Central wrestling to be represented by three at state

By Jacob Meikel

The practice mat gets slightly emptier this time of year, and what that’s meant for three Central girls wrestlers, is a chance to prove themselves on the big stage.

Juniors Ashley Slade and Hailie Wagner will get another crack at the state tournament bracket. Both finished in the top four of Class 2 District 4, making for another opportunity to outdo what they did last year when both girls were the first to ever make it to state in program history.

Slade and Wagner had quick exits in Columbia this time last year. Both fell in round one and then in first wrestlebacks. Slade, who finished highest in districts of the three qualifiers from Central, hasn’t let the feeling of losing at state as a sophomore fall by the wayside. In fact, she reminds herself of it to this day.

“It’s my phone background, the moment I lost,” Slade said. “So it motivates me to keep working harder than all the other girls.”

Wagner enters the state tournament with as much to prove herself. Like Slade, she says it feels good to be going back to state and that she hopes to place this year.

Joining Slade and Wagner at state is the youthful Addi Brant, who became the first freshman in the girls wrestling program’s history to qualify for the state tournament by squeaking through in fourth place at districts. It wasn’t necessarily a long time coming for Brant to get here. In fact, she’s rather ahead of schedule in terms of development.

”This is my first year like ever wrestling. and so I think it’s really cool that I get to experience this and experience it with the coaches because they’ve got me through the season and I’ve gone through a lot of injuries and still they’ve helped me push through it and experience this.,” Brant said.

The two-day long tournament is a grind for those who compete. The three girls will compete in the Class 2 state tournament beginning on Feb. 23 at the University of Missouri.