Pekin’s Hailey Pedrick Makes Trip to Extreme Arena for State Meet

CORALVILLE—On February 1, Pekin’s Hailey Pedrick made the trip to Extreme Arena in Coralville for the 2024 IGHSAU Girls State Tournament. 

When asked about the emotions she felt when walking into the arena, Pedrick responded with, “I was pretty excited to be there, but a little nervous being in a stadium that big. We were in a big stadium last year for regionals, but it was a totally different atmosphere being at state.”

One of the first things Pedrick did when she was heading towards the mat was look for her parents. “When all the people started flooding in, I looked up and found my parents. They had the biggest smiles. It really calms you down when you can see people you know. You realize that you are not here by yourself.”

Pedrick, ranked 25th in the 135 weight class, matched up against ninth ranked Kayden Boorn (34-9) of Wilton. Pedrick fought hard, but lost by a final decision of 9-3.

Pedrick spoke on the match with, “I was proud for sticking it through the six minutes and not getting pinned. I think it was knowing that I got better from last year, fought hard for all six of those minutes and gave it my best.”

In the consolation bracket, Pedrick fell via pin to Osage’s Annaliese Archiniega. It was the end of Pedrick’s season, as she wrapped up the year with a final record of 24-12.

Despite the early exit, Pedrick still held a positive mentality about the experience. She described it with, “I totally gave it my all. It was really fun to be out there in the big arena representing Pekin and the wrestling program.”

Lastly, Pedrick went on to express the gratitude she has for the people around here who supported her with, “Just knowing that everybody was there to watch me, no matter how it went. They were all very supportive. Having that big support system behind you all the time is really big.”