Fort Zumwalt South wrestling coach Todd Sanker called it ‘the coolest sports moment I’ve ever experienced.’”
Few spectators thought that Bulldogs’ sophomore Jena Gumahin stood a chance against nationally-ranked Angelina Vargas of Park Hill in the 125-pound Class 2 state title match last season.
Vargas, the two-time defending state champion, had a career-record of 118-3 and pinned Gumahin at The Wonder Woman tournament earlier that season.
“That was a quest of ours,” Sanker said. “We knew we were going to see (Vargas) again and we trained specific things – not getting tied up, staying on the gas, using our good stuff.”
But even Gumahin understood the monumental task in front of her on that fateful night in Columbia.
“I knew from the beginning I was going to be the underdog. On pen and paper, she was supposed to beat me. But I did not want to let that happen. I was going to give my best shot at it,” she said.
Gumahin surprised Vargas with the first takedown, and as the match moved into the second period, it clearly was becoming a much more competitive contest than their initial meeting.
“I definitely didn’t know if I was going to win, but I was having fake confidence, telling myself I was going to win. While I was wrestling, I was saying in my head, ‘Win, win, win, win, win,’” Gumahin said.
Vargas led 4-2 at the start of the third period when Gumahin took her shot. She secured a takedown in the first 10 seconds that turned into much, much more.
“It was instinct. I felt like I needed to do it and I executed it,” she said of the takedown. “I didn’t think I was going to pin her. I was just glad that I had her on her back and I was going to be up on points, but when I realized, ‘Oh, shoot, I can pin her,’ I looked at the ref and thought, ‘Please, just slap your hand on the mat.’”
He did.
And the most shocking result of the 2024 MSHSAA wrestling tournament sent shockwaves through the Mizzou Arena crowd.
“It was incredible. Even people who have nothing to do with our school pulled away from what they were watching. It attracted a lot of attention,” Sanker said. “That was the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of in sports. It was awesome.”
Gumahin will look to defend her 125-pound title at the 2025 Missouri State High School Activities Association wrestling championships this week. The Class 1 girls and Class 1-2 boys tournaments are scheduled for Feb. 26-27. Class 2 girls and Class 3-4 boys tourneys will occur Feb. 28-March 1.
This week, Gumahin (43-1) finds herself on the other side of that coin – as the defending champion that others are striving to dethrone.
“Staying at the top is so hard to maintain. I just try to keep that in mind as I keep progressing,” Gumahin said. “Knowing someone is out there working their hardest to try to beat me drives me to get motivated and stay disciplined.”
She met one of those wrestlers in The Wonder Woman 125-pound title match in December. Nixa junior Addison Harkins capitalized on Gumahin’s over-aggressiveness and dealt the Fort Zumwalt South junior her only loss of the season in a convincing, 12-6 decision.
“(That loss) has been a blessing in the long run,” Sanker said. “She had to come to the realization that she can’t press too much. She’s a dynamic, explosive wrestler, but against the elite girls, she has to stay patient and not do something that’s going to get her out of position.”
Gumahin put that lesson to use during the Class 2 District 2 championship match last Saturday when she stayed patient against 2024 state finalist Anna Bowles of Francis Howell and earned a hard-fought 4-2 decision.
“That match gave me the standard of how hard it’s going to be (at state),” Gumahin said.
Harkins (38-2) and Bowles (36-11) could meet in a second round match at Mizzou Arena on Friday. Fort Osage junior Kylie Dunn (38-2) also looms in the 125-pound bracket.
Gumahin ranks in the top-6 in her class with a 4.5 GPA and takes a full courseload of Advanced Placement classes. She credits the sport of wrestling for helping her stay disciplined in all aspects of life, including her studies.
“I love the hustle of wrestling. I love the work ethic. It has made me a better person,” Gumahin said.
Sanker sees the same hunger in Gumahin as a defending champion as he did during her quest to reach the top of the podium last year.
“She’s a big student of the sport and she keeps getting better. She has a beginner’s mindset. If you teach her something, it doesn’t matter if it’s something fundamental or something advanced, she soaks it up,” Sanker said.
Gumahin, who also has a passion for fashion and art, will look to create another vintage masterpiece when she enters Mizzou Arena for the Class 2 girls tournament on Friday.
“There will be some nerves, but I’m just trying to have the same mindset that I had last year – that everyone has a chance to be at the top of the podium,” she said. “I just have to give it my all but not be overzealous.”
Does Gumahin, as defending champion, feel like the favorite going into the state tournament this year?
“I still feel like I’m the underdog since (Harkins) beat me,” she said.
“And I love being the underdog.”
2025 MSHSAA State Wrestling Time Schedule: https://www.mshsaa.org/resources/Activities/Wrestling/Time%20Schedule.pdf
2025 MSHSAA State Wrestling Brackets https://www.trackwrestling.com/Login.jsp?TIM=1740584049023&twSessionId=yjrykywmwp&tName=MSHSAA&state=&sDate=&eDate=&lastName=&firstName=&teamName=&sfvString=&city=&gbId=&camps=false
Girls Wrestling Photo Galleries at: https://benvessa.smugmug.com/Girls-Wrestling-2024