Poplar Bluff's Freeman brings home third at state

COLUMBIA — The MSHSAA State Wrestling Tournament has ended, and one Poplar Bluff wrestler has moved a step closer to capturing a gold medal.

After finishing fifth in last year’s state tournament, junior Zoe Freeman came into the season with the mindset of reaching the finals. Though the ultimate goal of making the finals didn’t happen this year, Freeman battled against some of the top wrestlers in the state to capture a third-place medal in the girls 190lb Class 2 state tournament.

With this win, Freeman collects her third state medal for her third straight appearance in the tournament.

“I can’t say how excited I am with what I accomplished at state this year,” Freeman said. “I know that making it to the finals is my goal, but how I competed through my semis matches was some the best I’ve ever wrestled. It was definitely a highlighted match for me and I’m not upset nor disappointed in myself because I went out here and showcased what I can do. I impressed many people, and honestly, that’s all that matters to me.”

Despite having her dreams of making it to the finals halted by a loss to this year’s state champion, Mariyah Brumley of Lebanon, Freeman dug deep to ensure she wouldn’t leave empty-handed. She proceeded to land wins over Ella Kimbrough of Lafayette 8-2 and a 2-0 victory over Alanah Braun of Francis Howell Central to return from Columbia with the hardware.

While Freeman has made many appearances in the state tournament, she said competing at this one was a lot more personal. Since her freshman season, head wrestling coach Kelton Thompson has trained with Freeman every step of the way, and her goal has been to make him proud.

“Coach Thompson has been my coach since I stepped on the mat for the first time,” Freeman said. “Competing at state this year was all about showcasing what he has done and his impact on this wrestling team. That final third-place match definitely was a good way to show him that his belief in us was not taken for granted. Coach Thompson has changed my life and my perspective on everything. If it hadn’t been for him, I wouldn’t have done as well during that semis match. Though I did lose, I got someone ranked eighth in the nation on her back three different times. I think that’s an accomplishment in itself.”

Though filled with a lot of mixed emotions, Thompson is happy for Freeman as she continues to blaze a trial with the Lady Mules wrestling team.

“Zoe competed with a lot of confidence and executed well,” Thompson said. “Even in her loss, she went toe-to-toe with the defending state champ and top 10 wrestler in the country, proving that she can wrestle against the best and still perform. I think she really handled business this time around. The last few times we’ve wrestled, she’s really handled her motions well and is really starting to develop, so I’m excited to see what she can do next year.”

Seniors Logan Hite and Jack Ernest also represented the Mules alongside Freeman at the state tournament. Despite not having a spot on the podium, both battled all season to become state qualifiers.

Ernest finished the regular season with a 29-11 record and placed third in the district tournament. He earned All-Conference by placing sixth in the 2023 SEMO conference, finished third in the Union wrestling tournament, and kicked off the year by placing second in the 175lb weight class in the Bolivar tournament.

Hite finished his regular season with a 42-3 record, placed third in the districts, won first in the Bring The Hammer Tournament, and won the 190lb SEMO conference championship to become the first-ever male in Poplar Bluff’s 51-year wrestling history to win three conference championships.

Thompson said though state didn’t end with medals for all the participants, he couldn’t be happier with how everyone competed this season.

“I’m really proud of Logan and Jack,” Thompson said. “Watching Jack fight his way to the state tournament was a really big win. He’s grown a lot on the mat, and it’s very impressive to see how far he’s come since he started wrestling as a freshman. My heart hurts for Hite because he got a tough call in his first match, which he was winning. Despite everything, HIte is the true champion. He’s put in more work than any kids I have been around. I’m really proud of him and know he will do big things in life. Nothing changes with opinion with these three. They’ve worked extremely hard, and I’m happy I could be right by their side.”