Palmyra youth wrestlers capture pile of medals at folkstyle state championships

PALMYRA, Mo. — The Palmyra Youth Wrestling Club had 15 grapplers earn medals, including four who won championships, at the 2025 Missouri USA Folkstyle Youth State Championships held at the Wilson Logistics Arena in Springfield, Mo.

Winning championships were Cooper Nicholson in the 8U/80-pound open division, Kinsley Rife in the 12u/90-pound girls division, Ava Rife in the 12u/110-pound girls division and Brynlea Lahr in the 12u/115-pound girls division.

Nicholson won his opening match with a 17-0 technical fall and then pinned his next three opponents, sticking Bryer Scheffler in 45 seconds in the title match. This was Nicholson’s second championship in the state folkstyle event.

Kinsley Rife won all four of her matches by pins, including three in the first minute. She pinned Mexico’s Hunter Hodde in 42 seconds in the finals. Ava Rife opened with a 19-1 technical fall, pinned her next two opponents and defeated Belton’s Victoria Harvey by a 19-4 technical fall in the finals.

Lahr opened with a 23-second pin, won a major decision and followed with two more pins, including sticking Hayden Collins in 2:55 in the championship.

Finn Heimer finished as the state-runner up in the 8u/70-pound open division, winning twice by pin and once by sudden victory in his first three matches.

Braelynn Morris was the state runner-up in the 12u/85-pound girls division, winning her first two matches by technical fall and her semifinal match with a pin.

Zoe Corum finished second in the 12u/140-pound girls division, winning by technical fall and major decision in her first two matches.

Fourth-place finishers included Keynu Neiswender in the 12u/95-pound open division, Cael Wilt in the 14u/90-pound open division and Tayleigh Robertson in the 12u/85-pound girls division. 

Aidyn Bryant finished fifth in the 12u/85-pound open division, while Eli Sutter finished fifth in the 12u/110-pound open division. Finishing in sixth place were Ryken Hedgpeth in the 14u/90-pound open division, Behrett Lorenson in the 14u/120-pound open division and Zoey Eisenberg in the 14u/115-pound girls division. 

The Palmyra Youth Wrestling Club finished second as a team in the girls division and seventh out of 137 Teams in the Open Division.