Photo Submitted by Devonte Shivers

The four state qualifiers stand in front of Mizzou Tigers letters in Mizzou Arena on March 1. “I love competing, it’s my favorite thing to do,” Kaden Updike (10) said. While they participated in the tournament, none of the wrestlers placed in the state tournament.

For the 2025 wrestling season, four Oakville Tigers qualified for the state tournament in Columbia: Olivia Romano (10), Kaden Updike (10), Gokkhan Yurdanidze (11) and Talia Reed (12).  In order to qualify, the wrestlers had to score in the Top 4 of the District Tournament. 

Both Romano and Yurdanidze have competed in at state previously. To reach this achievement again, Romano felt it was a bit more challenging this year.

“I’d say we are working a lot harder, especially since I have to cut weight…” Romano said. 

Going into the tournament, both Romano and Yurdanidze set goals for themselves..  

“Get first place. Make my coach proud of me,” Yurdanidze said.

Yurdanidze was also looking forward to getting more medals and wrestling in a big arena. Romano had similar ambitions.

“Hopefully placing at state. I mean, it’s definitely fun going down as a team in Colombia and staying there and the whole experience is just really exciting,” Romano said.

For Updike, it was a hard fight making it to state this season. 

“I mean, it kind of like doesn’t feel real. That was my goal coming in, like this season, especially because I fell short last year…” Updike said.

With this being Reed’s last high school season, she felt that this was an appropriate finale to her season. 

“It feels great. As a senior, I feel like this something I have been working towards since freshman year, so it feels really good to finally make it, and kind of a relief off my shoulders,” Reed said. “That I am going to be able to wrestle and do something big.”

Head girls coach Devonte Shivers thought that the  is an amazing opportunity for all the wrestlers. 

“Just gaining that experience, having the opportunity to prove that you’re one of the best one in the state and just the overall fun experience of the laidback environment outside of the actual tournament itself [is great for the wrestlers],” Shivers said.

While these four wrestlers did not place at the state tournament this year, they felt that the experience was beneficial because it exposed them to intense competition. For Reed, even though she did not place, she looked forward to spending this time with people she had built such strong bonds with. 

“This was a great way to wrap up my high school season,” Reed said. “It was such a great experience.”