The Missouri high school state wrestling championship matches are set to take place Saturday at 6 p.m. in Columbia.
Willard senior defending state champion Niko Chavez, right
A total of 12 wrestlers from southwest Missouri will compete in state championship matches at Mizzou Arena.
Willard senior Niko Chavez will attempt to win back-to-back state championship titles when he squares off with Windsor Imperial junior Jacob Warren (44-2) Saturday at 6 p.m. at Mizzou Arena in Columbia.
Rogersville freshman Jay Stausbaugh continued a methodic march through the ranks at 120 pounds by advancing to the Class 2 championship final. Strausbaugh (46-6) defeated Luke Moffett of Bolivar by a 13-5 major decision to march on for the state title shot against undefeated Connor Brown of Oak Grove (49-0) in Saturday’s championship final.
Brown has won each of his three state tournament matches in the first period, with each win coming by fall. His longest bout lasted 1:38.
Webb City football running back Hunter Vanlue showed off why wrestling likely lies in his college future by improving to an impeccable 54-0 on the season. Vanlue defeated Ryan Yarnell of Windsor Imperial 6-3 in what was the only bout of Vanlue’s ride through the state championship tournament to end without a pin. Vanlue will face Warrensburg senior Dayton Brown (51-5) for the state title on Saturday night.
87th Missouri State High School Activities Association Wrestling Championships
At Mizzou Arena, Columbia
Semifinal results
Class 1
106—Levi Connelly (Seneca) dec. James Jury (Brookfield) 6-0
113—Rance Waigand (Richmond) dec. Max Roark (Seneca) 5-0
126—Dalton Hembree (Seneca) maj. dec. Drake Eychaner (North Andrew) 14-4
152—Trey Smith (Seneca) pin Alex Cupp (Marceline) 4:32
160—Zac Russell (Whitfield) dec. Floyd Miller (Buffalo) 6-1, sudden victory
195—Richard Menconci (Brookfield) dec. Blake Williamson (Buffalo) 11-5
220—Gunner Martin (Polo) dec. Colten Kenady (Buffalo) 4-2
Class 2
106—Joseph Semerad (Monett) pin Sawyer Day (Cameron) 3:16
113—Joel Barrientos (Monett) dec. Cristian Dixon (Benton) 5-2
120—Jay Strausbaugh (Rogersville) maj. dec. Luke Moffett (Bolivar) 13-5
170—Brit Wilson (Mexico) pin Wyatt Goade (Cassville) :40
195—Ian Meyer (Monett) tech. fall Chance Richards (Moberly) 16-0, 4:48
Class 3
120—Dylan Owens (Hillsboro) dec. Dalen Moore (Carthage) 6-2
126—Cameron Rudy (Ft. Zumwalt South) dec. Trenton Young (Neosho) 9-6
132—Gannon Millard (Neosho) dec. Calvin Obermark (Washington) 13-6
145—Jacob Warren (Windsor Imperial) maj. dec. Jacob Ulrich (Branson) 10-0, Nikolas Chavez (Willard) dec. Joe Biondo (4-3)
152—Robert Weber (Belton) dec. Markkel Moore (Carthage) 3-2
170—Ottis Peeler (Raytown South) dec. Joey Williams (Neosho) 11-8
182—Hunter Vanlue (Webb City) dec. Ryan Yarnell (Windsor Imperial) 6-3
195—Jacob Boyd, Smithville maj. dec. Zachary Plummer (Neosho) 14-3
220—Casey Jumps (Platte County) maj. dec. Christian Nutz (Neosho) 10-0
285—Zeke Wall (Carl Junction) pin Austin Campbell (Harrisonville) 1:52, Adrian Hitchcock (Neosho) pin Emanuel Childs (Raytown) 1:11
Class 4
145—Kyran Hagan (Eureka) dec. Peter Lucitt (Waynesville) 5-1
195—Zach Elam (Staley) pin Donovan Benetti (Nixa) 1:42
Quarterfinal results
Class 1
106—Levi Connelly (Seneca) dec. James Jury (Brookfield) 6-0, Ross Critten (Gallatin) dec. Lizzie Miller (Buffalo) 5-2
113—Max Roark (Seneca) dec. Wade Raeman (Whitfield) 4-1, Ethan Smith (Buffalo) pin Colton Fisher (Marceline) 4:36
120—Mike McAteer (Whitfield) pin Dawson Stephens (Seneca) 1:58
126—Dalton Hembree (Seneca) pin Andrew Huddleston (Hallsville) 4:48
145—Dalton Schelle (Plattsburg) dec. Cole Hatfield (Seneca) 7-3
152—Trey Smith (Seneca) dec. Parker Rotterman (Mid-Buchanan) 3-0
