COLUMBIA, MO – North Point junior Cassidy Benwell is not the type to sit by idly and watch, as evidenced by her attacking wrestling style.
But after the defending 120-pound state champion suffered a shoulder injury at Preseason Nationals, patience was the virtue.
“We didn’t want to rush her back, but she always wants to wrestle, always wants to compete, so I had to keep her out of practice and tell her to slow down,” North Point coach Dennis Kakrah said.
That lesson may have propelled Benwell to a state title on Thursday.
Benwell (27-0), who had secured a pin in 24 of her previous 26 matches, earned a patient 9-0 decision over Chillcothe sophomore Yoo Lee in the 120-pound title match to become a two-time state champion at the 2023 MSHSAA Wrestling Championships at Mizzou Arena.
The battle for first place was a rematch of the District 2 title match that Benwell won over Lee by a 9-3 decision – the first time Benwell did not end a match by a pin or technical fall this season.
On Thursday, Benwell and Kakrah knew that pursuing a quick result could be dangerous.
“(Lee) did her homework and she knew what was coming. She knew Cassidy does an amazing Granby (roll), so she was waiting for it,” Kakrah said.
Benwell refrained from her usual aggressive style and did not force the action. She earned a takedown and a near fall in the first period and another takedown in the third, never giving Lee a chance to counter.
“I just wanted to stay in good position, and in the end, I think my muscle came through,” Benwell said.
When Benwell suffered her shoulder injury prior to the season, she set a goal to wrestle before the postseason began.
She beat that mark by two months.
“I did everything my doctor told me,” Benwell said. “My physical therapy went faster than normal because I really tried to push myself.”
Her first tournament was at the Fort Zumwalt East Invitational where she went 5-0 with five pins. At the prestigious Wonder Woman two weeks later, she pinned her way to the 120-pound title.
By the time the postseason arrived, the pain had mostly subsided.
“It’s more like memory pain. You know where it hurts, but it doesn’t actually hurt,” Benwell said.
Benwell entered the 120-pound state bracket with half as many matches as others in her weight class. She needed just 1 minute 29 seconds of mat time to reach the semifinals, where she earned a second-period pin over Kearney junior Savannah McDowell to secure a spot in the title match.
And with the excitement involved in a state championship setting, with its huge crowds, spotlights and smoke machines, it was the memory of her road to recovery and the patience it took to heal that shined through.
“She wasn’t forcing anything,” Kakrah said. “I told her a win is a win, it doesn’t matter (if it’s a pin). Being on top of the state podium is all that matters.”
Despite going the full six minutes, Benwell took less time on the mat for this state title match than the previous one, which ended with an overtime pin over Chloe Herrick of Harrisonville at the 6:57 mark.
With her victory Thursday, Benwell became the first two-time state champion in North Point history.
“It feels great. I couldn’t have done this without my team by my side,” Benwell said.
