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Sampson Stillwell’s Olympic Path: Leaves St. Michael for USA Wrestling Elite Accelerator Program

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Sampson Stillwell will leave his legacy at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic High School one year earlier than planned.

The senior will not be attending the Lee’s Summit school for his final year of high school. Instead, he’s headed to Colorado for the USA Wrestling Elite Accelerator Program.

Stillwell entered this season with a chance to become a rare 4-time state champion after winning three titles at 285 pounds between Class 1 and 2.

He ends his high school career with the Guardians with a 117-2 record — going 49-1,51-0 and 17-1. His last two state titles in Class 2 were over in the first period by pins.

Stillwell was part of two state trophy teams with the Guardians in Class 1 and Class 2.

“Matt (Infranca) and the coaching job has done a great job and what I accomplished individually and as a team has been great,” Stilwell said “It’s been awesome.”

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Stillwell says he is moving to Colorado Springs on Sept. 15. He is currently recovering from a meniscus surgery he had on Aug. 15 — cleaning up a knee injury that led to surgery in May. 

He said the decision to come back to St. Michael or follow J’den Cox, who was hired as a USA Wrestling Freestyle Development Coach last month, to the Olympic Training Center was a tough one.

“I thought about it and I don’t want to win just four state titles, I want to be winning NCAA or world championships too,” Stillwell said “I want to be remembered and if winning four state titles is the biggest thing I do, then something went wrong. It was stressful. I have a lot of love for the guys (at St. Michael) but being coached by J’den is a hell of an opportunity.”

A Missouri pledge, Stillwell expects to sign with the Tigers later this year officially. 

He will do online school his senior year and train with Cox and other coaches. 

“I’ll stay busy, but it will be good,” Stillwell said, who expects to compete at the U20 national level the next two summers after having to sit out this summer.

The loss of Stillwell is a double-edged sword for Infranca.

He coached Stillwell at the youth level at MoWest Championship Wrestling Club and now at the high school level.

“We are disappointed to lose a kid like Sampson, who has been so important to our program,” Infranca said. “But we encourage our athletes to explore opportunities of this magnitude and if it’s a good fit and the timing is right, we want them to take advantage of the Olympic Training Center Accelerator Program.”

Infranca said that Stillwell is on a different level and has long-term goals of being in the Olympics and possibly becoming a UFC fighter in the future.

“He’s a kid on a path matching his goals with his opportunity,” Infranca said.

Learning from Cox, arguably one of the greatest wrestlers in Missouri history will benefit Stilwell. Cox won four MSHSAA titles at Columbia Hickman and then three NCAA titles at Missouri. He added World and Olympic medals as well.

Stillwell said he still remembers the first time he got to practice with Cox and those lessons. 

“He’s always five steps ahead of you and his moves are so fluid; he is quick and he is strong,” Stillwell said of scraping with Cox in previous practice sessions. 

The news, though tough, was a little expected for Infranca. 

He said at one point there was discussion about Stilwell moving to Columbia to be closer to the MU program — a tactic that Oklahoma State has used in the past with recruits.

Instead, Stillwell will be going West instead of East. 

“We were kind of preparing for him to be closer to MU anyways but it will definitely hurt,” Infranca said. “We will miss his leadership and the kids being around him.”

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