CONTRIBUTED PHOTO — Members of the STC girls wrestling team pose for a photo after securing the WaMaC conference championship in Mount Vernon last Friday.

MOUNT VERNON — The South Tama girls wrestling team has won the 2025 WaMaC Conference Championship. Competing at Mount Vernon High School on Friday, Jan. 24. The Trojans took the team title by a convincing 87 points over runner-up (and last year’s conference meet champion) Vinton-Shellsburg. Along the way, STC crowned three individual champions in their weight class.

They were led by junior Autumn Elsbury, who won the 170 weight class and extended her record to a perfect 39-0 on the season. Elsbury successfully defended her conference championship in the same weight class from last season’s WAMAC conference meet at Clear Creek Amana. Also winning their weight class for STC was a pair of sophomores: Ava Perkins (135 lbs.) and Paisley Bro (145 lbs.). Both Perkins and Bro had the same track to the championship: a bye in their first round and winning the next three matches all by pin.

STC also had five other individuals reach the medal stand, which recognized top-three finishes. Finishing in 2nd place in their weight class were freshman Jayva Gomez (105 lbs.) and sophomore Brooklyn Mitchell (130 lbs.). Third place finishes were secured by sophomore Livia Smith (100 lbs.), sophomore Ioleta Kingbird (190 lbs.), and sophomore Kinley Jimenez (235).

A quartet of Trojans finished in fourth place in their class: junior Ava Hendricks (115 lbs.), sophomore Keylee Holloway (125 lbs.), freshman Maylee Rucker (140 lbs.), and STC’s only senior, Abigail Chyma (155 lbs.).

Rounding out the Trojan wrestlers were junior Taylor Johannsen (110 lbs.) and sophomore London Jaennette (120 lbs.) Johannsen and Jaennette both finished in 6th place in their weight classes.

The WAMAC conference crown was a dramatic improvement for the Trojans, who finished 6th as a team last year at the same meet. The Trojan’s three individual champions was also an improvement over two from last year (Autumn Elsbury and her sister Maeley Elsbury at 135 lbs — now wrestling for William Penn University).

With major momentum behind them, the Trojans now turn their sites to the State Wrestling Qualifier meet–which STC gets to host at the STC High School gym on Friday night, January 31. This will be followed by the Girl’s State Wrestling Meet in Coralville on Feb. 6-7.