High school girls' wrestling: Baker, Caswell advance to Class 1 state wrestling

Fulton juniors win sectional titles at 117, 127

VERSAILLES - Fulton juniors Rylee Baker and Rylee Caswell qualified for the Class 1 girls' state wrestling championships after capturing individual titles at 117 and 127 pounds, respectively, at the Sectional 2 championships Saturday.

The top three finishers in each weight class advanced to the Class 1 state championships - which will be a one-day tournament this year - on Tuesday, March 9. Due to COVID-19 circumstances, the state championships will also move from Mizzou Arena in Columbia to Cable-Dahmer Arena in Independence.

Baker (41-1) will be competing at the state championships for a second straight year after medalling with a fifth-place finish at 110 in 2020. Caswell (44-4) will be making her first trip.

Baker started off Saturday by pinning Palmyra's Anna Ragar in 1 minute, 16 seconds in the quarterfinals at 117. She then tallied a 17-2 technical fall over St. Charles' Hayley Newtown in the semifinals.

Baker secured the championship with a pin of Wright City's Samantha Byerley in 2:33.

Caswell opened with a pinfall victory over Holt's Eleanor Manning in 1:11 in the quarterfinals at 127. She followed up by pinning Francis Howell North's Lily Steigerwald in 1:25 in the semifinals.

Caswell then wrapped up the title with a 4-0 decision over Kirksville's Lydia Nelson.

Freshman Carly Foster - the Lady Hornets' other sectional qualifier - had her season come to an end at 174 pounds. Foster (22-12) was pinned by Holt's Anastasia Denzmore in :14 in first-round wrestlebacks.