Hite and Freeman dominate mat at Bring The Hammer Tournament

CABOT, Ark. — Two Poplar Bluff High School wrestling standouts took down all the competition in their respective weight classes in the 2023 Bring The Hammer Tournament.

Senior Logan Hite and junior Zoe Freeman kept their undefeated streaks alive as they both returned home with the ultimate prize. Hite snagged first place and went 9-0 in the 190-lb weight class against 23 other teams.

Freeman followed with the same dominating performance with a 9-0 finish and was champion in the girls’ 190-lbs weight class.

Head coach Kelton Thompson said though the Mules didn’t place high collectively as a team, it was great to crown two champions. He sees the wins as a good momentum booster heading into the Christmas break.

“Overall, it was a good weekend of wrestling for the Mules,” Thompson said. “We are starting to see a lot of improvements from our younger wrestlers, which was our main goal for the season. I’m glad they’re gaining this experience because that helps us as the season progresses.”

Hite and Freeman are the only state qualifiers from the previous season, and Thompson said they would be the anchor for the team’s success. So far, he’s impressed with how they have taken the right steps into leadership and for setting the tone.

Hite is 20-0 on the season, and Freeman is 17-0, and both have started the season with three tournament titles apiece. As they continue to drive toward the midway point of the season, Thompson is eager to see how far they can go this year.

“Logan is really elevating his game,” Thompson said. “He’s been focused on dominating his opponents for six straight minutes and continues to put big points on the board. The margins in his matches this year are not even close to what they were in the past. As for Zoe, I expect her to keep the same work ethic and mindset to be the best as she has in the previous years. Overall, it was a great weekend for us.”

The Mules finished 16th with a team score of 217, while the Lady Mules placed 17th with a team score of 100.

The Mules will host Sikeston and West Plains on Jan. 2 to start the New Year.