116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Cedar Rapids Prairie’s Mackenzie Childers pins her way back to girls’ state wrestling semifinals
Childers dominated way through first two rounds at state; Kennedy’s Hallam, Brown reach semifinals; Brielle Parke rolls to two early wins; West Delaware boasts its first two medalists
Feb. 6, 2025 3:43 pm, Updated: Feb. 7, 2025 8:25 am
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CORALVILLE – Mackenzie Childers waited a full year for this return.
Cedar Rapids Prairie’s 2023 undefeated state champion wasn’t able to retain that 130-pound crown, despite winning her first two matches. She suffered a concussion during competition that forced her to medically forfeit and watch remotely as someone else ascended the awards stand.
“Last year, after I was out, I wasn’t allowed to come to the state finals,” Childers said. “My mom wouldn’t let me. I watched them at home. I think ever since I watched somebody else win state at 130 pounds last year I’ve been wanting this.”
Childers’ dominant senior campaign has return to the podium with a shot at a second state championship. She pinned her first two opponents during the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union Class 2A state wrestling championships Thursday at Xtream Arena.
Top-seeded Childers improved to 47-0 this season and tallied her 38th pin, decking Cedar Falls’ Jobie Conway in 52 seconds of the quarterfinal.
“She's been just on a mission,” Prairie Coach Zach Becicka said. “Last year, I think there was a lot of pressure. She's really handled that a lot better this year.
“I don't want to say it was a blessing, but in the way it was because it was the worst thing that could happen to her. Now, she's just been grateful for the opportunity to wrestle, not that she wasn't before, but she's just taken advantage of the opportunity.”
Childers said she is healthier and closer to 100 percent now than she was at the beginning of the year. She owns a greater appreciation for being on the mat, verbalizing that attitude multiple times a day. Childers has made the most of it, entering Friday morning’s semifinal bout against Southeast Polk’s No. 5 Arabella Varvel.
“I’m thankful for the opportunity to compete,” said Childers, who opened with a 36-second pin over Boone’s McKayla Silbaugh. “I’m thankful to be able to wrestle. I love this sport. I love what I do.”
The offseason was filled with freestyle wrestling where she worked to improve on her feet, improving her hand fighting, patience and mental approach. It has enabled her to subscribe to her “5 P’s” for P-Hawk success.
“Pace, pressure, points, patience and position,” Childers said. “If I do those things, I win big matches. Wrestle hard.”
Becicka said the job isn’t done and satisfaction doesn’t come with solidifying a spot on the podium. The goal is to reign when the season ends.
“Really good start,” Becicka said. “She got right to the point, looked good technically. They just keep getting harder, so we’ve got to take care of business tomorrow morning.”
Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Linn-Mar and South Tama each placed three wrestlers on the awards stand. The Cougars managed two semifinals in top-seeded Ella Brown at 235 and No. 11-seed 115-pounder Olivia Hallam. They’re joined on the podium with 140-pounder Meredith Kaump, who won two straight after a first-round loss.
“It’s amazing,” Mallicoat said. “In the past we’ve had one. It’s been Ella and other girls have looked up to that and want that, too. They’re finally coming around, wrestling and having confidence in themselves. ... They’re showing the can succeed. It’s huge for the overall program.”
Hallam recorded two first-period pins, sticking Sioux City North’s No. 6 Camryn Andersen in 2:18 and Hinton’s No. 3 Allison Hoefling in 2:23. She spent part of the season at 120 but secured a top-six finish.
“When she gets it in her head that she can wrestle, she goes hard and attacks,” Mallicoat said of Hallam. “It’s in her head. She knows she can wrestle and if she has that confidence she can go. She showed it all season long and did it today.”
Brown advanced to her second straight semifinal and claimed her third straight IGHSAU medal, placing seventh at the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association state meet as a freshman. Brown, who was fifth last season, opened with a 22-second fall over Lewis Central’s Katie Schroeder and followed with a 6-2 decision over Prairie’s Emelia Reyes.
Like Hallam, Linn-Mar’s 130-pounder Brielle Parke was the No. 11 seed that pushed her way to the semifinals and onto the awards stand. Parke outlasted No. 6 Kallie Gibbons, 15-10, in the first round. She added a first-period fall over West Delaware’s third-seeded Kylee Shoop in the quarterfinal. Lions teammates Katie Seery (110) and Ally Jelinek (120) secured top-eight finishes.
West Delaware boasted its first two girls’ state medalists. Anna O’Rear (125) is the Hawks first semifinalist, earning a top-six finish. Fifth-seeded O’Rear had two pins, including a 2:26 fall over Southeast Polk’s No. 4 Addie Nelson in the quarterfinal.
“I’m just excited,” O’Rear said. “I never doubted myself, so that's what it's about. You can't doubt yourself.”
O’Rear was able to do what she came one win shy of a year ago. Missing the podium by the slimmest of margins pushed her to captured hardware this time.
“Yeah, that definitely motivated me,” O’Rear said. “One of my goals this season was to make it on the podium. Now that that has come true the next step is get high on the podium.”
Technically, O’Rear was the first medalist but it didn’t take long to be join by Shoop, a North Linn student who won her second-round consolation. O’Rear hopes making history will make an impact on future Hawks.
“Hopefully, it inspires other girls to want to do the same thing,” O’Rear said. “Hopefully, the girls in the future can have the same opportunities.”
Anamosa’s Isabella Taylor and South Tama’s Autumn Elsbury both reached the 170 semifinals.
Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com
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