Pekin senior caps career with sixth-place finish at State wrestling meet
By Mark Schafer | The News-Review
 CORALVILLE – Improving on what happened the year before was her only focus.
She didn’t just improve by a little this year, if anything, she was able to make a big jump. Most importantly, she was able to make herself proud with how well she did.
“My biggest goal was really to make it to the placing day was my whole goal for the year,” Pekin senior Hailey Pedrick said. “To be able to do that and do decently at the placing day was much better than I could have ever asked for.“
Overall the Pekin senior was the highest-finishing wrestler for the Panthers and the area as she would place sixth in the final standings of the class 1A IGHSAU State wrestling tournament. Her sixth-place finish was the highest up on the podium she had ever finished, and it was the culmination of four years of hard work.
“It feels really good to make it to State,” Pedrick said. “It really was one of my goals since I was a freshman to make it to State. Then my next goal was to win a match at State and then my last goal was to place at State, which is what I was able to do my senior year.“
Pedrick was no stranger to the IGHSAU State tournament. She finished her career as a three-time State qualifier.
As a sophomore she had a quick exit from the tournament as she lost a 9-3 decision in her first-ever State wrestling match, and then was pinned in her second match, ending her 2024 season.
Last year she was able to accomplish another goal as she, for the first time, would pick up a win at the Xtream Arena. Pedrick was pinned in her first match, but then was able to win her first consolation round match. Her tournament ended in the next round, however.
Then came this year. Seeded fourth in the 145-pound bracket, Pedrick showed complete dominance on Thursday afternoon. In her first match she scored six points off two take downs, and looked nearly unstoppable against her Kuemper Catholic opponent. Midway through the third period Pedrick was able to get a pin, advancing her into the quarterfinals.
In the quarterfinals, things weren’t looking great for Pedrick. She suffered an early takedown, giving up three points to her Emmetsburg opponent. Pedrick was able to tie the match early in the second period with a takedown of her own. Her opponent was able to escape and take a 4-3 lead with her into the third period.
The third period belonged to Pedrick as she was able to take down her opponent and trap her shoulders to the mat, earning the pin and a win in 4:50 to advance to the semifinals.
“The state tournament experience was really exciting for me,” Pedrick said. “That first day is full of nerves because you don’t know how well it will go and if you will make it to the second day. Then there is the excitement of winning the matches and moving onto the next round.“
In the semifinals Pedrick would square off against Tayla Stiefel, from East Buchanan, who was the No. 1 seeded wrestler. Stiefel would pin Pedrick in 50 seconds, sending Pedrick to the consolation side of the bracket.
In the consolation semifinals Pedrick would face a Mid-Prairie wrestler, but she was pinned in the second period. That sent her to the fifth-place match.
There she would face a Southwest Valley wrestler where she would be defeated 7-3 to officially finish sixth overall.
“It was a good senior season,” Pedrick said. “I feel like I went out doing my best. I knew that I might not end the season winning my last match, but I wanted to go out knowing that I wrestled my best in the final match, and I can honestly say that is what I did.“
Pedrick was one of three Pekin wrestlers that all captured their 100th career win this season.
“I knew that I had put all of the work in throughout the season, and that is what helped me get as far as I did,” Pedrick said. “I was hoping to go out better than I did the last time. I feel like I did. Even though I didn’t win my last match I still felt like I went out better than I did the last time.“
Officially Pedrick finishes the season with a 37-6 overall record.
The State tournament wasn’t just the end of the season for her, it was also the end of her wrestling career. Pedrick said that she was going to Iowa State to study to be a veterinarian. She was not planning to continue wrestling in college.
“I think about all the hard work that I put in and how I put my all into what I was doing and that helped me make it here,” Pedrick said. “The coaches, and the work that I put in helped me finish like I did this year.“Â
Photos by Mark Schafer Â
