Senior Ella Brown wrapped up her final season of high school wrestling as state runner-up. 4y3660
Brown had a remarkable four seasons of girl’s wrestling. Throughout the nine years she has wrestled, Brown has had four state appearances, making state every year she was in high school, including a second place finish. She has improved both physically and mentally, which shows during the matches.
“Ella’s biggest improvement has been how she approaches wrestling mentally,” Kennedy Girls Wrestling Coach Craig Mallicoat said. “Ella has always been a top wrestler skill wise, but how she approaches matches and handles pressure during a match is what has changed.”
Brown’s improvement helped her close out the 2024-2025 season with a 40-1 record. She was nominated for several awards. She won her second First Team All-Conference award to close her high school wrestling career.
“The awards I’ve received made me realize that I’m good at what I do and I should be confident,” Brown said.
Ever since Brown started wrestling in fourth grade, she has been a contributor to the growth of the sport. Brown went from placing in her first non-sanctioned state tournament freshman year to receiving state runner-up in only the third sanctioned state girls tournament. Brown is more than just a wrestler, she is an inspiration
“While at the mall between sessions at the state tournament, a young girl who you could see wrestled at an upper weight came up to Ella and said ‘Are you Ella Brown? Can I have my picture with you?’” Mallicoat said. “Ella hopes to show that wrestling is for everybody and everyone can be successful if they work hard.”
While Brown’s high school sports career has ended, her success in wrestling isn’t finished. Brown is a committed wrestler and softball player at Buena Vista University where she will also major and study in physical therapy.
“I’m excited to make new friends and see what it’s like being outside of my family and just being able to pursue what I want and be able to do both wrestling and softball,” Brown said.
