The Nixa girls wrestling team made history by capturing the program's first state wrestling title at the 2025 MSHSAA Class 2 State Girls Wrestling Championships on Feb. 28-March 1, 2025.

After falling a half-point short of a championship last year, the Eagles ensured they would not leave any doubt of coming out on top, dominating their way towards the title by over 50 points.

Nixa scored 139.5 team points and defeated defending state champ Francis Howell Central, who scored 88 in a two-way tie with Liberty. Troy finished third with 87 and Belton fourth with 86.

In its seven-year history of Missouri's girls wrestling state championships, Nixa set a new MSHSAA record for the most points scored in a single tournament, surpassing Lebanon's previous mark of 134.5 set in 2023.

Of its 10 qualifiers, Nixa captured seven medalists, including one state champion and a runner-up.

The third time was the charm for the 2x runner-up junior Addison Harkins, who finally got over the barrier and captured the 125 title. 

Harkins breezed by her two opening-round opponents, solidifying her third-straight medal. She made quick work of Liberty North's Carlie Hulme and pinned Hulme in under a minute with a 3-0 lead, and advanced to the quarterfinals, where Harkins then won by major decision 13-4 over Francis Howell's Anna Bowles. In the semifinals, Harkins needed two periods to advance to her third consecutive state title match. With a 3-0 lead after the first by way of a takedown, Harkins pinned Ft. Osage's Kylie Dunn 45 seconds into the second period for the victory.

The 125 title bout featured the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, Harkins and Ft. Zumwalt South's Jena Gumahin, the defending 125 champion. It was the second time this season the two grappled, with Harkins winning the first go-around by decision 12-6 for Gumahin's only loss on the year. 

Gumahin quickly scored the first points of the match with a takedown, but Harkins owned the rest of the period, and match. She scored eight straight points with an escape, takedown, and a four-count nearfall to lead 8-3 going into the second. A similar tale occurred in the second, as Gumahin got a takedown 30 seconds into the period but Harkins responded with five consecutive points (reversal and three-count nearfall), upping her lead to a comfortable 13-6 after two. The third period was low scoring, and out of a reset, Harkins tallied the match's final point with an escape, securing the major decision 14-6 victory.

When the final handshakes were concluded, Harkins jumped into her coaches' arms in jubilation as the 125-pounder crowned her first state title and ended the year atop the podium this year's champion with a record of 42-2. 

The defending 155 champion and 2x medalist senior Cali Dupree jumped up a weight class and competed in the 170 lbs division, finishing as this year's runner-up in heart-breaking fashion.

Dupree breezed by her opening-round opponents, with two wins by fall over Lafayette's Emery Singleton and Francis Howell North's Ashlynn Alexander, and secured her fourth state medal. In the semifinals, she knocked off Francis Howell's Emma Faszold 6-3. Dupree led 3-0 after the first with a takedown, scored a reversal in the second, and headed into the final two minutes with a comfortable 5-0 advantage. She scored a quick escape to start the third, which ultimately sealed the victory. Faszold got three points, via a takedown with under 20 seconds left for her only points. With the victory, Dupree clinched her third state final berth.

In the 170 title bout, Dupree faced Winnetonka's Autumn Calvert, the defending champion. It was an action-less match that did not witness any points until the final period. Calvert took a 1-0 lead 30 seconds into the third and received a penalty with 30 seconds left, granting Dupree one point. The match was tied 1-1 at the end of regulation. Similar to the six minutes of regulation, neither wrestler could find their way to just one point after three overtimes. Thus, the ultimate-tie-breaker rule was enacted. Since Calvert scored the first points in the match, she was crowned victorious, and Dupree finished as the runner-up for the second time in her career.

Dupree concluded the final state tournament with her fourth state medal, finishing runner-up in 2022, third in 2023, champion in 2024, and second in 2025. She ended her senior year with a record of 27-1 and caps off a decorated high school outing with a career record of 157-13.

Freshmen Kamryn Bourbon (145) and Hanna Egley (100), sophomore Ashton Mayes (105), and senior Jessie Nelson (190) captured fourth in their respective weight classes.

