History was made for each area girls wrestling program competing Saturday at the Class 1 District 2 meet at St. Charles West. On the second day, when state qualifiers would ultimately be decided, Mexico, Centralia and North Callaway all ended up sending girls to the Class 1 state tournament staring on Feb. 21 and running into Feb. 22 at Mizzou Arena in Columbia.
Mexico qualified a school record three girls -- Alexus Johns at 235 pounds, Abby Bowen at 135 and Katie Bowen at 115 -- which also made it the first time in the Lady Bulldogs' four-year history they will send multiple girls to the same state tournament. Johns is the first ever Mexico girls heavyweight to win a district championship, Katie Bowen becomes the program's first three-time state qualifier, and Abby Bowen will make her first appearance and also be half of the first sisters Mexico has sent to a state meet. The Bowen sisters each finished third in their respective weight classes following losses to the eventual district champions.
Centralia had its own district champion in top-ranked and undefeated 155-pounder Jayci Shelton, who becomes the first every Centralia girl district champion in about five years of history.
Brooke Giboney finished fourth at 105 pounds to make her the first ever North Callaway girl to qualify for the state tournament. Giboney was the first ever Ladybird to hit the mat last season a year after North Callaway started to offer girls wrestling.
Look for the full stories from girls wrestling districts, including thoughts from all of the state qualifiers, in the Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024, edition of the Mexico Ledger.
