A pair of former White River High wrestlers, separated by three years while on the rural Buckley campus, are teammates once again.

Payton Stroud graduated from White River High in 2019 and Shelby Moore received her high school diploma in June. Now, they’re both found on the roster at McKendree University.

PAYTON STROUD

Payton Stroud has been a fixture in wrestling circles for years, racking up one impressive achievement after another.

The accolades began at White River High, where the 2019 graduate battled her way to a state championship for the Hornets. That led to a scholarship to compete for powerhouse McKendree University, where Stroud has earned All-American status the past three seasons.

After taking a redshirt season and getting another year of eligibility due to the pandemic, the 22-year-old Stroud has two years of eligibility remaining. She is taking advantage of the added time, having earned a degree and now enrolled in a master’s program in business administration.

Heading into her fifth year of collegiate competition, Stroud sees more success on the way. “I definitely think it will be a good year,” she said during a recent phone interview, praising second-year coach Alexio Garcia.

On her list of goals this year are a national championship, earning a spot on the U.S. World Team and heading to the Olympic Trials.

Last season didn’t end as well as she had hoped, Stroud admits. After being the nation’s top-ranked wrestler in her weight class, she didn’t have a great end-of-season tournament, placing fifth at 116 pounds during the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Still, fifth place brought her a third All-American honor.

During an earlier regional NCWWC competition, Stroud went undefeated to claim the 116 title. Two weeks earlier she took top honors when McKendree hosted the Bearcat Open; after opening with a bye, she won four straight matches, three by technical fall and one by pin.

SHELBY MOORE

Buckley’s Shelby Moore, a dominant force in girls’ wrestling, is about to take things to the next level. It’s all part of a journey that, according to her plan, will land her in the Olympic Games.

For the better part of the last year, Moore – who recently turned 18 – has been residing at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Under the watchful eye of U.S. team coaches, she has been honing her wrestling skills while also completing her K-12 education.

While living in Colorado, Moore was still enrolled at White River High, completing her studies online through the Running Start program offered by Pierce College.

As a full-time resident of the Training Center, Moore is provided an apartment that she shares with another wrestler. “I’ve met a lot of cool people,” she said, noting that athletes from all the Olympic sports share the apartment life.

Wrestling occupies plenty of her time, with training sessions slated for twice a day, three days a week. Another day is dedicated to lifting.

There has also been competition, both in the U.S. and in South America. In early July, Moore was part of the country’s U-20 delegation to the Pan Am Games, held in Santiago, Chile. The event attracts top wrestlers from North, Central and South America.

In late May, Moore participated in the U.S. Open in Las Vegas. There, she was in a “senior” tournament, meaning the field was open to competitors of all ages.

In both Chile and Las Vegas, Moore placed fourth.

She is about to leave the Training Center and experience the life of a collegiate student/athlete.

With notable options to choose from, Moore announced last fall she would be attending McKendree University. She will be heading to the Lebanon, Illinois, campus Aug. 16.

“I decided on McKendree University because of the intensity and the drive the team has,” Moore said in a university press release. “I had to choose the place that was going to push me toward my big Olympic goals.”

In landing Moore, the No. 2 overall prep recruit in the country, McKendree added another piece to its already deep and talented lineup. The program is a proven winner, having won the first three National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships (2020-22) before placing third nationally in March.

Moore has been an active grappler on the state, national and international scene for some time. Her greatest prep accomplishment came in 2022 when she captured a state championship as a Hornet. Additionally, she won the 2022 High School Recruiting Showcase and previously had captured 16U and Junior National titles in Fargo, North Dakota. Additionally, Moore placed fifth at this year’s U17 World Championships in Rome.