Lady Wildcats head to Buffalo for districts

By Kyle Troutman [email protected]

After having just one state qualifier last year — sixth-place finisher Analeigh Winchell — the Cassville girls wrestling team is hoping to make more noise this week at the Class 1, District 3 Tournament in Buffalo. 

Casey Parsons, Cassville girls wrestling coach, said a young roster and steady growth have defined the season as her team prepares for the postseason.

“This season, we’re a young team,” Parsons said. “We have our juniors leading the team, Analeigh and Isabella Bauman, and that has been good. The girls have grown so much. Analeigh was our only one to make it to state last year, and I think we have a good shot at three to four of them to make it this year, depending on how they wrestle this weekend.”

Bauman wrestles at 100 pounds and brings a record of 30-5 to Buffalo, and at 105 pounds is AJ Deaver, with a record of 28-10. Anna Vanderhoef also has a great shot to qualify, but will be on a quick turnaround from a non-sports injury.

“She just come back today from a concussion, so she’s been out for a couple weeks,” Parsons said. “She has a great shot as long as everything goes fine this week in practice, and I look for her to make the top four at districts and punch her ticket to state.”

Parsons said Winchell, wrestling at 155 pounds with a record of 40-4 at 155, has set the goal of topping the podium at distircts.

The remainder of the district lineup, Parsons said, is a large class of freshmen.

“Gracie Farsungchin is my 120-pounder,” Parsons said. “Hopelyne Thompson is at 125, Myah Dunfee is 130, , Estrella Garcia is 140, and Alexis Lands is 170.”

Though the majority of the squad are newcomers to district action, Parsons said the schedule this year has been built to prepare the group for postseason conditions.

“We have been to a lot of big tournaments this year to prepare us,” Parsons said. “Eldon is a big tournament that looks a lot like districts. I think there were 14 schools there from our district, and we did good.”

Parsons said the approach is to treat districts like another event while recognizing the added challenges.

“It’s another tournament, but it has a lot higher stakes, and hopefully the girls’ nerves are ready for it because of our schedule,” she said. 

In the final week before districts, Parsons said practice will revolve around specific technical goals.

“Each girl has something they are working on, whether it’s wrestling the full three periods, getting off bottom, or takedowns,” she said. “We’re going to fine-tune those this week and focus on the end to punch those tickets.”

Parsons said Winchell has taken on a larger leadership role in practice, especially with so many younger teammates.

“In the practice room last week, she stepped it up and was holding those girls accountable,” Parsons said. “She’s telling them she’s been to state and wants to go again, and if they’re going to make it, they have to work harder.”

Parsons said that leadership has been important late in the season.

“She’s pushing them on what they need to do and stepping up leadership-wise to help these younger girls get to the state tournament,” she said.

With matches beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday and 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Parsons said the team’s travel plans, which include an overnight stay in Bolivar, are designed to keep athletes rested for the two-day event.

“We try to stay at least one two-day tournament so the girls get the feel of it and know how that is,” Parsons said. “They get the excitement of staying away from their parents, but we have a responsibility and a job to get done. I have really responsible girls, so I’m not concerned about that at all.”

Parsons said timing and distance made an overnight stay the practical choice.

“It’s about an hour and 50 minutes, and wrestling on Friday night doesn’t get over until about 9:30 or 10 p.m., or later,” Parsons said. “We’re going to stay about 20 minutes away so we can get them in bed at a decent time and they can be well-rested to wrestle on Saturday morning.”

With most of the roster new to the postseason, Parsons said expectations are still developing.

“I have a lot of freshmen, and they’ve never experienced this postseason,” Parsons said. “The only three that have experienced the postseason are Analeigh, AJ and Anna.”

Parsons said the younger wrestlers understand the basics of what is at stake but have not yet felt it firsthand.

“They’re excited for districts and excited to work hard to make it to state,” Parsons said. “They know they need to be in the top four to make it to state, but until they punch their ticket or make that bubble match or the semis or the finals, they don’t understand the extent of it yet.”

Parsons said the team mindset remains steady entering the tournament.

“We’ve prepared them pretty good, and they feel like it’s a big tournament that we’re traveling to and they’ve got a job to do,” Parsons said.

Looking more long-term, the goal is for the experience to build motivation for future seasons.

“I hope they all come back out and the experience gives them that feeling,” Parsons said. “If they don’t make it to state this year, it gives them that drive to set that as their goal for next year.”