The Ballard women's wrestling team competed Friday at the Saydel Girls Invitational, a deep and competitive tournament featuring 18 teams from across the state. Ballard finished 16th overall with 37.5 team points, gaining valuable experience against a strong field that included several ranked programs.

Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont captured the team title with 177.5 points, followed by Ogden (144.5) and Colfax-Mingo (116). The tightly contested middle of the standings reflected the depth of competition throughout the event.

Ballard was led by Evelyn Faubus at 120 pounds, who turned in an outstanding performance and placed second overall, scoring 21.5 team points. Faubus opened the tournament with a technical fall and a pin, then advanced to the finals after a hard-fought tiebreaker victory in the semifinals. She finished as runner-up after falling to undefeated Kate Krause of Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont in the championship match.

Esther Wilson at 130 pounds also had a strong showing, placing sixth and contributing 10 team points. After an opening-round loss, Wilson battled back through the consolation bracket with multiple pins to reach the fifth-place match, demonstrating resilience and competitiveness throughout the day.

Additional points for Ballard came from Charlee Neer at 125 pounds and Felicity Sharp at 140 pounds, who each recorded victories in the consolation rounds. Several other Bombers gained valuable mat time against experienced opponents, an important step as the season progresses.

Ballard will return to action on Thursday, December 18, when the Bombers travel to Winterset for a 5:30 PM meet, continuing to build toward the second half of the season.

Photo Credit: Davidson Photography