Written by Ella Ray
As a member of the Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Rockets community I have been given many opportunities to participate with high intensity programs within the school. One of those high level programs has been the EBF Wrestling Program. I am a newer member of this program, as it is only my second year wrestling, but I am so glad I have the ability to be a part of it. The program has excelled in many ways over the years, both on the boys side and the girls side. The girls team capped off the 2024 year winning five of the six tournaments we have competed in and won both of the duels that we have competed in as well. The team has grown from 3 to 22 girls over the past three years, allowing us to fill a 14-man roster from top to bottom. While the girls side of the program has grown tremendously over the past few years, we were not the first girls to blaze this same trail.
SGT Megan Black-Campion was the first female wrestler to come out of EBF. Along with this, she was the first female to place at the IHSAA State Wrestling Tournament, placing 8th among the boys. Megan was also a Junior Pan-American Champion, and she wrestled collegiately for one year at King University and three years at McKendree, finishing as an All-American each year. Since then Megan has represented the Army National Guard all across the globe. Megan has paved a path for girls in this generation while doing what she loves. Her hard work, dedication, and love for the sport has not gone unnoticed, and this year the EBF High School made the decision to change the name of the ‘EBF Girls Invitational’ to the ‘Megan Black Invitational’. Megan was honored with this title at the tournament on Friday, January 3rd.
At the Megan Black Invitational, EBF had a total of 11 girls placing in the top 3, nine of whom wrestled in the finals. EBF came out of the tournament with four champions - Hollie Roberts, Abby Durflinger, Chelsea Smith, and Ella Ray. As a female wrestler from EBF, I am incredibly proud of how our team performed at the home tournament and I believe we represented Megan’s name very well as a team. Megan is someone who I personally look up to and not just because she is an incredible wrestler, but because she has a drive and passion for what she does and is not afraid to face a challenge. She doesn’t give up on her dreams, and as a female competing in a sport that was originally seen as for males only, she never let that hold her back. She has been a trailblazer for the girls of our generation. It means so much to all of us girl wrestlers at EBF to be able to compete at a home tournament that is named after one of the most influential women wrestlers that Iowa has ever seen.
Scott Williamson added the following to article: EBF named the girls tournament after Megan Black-Campion on January 3. 2 other girls have placed in the Iowa State Girls State Tournament and were also recognized January 3. Abby Jager placed 8th in the first sanctioned tournament. Maddie Black placed 4th (2020) and 2nd (2022). We are very excited at the growth of the EBF girls wrestling program and anticipate many more state place-winners. Go Rockets!!
Abby Jager, Megan Black-Campion, and Maddie Black pictured above.
Ella Ray getting the fall at the Ottumwa Invitational