Sowards shocks Pabon en route to Fall Brawl title
There were nine contested weights in the Girls’ High School Division of the Maryland State Wrestling Association’s Fall Brawl on Saturday at the McDonogh School. No one made bigger waves than Good Counsel’s Bella Sowards.
Sowards, who was third at the National Prep Tournament last year. Captured the top honors at 132lbs with a tech fall of Parkside’s Caterine Mable Woodgeard, 18-2, in the finals. But the match that sent shockwaves throughout the gym happened in the semi finals when Sowards encountered national ranked Lexy Pabon (Crofton, No. 9 at 125 by USA Wrestling).
Sowards handed the two-time state champ and one-time runner-up a 10-6 loss. Pabon has been a mainstay in the national rankings over the last few seasons, so this is a monumental upset. Pabon’s national standing is not fluky as he is known as one of the best in the country. This is not a blemish on Pabon but a coming out party for Sowards.
There was one other nationally ranked girl in attendance, Spalding’s Summer Mutschler, a freshman, who is ranked eighth in the nation at 100lbs. Mutschler captured gold in two weight classes, 112 and 118. The 112lb title was claimed in a round robin format with a pin over second place finisher Wura Idowu (Randallstown), 1:30. Pins and one forfeit powered her run at 112.
Mutschler’s 118lb title came in a best of three showdown with New Windsor’s Madalyn Johnson, who she pinned twice in 57 and 31 seconds.
The next two champs we will highlight used upsets for their glory. Jennifer Djobo (148, Greenbelt, MD) posted a 14-5 major decision over second place finisher Anastasia Dakoulas, who won a state title at Rockville last year.
North Harford’s Jordan Lawson won an UCBAC crown last year, placed third in her region, but failed to place at states. To bring home the gold at 175lbs, Lawson pinned Quince Orchard’s Amir Abegash (5th in the state), 1:13, and region champ, Daegan Bishop (Randallstown), 6-2. Bishop was second and Abegash, third.
Clara Beane Freeman beat fellow Marylander London Smith, 4-1, in what was the deciding match for first and second at 138lbs. Gwynn Park’s Jada Agurs was sixth in the state last year and claimed the 106lb title by winning two straight matches with incoming freshman Catherine Orndorff, 3-2 and 4-3.
Two out of state grapplers staked claim to the other Fall Brawl golds, Virginia’s Morgan Layman (124) and West Virginia’s Elizabeth Fetty (100). Layman, who was third in her state tournament and fifth at the Beast of the East, defeated Walkersville’s third-place state finisher, Alexis Nicholas, 6-0.
HS Girls - 106
Guaranteed Places
1st Place - Jada Agurs of Southern Maryland Wolfpack
2nd Place - Catherine Orndorff of Warhawks
Round 1
Jada Agurs (Southern Maryland Wolfpack) won by decision over Catherine Orndorff (Warhawks) (Dec 3-2)
Round 2
Jada Agurs (Southern Maryland Wolfpack) won by decision over Catherine Orndorff (Warhawks) (Dec 4-3)
HS Girls - 112
Guaranteed Places
1st Place - Summer Mutschler of Cavalier Wrestling Club
2nd Place - Wura Idowu of Beat the Streets Baltimore
3rd Place - Camryn Hawse of PAC Panthers
4th Place - Isabella Peluso of Germantown Wrestling
5th Place - May Brownstein of Unattached
6th Place - Carli Ireland of Winters Mill
Round 1
Summer Mutschler (Cavalier Wrestling Club) won by tech fall over May Brownstein (Unattached) (TF 18-2)
Camryn Hawse (PAC Panthers) won by fall over Carli Ireland (Winters Mill) (Fall 1:14)
Wura Idowu (Beat the Streets Baltimore) won by fall over Isabella Peluso (Germantown Wrestling) (Fall 0:49)
Round 2
Summer Mutschler (Cavalier Wrestling Club) won by fall over Wura Idowu (Beat the Streets Baltimore) (Fall 1:30)
Isabella Peluso (Germantown Wrestling) won by fall over Carli Ireland (Winters Mill) (Fall 2:17)
Camryn Hawse (PAC Panthers) won by fall over May Brownstein (Unattached) (Fall 0:48)
Round 3
Summer Mutschler (Cavalier Wrestling Club) won by fall over Isabella Peluso (Germantown Wrestling) (Fall 0:46)
May Brownstein (Unattached) won by forfeit over Carli Ireland (Winters Mill) (FF)
Wura Idowu (Beat the Streets Baltimore) won by fall over Camryn Hawse (PAC Panthers) (Fall 0:24)
Round 4
Summer Mutschler (Cavalier Wrestling Club) won by fall over Camryn Hawse (PAC Panthers) (Fall 1:04)
Wura Idowu (Beat the Streets Baltimore) won by forfeit over Carli Ireland (Winters Mill) (FF)
Isabella Peluso (Germantown Wrestling) won by fall over May Brownstein (Unattached) (Fall 0:42)
