COLUMBIA, Mo. — Saturday evening in Columbia, Mo., marked the culmination of another season of blood, sweat and tears for the wrestlers, coaches, fans and crew of this year’s MSHSAA Wrestling Championships. The crowd at Mizzou Arena reached a fever pitch by 5:45 pm, as the most talented men and women in the larger classes marched their way matside to exchange handshakes with their opponents and prepare for battle. And what a battle it was!
For fans of Carthage wrestling, one name stood out above the rest this year. Kaylee James had a bone to pick after last year’s finals loss to Kailey Benson, a two-time state champion from Francis Howell Central in St. Louis, MO. James worked hard and knew this year was her year in the 140 lb. weight class.
Luck of the draw means that you never know which side of the brackets you will fall on at the state tournament, so you might coast into finals knowing that your toughest opponent is on the opposite side, or in James’ case, you might just meet her again in the semifinals. Ariel Biggs, a freshman from Fost Osage High School in Independence, MO got the best of James at the Belton Tournament one weekend in December. In typical style, Kaylee met up with Biggs the next weekend on the big stage that is the KC Stampede Tournament and pinned her in the finals.
James knew making it to the finals of the state tournament as a freshman was major…and she wasn’t about to give Ariel Biggs the same chance this year with her. James came out strong and set the tone with Biggs early but landed a few penalty points for potentially dangerous and stalling to allow Biggs to close the gap. While Kaylee fought and kept a 6-5 victory, she still had her sights set on the big match.
Ja`Ziya Miles from Staley High School in Kansas City, Kaylee’s finals opponent, is a junior with a 49-9 record. Miles won her first round with a 7-3 decision over Lebanon’s Natalie Joiner, and then had third period pins over her McCluer and Oak Park opponents in the quarters and semis. While Miles was a strong wrestler with an impressive record, the machine that was Kaylee James came out strong immediately and dominated the match from start to finish. Strength and speed were on James’ side, and she twice had Miles on her back earning nearfall points. The end result was a 16-3 major decision, and history being made as the first girl to win a state championship for Carthage in wrestling.
Congratulations to Kaylee James and the Carthage Wrestling coaches on this year’s historical state championship run!
