COLUMBIA — Odessa was the favorite to win the Class 2 state championship coming into the Missouri State High School Wrestling Championships.
It appears they could be headed in that direction as the Bulldogs are currently sitting in first place after Day 1 of the Class 2 tournament with 72.5 points Wednesday at Mizzou Arena. Seneca is right on their heels in second place with 69 points, St. Genevieve is third with 63.5 and Savannah is fourth with 58. Father Tolton Catholic is just outside a top four spot as they are in fifth with 57.5 points.
The Bulldogs have six wrestlers in the semifinals including Brady Jones (126), Blaine Wallace (132), Kamden Hooper (138), Jet Brown (144), Caiden Davidson (150) and Michael Scott (175). Liam Shippy is still alive in the consolation bracket.
“We have some guys on the back side who need to score some points for us,” Scott said. “We need the front side to keep doing what they are doing so we can win a state title.”
Below is a summary of how 56 wrestlers in the tournament made it to the semifinals and what the matchups will be on Thursday:
106: Sullivan Ian Henderson is having a standout season as he improved to 25-1 following a 17-2 tech fall victory over Savannah sophomore Landon Smith. That victory advanced him to the semifinals where he will take on Mexico sophomore Carlos Juarez-Ramirez, who edged Mid-Buchanan freshman Colby Schreck in the quarterfinals.
In the other semifinal match Lutheran St. Charles freshman Caleb Dryer will see Oak Grove sophomore Cale Martin. Dryer took a 19-4 tech fall victory over Clinton’s Lucas Mcmenemy, while Martin scored several back points in a 24-7 tech fall win over Kirksville freshman Jason Schutter.
“I am very proud of myself,” Martin said. “I have come a long way since last year. I work my butt off every day in the room. Around the end of the second period, I was just feeling it and was able to get to my tilts.”
113: Cameron junior Will Erickson, who finished fourth last season, will get another crack at a state championship. He advanced to the semifinals after he pinned Osage sophomore Cody Mcclure in 40 seconds in the quarters. He will match up with Eldon senior Jesiah Simmons, who is now 32-0 and advanced due to a medical forfeit from Kirksville senior Jaden Crisp.
At the bottom of the bracket, Father Tolton Catholic Graden Anderson will face off against Oak Grove freshman Perry Morgan. Anderson won by fall in 3:20 over California sophomore Connor Farmer. Morgan grinded out a 9-3 win in his quarterfinals match with Seneca sophomore Jaxen Rhodes.
120: St. Genevieve sophomore Brody Winters advanced to the semifinals thanks to his win by fall in 2:31 vs. Knob Noster senior Mason Grosz. Winters will see Hallsville junior Paxton Crane in the next round. Crane took a 11-2 major decision over Pleasant Hill junior Victor Schmalz.
The other semifinals will feature Logan-Rogersville’s Zion Hibbert and Cameron senior Dylan Pratt. Hibbert pinned Kirksville sophomore Ethan Hale in just 39 seconds in the quarters, while Pratt got a win by fall in 1:21 over Mexico freshman Logan Hilderman.
126: Seneca senior Caden Thompson earned his spot in the next round as he won by pin against Cameron freshman Colton Flick in the quarterfinals. His opponent on Thursday is Odessa senior Brady Jones, who earned a 19-4 tech fall against Osage junior Brock Arrowood.
“It’s just another match,” Jones said, “but I have to keep the energy going into tomorrow. I want to score points win or lose.”
In the other semifinal, defending state champion Christopher Ankenman steamrolled his way into the semifinals following a 17-2 tech fall over St. Joseph Benton freshman Coltyn Hollingsworth. On Thursday, Ankenman will have a bout with Savannah sophomore Lawson Francis, who squeaked by Owensville junior Steven Buddemeyer 6-5 to make it to the penultimate match.
132: Blair Oaks senior Carter Kempker got injured in his match but advanced as Sullivan senior Carter Roach was disqualified by the officials for an illegal move that was used. Kempker will take on Odessa sophomore Blaine Wallace in the next round. Wallace pinned Father Tolton Catholic junior Martin Henderson in only 24 seconds.
At the bottom of the bracket, Fulton senior Cole Blattner will take on Seneca junior Eli Manley. Blattner edged Savannah senior Creighton Cook, 1-0. Manley earned a 21-12 major decision over Pleasant Hill senior Aiden Minor in his quarterfinal match.
138: Excelsior Springs junior Cooper Collins continued his standout season as he improved to 38-1 following his first-period pin against Sullivan senior Eli Peregoy in the quarterfinals. Next, he will match up with Seneca sophomore Brant Laughlin, who pinned Justin Schutter of Kirksville in 4:17.
Father Tolton Catholic senior Grant Anderson, who was a runner-up in Class 1 last season, advanced to the semifinals after a win by fall in 1:25 over Cassville senior Jaret Hinson. He will match up with defending state champion and Odessa sophomore Kamden Hooper, who won by pin in 1:42 over St. Genevieve senior Owen Drury.
144: St. Genevieve junior Drake Meyer punched his ticket to the semifinals following his pin in 1:17 over Excelsior Springs senior Ryne Marcum. Meyer will advance to face off with Blair Oaks senior Nolan Laughlin, who pinned Richmond junior Madix Hutchings in 3:53.
