From Two Wins to Four State Championships: The Rise of Christopher Ankenman

Christopher Ankenman put his name in a stratosphere that is rare in high school wrestling: 4-time state champion.

The Father Tolton Regional Catholic senior capped off a 39-0 season with a 4-0 run at the MSHSAA Class 2 Wrestling Championship and won the title with a 5-3 win over Brody Winters from Ste. Genevieve.

He’s the third Trailblazer to win four titles at the Columbia school and fifth overall to be a 4-time champion who had some association with Tolton.

Jaydin Eierman, was the first from 2012-15. Brock Mauller picked up where he left off, winning from 2015 to 2018. 

Both of those wrestlers ended up going up the road to wrestle for Missouri.

The other two were Jarrett Jacques, who won two titles at Tolton and Teague Travis, who won three at Tolton and his fourth in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Both of those ended up wrestling at Missouri — with Travis taking a detour to Oklahoma State first. 

Ankenman is a four-time champion, but as of now, he hasn’t found a place to wrestle in college.

Four state titles and no solid offers. 

MissouriWrestling.com talked with Ankenman about his future and the four titles. 

Q: You’re in the championship match. When did you realize it was over or when did you realize you won state title No. 4?

A: I knew I had it won when I had turned him (Winters) and got those five points. It just caught myself thinking, ‘Wow, I can’t believe it, I finally did it.’ Like I couldn’t believe I finally did it. I didn’t fully comprehend it until a little bit later. I was like, ‘Well, I’m a four-timer.’

Q: For you, going in that last match, you had to be aware of the history of it. How do you not think about? Or if you did, how do you not let that become the biggest thing about that match?

A: Yeah, great coaching around me, and then great teammates that help you focus on other things; keep you engaged, but not overly engaged, where you’re psyching yourself out before the match really helps. And then, just trusting the process, trusting your abilities, going into that match. That really helped.

Q: You join a group that were 4-timers at Tolton and those are some pretty big names, not just in high school wrestling, but college, too. What does that mean for you to be part of that group?

A: It’s kind of like crazy, because they were guys that I looked up to, and now that I’ve accomplished the same thing that they’ve accomplished, it really means a lot to be like one of the people that I idolized.

Q: Knowing history was on the line. Were there any more nerves than normal, or was it just kind of another match? Or how did you handle that?

A: Yeah. Going into the state tournament, I actually had a good amount of nerves, but right before that state finals match, like, some clarity kind of washed over me, and I didn’t really seem to have too much nerves going into it.

Q: When you won the first title, was that the goal right away to be a four-timer? Or that just got something that just kind of happened along the way?

A: Yes. So, I won that first title and didn’t really hit me until like, the start of next year that, like, I won the first one. I got three more to go, and they just kept falling.

Q: The first one, you know, probably is easiest of all of them, because nobody really expects you to win it. Then, you know, the next year, next year, you’re the favorite, and everybody’s trying to beat you. What was it like those last couple of years when you knew to keep up with that target on your back and always be in somebody’s probably biggest match?

A: After that first one, the second one, I was pretty nervous all season. Knew that people were gunning for the young guy who won a state title. When I got that one done, go into my junior year and I was the upperclassman now. I was really confident in my abilities. Went out there and won my junior season, and then this year, senior, I was kind of the big man on campus kind of thing. I felt pretty confident throughout the whole year and was ready to get my title. And I did it.

Q: Did you have to work harder each time? I mean, obviously, you’re the best, you’re a state champion. How do you not get complacent?

A: Every year, I would say I worked harder; offseason work during the season. This year, I had some injuries, so I really had to work hard getting through that. And kind of pushed me. It was like, can’t get complacent here. People are gunning for you. You just have to keep getting better. Don’t let people catch up.

Q: Was it as much of a battle between you and yourself as it was between you and the opponents?

A: Definitely. It was definitely a battle between me and myself, sometimes more than me and the guy standing across me on the mat, because I knew my abilities. I knew I could beat anyone who stepped out against me, but it was showing up that day.

Q: Looking back on your younger days, when did you start wrestling, and what kind of got you into wrestling?

A: I started wrestling when I was 7 years old. My dad was a wrestler in Kansas, and he decided that he wanted to put me into wrestling. I didn’t like it at first, but I grew to love the sport pretty fast.

Q: Did you do any other sports?

A: Yeah, I’ve done just about every other sport under the sun, from football to golf, everything in between. But wrestling’s the one that I grew and grew to love the most.

Q: So what changed? What made you like it more?

A: The mix between physicality and the technicality part of wrestling. The fact that it was more than a sport to me, it taught me so many lessons that other sports, I just don’t teach well. Life lessons and then I just love the grind of wrestling a lot.

Q: Was it clear that you were going to be an elite wrestler when you started wrestling, or was that kind of something you had to learn and get better as you went?

A: Yeah, at first I was not going to be a stud. I won two matches in my first year of wrestling. And then I really just had to work really hard on that. And then around, like, my 7th or 8th year, I ended up placing kind of high at tournaments. But never made the finals or anything like that. So, going into my freshman year of high school, I don’t think anyone would have said four-timer when they saw me.

Q: For you, what does that mean … that you can become the diamond in the rough?

A: I talked to my coach, and he was like, if you really step into it and do the work, he said I could be a four-timer. And I believed it from day one, freshman year.

Q: Who are some coaches or who are some friends and family members who kind of help you get to where you’re at now?

A: My parents always bring me around to everything, and push me to be the best person and wrestler I could be. All my high school coaches, especially Coach Ross, who really did everything to get me to be a four-timer and putting me in the positions and practices to get me there. Then I would like to thank every partner I’ve ever had, all the way from like kids club with Hank Benter and Hogan Center and then in high school, having like Charlie (Ruether) and Graden (Anders) is just great partners. All the offseason practices with Purler and Eierman have always been great for me.

Q: What’s next? Are you wrestling this summer? Or college-wise, have you picked up the college yet? Or is that something you’re working on now?

A: Don’t quite know where I’m gonna go, but still planning to wrestle some over the summer for sure.

Q: What’s it been like, the recruiting process? I mean, does being a four-time champ help?

A: I would say it helps a good amount, because after that, I had a couple more coaches reach out and text but I think it’s more something to put on a resume and send out to coaches. The process itself hasn’t been quite smooth sailing, but it’s going pretty good.

Q: What do you look for in a school and team? I know probably everybody’s goals is D1, but is there certain things you look for in school? Or is it just a chance to wrestle right away?

A: I would like to be D1, obviously, like everyone, but I’m really in it for the academics when I go to college. And then if I start, that’s great, but it’s all part of the process.

Q: So right now, do you have any solid offers? Or you just kind of wait and see what’s out there?

A: Just waiting to see what’s out there.

Q: Do you have any more tournaments you’re going to coming up or taking a break?

A: Taking a break and working on recruiting, mostly. I plan to do Fargo this summer, but no other tournaments.

Q: One last question. Has it hit you that you are a 4-time champion now that it’s been a couple of weeks?

A: It comes in waves. I mean, like, sometimes I just feel like, sitting here (at home) and thinking and be like, ‘Wow, I did it.’ And then other times I’m at school and it’s like ‘wow, I did it.’ But it just comes in waves.

Photos courtesy of the Ankenman family