Warrenton sophomore Melanie Guerrero admits that she wasn’t always the best student.

Until wrestling came along and changed her life, that is.

“Wrestling helps me not get into fights at school,” Guerrero admits. “It does (relieve feelings of aggression) and I like my coaches and friends.”

Guerrero took fifth place at 125 pounds after pinning Nevada’s Brooklynn Hoag, whom she’d already beaten earlier in the tournament, in 51 seconds for the medal. 

“This feels great because I haven’t even wrestled for a full year,” Guerrero said. “I’m just going to go to tournaments over the summer and work hard to keep getting better. I really wanted to get that last match over, so I wanted to pin her in the first period and that’s what I did.”

In total, Guerrero went 3-2 at the state championships to finish the season with a record of 36-15.

Warrenton coach Clayton Olsson said the incredible toughness shown by Guerreo in the face of a pair of earlier defeats was inspiring.

“It’s hard when you hit the semis and you’re so close to that finals match, because that’s what every kid dreams of, making the state finals and being a state champ,” Olsson said. “Then to lose the consolation match 30 minutes later, that’s hard. As soon as it (the pin in the fifth-place match) happens, you could just see all that pressure wash away.”

Guerrero makes no bones about where the fifth-place finish puts her mindset.

She not only wants to do better at state as a junior, but she also wants to be the best.

“This is definitely motivation for me,” Guerrero said. “I’m going to be a state champ next year. I’m going to work hard over the summer, come back and be a state champ because that’s what I want. I’m going to earn it.”

Just like Guerrero, Wright City senior Sadie Sehnert finished her season on the final day as she took fourth place at 140 pounds as part of the wrestling championship.

The finish, which came after a 9-6 decision against Blair Oaks’ Sam Lage in the third-place match at the championship, improved Sehnert’s medal by one over her state finish as a junior.

Sehnert (48-4) said that the finish met with her overall hopes for the season.

“My goal from the start was to improve upon the fifth (place) that I got last year,” Sehnert said. “I, definitely, was worn out. I was getting tired much earlier on. Usually, I can breathe at the end of matches. This weekend, I was struggling, even by the second period (of matches).”

Wright City Coach Fred Ross said that Sehnert has blazed a trail in terms of Wright City girls’ wrestling.

“She finishes fourth, a two-time medalist, and she leaves the school with the most wins in school history,” Ross said. “She’s going to leave her legacy and we’re just very proud of her.”

Sehnert said she hopes the legacy will be many more young girls wrestling at the school and making their mark.

“It means a lot to me because I’m excited to see, as the years go by, how many more people start joining because, from my freshman year to now, the team has grown so much,” Sehnert said. “Some people might think that starting freshman year is too late, but if you put in the hard work, you can do a lot.”

Also at the tournament, four other Warrenton wrestlers competed.

Senior Dakota Lohrmann (135) won her first wrestleback match, defeating Windsor’s Morgan Meyer by fall in 2:02 before bowing out.

Seniors Alli Vacek (155), Meredith Donovan (105) and sophomore Vivia Grooms (120) all dropped both of their state matches.