“It was a great match,” Laughlin said. “I tried to treat it like any other match. I got the right outcome. It’s a great feeling. I feel like I am wrestling really well on my feet right now.
On the other side of the bracket, St. James senior Luka Marlatt will see Odessa sophomore Jett Brown in the other semifinal match. Marlatt got a third-period pin over Winfield junior Ayden Amos. Brown pinned Seneca freshman Dawson Manley to secure his spot in the next round.
150: Logan-Rogersville senior Jackson Snider, who was a runner-up last season, will get another chance at a state title. He moved on to the semifinals after a 4-1 win over Knob Noster’s Elijah Avery. He will go against Mid-Buchanan senior Spencer Cunningham in the semifinals. The Dragon senior won by a 15-0 tech fall over Mexico sophomore Kyler Carr.
In the other semifinal, Davison will take on Southern Boone junior Grant Leininger. Davidson won 12-9 over Moberly senior Landon Morris in the quarters to advance, while Leininger, took a 11-3 major decision over Savannah junior Daegen Pasley.
157: St. Genevieve sophomore Owen Roth made his way to the semifinals after a 9-5 win over Cameron junior Tyler Estes. Roth will match up with Kirksville junior Austyn Hunter, who improved to 48-0 after pinning Blair Oaks senior Jackson Finke in the quarters.
“I have really been working on cardio and it has really shown out there,” Hunter said. “I really used angles to get to my offense and capitalize on opportunities for takedowns.”
On the bottom of the bracket, Cassville junior Tristan Thompson will face off with Mid-Buchanan sophomore Cooper Kirkham. Thompson won by fall over Cole Williams-Caldwell in the quarterfinals, and Kirkham took an 8-5 decision against Potosi sophomore Carter Pyatt.
165: St. Genevieve senior Mason Langeneckert booked his spot in the semifinals after he pinned Cameron sophomore Carter Flick in just 24 seconds. He will try and take the momentum of that pin into his match with Hallsville freshman Colt West, who won 5-0 over Osage senior Amos Mundy.
“I wrestled well, and I stayed in my positions,” West said. “I didn’t let him wrestle his. I wrestled smart. He tried to get to my legs, and I defended it. I didn’t let him get to his stuff.”
In the other semifinal, Cassville junior Colton Roark will take on Savannah sophomore Kaiden Phillips. Roark took a 15-4 major decision over Kirkville senior Luke Cahalan in the quarterfinals. Phillips pinned Tre’vyon Chatman of STEAM Academy.
175: Defending state champion and Father Tolton Catholic senior Frank Hazelrigg will look to repeat this season as he pinned Nevada senior Kason Clark to advance to the semifinals. In that next bout, he will take on Cassville junior Riley James, who earned a 10-3 victory in overtime vs. Cameron senior Gage Jones.
In the lower part of the bracket, Mexico senior Grant Van Horn will go against Odessa sophomore Michael Scott. Van Horn pinned Clinton senior Will Golder in the quarters, while Scott won by fall in 4:43 over Seneca senior Sawyer Cornell.
“When he got the head too high, I just pulled the head over and stuck him with a cradle at the end,” Scott said.
190: Moberly junior Landon Smith made his way to the semifinals following a pin in 4:45 against Oak Grove junior Elliott Atwell. Smith will face off against Savannah junior Braylon Ellis, who won by fall over Cassville freshman Zachary Myers in 2:18.
In the other semifinal, Chilicothe junior Tucker Slattery will battle with Seneca junior Jace Renfro. Slattery pinned Booneville freshman Bryce Newham in 1:29, while Renfro won by fall against Benton senior Kaden Lee in 3:14.
215: St. James Joshua Carpenter will be wrestling in the semifinals Thursday. He made it there thanks to a win by fall in 2:23 over Maryville sophomore Kade Watkins. Carpenter has a match set up with Seneca senior Nolan Napier, who won 4-0 over Westminster Christian Academy senior Luke Hornburg.
“I was getting to my low single (leg takedowns) pretty good,” Napier said. “I wasn’t able to get to my snaps, so there is always something to work on.”
On the other side of the bracket, Nevada junior Dj Glidewell is set to face Savannah senior Cooper Burnsides. Glidewell won 9-4 over Moberly senior Brooks Head and Burnsides got a pin in 3:47 against St. Genevieve junior Jacob Warren.
285: The first semifinal match at the top of the bracket will feature a match with two wrestlers who have yet to lose a match. St. Genevieve senior Jacob Schweigert made it to the semifinals after getting a pin against Monett senior Hrodgar Wetzel. Schweigert, who is 46-0, will take on Chillicothe senior Bo Smith, who is now 44-0. Smith snuck past Westminster Christian Academy senior Theodis Collins 2-1.
In the other semifinal, STEAM Academy senior Reggie Thomas will see Logan-Rogersville senior Lucas Parris. Thomas earned a 14-1 major decision over Kennett senior Kevin Thompson in the quarters, while Parris won the ultimate tiebreaker over Excelsior Springs’ Justin Wright 3-2.
