Wright City’s Sadie Sehnert and Caelyn Hanff returned home with some shiny hardware. After competing in the Class 1 girls State Wrestling Championships, the two juniors have medaled fifth and sixth, respectively. 

Alongside them, Joseph Beitel, Kali Jensen, and Lauren Ritter also represented the Wildcats at Mizzou Arena, though none of them placed.

“I thought everyone competed very well. It was very successful and five is the most kids we’ve ever taken to state,” Coach Fred Ross said. “That was kind of neat and they represented Wright City very well.” 

For Sehnert, the state competition marked her second appearance at the tournament and her first state medal. 

“I was making sure I go to practice everyday, putting in extra work outside of practice and just working as hard as I can,” Sehnert said. 

Sehnert expressed pride in herself after noticing the growth she had this season. Reflecting on last year, she remembered falling to the eventual 130-class state champion Emily Bischoff from Odessa in 30 seconds. 

This year, the result was the same but Sehnert battled for three periods until losing by a 14-1 major decision. 

“She did really well. She has stepped up, she’s consistent and she’s worked all the way to the buzzer dollar matches,” Ross said. 

Sehnert acknowledged she had some nerves coming into the tournament but after knowing she was going to medal at the end of the first day, they subsided. 

“I knew I was medaling either way. The difference between fifth and sixth is not like first versus second, so I was not as nervous and more relaxed,” Sehnert said. 

Hanff medaled sixth after having to medically forfeit before the fifth-place match. The junior stated she suffered a knee and rib injury during her semifinal match. 

“Honestly, this year was a little disappointing because I was expecting to get higher and the odds were kind of against me,” Hanff said. “It’s still definitely an achievement so I can’t be too mad.” 

Hanff’s journey to the semifinals included an intense battle against Alana Thelin from Pleasant Hill, the 2024 state champion. Wrestling through pain, Hanff took the match to overtime and came close to pinning Thelin before the action went out of bounds. After six minutes and 38 seconds, Hanff was defeated. 

“She was a really tough competitor and she’s predicted to be the state champion, so I wasn’t too upset about it,” Hanff said. 

After enduring the physical pain and a grueling schedule, Hanff wrestled one more match but knew she should not continue on to the fifth-place match. 

“Mentally and physically, I was so upset about them throwing me into my wrestleback match because I only had 30 minutes to recover,” Hanff said. “The adrenaline and hoping I had a chance (pushed me) but I was just so tired.” 

Despite the hardships she faced, Hanff was proud of herself. Her sixth-place finish marked her as the first back-to-back state medalist in Wright City history. 

“The fact that I could make history again was my main drive,” Hanff said. “Injuries are a part of it and she gave it her all. She’s the first two-time state medalist the school has had so that is pretty special,” Ross added.