It was another full week for the Lady Dragon wrestlers as they took on every match they could.  The week began Tuesday, January 14 as the girls travelled north to Rigby to duel with Rigby, Pocatello, and Challis. At the end of the day, Malad pulled out the win against Rigby, and Pocatello, but fell to Challis.  As the sport is continuing to grow, it can be difficult to have matchups in each weight class.  On this particular night, all of the MHS girls were scheduled for at least one match. 

Heading south the following day, three Lady Dragon wrestlers joined with Mountain Crest in Logan, Utah to fill in weights for their senior night.  Coach Kade Price commented, “It’s one of the neat things about the sport right now. Teams are working closely with one another to help improve the experience for the girls.” 

Over the weekend, the Lady Dragons competed in the Ridgeline wrestling tournament.  The Malad High School girls wrestling team had a strong showing at the tournament, with several wrestlers placing and scoring valuable team points. Braylee Price (105 lbs) started strong with a first-round win but faced a tough loss in the quarterfinals. She showed great determination by battling back with two wins in the consolation rounds before ultimately finishing in 6th place. 

At 110 lbs, Bella McCullough also started with a loss but then demonstrated impressive resilience, winning four consecutive matches, including the 3rd place match, to earn a spot on
the podium. 

Rylee Neilson, wrestling at 125 lbs had a similar path, facing a challenging early loss but fighting her way through the consolation bracket with three wins to eventually finish 4th.

In the 140 lbs weight class, Aubrey Shulz advanced to the semifinals after a strong start but fell to a tough opponent. Not to be deterred, she bounced back to reach the 3rd place match, where she narrowly missed a podium finish, taking 4th. 

Cale Carter at 170 lbs had a dominant performance, winning all three of her matches by fall or technical fall to claim the Championship title. 

Overall, the Malad wrestlers demonstrated grit and determination throughout the tournament, with several overcoming early setbacks to achieve success. Cale Carter’s championship performance was a highlight, showcasing her dominance in the 170 lbs division.

The Lady Dragons placed 5th overall, with just 5 wrestlers in the tournament. Beating out some larger schools. “As coaches, we saw some amazing wrestling in both the varsity and JV tournaments. The girls have shown so much improvement in their skills and understanding of this new sport for them. We are proud of all of them and the hard work they have been putting in, in practice, and in competition,” commented the Lady Dragon coaches.

Not only did the varsity find success at the tournament, but the JV team did as well with several wrestlers placing in the top four of their respective weight classes.

Stella Merja, Dezirae Haven, and Bella Smith all took first place in their weight classes, each winning all five of their matches by fall. Bentley Oglesbee, Jenetta Jacaway, and Paysli Chournos placed second, while Laney Coatney earned a third-place finish.  Other wrestlers who placed in the top four include Serenity Brees, Karsen Thornock, and Britlynn Lloyd.

“Overall, the team demonstrated impressive skill and determination throughout the tournament.  Every one of our girls medaled in this tournament making it a huge success.”

The Lady Dragons will slow down in their next week, only wrestling in West Side on Thursday, January 23.