlined

For years, Greco has lived in the shadows. Quietly fading in some places. Not here.

Saturday flipped that narrative completely. This wasn’t a side act, it was the main event., and it delivered.

The headline?

Farynn Rhees vs. Lexi Wolk

A matchup that had everything; styles, stakes, and a preview of something bigger. Rhees secured the Greco win, setting the table for what should have been an electric freestyle finals rematch. Injury sidelined Wolk on Sunday, but make no mistake, this is a rivalry that’s not done. When it comes back around, it’s going to be must-watch wrestling.

On the same side, two teammates turned competitors:

Zolah Williams vs. Myla Woolridge

Familiar opponents. Same stakes. Different style. Zolah took the Greco win, but everyone in the building knew this wasn’t finished. And it wasn’t.

Greco Set the Stage for Freestyle to Light It On Fire

Sunday was everything it promised to be. From the first whistle to the final match, every mat had a story. Every bracket had implications; state pride, Fargo spots, national team positions.

And at the center of it all: Growth

The Youth Movement Is Real

If you’re wondering where Missouri is headed, look at the youth divisions.

Even with smaller brackets at 8u–12u, the talent was undeniable.

• Mary Samm leading a stacked 8u group

• Oaklee Karhoff taking control of her bracket

• Calliope Coon repeating as a 2x freestyle state champion

• Adalynn Porter continuing her dominance

• Aryana Talato finding a way to win it all

And then came the statements.

Triple Crown winners

• Bailey Winch

• Charity Sperry

• Crickett Arnold

• Irie Wait

That’s not normal. Not in a state this competitive. That’s depth. That’s development. That’s a system working.

And then you get moments like Abigail Montgomery stepping up 20+ pounds just to get mat time, and still walking away a champion.

That tells you everything you need to know about this next generation.

14U & 16U: Where Things Got Serious

This is where brackets turned into battles.

The Rife sisters, Ava Rife and Kinsley Rife, didn’t just win, they dominated.

No points given up. No questions asked.

Add in Brynlea Lahr and Katilyn Schull, and you start to see what Missouri is building, rooms full of athletes who aren’t just competing… they’re separating.

Then came the matchups everyone circled:

• Mabel Rogers vs. Addison St. George

• Zaina Aldabri vs. Lilly Williams

• Ariel Biggs vs. Erin Delling

These weren’t just matches, these were previews of national-level collisions.

Willaims vs. Woolridge… run it back.

This time, freestyle, and this time, even louder. Zolah took it again, earning a Triple Crown in one of the toughest divisions in the state.

Junior Girls: The Main Card Delivered

This is where everything peaked. Weight changes. Bracket shifts. Unexpected collisions.

And chaos, in the best way.

• Kimber Drenon announced herself

• Jayden Keller stayed dominant

• Alissa Chanda and Killian Evans battled down to criteria

Then came 115.

Sydney Stifter vs. Kayleigh Milam. Two state champions. One statement.

Stifter needed 65 seconds to secure the Triple Crown and make it clear, she’s not just winning… she’s separating.

Natalie Edmisson vs. Keely Fallert. At 145, it got gritty.

Greco went one way. Freestyle flipped the script. Fallert took it 10–2, but that score doesn’t tell the story. This was physical. This was tactical. This was two of Missouri’s best pushing each other.

Matches like that don’t end, they evolve.

At 155, Breanne Gibbs reminded everyone exactly who she is.

At 170, Emily Brixey and Lexington Johnson gave us a semifinal that felt like a final decided by criteria, dictated by adjustments.

At 190, Kendall Angelo did what she’s done all year: Control the weight. Control the pace. Control the outcome.

What This Means

This wasn’t just a tournament recap. This was a glimpse into what Missouri is becoming.

Women’s wrestling here isn’t growing slowly, it’s accelerating.

• Youth athletes are starting earlier

• High-level matchups are happening sooner

• Depth is building across every age group

• And the expectation? It’s changing

These girls aren’t just competing for state titles anymore, they’re preparing for national stages. College rooms. International styles, and they’re doing it together, pushing each other every weekend.

That’s how a state gets better.

That’s how a state becomes a problem.

The Standard Has Been Set

What we saw in Springfield wasn’t a peak. It was a checkpoint.

Because the reality is, every one of these matchups, every rivalry, every breakthrough performance… it doesn’t end here.

It carries into Fargo.

Into National Duals.

Into college lineups.

