Five Washington High School wrestlers earned all-state honors by placing in the top six of their respective weight classes during the MSHSAA Wrestling Championships on Friday and Saturday, February 23-24, at Mizzou Arena in Columbia.
Leading the way were Annelise Obermark and Maggie Ortmann, who both reached the championship match of their respective weight classes and registered second-place finishes.
Also earning medals from Washington were Casey Olszowka (third place), Ty Thurmon (fifth place) and Gable Ohm (fifth place).
Washington, coached by Josh Ohm, had a total of 10 wrestlers, five boys and five girls, represented at the state wrestling championships.
Class 2 Girls
Obermark, a senior, became Washington’s first two-time state finalist with a second-place finish at 140 pounds.
Obermark (50-3) posted a 3-1 record at the state meet with two pins and a 5-1 semifinal win over Jefferson City’s Alexis Dunwiddie. In the championship match, she lost a 6-3 decision to Grain Valley’s Sevreign Aumua (40-0), now a three-time state champion.
Obermark’s 159 career wins is the most in the history of the WHS girls wrestling program.
Ortmann, a junior, posted a 3-1 record at the state meet with all three wins coming by pin fall, including the semifinal match over Howell Central’s Dana Thee Sanchez.
Ortmann (51-5) lost by fall in the 155-pound title match to Nixa’s Calyese Dupree, now a three-time state medalist. Ortmann reached the podium for the first time and is a two-time state qualifier.
Also representing the Lady Jays at the state meet were senior Kendra Bliss, junior Bri James and freshman Cydni Buchanon.
Bliss (130 pounds) went 2-2 at state to finish her season with a 24-4 record. A state champion last year, Bliss was slowed by injuries this season. She’s the first and only wrestler in the WHS girls program to win a state title.
James (135) posted a 1-2 record at state, notching a 1-0 win over Staley’s Ja’Ziya Miles in the first round of wrestlebacks, to finish the season with a 29-20 record.
Buchanan (100) is the first freshman to qualify for state in the history of the WHS girls wrestling program. She posted a 2-2 record at state, finishing the season with a 27-9 record.
Washington finished eighth in the Class 2 girls team standings with 57 points.
Class 3 Boys
Olszowka, a senior, ended his standout WHS wrestling career with a second straight third-place state finish. He lost a hard-fought 3-2 decision to eventual state champion and four-time state medalist Alex Hutchcraft of Smithville in the semifinals at 157 pounds, which turned out to be his first and only loss of the season.
Olszowka (51-1) rebounded to win the third-place match over Whitfield’s Lucas Parietti by a 2-0 decision. He also defeated Parietti in the quarterfinals by a 7-2 decision. He went 4-1 at the state meet.
Olszowka ends his high school career with 169 career wins and had a 104-4 record over the past two seasons.
Thurmon, a senior, reached the medal stand with a fifth-place finish at 215 pounds, defeating Capital City’s Landon McNeil by a 10-1 major decision in the fifth-place match.
Thurmon (43-15) posted a 4-2 record at the state meet with one of the losses coming in the quarterfinals against eventual state champion Jake Fernandez of Platte County.
Ohm, a freshman, reached the medal stand with a fifth-place finish at 106 pounds, defeating Warrenton’s Zayden Teson by a 9-4 decision in the fifth-place match.
Ohm (47-5) posted a 4-2 record at the state meet. His two losses came against the eventual second- and fourth-place finishers at 106 pounds. One of his other wins came against Rolla’s Tristan Ace, who he lost to at the district tournament.
Ohm is only the second freshman in school history to earn a state wrestling medal. His 47 wins is a single season school record for a freshman.
Also representing the Blue Jays at state were senior Couper Deckard and junior Nolan Hendrix.
Deckard (126) registered a 2-2 record at state to finish the season with a 41-7 mark. He ends his high school career as a three-time state qualifier.
Hendrix (190) had a 1-2 record at state to finish with a 30-23 overall mark. He posted a 6-2 win over Rockwood Summit’s Jason Kirk in the first round of wrestlebacks.
Washington finished 16th in the final Class 3 boys team standings with 43 points.
Photos of Washington wrestlers at the state wrestling championships are below.
Annelise Obermark: Girls Runner-Up at 140 pounds
Maggie Ortmann: Girls Runner-Up at 155 pounds
Casey Olszowka: Boys Third Place at 157 pounds
Ty Thurmon: Boys Fifth Place at 215 Pounds
Gable Ohm: Boys Fifth Place at 106 Pounds
Couper Deckard - Boys 126 Pound State Qualifier
Nolan Hendrix: Boys State Qualifier at 190 Pounds
Kendra Bliss: Girls State Qualifier at 130 Pounds
Bri James: Girls State Qualifier at 135 Pounds
Cydni Buchanan: Girls State Qualifier at 100 Pounds
