That Katie Bowen earned third in the 102 weight class at the girls state wrestling tournament, becoming the first girl in Mexico High School history to medal at the event, may not be her most …
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![Katie Bowen raises her arm in victory after taking down Lilly McCollom of Eureka in the third place match at the girls state wrestling championship in Independence on Tuesday. [Eric Mattson]](https://beta.creativecirclecdn.com/mexicoledger/original/20210723-135318-Katie%20third%281%29.jpg)
That Katie Bowen earned third in the 102 weight class at the girls state wrestling tournament, becoming the first girl in Mexico High School history to medal at the event, may not be her most impressive accomplishment on the day.
In winning three matches at the MSHSAA Wrestling Championship in Independence on Tuesday, Bowen defeated both a returning state finalist and the second ranked wrestler at 102 in the state.
“And she’s only a freshman,” said head coach Tony Senor with an eye toward the future of Bowen and the first year girls wrestling program.
Bowen’s bronze medal caps a historic season for the Bulldogs. And it was a worthy performance.
She opened with a 4-1 decision over Kaylee Harker of Lees Summit West.
Harker was a finalist a year ago, but Bowen jumped on top early with a takedown in the first period. The pair battled evenly through the second, and Harker closed the points gap with an escape early in the third.
But Bowen had the final say. A takedown secured the win.
Next up was Jacklyn Fast of North Kansas City, number two in the state rankings. Neither wrestler could gain an advantage in the first two minutes. In the second period, however, Fast asserted herself, taking a 2-0 lead.
Bowen picked up an escape point in the third. But the match remained at 2-1 in Fast’s favor as the clock ticked.
With time running down, Bowen turned the tables with a takedown for a 3-2 decision.
“Katie is a scrapper and was ready to battle every single match,” Senor said.
In the next round Bowen went down early, but rallied in the second. At the 4:35 mark, Audrey Scherer of Lindbergh caught Bowen on top with her legs and gained the advantage.
The Mexico freshman could not escape and lost by fall.
That sent Bowen into the third place match, where she squared off against Eureka’s Lilly McCollum. The two entered the final period with the outcome still in doubt. Bowen was up 2-1 thanks to a takedown, but McCollum would not concede.
Bowen proved relentless. Late in the contest she made a quick move that caught her opponent off guard for another takedown and a 4-1 win.
“Her performance was outstanding and we controlled most of the matches,” Senor observed. “Next season I want a full team of girls and more qualifiers.”