And eventually… onto even bigger stages. Missouri isn’t waiting its turn anymore. It’s building something.

And after this weekend, one thing is clear:

If you’re not paying attention to Missouri girls wrestling right now—you’re already behind.

Triple Crown Winners:

10u Girls -

Bailey Winch - Thoroughbred Wrestling Academy

Charity Sperry - Northwest Grapplers

12u Girls -

Crickett Arnold - Grind Wrestling Academy

Irie Wait - Terminator Wrestling Academy

14u Girls -

Katilyn Schull - Willard Youth

Kinsley Rife - Palmyra Youth

Ava Rife - Palmyra Youth

Brynlea Lahr - Palmyra Youth

16u Girls -

Zolah Williams - Greco Roman Freestyle Assoc.

Zainab Albadri - Greater Heights

Junior Girls -

Sydney Stifter - MO West

Emily Brixey - Willard

Freestyle Results:

Junior Girls - 

100 - Sophia Stecher | Purler Wrestling Academy

105 - Kimber Drenon | Tech Fall Elite

110 - Jayden Keller | The Nest RTC

115 - Sydney Stifter | MO West

120 - Lilly McCleary | MO West

125 - Temperance Lowe | Greater Heights

130 - Anna Bowles | Team Missouri Select

135 - Addison Brown | Waynesville Wrestling

140 -  Anjelika Alarcon | McDonald County

145 - Keely Fallert | Thoroughbred Wrestling Academy

155 - Breanne Gibbs | Moberly Kids Club

170 - Emily Brixey | Willard

190 - Kendall Angelo | Unaffiliated

207 - Sophiea Quinn | Lebanon Yellowjackets

235 - Angela Bereuter | Purler Wrestling Academy

16u Girls -

95 - Ariel Humphreys | Unaffiliated 

100 - Isabella Cullen  | Purler Wrestling Academy

105 - Farynn Rhees | Greater Heights 

110 - Zolah Williams | Greco Roman Freestyle Assoc. 

115 - Addison St George | Purler Wrestling Academy

120 - Zainab Albadri | Greater Heights

125 - Alana Henry | Major Decision Wrestling

130 - Nevaeh Dick | MO West 

135 - Piper Hamilton | MO West 

140 - Erin Delling | Purler Wrestling Acadamy

145 - Kaylee James | Unaffliated

155 - Kamry Bourbon | Nixa Wrestling

170 - Temprence Watson | Terminator Wrestling Academy

190 - Asha Gassoway | WreSTL 

207 - Anna Kamm | Unaffiliated

235 - Malena Borja | MO West

14u Girls -

80 - Katilyn Schull | Willard Youth Wrestling

85 - Bellany Dowdy | Greater Heights  

90 - Valentin Juarez | Greater Heights

95 - Elizabet Smith | Unaffiliated

100 - Kinsley Rife | Palmyra Youth Wrestling

105 - Hailey Eaton | Northwest Grapplers 

110 - Remi Downing | Greater Heights

115 - Miley Oberg | Open Mats 

120 - Jaylee Keller | Unaffliated

125 - Ava Rife | Palmyra Youth Wrestling

130 - Brynlea Lahr | Palmyra Youth Wrestling

135 - Avelyn Hunter | MO West 

140 - Grace Fortier | Greater Heights 

150 - Mahlea Talato | Jackson County Wrestling 

165 - Cali Russell | Team Missouri Select 

180 - Peyton Zoellner | Thoroughbred Wrestling Academy  

12u- Girls Madison Brackets

Melanie Varns | The Pride Wrestling Club

Calliope Coon | Jackson County Wrestling 

Oaklee Karhoff | Eierman Elite 

Adalynn Bailey | Willard Youth Wrestling 

Aryana Talato | Jackson County Wrestling 

Crickett Arnold | Grind Wrestling Academy

Aubree Thompson | King Select Wrestling 

Abigail Montgomery | Jackson County Wrestling 

Irie Wait | Terminator Wrestling Academy 

Delaney Mccord | Unaffiliated 

10u- Girls Madison Brackets 

Blakely Reed | Proving Grounds Wrestling

Bailey Winch | Thoroughbred Wrestling

Adalynn Porter | Willard Youth Wrestling

Victoria Palmer | Tech Fall Elite 

Charity Sperry | Northwest Grapplers

8u- Girls Madison Brackets 

Mary Samm | Greater Heights 

Natalia Cadena | Northwest Grapplers