160—Floyd Miller (Buffalo) dec. Drew Rorebeck (Trenton) 10-5, Andrew Edgar (Marceline) dec. Lance Hymer (Seneca) 2-1
170—Alvaro Porras (Lexington) maj. dec. Austin Reid (Buffalo) 10-2, Mason Doll (South Harrison) dec. Taylor Cook (Seneca) 9-6
182—Noah Elmore (Whitfield) dec. Kale Schrader (Seneca) 3-2
195—Blake Williamson (Buffalo) dec. Blake McClain (Plattsburg) 4-2, tiebreaker
220—Colten Kenady (Buffalo) dec. Justin Leath (Lone Jack) 6-4
Class 2
106—Dalton Thompson (St. Clair) pin Granite Cunningham (Bolivar) 5:15, Joseph Semerad (Monett) pin Travis Waldner (Dexter) 3:47
113—Joel Barrientos (Monett) dec. Hunter Williams (Excelsior Springs) 8-2
120—Luke Moffett (Bolivar) pin Camron Lowry (Moberly) 1:30, Jay Strausbaugh (Rogersville) maj. dec. Gabriel Hummer (Savannah) 11-0, Dylan Patton (Mexico) pin Karter Brink (Monett) 5:42
132—Grant Staffen (Ste. Genevieve) pin Jonah Gann (Rogersville) 1:15, Gunnar Bradley (Monett) dec. Dean Foster (Savannah) 6-2
138—Jordan Shewmaker (Benton) tech. fall Lucas Campbell (Rogersville) 18-2, 4:56
145—Clark Rogers (Winfield) pin Brody Crawford (Monett) 5:09
152—Brandon Carbray (St. Charles West) dec. Onis Howard (Monett) 8-2
160—Brant Price (Savannah) pin Devon Vickery (Rogersville)
170—Wyatt Goade (Cassville) dec. Aaron Herman (St. Clair), sudden victory 5-3
182—Caleb Shanks (Cameron) pin Clayton Chappell (Bolivar) 5:24
195—Ian Meyer (Monett) dec. Dawson Cox (Cameron) 6-2
220—Josh Richards (St. Clair) dec. Jacob Johnson (Nevada) 6-3
Class 3
113—Caden Green (Kearney) dec. Dalton Kivett (Neosho) 9-4, Cody Phippen (Platte County) pin Michael Taylor (Republic) 2:46
120—Dalen Moore (Carthage) dec. Mitchell Bohlken (Smithville) 6-3, Clayton Singh (Kearney) dec. Jakob Gerow (McDonald County) 3-2
126—Andrew Shea (Battle) dec. Tyler Church (Carl Junction) 4-1, Cameron Rudy (Ft. Zumwalt South) pin Nick Norbury (Carthage) :33, Trenton Young (Neosho) dec. Mitchell Alexander (Grain Valley) 3-2
132—Sam Frankowski (Rockwood Summit) dec. Alex Garrett (Willard) 3-1, Gannon Millard, Neosho dec. Ryan Hampton (Smithville) 3-1
138—Alex Rivera (Smithville) dec. Braxton Barnes (Neosho) 4-3
145—Jacob Ulrich (Branson) dec. Austin Denson (Ft. Zumwalt South) 5-2, Nikolas Chavez (Willard) dec. Dawson Sickmeier (Union) 1-0
152—Markkel Moore (Carthage) dec. Josh Clark (Union) 3-2
160—Braden Danner (Harrisonville) pin Isaiah Wittmer (Branson) :40, Jacob Orsay (Ladue Horton Watkins) maj. dec. Truman Craig (McDonald County) 12-0
170—Joey Williams (Neosho) maj. dec. Tramel Harrell (University City)
182—Hunter Vanlue (Webb City) pin Brett Mordecai (Kearney) 3:27, Dayton Brown (Warrensburg) pin Cameron Caldwell (Willard)
195—Zachary Plummer (Neosho) pin Dylan Ahern (Union) :50, Jacob Boyd (Smithville) pin Hunter Pyle (Republic) 1:39, Sage Smart (Platte County) pin Christian Smart (Willard) 7:42
220—Jacob Null (Warrenton) pin Julian Richardson (Republic) 1:10, Christian Nutz (Neosho) dec. Alec Holtmeyer (Washington) 2-1, tiebreaker
285—Zeke Wall (Carl Junction) dec. Landon Porter (DeSoto) 6-0, Austin Campbell (Harrisonville) dec. Bronnie Kinser (McDonald County) 1-0, Adrian Hitchcock (Neosho) pin Corbin Lee (St. Mary’s of St. Louis) 2:39
Class 4
113—Demetrius Trotter (North Kansas City) dec. Jake Nichols (Ozark) 7-1
120—Austin Kolvek (Park Hill) dec. Gaven Sax (Waynesville) 6-5
126—Cameron Valdiviez (Rockhurst) dec. Sean Sax (Waynesville) 6-5
132— Cameron Wegener (Lafayette Wildwood) maj. dec. Trevor Christian (Lebanon) 20-11
145—Peter Lucitt (Waynesville) dec. Trevor Liggett (Francis Howell Central) 4-3
160—Cory Peterson (DeSmet) dec. Nick Gladkov (Ozark) 6-2
195—Donovan Benetti (Nixa) dec. Jack Marak (Parkway South) 14-8, Zach Elam (Staley) pin Solomon Garcia (Joplin) 1:14
220—Danny Conley (Chaminade) dec. Jadyn Withrow (Joplin) 6-2