Piedmont’s Makaylee Cannon
Makaylee Cannon is a senior at Piedmont High School who has been wrestling for five years. What started as something just for fun eventually became a passion of hers, resulting in a state championship.
“I wanted to try it out because softball season was out. I also saw my brother do it, it looked fun,” she said. “My favorite memory in my time competing for my school is when I won state. Hearing all my people cheering for me was surreal.”
Cannon says that her teammates, whether past or current, mean the world to her because they push each other to be better. Even some wrestlers outside of her team have helped Cannon in her journey.
“I look up to Shelby Kemp, a two-time state champion out of Moore, Oklahoma,” said Cannon. “She now wrestles at Williams Jewell. She is an inspiration to all women wrestlers. Her work ethic is incredible and she puts maximum effort into her craft. She will always be someone I look up to.”
Cannon is motivated by pushing her limits and recognizing how far she has come. She says that a part of wrestling that people may not understand is that it is simple, but not easy.
“The concept of it is easy to understand,” she said. “It is not easy to work, practice, and compete.”
After graduation, Cannon plans to continue wrestling at the collegiate level while earning a degree.
