The Park Hill wrestling team may only have one wrestler ranked in the top six in their weight class in the MissouriWrestling.com poll, but that doesn’t mean the Trojans can’t make some noise.
They did just that in the Joe Crouthers Invitatonal Saturday at North Kansas City High School.
Video Interviews:
- Park Hill’s Justice Gilotti (113)
- Park Hill’s Ryan Egstad (120)
- Park Hill’s Mason Brayfield (106)
- Park Hill’s Erik Egstad (113)
- Blue Springs South’s Logan Mainard (120)
- Oak Park’s Anthony Cherco (126)
- Park Hill’s Sam Mormino (138)
- Park Hill’s Noah Johnson (132)
- Oak Park’s Kaleb Peterson (144)
- Park Hill’s Ethan Vande Ven (150)
- Summit Christian Academy’s Jeremiah Smith (157)
- North Kansas City’s Kaden Torres (165)
- Summit Christian Academy’s John Newton (175)
- Park Hill’s Jim Humphrey (190)
- Liberty North’s Carter Price (215)
- Blue Springs South’s Callen Smithpeter (285)
The Trojans dominated the competition as they took first place with 284.5 points, a whopping 104.5 points ahead of second-place Riverside out of Iowa. Winnetonka took third with 145.5 points.
“I love this team and everyone on it,” junior Jim Humphrey said. “Just being able to be here with these guys and wrestle with them is great.”
Park Hill had six wrestlers win their weight bracket – Mason Brayfield (106 pounds), Erik Egstad (113), Noah Johnson (132), Sammy Mormino (138), Ethan Vande Ven (150) and Humphrey (190). Six other Trojans placed in the top three.
Egstad proved that he is a contender to win a state championship as he ranked No. 3 at 113 pounds in Class 4. He pinned all four of his opponents including North Kansas City’s Chase Thurston. He used an armbar to get that pin in 1:33 to take first place.
“I feel like I have wrestling pretty well lately,” Egstad said. “That’s what I am hoping for (to win the state championship).”