COLUMBIA – Lauren Mills did everything in her power to earn a favorable draw.
The Festus senior earned a Wonder Woman championship belt, captured a District 1 title and entered the Missouri Class 1 girls wrestling state tournament with an unblemished, 36-0 record.
She understandably was a bit perplexed when she saw the name of her first-round opponent – Harrisonville senior Chloe Herrick.
Herrick won a state championship as a sophomore and took a 56-1 record into the 120-pound state title match last season before losing in overtime. But when Herrick placed fourth in the District 3 tournament on Feb. 4, her name was placed on the bracket line directly below Mills.
It set the stage for a colossal matchup less than 30 minutes into the Class 1 girls wrestling state tournament.
“Anyone is going to be nervous when they see a state finalist and returning state champ in their bracket, but I had to just stick to my match,” Mills said.
Mills (38-0) earned a second period pin against Herrick, then punched her ticket to the state semifinals with a first period pin against North Andrew senior Jaclyn Riedinger (35-4) during day one of the Class 1 girls wrestling state tournament Wednesday at Mizzou Arena.
“I think I got the tougher side of the bracket, but it’s exciting. I like the challenge,” Mills said.
Mills will face Sherwood freshman Cooper McDonald (31-9) in the 125-pound semifinals, which begin at 10:15 a.m. Thursday at Mizzou Arena. The two-day state championships will conclude with the state finals at 5:15 p.m.
A third-place state medalist as a junior, Mills secured a takedown of Herrick within the opening minute, but almost found herself reversed and on her back shortly thereafter.
“I got a little bit nervous, but I like to keep calm, tell myself it will be ok and keep wrestling,” Mills said.
The scramble eventually carried the two wrestlers out-of-bounds and the first period ended with Mills leading 2-0.
Mills chose the top position to begin the second period and used her extensive work in the weight room to take control of the match. She earned three back points to take a 5-0 advantage and then completely turned Herrick to secure a pin with 16 seconds remaining in the second period.
“She wrestles confident and she wrestles patient,” Festus coach Jarad Sheppard said. “She’s never forced or rushed anything. It’s always smooth, and it’s paid off.”
In her second-round match, Mills grabbed the left leg of the taller Riedinger, upended her and took control, earning a pin 1 minute 11 seconds into the first period.
“I just take my shots, single leg, whatever I feel is right in the moment,” Mills said.
Before she began wrestling, Mills participated in gymnastics and competitive cheer. Those experiences have allowed her to feel comfortable in front of the crowds at Mizzou Arena.
“I would cheer in those huge arenas,” Mills said. “It helps my nerves.”
Mills began wrestling as a freshman and nearly made the state tournament, losing in the bubble match at districts. As a sophomore, she joined Kirsten Klein as the first girls state qualifiers from Festus.
As a junior, Mills moved up to wrestle in the 130-pound bracket at the state tournament. She lost her quarterfinal match but reeled off four consecutive wins on the back side of the bracket to earn a third-place medal.
“I like to be in the brackets with big competition. I like to challenge myself. Last year I went up to 130 for state because I wanted to chase some girls,” Mills said. “That experience helped where I am now. Being able to work towards something, chase something. Even if I didn’t succeed at it, it helped me with my mindset.”
Positive mindset is what Mills credits as making her the wrestler she is today.
“That’s what I struggled with in the past. Wrestling is a lot about confidence and not doubting yourself in any circumstance, even if you’re down (in points),” Mills said.
Mills spent the summer sweating in wrestling rooms and weight rooms and approached her senior year on a mission.
“She’s put a whole lot of work into the sport. She’s treated it like a full-time job, and she’s wrestled all year like she’s No. 1,” Sheppard said.
That hard work paid off during the prestigious Wonder Woman tournament in late December when Mills emerged from a bracket of 49 girls as the 120-pound champion.
“That was amazing, it was an honor,” Mills said. “We’re a pretty small wrestling school, and I had never gone to any of those tournaments. When our school decided we were going, I was really excited. I wanted to get the big belt.”
Mills, who is ranked No. 22 in the nation at 127-pounds by FloWrestling, said she is “50-50” about whether she will wrestle in college, but she would like to stay involved in some capacity.
“I definitely love the sport and I want to continue doing it. Even if I don’t continue wrestling, I still want to stay involved through reffing or coaching,” said Mills, who would like to study exercise science in the future.
But for now, she has one more prestigious championship in her sights after defeating two of the best wrestlers in the 125-pound bracket in her first two matches.
“I just have to keep going match by match,” Mills said. “I’m excited to see where I end up. Hopefully, it’s the state finals.”