With another wrestling season in the books, the Mannford girls wrestling team continues to make a name for themselves. Head coach Ottawa Cochran says that the team had a lot of accomplishments this season.
“This season went well as we had an undefeated dual season, going 7-0,” Cochran said. “We won the team championship at the Okmulgee Girls Tournament and we had runner-up finishes at the Edison Girls Tournament and the Will Rogers Conference Girls Tournament. Junior Roseline Baker along with seniors Briley Clark and Aubrey Merrell qualified for the state tournament. And we earned an OSSAA Distinguished Academic Award for having higher than a 3.5 GPA as a team.”
One of the leaders on this year’s team was senior Aubrey Merrell. She began her wrestling career with the boys team as an eighth grader and she became Mannford’s first ever female state qualifier. She ends her high school career with a record of 66-21, and as a four-time regional placer and a three-time state qualifier.
Senior Briley Clark is new to the wrestling scene, begining her wrestling career last season as a junior. This year, she qualified for the state tournament and a 22-7 career record. Roseline Baker, a junior, was the 2024 state runner-up at 120. This season, she finished strong with another appearance at state.
As they prepare for next season, Cochran knows that they have some shoes to fill but thinks the younger players are ready to step up.
“The biggest challenge will be replacing the leadership that the senior class has provided in building the program,” Cochran said. “Luckily I have another strong group of seniors coming that will provide the leadership needed to have another great season.”
