Another night, another milestone for the Pella Girls Wrestling Team as they hosted the school’s first ever tournament Tuesday evening. Fourteen other schools participated in the event with just under 100 participants.

“I was really happy with the progress we’ve made in terms of our physicality and aggression,” said Pella Head Coach Adam Hale. “We still have room to grow, but we’ve started making some significant gains in those areas. The girls are doing a good job of recognizing the impact that those things can have on dictating who’s in control during a match, and it’s nice to see that maturation taking place.”

Pella had four bracket champions and a runner-up:
Jasey Olson, 2-0 (2 pins), 1st
Elizabeth Thomas, 4-0 (4 pins), 1st
Emmalee Spurgeon, 2-0 (1 pin, 1 major decision), 1st
Andie Branson, 2-0 (2 pins), 1st
Ellison Ritzert, 1-1 (1 pin), 2nd

Ritzert was 24 hours removed from the Winterim mission trip in her return to action. Olson was the first Pella Girls Invitational Champion with a pair of pinfalls, and Thomas is ramping up her season after injuries in 2022, and won four times.

“Having Jasey and Elizabeth both win their bracket tonight was a really cool thing. The two of them really got things started for the girls wrestling program here, so it’s perfect writing to have them be able to get those wins tonight,” Hale said.