Ella Brown and Jacie Bedell competed for Kennedy at Iowa’s first sanctioned girls’ wrestling state tournament on Thursday, Feb. 2 and Friday, Feb. 3. They went up against over 100 schools. 

Bedell, with a record of 17-11, this season wrestled at 135 lbs. She fought but lost in her first match against South Tama County’s Maeley Elsbury. 

“Jacie has only wrestled for a little over a year and she qualified out of the toughest regional in the state…she worked hard enough to make up for years of work that people have put in…I couldn’t be prouder of her,” said girl’s wrestling coach Craig Mallicoat.

Brown, with a record of 34-3, wrestled at 190 lbs. She won her first match against Waco’s Grace Fort letting her advance into the next round. 

“She improved from last year… I think she knows she’s capable of winning it all,” Mallicoat said. 

During her second match, Brown had another victory over Raccoon River-Northwest’s Aleah Johnson leading her to the semi-final where she lost against Independence’s Rachel Eddy.

“I’m happy but also not with how I competed at state. I definitely wish I could’ve done better, my goal was to win it,” Brown said.

Bedell placed 12th for her weight class and Brown was 5th. 

“I hope that the girls are hungry and come back and put in even more work next season,” Mallicoat said.