It was a familiar setting for Alexus Johns and Abby Bowen.

Mexico’s returning 235-pound state runner-up Johns finished second in the team’s returning to the Class 1 District 2 tournament at St. Charles West in St. Louis on Friday and Saturday. Abby Bowen will be a state qualifier for the second straight season after finishing third at 135 pounds, joining Johns again Feb 26-27 in the Class 1 state tournament at Mizzou Arena in Columbia. 

Johns won three of her four matches, which included her final two against returning state medalists. She won by pinfall twice on the first day before facing Marshall’s Sherlyn Solano and then Blair Oaks’ Loghan Sumner on the second day.

With relentless pressure, Johns was able to secure a takedown early in the first period but was unable to secure any nearfall points. Johns would score another pair of takedowns in the second period, boosting her lead to 9-1. She would score one last takedown in the third period to take the match by a score of 12-2, and clinching her third state qualifying appearance.  

Bowen won by two pinfalls on the first day, before being pinned by eventual district runner-up Payton Hammack, of St. Charles West, to start the second day. Bowen’s next match was against Fulton’s Khloe Landis. 

Landis was hoping to make her mark early and attacked often, but Bowen was able to counter anything that was thrown at her and scored a takedown and a set of nearfall points in the opening period of wrestling to give herself a 6-0 nothing lead.  Bowen would choose neutral to start the second period and Landis was looking for the home run throw to get back in the match.  However, her throw attempt was countered and capitalized on, by Bowen staying balanced and putting her opponent on her back again.  This time the referee called her pin and thus punched Bowen’s ticket to go back to the state tournament.  

Bowen had faced and defeated her final opponent, North Callaway’s Elka Endres, three times prior to Saturday, and it was looking like it was a foregone conclusion that Bowen would have her fourth victory against her after scoring six unanswered points via takedown.  Endres took a risk and chose to start in the top position for the third period and it appeared to be the right call after securing a set of near fall points to cut the lead to 6-3 with about a minute left in the match.  Endres attempted to lock up a cradle but was unable to secure it, which gave Bowen the opportunity she needed to counter the move and earn a reversal and put Endres directly on her back and earn the pin with about 30 seconds to go.  This win also is significant for Abigail Bowen as this secured her 100th career win before attending the state tournament.  

Sherlyn Mena at 125 pounds, Addison Paden at 145, Jazzmin Torres at 155 and Yolitza Rodriguez Rios at 170 each made it to the second day in the consolation bracket. Mena and Rios each were eliminated in matches decided by pinfall while Paden lost her final match of her career 3-0 to Holt’s Jaelynn Simpson and Torres lost her final match of the season 9-6 to STEAM Academy’s La’Toria Williams.

Johns and Bowen are scheduled to start their opening round of wrestling at 1 p.m. on Feb 26 in the state tournament. Should they advance to the second day of wrestling, Day 2 is scheduled to start at 10:15 a.m.