When it comes to making history, Springfield Central’s Catherine Dutton knows her stuff.
This past year, the junior became Springfield’s first girl wrestler to win a state title.
She also became the first Springfield wrestler, boy or girl, to win state since 1999.
Still, her latest accomplishment truly takes the top spot.
“I mean, state is huge, but Fargo, well it’s Fargo,” Catherine said.
Last week, she won the 16U Girls National Championship in Fargo, North Dakota.
“[There were] thousands and thousands and thousands of wrestlers out there and now I’m number one,” Catherine said.
Of those thousands of wrestlers, Catherine faced an Ozark Conference foe in the final when she beat Lebanon’s Mariyah Brumley.
“I mean it’s super cool, like Southern Missouri, we’re killing it man,” Catherine said.
After her win, Catherine captured third in the junior competition, which included athletes ages 17-19.
The bronze is nice, but she says she’s not satisfied with it.
“I’m not working ‘oh let’s just work for 16U,’ no I’m working for it all,” she said.
Still, it’s two major accomplishments for an athlete paving the way for the future.
“Just to see the impact she’s making on the teammates and the future teammates, you know girls who are coming into the program as 9th graders and are looking up to Catherine,” said Central Wrestling Coach Brian Pyck. “She didn’t have that when she was younger.”
As Catherine forges her own way, she’s certainly not doing it alone.
Several Central wrestlers, parents of wrestlers, former wrestlers and friends of the program raised $1,200 through Community Foundation of the Ozarks to help send Catherine to nationals.
“We had a graduate from 1973 from Central who donated to help send Catherine up to Fargo,” Pyck said.
“They believe in me, and that helps me believe in myself,” Catherine said about the support.
Now, she says she’s ready to bring that belief back here to the Show Me State.
“I’m so excited for these next two seasons. I’m ready to get out there and kill it more than I did last year. We’re going to take the [state] title two more times and be a three-timer,” Catherine said.
That would be the latest on her growing list of accomplishments.
