The Centralia girls wrestling program sent a couple of underclassmen to state this year.
Sophomore Avery Adams and freshman Avery Griggs each picked up their first wins at the Class 1 state …
This item is available in full to subscribers.
We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, or you are a print subscriber who had access to our previous website, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you have not yet logged in to your account on this new site.
If you are a current print subscriber and did not have a user account on our previous website, you can set up a free website account by clicking here.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Please log in to continue |
The Centralia girls wrestling program sent a couple of underclassmen to state this year.
Sophomore Avery Adams and freshman Avery Griggs each picked up their first wins at the Class 1 state tournament at Mizzou Arena in Columbia before being eliminated during the first day on Feb. 25. Adams beat Lone Jack’s Kathryn Jack 5-3 in her second match after going 0-2 at state last year while Griggs won 7-5 against Warsaw’s Izabella Schierholz in her second match.
“I’m extremely proud of Avery Adams and Avery Griggs for how they came out in this tournament,” head coach Mike Adkisson said. “The moment wasn’t too big for them. They both had extremely tough first-round matches. They came out and competed. That’s all you can ask them to do.”
Adkisson said he is proudest of how they were able to rebound despite the large crowd in the large venue. Adams and Griggs were seeded against Plattsburg medalist Isabella Hofmeister and Herculaneum medalist Emerson Reeves after snagging the last qualifying spots out of districts. They each had to face top-five wrestlers in the first round, according to Adkisson.
“We really try to not put a lot of emphasis on the winning and losing part,” Adkisson said. “What we try to emphasize is attitude and effort at all times in the practice room and during competition. If your attitude and effort is good enough that you can look at yourself in the mirror at the end of the day and say, ‘You gave everything you had,’ you’re the only one who can tell yourself the truth and know if it’s the truth or not.”
Adams didn’t score a point last year at state but scored in every match. She was one point shy of advancing to Day 2 after losing 6-5 to Fort Zumwalt South’s Carly Williams.
Griggs was pinned by Fort Zumwalt South’s Ella Conley to end her tournament after the winning battle in her second match.
“There are no easy matches down here,” Adkisson said. “They would be the only ones that knew at the end of the day if they gave everything they had. I know, in my heart, that they both did.”
Adkisson is looking forward to seeing them give more attitude and effort over the next few years to hopefully make it back to state and be joined by their teammates that were cheering them on at the venue. He also can’t wait to have two-time state champion Jayci Shelton back after she missed this year with a torn ACL to give him an upperclassman after not having one in his lineup this season.
“We’re really looking forward to what we’ve got going in Centralia,” Adkisson said. “We’re trying to build something that we can be proud of, and I think we’re on our way.”