Bourbon pinned North Point's Faith Hall at 1:29, and tech fell St. Joe Central's Ella Mae Creedy 16-1 to secure her first state medal. In the semifinals, Bourbon dropped a tough matchup to Jeff. City's Alexis Dunwidde. Bourbon led 4-1 after the second period, scoring an escape and a three-count takedown, but with only 16 seconds left in the match, Dunwidde took down Bourbon and eventually pinned her, dropping the freshman to the backside of the bracket. Bourbon regrouped and pinned Timberland's Gracie McDole at the 1:57 mark with a 7-3 in the consolation semifinal. She faced Park Hill South's Lucia Henriquez in the third place bout, and led 4-1 early in the final period, but eventually fell by fall and earned fourth place.

Bourbon finished with a record of 40-5.

Egley had a different and enduring route en route to her medal. The 100 pounder pinned Pattonville's Aleeya Thompson at 2:39 but was handed the same result in her quarterfinal to eventual state champion Liberty's Lilly Breeden. From there, Egley went 3-1, defeating Ozark's Adilyn Hoelzle (Fall 2:06), Rolla's Kiara Sederburg (Dec. 8-0), and Ft. Posage's Mikayla Strickler (Fall 1:14), advancing Egley to the third place match, where she lost by fall to North Kansas City's Juliana Tice.

Egley concluded her debut Nixa season with a record of 32-10.

2x qualifier sophomore 105 pounder Ashton Mayes also placed fourth. Mayes won by fall in her opening round match over Lee's Summit North Avery Edwards but dropped fell in the quarterfinal contest to eventual runner-up Francis Howell's Isabelle Apple. Mayes then followed a similar trail of Egley. She went 3-1, pining her next three opponents, Lee's Sumit Alexa Barton (:33), Seckman's Emma Donze (2:09), and Northwest's Brooklyn Robinson (:54). She dropped her third place match to Blue Springs South Killian Evans to place fourth.

Mayes' sophomore year concluded with a record of 34-9 and a second straight medal. She enters her junior season with a career record of 70-23. 

2x qualifier senior Jessie Nelson won her opening match over Webster Grove's Shyla Reid 1-0, scoring an escape in the second for the bout's only point. Nelson was pinned in the quarterfinal to eventual the eventual state champ Oak Park's Kendall Angelo. Similar to her teammates, Nelson went 3-1 in her remaining matches to secure fourth place. She defeated Rolla's Kaylee Riegel (Dec. 1-0), pinned Battle's Synaya Lewis (1:10), and scored an escape in overtime period two over Willard's Harmony Moore to win the match 2-1. Nelson fell by decision in her third place match to Waynesville's Yisel Perez.

Nelson concluded her final Nixa season with a record of 32-13 with her first state medal.

Senior and 3x qualifier Ava Frye finally overcame the barrier and captured a state medal is her last go-around. Previous outings saw Frye win just one match, and on the opening day, Frye doubled that en route to a sixth place finish. The 140 pound Frye won by a 5-3 decision over Washington's Brianna James and pinned Ft. Osage's Madison Lightner at the 1:49 mark, solidifying a state medal. Fyre fell in her next two matches, including a tough overtime defeat in period three in her last-ever Nixa match.

Frye rounded out her senior season with a record of 26-7, surpassing career win No. 100 in the process, and ended with an overall record of 102-48. 

Four of Nixa's three remaining qualifiers won at least one match, helping the team in the standings.

Junior Brylee James (135) was one win away from earning a state medal in her second state appearance, going 2-2 and concluding the season at 38-13.

3x qualifier junior Mylee Harper (120) and first-time qualifier senior Larissa Downs (235) both notched one victory in their state outing, finishing 19-7 and 34-15, respectively.

The 2025 state championship for Nixa marks the fourth team trophy since the Missouri girls' inaugural year in 2019, when the Eagles finished second in 2022, fourth in 2023, and second in 2024.

Click here to view the full results of the tournament here.
Click here to view photos and video highlights.

The Nixa girls wrestling assistant coaching staff was awarded the Missouri Wrestling Association Class 2 District 3 Girls Assistant Coaching Staff of the Year and the State Class 2 and All-Classes Girls Assistant Coaching Staff of the Year. 

Head Coach Dustin Martin was also named the Missouri Wrestling Association Class 2 District 3 and State Class 2 Coach of the Year.

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