NEVADA — The Ballard women's wrestling team faced a deep and talented field Saturday at the Central Iowa Kickoff Tournament in Nevada, finishing 24th out of 33 teams in what was one of the most competitive early-season events in the state.  The Bombers showed encouraging progress throughout the day, highlighted by strong individual performances and valuable experience for a young lineup.

At 125 pounds, junior Evelyn Faubus delivered Ballard's top finish, placing fourth and scoring 19 team points.  Faubus opened the tournament on a tear, earning three straight pins, including a dominant quarterfinal fall in just one minute.  She fell in the semifinals to Karlie Kruse of Ankeny and then dropped the third-place match to Perry's Ayden Erickson, but her 6-2 start to the season marks her as a contender in her weight class.

Sophomore Esther Wilson added an impressive performance of her own at 130 pounds.  After losing her opening match, Wilson regrouped and battled back through the consolation bracket, earning four straight pins and finishing 4-1 on the backside.  Her run included a 1:05 fall over North Polk's Jacie Halupnick to close her day, giving her 11 team points and bringing her to 6-2 on the season.

Freshman Charlee Neer, also wrestling at 130, picked up two consolation byes and gained meaningful mat time before being eliminated later in the bracket.  Though she finished 0-3, Neer showed growth in her first major varsity competition.  At 155 pounds, junior Sadie Ruby opened with a bye before dropping her next two matches by fall.  Ruby now moves to 3-2 on the season as she continues to gain traction in the upper-middle weights.

Ballard finished with 30 team points, placing 24th overall in a tournament won by Raccoon River–Northwest.

Up Next: The Bombers travel to the Woodward-Granger Tournament on Friday, December 5 at 5:00 PM.

Photo Credit: Davidson Photography