A champion … again

Khiry Reese is not used to being stressed before she wrestles.

So, she was in unfamiliar territory as she prepared to step onto the mat for a shot at a second consecutive North Carolina High School Athletic Association state title.

“I was really nervous,” she said. “I wrestled the same girl in the state finals like five times. That kind of gave me a little bit of PTSD coming into this one because that was our third time wrestling, so we kind of learned each other’s style and stuff.”

But before the match began, she went over to her coaches.

They reminded her to trust herself.

And then, the Eagle “kind of let it fly.”

Less than 10 minutes later, she would become a back-to-back state champion.

“It feels great,” Khiry said after winning her second straight title. “I got loose and just wrestled.”

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Khiry is no stranger to seeing her name in the storied Rosewood High School wrestling program’s history books.

Last year, she and Sophia Marshall became the school’s first females to win state wrestling championships.

Now, she stands alone as the first female wrestler to successfully defend a title.

And while last year’s feat added to the pressure she felt coming into the 2025-26 season, Khiry said the rewards this go-round have been that much sweeter because she has earned them as a member of Rosewood’s legendary program — and because her father was a member of the Eagles’ first wrestling team.

“Wrestling makes me feel good, and I just love rolling around,” she said. “I didn’t even realize how much work I was putting in until I, like, started seeing results, but it just feels really great.”

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Khiry was not the only Eagle who soared at the state meet.

In fact, not long before she took to the mat, Jameson McCoy won her first state title in thrilling fashion.

Down 11-1 late in the third round against Manteo’s Gabriella Aguirre Gomez, Jameson needed to pin her opponent to clinch a victory.

And when, suddenly, Aguirre Gomez made a wrong move, Jameson met the moment — flipping her over and pinning her to become a champion.

“I’m just really happy because I’ve come a really long way, and I’m blessed to be where I am,” Jameson said. “I don’t really think much during my matches, but I was just waiting because when I saw her start to get gassed, that’s when I knew I had my chance.”

Her emotions were on full display after she pinned her opponent.

First, she embraced her coaches — even before the referee could raise her hand in victory.

Then, after her win was made official, she jumped up onto the railing to hug her parents — a moment that was particularly special because wrestling has been a bonding experience between her and her father, a man she does not see as much as she would like because of his military service.

“Wrestling has really strengthened our bond,” Jameson said. “And I’m glad to be able to walk in his and my uncles’ footsteps because they were also both wrestlers.”

And during the parade of champions, tears fell from her eyes.

“I was so happy about it,” Jameson said. “It’s just a lot of hard work to get here.”

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The young ladies, though, will have to share the spotlight with some of their male counterparts.

Aldinio Previl and Jaylin Darden joined Khiry and Jameson atop the podium.

Isaiah Mazura, Shane Mangroo, Nick Wade, and Josh Lemke were all state runners-up.

And both wrestling teams also won individual tournament runner-up trophies — capping off a banner year for a program that is no stranger to reaching the mountaintop.

Khiry said talent was part of Rosewood’s success, but it was the team’s chemistry that put the Eagles on a championship path.

It was the perfect blend, she said, of steady seniors and energetic underclassmen — a team without egos or singular stars.

They were, simply, just a united group with a shared dream.

That selfless spirit is why so many Eagles ended up standing on that podium.

And with all they had to endure to get there, every one of them felt like they had truly earned what they got.

“We’ve been working our butts off all season,” Khiry said. “We deserve it.”