Four area wrestlers win brackets at Bill Rex Invite

PEKIN – At times all of them looked unstoppable, and for the most part they proved to be.

During the Dec. 9 Bill Rex Invitational girls wrestling tournament held in Pekin four area wrestlers proved to be just about anything, but beatable, as four area girls wrestlers were able to earn championships. 

For Sigourney the senior year of Reanah Utterback continues to impress. Utterback wasn’t the only Sigourney wrestler that made noise though, as Sadie Clarahan cleared her bracket too. 

Pekin hoisted champions in the 135-pound and 140-pound divisions as Lila was able to defeat all of her opponents. Hailey Pedrick was also able to walk away as the champion of her bracket in the tournament. 

Overall, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont ran away with the team win, scoring 259 points. Pekin finished fourth with 106.5 points. Sigourney was ninth with 75. 

Utterback made very short work of her competition in Pekin last week. She started off with a quarterfinal match over an EBF opponent. There she needed just 65 seconds to earn the pin and move onto the next round. 

In the semifinals Utterback wrestled an opponent from Columbus. After lifting up her opponent, and giving the Columbus wrestler two early slams, Utterback eventually was able to jump on top and earn the pin in 1:16 to move into the championship match. 

In the championship Utterback battled Albia’s Serene Thompson. Although Thompson gave her a bit of a fight, Utterback was able to get the pin in 1:53 to win the championship.

In the 125-pound bracket Sadie Clarahan had a little longer matches, but still earned three pins to claim the championship. 

In the first round Clarahan battled Pekin’s Reece Brisby. Early in the second period Clarahan was able to put Brisby’s shoulders to the mat for the pin. In the semifinals Clarahan made short work of her EBF opponent, pinning her in 1:43. 

The championship battle featured another match against another EBF opponent. This time Clarahan was able to earn a win in the third period, pinning the Rocket wrestler after 5:17 on the mat. 

Other wrestlers for Sigourney:

Izzy McCullogh was able to finish fourth in the tournament. She won her consolation semifinal match with a third period pin, but was pinned in the third place match. 

Erica Clubb finished fifth in the 110-pound bracket. She won her third round consolation match and then the fifth place match with a medical forfeit over Lexa Nelson of Pekin. 

Kia Montgomery wrestled in the 130-pound bracket where she was pinned two times in the second period. Madison Clarahan was able to wrestle in the 190-pound bracket, but was pinned twice. 

Pekin’s Lila Miller seemed to waste little time in her march to the 135-pound bracket win. 

Miller had an opening round bye, but then needed just 66 seconds to earn a pin in the quarterfinal round. 

The semifinals would go even faster for Miller. Wrestling a Lone Tree opponent, Miller needed 54 seconds to earn a pin and move onto the championship.

In the championship Miller was able to pin an EBF opponent in 2:26, earning the victory. 

Hailey Pedrick was able to use some timing and patience in order to win the 140-pound bracket. Pedrick had a first round bye, but started off her tournament with a pin in 1:18 over a Fairfield opponent.

In the semifinals Pedrick seemed to jump on the back of her Albia opponent often. She eventually pinned her opponent in 1:22 for the victory. 

That led to the championship match where Pdrick battled a Columbus opponent for two periods, before her opponent was injured and couldn’t finish the match.  

While Miller and Pedrick’s wins highlighted the tournament for the Panthers, the entire Pekin squad seemed to have a good night wrestling at home. 

Ivory Small was able to wrestle in the 130-pound bracket. She finished fourth overall. After starting with an opening round win, Small was pinned in the quarterfinals. She then was able to pin teammate Harper Guise in the second period of the consolation bracket match. From there Small pinned a Cardinal opponent in the second period. The third place match featured Small being pinned in the first period. 

Ella Rose finished in fifth place in the 145-pound bracket. Rose recovered from the opening round where she was pinned early in the second period. From there she was able to earn a tech fall over a Cardinal wrestler, 19-4. She then came up just short, 17-8 in the consolation semifinals. 

In the fifth place match Rose needed just 52 seconds to pin her Moravia opponent. 

Makena Martin wrestled in the 100-pound bracket and finished in sixth place overall after getting pinned three times. 

Lexa Nelson was sixth overall in the 110-pound bracket. Nelson started her tournament with a win over a Columbus wrestler. After being defeated by Clubb in the quarterfinals, and then suffering a major decision defeat to a EBF wrestler, Nelson withdrew from the tournament for medical reasons.

Bree Earnest finished sixth in the 120-pound bracket. Earnest was defeated in the quarterfinals, but won her first consolation round match with a pin in 57 seconds. 

Alyvia Traner wrestled in the 115-pound bracket. She finished 0-2. Khloe Timmerman wrestled in the 120-pound bracket and finished 0-2. Reece Bisby wrestled in the 125-pound bracket and finished the night 0-2. Harper Guise wrestled in the 130-pound bracket and finished 1-2 in the tournament. Rylee Frye wrestled in the 235-pound bracket. She finished with a 1-2 record, including a 22 second pin in the consolation bracket.