2023 Gateway Athletic Conference Tournament

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In the featured image above: 165# Final, Troy-Buchanan’s Charos Sutton vs Francis Howell Central’s Aidan Hernandez

The Gateway Athletic Conference is one of the largest conferences in the State of Missouri and is very well known for having perennial powerhouses in Football and Baseball. The St. Charles area consistently turns out top Missouri athletes and their wrestling programs are no exception. The GAC boasts 18 teams who have been consistent factors in the State Championships for years with the likes of Holt, Francis Howell, Francis Howell Central, and Ft. Zumwalt North. But the other teams have also had success at the MSHSSA Wrestling Championships dating back many years! 

The GAC has given us some of the best Missouri wrestlers who have gone on to compete in the NCAAs as well as at the World & Olympic level. Some of those wrestlers are Sammie Henson; Tony & Nick Purler; Drake Houdashelt; Sidney Oliver; Colby Smith; Clayton Ream; Brandon & Terrel Wilbourn; Jason Sexton; Jason Moore; Jerry & Ted Hickey; Ethan Kyle; Chris Lantz; Sean Fowler; Cliff Hesskamp; and Tony James to just name a few. These names include a MSHSAA 4x Champ, a 3x Champ, and 2x Champs. The history is rich, and the GAC even has a few schools that are less than 10 years young. 

That leads us to this past weekend when the annual GAC tournament was held. St. Charles High School hosted the tournament which showcased 42 returning 2022 State Qualifiers, 16 Ranked Missouri Wrestlers, 3 Missouri Pound 4 Pound Wrestlers, and 2 Nationally Ranked Wrestlers. Classes 2-4 were represented as well. The 165 lb. weight class had the most ranked wrestlers with 3. The 165 lb. and 175 lb. Finals were probably the most exciting Finals matches on the day. But we will get to that later… 

Pictured above: 

175# Podium
1st-Brett Smith (Troy)
2nd-Chance Cole (FZN)
3rd-Hayden DeVilder (FHC)
4th-Ethan Wasson (Timberland)

106

Timberland’s Gannon Kuhn (13-5) was seeded 1 for the bracket and was the only returning 2022 State Qualifier in the bracket so favorites were be placed on him but Howell Central Freshman, Chase Gray, came in with just 3 loses and looking to establish himself as a name to be paid attention to in the Class 4 106 discussions. Gray would convincingly beat Kuhn in the Semifinals to get himself a Finals match against Warrenton’s Sophomore, Emanuel McCauley (17-2), who is ranked #2 in Class 3 at 106 lbs. 

McCauley came out on a mission and pushed the pace from the beginning. McCauley’s size was evident from the start, and he used every bit of it against Gray with his shots. McCauley got in on a shot early and quickly got the takedown. Gray battled but gave up back points. McCauley would go into the second period leading. Gray got choice in the 2nd and chose bottom. Gray fought to a tripod but left his head too close to his knee which ended him up in a Cradle. McCauley would finish it off with a Fall at the 3:09 mark. 

1st-Emanuel McCauley (Warrenton)
2nd-Chase Gray (Francis Howell Central)
3rd-Kanyon Shurtz (Ft. Zumwalt South)
4th-Gannon Kuhn (Timberland)
5th-Jacob Bals (Ft. Zumwalt North)
6th-Brody Apenbrinck (North Point)

Yes, there's even more!
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