In only its second year at Carthage High School, the ladies’ wrestling program made a name for itself with fourth place and state runner-up finishes this weekend at the MSHSAA State Wrestling Championships. Sophomore Irish Lee and freshman Kaylee James came into Saturday’s final day of competition vying for a third and first place finish in their respective weight classes during the Class 2 Girls’ Championship tournament.
Coming out of the Class 2 District 3 tournament as a four seed, Irish Lee was automatically paired up against a one seed for the first match of the state tournament Friday evening in the 140 lb. weight class. Lucy Moore’s (Parkway West) pin of Lee pushed her to the consolation side of the bracket, where she quickly recorded a fall against Platte County’s Ava Blankenship to advance to the second consolation round on Friday night. Irish was rolling at that point, with a pin of Madison Lightner of Fort Osage, qualifying her for Saturday’s consolation round three match against Caroline Owens of Seckman. Lee kept the momentum going on Saturday, handing Owens the fall in 59 seconds, and earning a spot in the consolation semifinals later that morning. Brooke Dollard, a two seed from Troy, was stunned when a second period fall by Irish ended her hopes for a shot at a third-place finish. This marked Irish Lee’s fourth consecutive pin of the tournament, and afforded her the opportunity to wrestle for third place – an almost unheard-of feat for someone entering the state tournament as a four seed.
“Irish definitely found her stride and really started understanding what she was capable of doing.” Said girls’ coach Shelby Swinehart. “I’m really proud of how hard she has worked to get to this point.”
While McCluer’s Demetria Higgins ultimately handed her the loss in a 10-4 decision, Lee finished the season as the MSHSAA State Championship Girls Class 2, 4th place finisher at the 140 lb. weight class.
Saturday morning also started off with a bang for Freshman, Kaylee James, in the 130 lb. weight class. After Friday evening’s performance of two first period pins, James was ready to take on Wentzville North Point’s Ayamba Abunaw in the semifinals round. Abunaw presented more of a challenge to James than any of her previous competitors, as she advanced to the second period, but Kaylee persevered and handed out one last fall before advancing to the championship match Saturday evening. The win was an emotional one for James, as it earned her another mark in the history books as Carthage’s first female wrestling finalist at the state championship tournament. She was also the only freshman competing in the 130 lb. weight class.
Carthage Coach, Edxel Morales, has grown close with all the ladies, and James in particular as she worked herself through the ranks and, ultimately, a spot among the state’s elite. “I’m so dang proud of her,” Morales said. “She stays so humble but works hard and doesn’t let anything get in her way. It’s easy to be intimidated at this level, but she is so grounded. She just reminded herself on the floor yesterday morning that ‘This doesn’t really feel any different than other tournaments I’ve been to. I just need to go at it the same way’”, Morales commented.
That attitude served her well as she prepared to square off against senior phenom Kailey Benson, defending state champion from Francis Howell Central, who has not lost a match since the end of her sophomore year in 2023. Benson teched her first-round opponent from Liberty North at the end of the first period, and subsequently pinned the rest of her opponents in the quarterfinals and semifinals on the road to a second championship. While Carthage’s James was the only of Benson’s opponents to make it to the third period when facing her, Benson ultimately came away with the technical fall, handing Kaylee James only her second loss on the year.
Kaylee James second place finish as a freshman ensures that we will continue to watch her wrestling career flourish, along with sophomore teammates Irish Lee and the girls’ third state qualifier, Emely Hernandez Guzman. Congratulations to head coach Nate Kelly and Carthage girls wrestling for a phenomenal finish this year!
