New chapters for the Electric Elsbury sisters | News, Sports, Jobs

Autumn Elsbury poses with her medal and ring after achieving All-American honors at AAU Nationals. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

For years, the Electric Elsbury Sisters have dazzled not only South Tama but the entire state. Leaving a path of dominance and wrestling excellence, the sibling duo of Maeley and Autumn Elsbury have cemented their legacy while continuing to expand on it. This summer has seen a new chapter in their commitment to the sport they both love.

In December, 2023 Maeley found herself dealing with an injury that turned out to be an ACL tear along with a partial meniscus tear. Not wanting to give up on her dreams of being a two-time state wrestling champion, she went all in and continued to wrestle for the remainder of the season in a brace. With her new limitations, Maeley learned to wrestle in an altered fashion.

Maeley recalled her decision to continue to wrestle despite the injury.

“After a week of appointments we finally got an MRI saying my ACL was torn. We went to the surgeon and he recommended I do n’t continue to wrestle on it, but he told me it can be done, ” she said. “It was easier to deal with the physical pain over the mental pain of not finishing the season.”

Battling her opponents and fighting through her own physical limitations, Maeley found herself back at the state tournament with her goals unaltered. Reaching the semifinal match, Elsbury wrestled with heart and found herself in overtime in an eventual losing effort, falling short of her ultimate goal. She went on to finish in third place in the 135 pound division and ended her athletic career as a Trojan.

Danny and Autumn Elsbury share a moment together posing for a picture. Danny serves double duty at many wrestling events, balancing being a coach and father to his daughters. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

“It eats me up everyday. “I think about it every day still and will for the rest of my life,” she said. “It still hurts because I know I could’ve done it and it was two seconds away in overtime. “It eats (at) me still.”

Sophomore Autumn Elsbury improved on her fourth place state finish from the previous year, earning her spot on the podium in second place after a thrilling match with senior and four time state champion Naomi Simon. After awards and the conclusion of the tournament, the Electric Elsburys two magical years of high placing wrestling came to an end.

Coming to a crossroads, Maeley prepared for knee surgery while her younger sister capitalized on massive amounts of momentum and looked to take her wrestling to the national level in various summer tournaments.

No more than a week after Maeley was under the knife, doctors repaired her ACL and meniscus. No injury would stop her from wrestling, and certainly no surgery would stop her from cheering on her teammates, making an appearance at the boys state qualifier the day after her surgery.

“Being able to watch wrestling made it a little better,” she said. “I made it to the boys state tournament on crutches.”

Maeley Elsbury watches on intently as she continues to expand her passion for wrestling with coaching. Coaching opportunities allowed for new experiences this summer. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Currently, Maeley Elsbury is six months out from surgery, college bound and hungrier than ever.

“Already being six months out, which I didn’t know when I’d ever make it to six months. Every day sucks, it’s so mentally consuming,” she said. “You don’t understand what someone is going through with an injury until it’s you. It sucks I’m not cleared yet, but it’s a long process and I’m not a patient person.”

While her sister rehabs, Autumn has not shied away from the mat, going on a tear throughout the country. Starting her offseason wrestling at AAU State, Autumn worked her way to the finals, finishing second in a match she admits she could’ve won with different tactics. This earned her a trip to Florida to compete at AAU Nationals later in the summer.

Up next was the Twin Rivers Girls Classic. Autumn went 10-0 in a dominant fashion. While still in rehab, Maeley began keeping herself active in the sport by coaching, with the Twin River’s event providing her first opportunity to do so. The experience was made all the more special by being on the mat with her sister.

Heartland Duals provided the next opportunity of Autumn with a two day wrestling extravaganza. The competition was loaded with state champions from around the Midwest, leading to Autumn losing one match. Otherwise, the event provided a low pressure learning environment for the driven wrestler.

Being on a mat in any way, shape, or form has helped fill the void an injury leaves in Maeley Elsbury. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Continuing her dominance, Autumn arrived in Florida ready for a nice time on the beach and a no nonsense approach on the mat. Elsbury went 10-0 at the AAU Nationals event, earning Gold All-American honors.

With the family having connections from their years of wrestling, Maeley gained more coaching experience with competitors asking her to work with them and be alongside for matches. Both Elsburys were in their element and thriving, whether on the mat or beside it.

Providing a peak to a summer filled with wrestling camps, practice, and plenty of fun, the Elsburys traveled to Fargo to compete in the biggest wrestling tournaments in the country. Autumn had previously competed in the 16U division but moved up this year to the Juniors rankings. Competition was stiff, and Elsbury dealt with tough competitors, eventually losing in the blood round and failing to place.

With Fargo serving as the high point of a huge summer of competing, coaching, traveling, and training, Autumn made quick work at the Iowa Games, winning three easy matches and earning another gold medal to add to the collection at the Elsbury residence.

Come fall, the sisters will be separated with Autumn starting her Junior year at STC, eyeballing the 170 pound state title. Maeley will be taking her talents from her to William Penn and is eager to get back to competition.

Both sisters would like to thank their various coaches for helping to put the Electric in Electric Elsburys — specifically Jason Arp, Logan Arp, Nate Van Dyke, and of course their dad, Danny Elsbury. They would also like to thank their parents for investing so much time and energy into their passion for wrestling.