COLUMBIA, Mo. – Kendra Bliss needed proof.
The Washington junior knew she was a talented wrestler, but a signature victory in a high-stakes match continued to elude her.
Until Saturday.
Bliss (48-3) pinned Lebanon Halea Bartel (43-4) in the first period of her semifinal match, then pinned Nixa freshman Addison Harkins to win the 125-pound championship at the Class 2 Missouri state championships at Mizzou Arena.
“I knew I needed a really big win. I’ve had trouble getting over my own head against people who I know are good,” Bliss said after defeating her semifinal opponent, Bartel.
Bartel placed second at state as a freshman and fourth as a sophomore. She presented the dual challenge of being a highly-accomplished wrestler from a girls wrestling powerhouse, Lebanon, which won its fourth team title in the last five years on Saturday.
Both Bliss and Bartel needed less than 45 seconds of mat time to advance two rounds and into the state semifinals, but when Bliss found an exit to her self-doubt, she found the entrance to the state championship match.
“I just had to realize that I’m good enough, that I deserve to be here,” Bliss said.
Bliss earned the first takedown of the match at the 90-second mark and made it count, turning and smothering Bartel to earn a pin 27 seconds later.
In the state title match against Harkins, Bliss again earned the first takedown, then executed her fourth, first-period pin of the tournament, erasing any doubt that she was the best wrestler in her bracket.
Bliss began wrestling in ninth grade and developed an immediate love for the sport. She knew, however, that those who had been wrestling since they were in elementary school had a clear advantage over her.
“I felt like I was a natural at it,” Bliss said. “I thought, ‘I really love this sport and I want to be better.’”
Bliss lost in the sectional round as a freshman and devoted the offseason to improving her technique. She qualified for the state tournament as a sophomore but went 1-2, and left Mizzou Arena without a medal.
“I was afraid of losing and the consequences of losing, and it messed with my head,” Bliss said.
She advanced to the Wonder Woman championship match in late December where she dropped a 7-0 decision to Festus senior Lauren Mills. She suffered a 9-7 loss to Lafayette junior Toby Goertz at the Sherri Lance Invitational but avenged that loss with 4-2 decision over Goertz to win the District 1 title.
“If I just wrestle to wrestle, it’s so much better. My head is so much clearer,” Bliss said. “I know how to wrestle, so it allows me to reach in and grab those techniques, instead of blocking myself off.”
And when it mattered most on Saturday, her mind was clear and her technique flawless as she became the first Washington girls wrestler to win a state title.
“This means a ton for me. I love the sport, and my parents put so much into this,” Bliss said. “I’ve done so much to get here. It makes everything worth it.”
