STATE BOUND!

DES MOINES—On January 26, the SK, EV/TC and Pekin girls wrestling teams made the trip to Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines for the 2024 Super Regional Tournaments.

There were only two individual wrestlers that qualified for the state tournament: SK’s Reanah Utterback (115) and Pekin’s Hailey Pedrick (135).

Utterback received a bye in the first round then pinned her next two opponents in an average time of 2:40. In the semifinals, she took down Kate Krouse of EBF in 3:31. In the semifinals, she gave her first points of the season on a reversal. Utterback spoke of not being able to fulfill her goal of not giving up a point all season with, “It is what is, and we are going to keep wrestling.” Now the goal is to keep the season total for points scored against at this mark. “That is the goal now. Just keep it as low as possible.”

Utterback secured her Super Regional championship with a 2:49 pin over Trudy Haag of Ankeny.

Utterback spoke on the emotions of winning the Super Regional with, “It was a great feeling knowing that we are now on to state for a bigger opportunity and a bigger goal to meet.” On top of that, the ultimate goal for Utterback is to “stand on the top of the podium.” She has aspirations of being the state champion of the 115 weight class. Despite the huge goal she has set for herself, Utterback just wants to, “go out, have fun and wrestle to my best capability I can.”

Pekin’s Hailey Pedrick also received a bye to start her tournament. Pedrick then pinned her next two opponents en route to the semifinals. She fell in the semifinals, but bounced back in the consolation semifinals with a pin over Dakota Hastings of Nevada in 3:02. 

Pedrick spoke on what was running through her mind after the loss as, “It was a little stressful because my spot to state was no longer guaranteed, but I knew I still had a chance in the consolation rounds. I knew I had to work hard there to fight my way back to the final rounds of the consolation (bracket).” 

Pedrick continued the momentum into the next match, as she pinned Ames’ Lily Anderson in 4:16 en route to the third place finish in the 135 bracket of the third region of the IGHSAU Super Regionals.

Pedrick described the emotion of winning the third place match as, “It was like my dream came true. This was something I have wanted to do since I started wrestling, so there were a lot of happy tears. It was so much joy because all the hard work I put in paid off in the end.”

Lastly, Pedrick spoke on her goal for the state meet with, “I would love to stand on the podium, whether or not that happens this year or next. I just really want to go up, have fun and give it my best.”

SK’s Reanah Utterback and Pekin’s Hailey Pedrick will return to action for the state tournament in Coralville on February 1. Utterback (115) will start her tournament off against Kammie Gleiter of Waterloo West, while Pedrick (135) will face off against Wilton’s Kayden Broom in the first round.