By: Ross Martin
With Kale Schrader making an unbeaten run to a state title, Carthage enjoyed a strong debut as a Class 4 program. The Tigers ended up 10th in the Class 4 Missouri State Wrestling Championships team standings, and a strong contingent of returns will have them in position to make a jump up.
Schrader tops the list of reasons for optimism. A transfer who placed second at 195 pounds in Class 1 as a sophomore, he put together an impressive regular season at 220, including a win over eventual Kansas state champion and University of North Carolina commit Cade Lautt, to establish himself as a state title contender.
After an overtime win in the semifinals against Eureka’s Matt Gentry, Schrader pinned Park Hill’s Ashton Sharp in the third period of the final to finish off one of the best Class 4 stories of the season.
“Being a three-sport athlete doesn’t allow for much offseason work, but Kale is a very hard worker,” Carthage coach Kenny Brown said. “Regardless of his abilities on the wrestling mat, what he brings to the team as a leader is more valuable to us than his production on the mat.”