SUPER SOPHOMORE: Lady Mule set to make debut appearance at state

After an early exit from last season’s district tournament, a sophomore wrestler from Poplar Bluff High is preparing for her shot at state.

Kayleigh Dazey finished third in the District 1 tournament and punched her ticket to the big dance.

“It’s a really good feeling to make it to state,” Dazey said. “Last year, I wasn’t in the right zone and was put out the first day, so it’s really rewarding to make it to this point.”

With only two years of wrestling experience, Dazey has taken every opportunity to improve, but it wasn’t her top priority initially. She played softball and had no interest in wrestling until she attended a practice with her cousin and since then she’s been locked in.

Dazey approached this wrestling season with a different mentality, as she was not okay with the quick exit from last year’s tournament but said it taught her a lot about perfecting her craft.

“I really lacked focus my freshman year,” Dazey said. “At the time I was just doing this for fun, but when I realized I could be better, I started to pay more attention in practice and take my drills more seriously.

In addition to zeroing in on her mental game, Dazey spent the summer going to wrestling camps to invest more into wrestling.

Dazey won’t have to take on her journey in the state tournament alone, as her best friend Zoë Freeman, who’s making her second appearance at state, will be right by her side.

Dazey and Freeman have been friends since the seventh grade, and while both are competitive, they always encourage each other to do better.

“It was Zoe who brought wrestling to my attention and thought it would be for me, but I was not feeling it,” Dazey said. “Once I got on the team, we just started pushing each other to get better, and now we’re both going to state.”

Coach Kelton Thompson has spent quite some time preparing both Dayzey and Freeman this season and has noticed their commitment.

“We are super proud of them both,” Thompson said. “Kaylee’s only a second-year wrestler, and she’s really piecing things together to become an elite wrestler.”

Dazey said training under coach Thompson has helped her learn and grow on the mat. He’s held her accountable with training, and Dazey appreciates his efforts to push her to greatness.

“He’s a great coach,” she said. “He always pushes us to do better and despite me not wanting to work out all the time, I understand he has a goal for us to be the best and to that, we have to follow the gameplan.”

Dazey will step onto the mat with some of the best wrestlers in the state, but her approach to her match will remain the same. Staying positive is the main goal as Dazey is not worried about the skill of her opponent and only how she performs.

“I’m not going to worry about my opponent or how long they’ve been doing it,” Dazey said. “I’m just going to go out there and do what’s meant for me, and if I win, I win, but if I lose and I can always learn from it and grow.