The Mojo Grappling Academy (MGA) made its presence known in a big way Nov. 22, sending wrestlers to two major tournaments and bringing home an impressive lineup of medals, podium finishes and standout performances. Competing against elite athletes from across the region – and, in one case, from across the entire nation – MGA wrestlers proved once again that hard work, discipline and heart can take you far.
The WOW Kickoff Classic drew more than 2,600 of the best young wrestlers in the country, making it one of the most competitive youth tournaments on the national calendar. Mojo Grappling Academy had three athletes rise to the occasion and battle their way onto the podium.
Raelynn Traweek turned in a stellar effort, wrestling her way all the way to the championship round. Though she fell just short in the finals against a tough opponent, Traweek earned an impressive second-place finish – a performance that propelled her to No. 2 in the WOW National rankings.
Weston “Gilly Westside” Gilroy also earned a spot on the podium, finishing 6th in a demanding 8U 100-pound bracket. Despite suffering a setback on day one to the eventual tournament runner-up, Gilroy fought through his matches to secure a well-deserved placement.
Aryzona “Nona” Cummings rounded out the MGA medalists at the Classic with a hard-fought 6th-place finish in the 10U girls heavyweight division. After dropping her opening match to the eventual champion, Cummings staged an outstanding rally – shutting out the returning Tulsa Nationals champion 11-0 before defeating an athlete from Nebraska Elite 14-9 to punch her ticket to the podium.
— Big Weekend at the Verdigris Rumble on the River Meanwhile, another group of MGA wrestlers took the mats at the Verdigris Rumble on the River – and the medals piled up quickly.
Leading the charge was Maesa Brigge, who stormed through her bracket with three dominant pinfall victories, allowing only three points across all matches on her way to a gold medal.
Her older sister, Mia “Hawkeye” Brigge, also captured gold, pinning two of her opponents and earning an 8-3 decision victory over her twin sister, Aria. Aria fought her way to a strong second-place finish after pinning her remaining opponents.
Autumn “Bro” Brigge added another silver medal, bouncing back from an opening loss to the eventual division champion with back-to-back pins.
Rounding out the silver-medal performances was Lillian Primeaux, who battled through a tough round-robin bracket to place second.
In the boys’ division, Johnathan Primeaux worked his way onto the podium with a solid 4th-place finish in the 12U 88-pound class.
— Weekend Medal Recap Kickoff Classic
• Raelynn Traweek – 2nd, 6UG 52 lb.
• Weston “Gilly Westside” Gilroy 6th, 8U 100 lb.
• Aryzona “Nona” Cummings – 6th, 10UG HWT — Verdigris Rumble on the River • Maesa Brigge – 1st, 6UG 40 lb.
• Mia “Hawkeye” Brigge – 1st, 12UG 75 lb.
• Autumn “Bro” Brigge – 2nd, 8UG 75 lb.
• Adria “Brigge Smalls” – 2nd, 12UG 75 lb.
• Lillian Primeaux – 2nd, 15UG 165 lb.
• Johnathan Primeaux – 4th, 12U 88 lb.
— A Weekend of Growth, Grit & Gratitude Coaches and families expressed immense pride in every wrestler who stepped on the mat. Whether at local club events or national-level tournaments, the mission remains the same: challenge yourself, grow and compete with heart.
“We are always proud of our athletes for stepping on the mat and putting it all on the line,” the academy shared. “From club tournaments to these big national-level tournaments, we have to challenge ourselves in order to grow – and all of our athletes who competed this weekend did just that.”
