Hagerman takes third at national championships

Former Nevada High School varsity wrestler Jordan Hagerman took third place out of 13 wrestlers in her weight class at the ASICS/Vaughn Junior National Championships in Fargo, N.D. --Eric Wade/Daily Mail

Former Nevada High School Jordan Hagerman has added a new accomplishment to her ever-growing resume -- national medalist.

Hagerman competed in the ASICS/Vaughn Junior and Cadet National Championships in Fargo, N.D., and brought home a third place finish against some very intense competition. Out of 13 wrestlers in the 165-pound class who were present at the women's freestyle championship, Hagerman came home third, losing to eventual champion Adeline Gray before taking the third place match by pinfall over Jessica Smith in just 52 seconds.

No opponent that Gray faced throughout the event lasted through the first period, but Hagerman held on before being pinned in the second, sending her to the third place match.

The tournament featured wrestlers from all across the country with 13 competitors in the 165-pound weight class. Hagerman wrestled at 152 pounds most of the high school season, but was bumped up to 165 at the last minute by her coach. "At the weigh-ins, I was at 155 flat," Hagerman said.

Hagerman said that most of the opponents she was forced to face did not provide much resistance and the road to the third place match was fairly easy to navigate. "I think my teammates were the hardest to wrestle with," she said.

Hagerman came with a team of five girls from around the state, including Emily Webster at 95 pounds, Miranda Bennett at 116, Randi Beltz at 132 and Melissa Bublitz at 220. Webster and Beltz each brought home top-three finishes as well, with Webster taking home first place at 95 pounds.

Team Missouri ultimately came home seventh out of the 24 states in attendance at the meet, finishing with a final total of 27 points.

Now that the national competition is over, Hagerman said that she plans to focus on training for her next season of wrestling at Missouri Valley College, that is scheduled to start in September, with the U.S. World Team Trials. "I've got to build my upper strength," she said.

Hagerman is a 2009 graduate of Nevada High School and spent her senior wrestling for the Tigers under head coach Devin White, but her season was ultimately cut short by a knee injury. That injury has since healed and Hagerman has now turned her focus back to wrestling.