Liberty duo friends on and off the wrestling mat

NORTH LIBERTY — Iowa City Liberty juniors Taylor Cavanh and Evelyn Eggleston have done a lot together.

They started wrestling with the Lightning their freshman year and are two of the school’s first state qualifiers in girls’ wrestling.

It was only fate that the duo continued making school history on Saturday, when they became Liberty’s first Mississippi Valley Conference champions in girls’ wrestling. Better yet, they got to do it on their home mat.

For Cavanh, it was the icing on the cake.

“I ultimately loved having it at home,” Cavanh said. “There was so much support in our gym, because we were familiar and comfortable here. We had people we knew working the table and working in the concession stands.

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“The biggest thing this tournament did is make me love the sport even more than I already do.”

Cavanh certainly looked comfortable wrestling in front of a home crowd. She pinned her way to the MVC title at 105 pounds. Her quickest fall came in the quarterfinals, when she won in 37 seconds over Western Dubuque’s Elli Casey.

Eggleston nearly pinned her way to the title at 140 pounds. Her lone complete match came in the finals against Dubuque Senior’s Jolee Strohmeyer, where Eggleston won with an 11-1 major decision.

“I thought I performed pretty well,” Eggleston said. “I was definitely nervous coming into the tournament, because it was my first tournament back since being injured.

“I just told myself to go out there and have fun.”

Liberty head coach Derek Coorough was impressed with his captains’ effort en route to a pair of conference titles.

“I think they both did exactly what they were capable of doing — wrestling at a high level,” Coorough said.

Aside from adding to their list of wrestling accolades, Cavanh and Eggleston also have continued growing their friendship. Eggleston knows what they have is unique.

“Our relationship is great,” Eggleston said. “We are always helping to lead the team. We hope to lift the team up. Taylor and I have a special connection.”

Cavanh knows their bond has not only had a positive impact on her wrestling career, but also her personal development.

“I have a special place in my heart for this team and my coaches,” Cavanh said. “I would not be who I am today without these people or this sport, especially Evelyn.

“It’s meant a lot to us, and we’ve built our friendship through this sport a lot more.”

Coorough has witnessed the captains not only overcoming adversity but also working hard. It’s something the team is catching on to.

“They work hard all year-round and are multisport athletes,” Coorough said. “But, when it matters, they train hard. They’ve both had their struggles this season but are coming on strong at the end. The whole team is following suit.”

With regionals on the horizon Friday, the Lightning will travel to Cedar Rapids Jefferson for a chance to earn another trip to state.

Cavanh isn’t going to forget about her friendship with Eggleston or her first MVC title anytime soon. Instead, it’s going to be her motivation for a strong postseason.

“I am going to use this momentum to keep competing,” Cavanh said. “I think that is what is going to help me accomplish my goals — my passion and the amazing support I have from my team.”