Hannah Maskrod gained her biggest win on the season Tuesday, but one wouldn’t have known it by the Ozark 120-pounder’s reaction while walking off the mat.
After Maskrod pinned Branson’s Daphne Worley in 5:14, she didn’t give a hint of the jubilation she was feeling inside. She simply walked toward the Lady Tigers’ seats, received congrats from one teammate, reached for her warmups and then read a congratulatory text message from her mother.
“It was really exciting for me. But the wrestling mat is for wrestling, it's not for (showing) big emotions,” Maskrod said. “It’s off the mat we can do that kind of stuff."
If ever a win tested Maskrod’s creed on when and where to celebrate a win, this was it. She had never beaten Worley, having lost to her twice earlier this season. At the Parkview Lady Viking Tournament, Worley pinned Maskrod in :41 and at the COC Tournament last week Worley pinned Maskrod in :56.
This time round, Maskrod fell behind 5-1.
“For this match, it was reversed. Before, I’d get up on her on points, but then she'd get on top and pin me,” Maskrod said.
Worley was on top of Maskrod in the third period and several times denied Maskrod in her attempts to break free. Not deterred, Maskrod escaped and from there took control of the match.
“The other times I've wrestled her, I didn't do too well on bottom,” Maskrord said. “I think part of how I came back was I got back off of bottom. I wasn't on my belly for a long time. Coach (Tod) Sundlie talks to us about staying off our belly and be able to get our hands free and get out.
“Whenever we do mat return (in practices), we bounce straight up off the bottom,” she added. “It’s something he has in our heads. We also do a lot of conditioning to help with third periods.”
The win rejuvenated Maskrod (27-16) entering Districts Feb. 9-10 at Belton.
“I'm excited for Districts,” Maskrod said. “(Worley) beat me pretty badly at COC and I was a little freaked out about Districts. But now my confidence is back.
“I want to go in with a blank slate,” she added. “I don't want to be confident and cocky. It doesn't matter what happened the last match.”
Ozark whipped Branson 57-12 and routed Kickapoo 60-12. Both the Lady Pirates and Lady Chiefs were open at numerous weights.
The Lady Tigers’ Maelynn Sundlie had a pair of pins at 130.
