Millie Waterman made Republic wrestling history Saturday, becoming the first Lady Tiger to qualify for the state tournament. Waterman finished fourth at 120 pounds in the Class 2 District 3 tournament at Belton.
Her state-qualifying victory came in a bubble match against Nixa’s Abigail Weitzel, who had defeated her at the Central Ozark Conference tournament a week earlier. This time, Waterman turned the tables with a 7-3 win.
“It felt pretty amazing. I’m really, really excited for state. I’m very proud of myself,” Waterman said.
The breakthrough came after a near-miss last year, when Waterman lost the bubble match as a sophomore, falling one victory short of the state tournament.
“This group of girls has been outstanding. They’re setting the tone for future success, and her showing that resilience and being able to get a win against someone that beat her in conference says a lot about the direction of our program,” Republic coach Eric Nolan said.
In addition to Waterman’s fourth-place finish at 120 pounds, three other Republic wrestlers picked up multiple wins at the district tournament. Bre-Elle Gutierrez (110) went 3-2 with three pins, while Gabby Shanks (135) and Abby Horn (130) each finished 2-2, all wins by fall.
