SPRINGFIELD — The Joplin Eagles wrestling program split a dual Tuesday night at Glendale, with the boys dominating 50-29 while the girls battled to the final match before falling 36-24.
The Joplin boys never trailed, jumping out to a 23-0 lead behind pins from Cory Ivey (113), Laiken Perry (126), Kemper Loyd (144), and a technical fall by Eliah Rizo (106). Even after Glendale clawed back a few weights, the Eagles slammed the door with four straight wins: Austin Puckett (165) in 56 seconds, Jaxxon Puckett (165) in 2:50, Judah Meridith (190) by 9-5 decision, and Gryphon Price (215) with a first-period fall. Joplin won nine of the eleven contested matches and capitalized on a Glendale forfeit at 120.
On the girls’ side, Joplin showed flashes despite the 36-24 defeat. Angelica Sturgis opened with a default win at 100, Maliah Winnett controlled her match for a second-period fall at 110, and heavyweight Ilannah Burtrum closed the night with another default victory at 235. Blayke Holmes delivered the fastest pin of the dual, decking Glendale’s Katelyn Hester in just 39 seconds at 140. The Eagles dropped several close decisions and were hurt by forfeits, but the four wins kept the dual competitive until the end.