Home turf triumph: Douglass and Wilkins deliver gold for Sikeston in SEMO Tournament

SIKESTON — Undeterred by the pressure of defending titles, Sikeston's Ellie Douglass and Kimarhri Wilkins once again reigned supreme at the SEMO Conference Tournament this past weekend at the Field House.

“It felt great winning my second title,” Douglass said. “Winning again was the goal, but the hardest part is always getting past the pre-match nerves, fears and wrestling like I know I can.”

Douglass, who boasts a 23-6 overall record this season, repeated as champion in the 100-pound weight class after winning both of her matches, pinning Ste. Genevieve’s Camille Melahn (5-14) and North County’s Taylor Simshauser (4-7) in a total of three minutes and 36 seconds.

Sikeston's Ellie Douglass (left) and Kimarhri Wilkins (right) stand for a photo with Lady Bulldogs' assistant coach Jacob May after winning their respective weight classes at the 2024 SEMO Conference Tournament at the Field House on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024. (Submitted)

“It feels good to bring home a title in our own gym,” Douglass said. “I tried to step out of my comfort zone and do some new moves I’ve never tried before.”

Wilkins, who is 31-5 this season, was victorious at the 140 weight class after rising from 130 last season.

She also pinned both of her opponents, Potosi’s Jade Ramsey (8-11) and North County’s Jayden Pendleton (8-8) en route to her title.

“It felt amazing winning my second SEMO title,” Wilkins said. “I couldn’t have done it without my teammates and my supporters.”

__Girls’ Team Results:__ Potosi 223, Ste. Genevieve 208, Park Hills Central 153, Windsor 140, Hillsboro 107, Farmington 81, Jackson 76, North County 73, Sikeston 63, Notre Dame 30, Poplar Bluff 26, Kennett 23, Dexter 21, Cape Central 18.