Considered the toughest tournament across America, Missouri sent over 60 wrestlers to the Super 32 tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina this weekend with a mix of high school boys/girls, middle school, and elementary wrestlers.
On the high school level both on the boys and girls side Team Missouri came away with four place winners while the 11&under age division came away with one place winner.
Placing in the top 8 for the high school boys were Luke Lilledahl, who was a state champion last year at CBC High School but has transferred to Wyoming Seminary in Pennsylvania this season. Lilledahl came away the 113lbs Super32 Champion knocking off Georgia’s Jake Crapps in the finals 10-8. Crapps, who entered the Super32 tournament ranked #16 in the nation according to Matscouts nationally rankings – Lilledahl #10 in the nation at 113.
KJ Miley of Whitfield also made finals of the prestigious Super32 tournament but fell short of the title by falling to Georgia’s Chase Horne. Horne has been consistently ranked the top HWT wrestler in the nation. Miley had quite a run to the finals by pinning everyone in his way.
Nixa’s Zan Fugitt entered the tournament as a 12 seed making it to the round of 16 where he faced the 5 seed, Dillon Campbell from Springboro Ohio, where he lost a tough 7-3 match. Fugitt then rattled off six consecutive victories to earn a 3rd place finish. Included in that six match win streak including a rematch against Campbell – this time Fugitt takes a 6-2 victory.
Another transfer to Wyoming Seminary, joining his CBC teammate Luke Lilledahl, Jake Darrah, placed 4th. Darrah, who just came back from knee surgery and had three weeks practice before Super32s. Darrah, who entered the tournament a 2 seed had an impressive tournament run included making it to the semifinals before losing to the 3rd seed, Logan Shepard from Ohio, 5-2.
In the high school girls division Ava Ward, wrestling for Sammie Henson’s Bulltrained wrestling, takes the championship at 103lbs. Get used to hearing about Ward as her high school career is just starting. She already has a Cadet World Medal to her name and is knocking off nationally ranked wrestler after nationally ranked wrestler. Ward has also earned a #1 ranking in the nation by several publications. Ward absolutely went after it at Super32 outscoring her oppontents 43-4, including a 10-0 victory in the finals.
Lafayette’s Faith Cole is no stranger to the national spotlight as well. Cole had an impressive run to the tournament finals but ran into California’s Nyla Valencia. Valencia has been ranked #1 in the nation and has a recent victory over Cole at the National Recruiting Showcase where she defeated Cole 13-6. Cole narrowed the gap coming up short in the Super32 finals 5-2.
Park Hill South’s Maddie Kublicki earns 3rd place at 148lbs. Kublicki ran into Tennennesee’s up and coming phenom, Piper Fowler, losing the match 10-6. Kublicki bounces back and takes 3rd.
Parkway West High junior Paige Wehrmeister made history as her school’s first-ever state champion in girls wrestling and can include first Super32 placer as well. Wehrmeister placed 4th in the 139lbs bracket. Wehrmeister, the 6 seed, made it to the semifinals before losing to Pennslyvai’s Grace Stem, the 2nd seed 10-0. Wehrmeister bounces back in the consolation semifinals defeating Ontario’s C Agostini before falling to the 7th seed out of Florida in the 3rd place match.
The 11&Under age division had one place winner, Jacob Saunders. If that last name sounds familiar it’s because Jacob’s older brother wrestled for CBC and is currently wrestling for Cornell University – Joshua Saunders. Jacob placed 4th at Super32 at the 11&under 65lbs division.