COLUMBIA, MO – In his essay “Self-Reliance,” Ralph Waldo Emerson’s wrote, “Trust thyself, every heart vibrates to that iron string.”
Francis Howell Central senior Kailey Benson has learned to do exactly that – on the wrestling mat and beyond.
“Mentally, wrestling has helped me power through a lot of things. It’s only you out there. You’re the only one who can determine the outcome of the match, and that’s a big thing I have incorporated into my life – fighting for myself to push through the hard times,” Benson said.
Benson continued to make the difficult sport of wrestling look easy with a second consecutive Missouri State High School Activities Association state title Saturday at Mizzou Arena.
Benson (48-0) cruised to the 130-pound championship, defeating Carthage freshman Kaylee James by technical fall in the title match to complete an undefeated, two-year stretch of 93 consecutive wins, all by either pin or technical fall.
“It was definitely a goal to do that,” Benson said of her dominant results. “In-season is a step down from national level, so I just wanted to wrestle for my team and do what I could to score bonus points in every match.”
Those bonus points allowed Francis Howell Central to score 88 points and finish in a tie for second place in the team standings with Liberty (KC). Nixa captured the Class 2 first-place trophy with 139.5 points.
Along with Benson (1st at 130), Francis Howell Central claimed three additional medalists – Dana Thee Sanchez (2nd at 155), Nevaeh Smith (4th at 135) and Makenzie Solis (4th at 170).
After eight years of jujitsu, Benson joined the Francis Howell Central girls wrestling team and began her ascension to excellence. She went 27-8 as a freshman and earned a fourth-place finish at state, losing to eventual champion Angelina Vargas of Park Hill in the semis.
“When I first started, I was a little bit nervous. It was a new sport for me. I figured I’d have some success, but I knew it would be a journey,” Benson said. “I decided to put the work in. I came back my sophomore year and I was a lot better than my first year. That was probably my biggest step.”
Benson went 42-5 as a sophomore and found Vargas waiting for her in the state title match. Vargas, who had pinned Benson in 52 seconds the year before, earned a hard-earned 6-0 decision. It became the last match Benson would lose in her high school career.
Benson entered her senior season ranked No. 8 in the nation at 130 pounds after an impressive seventh-place finish at the Fargo national tournament this summer.
“I was so close to going for third (place). I ended up losing in the last second, but it’s all learning experiences and I’m excited for this offseason to come back better,” Benson said.
She would like to wrestle in college but is undetermined as to where that will be. Until then, Benson can reflect on a high school career as the most accomplished girls wrestler in the school’s history and a major contributor in the Spartans’ second-place team trophy this year and the first MSHSAA team championship in any sport, last season.
Troy claims fourth-place as a team with four medalists
Troy Buchanan earned its first team trophy in girls wrestling by finishing fourth with 87 points, just one point behind the second-place total of the Spartans and Blue Jays.
Troy was led by senior Zoey Haney, who placed second at 100 pounds.
Three years earlier, Haney was the only Trojans’ girls wrestler to compete in Mizzou Arena. This season, eight Troy wrestlers made the trip and four placed, including Addilyn Amos (3rd at 110), Brooke Dollard (5th at 140) and Jeralyn Spear (5th at 235).
“It means everything,” said coach Josef Lee Wolfrum, who celebrated his birthday Saturday by cradling the team trophy. “The girls battled, not only this weekend but all year. They were always counted out, and for them to show this level of grit and determination, you couldn’t ask for anything better.”
In addition to state championship performances by Benson (130) and Summit senior Madeline Haynes (145), seven other local wrestlers reached the title match and took home second-place medals: Haney (100), Francis Howell North senior Isabelle Apple (105), Lafayette senior Hannah Henderson (120), Fort Zumwalt South junior Jena Gumahin (125), Parkway Central freshman Erin Delling (135), Francis Howell Central senior Dana Thee Sanchez (155), and Lafayette senior Aaliyah Grammer (190).
For a photo gallery of the Class 2 girls wrestling tournament, visit: https://benvessa.smugmug.com/Girls-Wrestling-2024/Girls-Wrestling-2024-25/2025-State-Championships-Girls-Class-2