Lady Panther Wrestling Duo Ends Seasons At Districts
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By Will Johnson
SPECIAL TO THE PALMYRA SPECTATOR
Mexico, Mo. — Dalton’s Huffman’s Palmyra Lady Panther wrestling duo of freshman Morgan Pillars and senior Janie Triplett entered the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Class 1, District 2 Wrestling Tournament hosted by Mexico High School looking to extend their season through the rest of the month of February.
Pillars competed for the Lady Panthers at 120 pounds and while Triplett looked to end her Lady Panther wrestling career as a state qualifier at 130 pounds.
Drawing a bye to the second round of the championship bracket, Pillars was matched up against Moberly’s Emma Willett.
Pinning her Lady Spartan foe in 2:35, Pillars advanced to the quarterfinals and a showdown with Warrenton’s Vivia Grooms.
Trailing the entire match including 9-6 after two periods, Pillars started on top to begin the third period before going on to pin Grooms in 4:14 moving herself one win away from state.
Awaiting Pillars in the championship semifinals was Fort Zumwalt South’s Jena Gumahin.
Taken down seconds into the match, Pillars was pinned in :40 sending her to the consolation semifinals and a bout with Marshall’s Braylee Farr with a trip to state on the line.
Gumahin went on to win a district championship at 120 pounds.
Controlling the pace of the match in the first period, Pillars was simply caught and pinned in 1:34 ending her freshman season in a Lady Panther singlet at 39-7.
“Morgan wrestler her tail off this weekend and it was tough not being able to see her advance to state,” Lady Panther head wrestling coach Dalton Huffman said. “She will only continue to get better and I can easily see her as a multiple-time state qualifier and placer before her high school wrestling career is over.”
Farr ended up placing third in the tournament also qualifying for state.
Looking to end her high school wrestling career as a state qualifier, Triplett began her tournament at 130 pounds Friday night in first-round action against St. Charles’ Morgan Simon.
Winning by technical fall 17-0, Triplett moved on to a second-round match up with Marceline’s Lennix Neblock.
Scoring a take down at the 1:39 mark of the first period, Triplett went on to win the match by fall in 1:51 advancing her to the quarterfinals and a bout with St. Charles West’s Arianna Augustyniak.
Augustyniak went on to place third at 130 pounds advancing to state.
Pinned in 1:27, Triplett was sent to the consolation side of the bracket and a fourth-round showdown with Wright City’s Liliana Wiedemeier.
Winning a 14-3 major decision, Triplett moved one win closer to state.
Now in the fifth round of the consolation bracket, Triplett faced off against Fort Zumwalt South’s Kaylee Brown.
Only able to manage a second-period escape, Triplett saw her Lady Panther wrestling career end after losing a 14-1 major decision to Brown.
“Janie wrestled hard for us the last four years and it was tough not seeing her get to end her high school wrestling career at state,” Huffman said. “She will be missed for her leadership and tenacity as a wrestler and I wish her the best of luck in her future.”