Round 5
Summer Mutschler (Cavalier Wrestling Club) won by forfeit over Carli Ireland (Winters Mill) (FF)
Camryn Hawse (PAC Panthers) won by fall over Isabella Peluso (Germantown Wrestling) (Fall 3:00)
Wura Idowu (Beat the Streets Baltimore) won by tech fall over May Brownstein (Unattached) (TF 17-1)
HS Girls - 118
Guaranteed Places
1st Place - Summer Mutschler of Unattached
2nd Place - Madalyn Johnson of New Windsor
Round 1
Summer Mutschler (Unattached) won by fall over Madalyn Johnson (New Windsor) (Fall 0:57)
Round 2
Summer Mutschler (Unattached) won by fall over Madalyn Johnson (New Windsor) (Fall 0:31)
HS Girls - 124
1st Place Match
Morgan Layman (Unattached) won by decision over Alexis Nicholas (Unattached) (Dec 6-0)
3rd Place Match
Charlotte Goldberg (Takoma Park) won by fall over Madalyn Johnson (New Windsor) (Fall 0:50)
HS Girls - 132
1st Place Match
Bella Sowards (Blue Chews) won by tech fall over Catherine Mable Woodgeard (Unattached) (TF 18-2)
3rd Place Match
Lexy Pabon (Headhunters) won by tech fall over Brynn Ryan (Manchester) (TF 20-4)
HS Girls - 138
Guaranteed Places
1st Place - Clara Beane Freeman of Headhunters
2nd Place - London Smith of Outsiders Wrestling
3rd Place - Beatrice Land of Unattached
Round 1
Clara Beane Freeman (Headhunters) won by fall over Beatrice Land (Unattached) (Fall 3:46)
Round 2
Clara Beane Freeman (Headhunters) won by decision over London Smith (Outsiders Wrestling) (Dec 4-1)
Round 3
London Smith (Outsiders Wrestling) won by fall over Beatrice Land (Unattached) (Fall 2:16)
HS Girls - 148
Guaranteed Places
1st Place - Jennifer Djobo of Team Takedown
2nd Place - Anastasia Dakoulas of Headhunters
3rd Place - Kimberly Munoz of Unattached
4th Place - Viviana Abalama of Unattached
5th Place - Esther Hernandez of Capital Wrestling Club
Round 1
Kimberly Munoz (Unattached) won by fall over Esther Hernandez (Capital Wrestling Club) (Fall 1:56)
Jennifer Djobo (Team Takedown) won by major decision over Anastasia Dakoulas (Headhunters) (Maj 14-5)
Round 2
Anastasia Dakoulas (Headhunters) won by fall over Viviana Abalama (Unattached) (Fall 2:02)
Jennifer Djobo (Team Takedown) won by fall over Esther Hernandez (Capital Wrestling Club) (Fall 0:21)
Round 3
Jennifer Djobo (Team Takedown) won by fall over Viviana Abalama (Unattached) (Fall 1:57)
Anastasia Dakoulas (Headhunters) won by fall over Kimberly Munoz (Unattached) (Fall 4:28)
Round 4
Kimberly Munoz (Unattached) won by fall over Viviana Abalama (Unattached) (Fall 1:21)
Anastasia Dakoulas (Headhunters) won by fall over Esther Hernandez (Capital Wrestling Club) (Fall 3:56)
Round 5
Viviana Abalama (Unattached) won by fall over Esther Hernandez (Capital Wrestling Club) (Fall 1:09)
Jennifer Djobo (Team Takedown) won by decision over Kimberly Munoz (Unattached) (Dec 11-4)
HS Girls - 175
Guaranteed Places
1st Place - Jordan Lawson of Unattached
2nd Place - Daegan Bishop of Randallstown
3rd Place - Amirah Abegesah of Team Takedown
4th Place - Arianna King of Outsiders Wrestling
5th Place - Akwan Ateghang of Team Takedown
6th Place - Mya Mcwatt of Team Takedown
Round 1
Jordan Lawson (Unattached) won by fall over Arianna King (Outsiders Wrestling) (Fall 2:14)
Akwan Ateghang (Team Takedown) won by fall over Mya Mcwatt (Team Takedown) (Fall 1:02)
Daegan Bishop (Randallstown) won by fall over Amirah Abegesah (Team Takedown) (Fall 1:06)
Round 2
Jordan Lawson (Unattached) won by decision over Daegan Bishop (Randallstown) (Dec 6-2)
Amirah Abegesah (Team Takedown) won by fall over Akwan Ateghang (Team Takedown) (Fall 1:51)
Arianna King (Outsiders Wrestling) won by fall over Mya Mcwatt (Team Takedown) (Fall 2:50)
Round 3
Jordan Lawson (Unattached) won by fall over Amirah Abegesah (Team Takedown) (Fall 1:13)
Arianna King (Outsiders Wrestling) won by fall over Akwan Ateghang (Team Takedown) (Fall 3:48)
Daegan Bishop (Randallstown) won by tech fall over Mya Mcwatt (Team Takedown) (TF 19-4)
Round 4
Jordan Lawson (Unattached) won by fall over Mya Mcwatt (Team Takedown) (Fall 0:43)
Daegan Bishop (Randallstown) won by fall over Akwan Ateghang (Team Takedown) (Fall 2:04)
Amirah Abegesah (Team Takedown) won by decision over Arianna King (Outsiders Wrestling) (Dec 3-0)
Round 5
Jordan Lawson (Unattached) won by fall over Akwan Ateghang (Team Takedown) (Fall 1:57)
Amirah Abegesah (Team Takedown) won by fall over Mya Mcwatt (Team Takedown) (Fall 1:02)
Arianna King (Outsiders Wrestling) won by decision over Daegan Bishop (Randallstown) (Dec 2-0)