Finishing third in the state in Class 4 at 106 pounds his sophomore year, Lucas Meier was a rising star in the Northwest wrestling program.
When someone finishes third with two years of competition remaining, you automatically figure they’ll eventually reach the top of the awards podium at Mizzou Arena in Columbia.
But Meier tore his labrum in a summer tournament in 2023, costing him his junior season. After more than a year of rehab, he had an unquenchable desire to return to the mat for the Lions. Luckily for him, his co-head coaches are twin brothers Ron and Bob Wilhelm, who for my money are hall-of-fame caliber. There’s also a deep community of former Northwest standouts to help stoke his fire.
When his senior season began in November, Meier had recovered his range of motion in his repaired shoulder and quickly reassumed his status as one of the Lions’ top state contenders. Now, with just over a month before the tournament, Meier is 21-0 and ranked among the best in the state at 120 pounds.
Northwest won the 141 Rumble at Rockwood Summit Jan. 18 and after taking his first three matches by technical falls – “to get some work in” – Meier got locked in a six-minute battle with De Soto junior Brenton Drummond, who had just won the Jefferson County Activities Association championship. Last year, Drummond had missed wrestling for a state medal in Class 3 at 120 by one match.
After two scoreless periods, Meier scored two escapes and a takedown for a 5-2 victory. Drummond’s points came on a reversal. The scoring rule changed this year, making a takedown worth three points instead of two.
“The third period I was down, and I got a quick escape and I took him down and I had to ride him out,” Meier said. “He got a reversal and I got an escape.”
“We almost had (Drummond) taken down out of bounds and got one late in the match,” Ron Wilhelm said. “It came to a takedown between two good wrestlers.”
Meier was one of five Northwest wrestlers to win at Summit. The Lions captured each weight class from 150 to 175. Three of those winners are sophomores – Kaleb Belcher (157), Jeremiah Clines (165) and Cohenn Stark (175), the other unbeaten Lion at 20-0. Belcher and Clines are both 19-2.
“I’m excited for (my record),” Meier said. “I was hoping for a breakthrough this year. My strengths are pretty much neutral shots, defense and hand fighting.
“I’m hoping for big things for the team. We’re putting in big work not everybody sees.”
An undefeated wrestler at this point in the season catches the eye of opposing wrestlers and coaches. Wilhelm cautioned that Meier and the team still face big tests at the Kyle Thrasher Memorial Tournament at Francis Howell and a tournament at Columbia Hickman before the Lions host the meatgrinder Class 4 District 1 meet.
“We’re about two-thirds through the season, so obviously still being undefeated is quite an accomplishment,” Wilhelm said.
Sophomore Levi Huck is 19-3 at 175 and part of a young, hungry De Soto team that’s looking to reclaim former state glory next month. But Huck had two tough assignments last week, wrestling Windsor senior Brice Henry in the JCAA meet and Stark at Summit. Henry, who finished second in the state at 175 a year ago, beat Huck in a 13-3 major decision. At the Rumble, Huck pinned his first opponent in 56 seconds and toyed around with his semifinal opponent – Vianney senior Jake Lindsey – with a 15-0 tech fall.
But Huck was no match for Stark, who jumped on him quickly with a takedown and seven near-fall points before getting a pin at 1:31.
“Cohenn has been beyond dominant,” Wilhelm said, noting he could face Henry in an upcoming dual meet. “You can be undefeated and win close matches, but (Stark’s opponents) don’t make it out of the second period. That’s like (2020 state champion) Chase Stegall stuff.”
Northwest senior Evan Porter (20-2) had little trouble at Summit at 150, pinning his first three foes in the first period and beating De Soto senior Hunter Adams (18-6) by tech fall (17-2) at 3:54. Wilhelm said Porter has been certified to wrestle at 144 and will drop there by districts.
“We figure he has a better chance at 144, and maybe even can win it.”
One of the wrestlers Wilhelm wants Porter to avoid is Seckman sophomore Chance Ruble. While the Lions were busy winning the Rumble, the Jaguars went to St. Charles West for a tournament the same day and barely held off Ste. Genevieve 245.5 to 243 for the team title.
The 150 final featured two state medalists. Last year Ruble (now 20-4) was sixth in Class 4 at 138 while Whitfield senior Rome Tate (23-4) was third at 150 in Class 3. Tate scored a reversal in the third period to beat Ruble.
Seckman sophomore Dorrian Clark (113), freshman Carson Owens (120) and senior Jeremiah McClain (175) also won titles at St. Charles West. Clark won all three of his matches by tech fall. Owens beat Eureka sophomore Braxton Vanderveen 1-0 in the semifinals with an escape in the second period, then pinned Ste. Genevieve sophomore Brody Winters in the third period in the final. McClain (19-5) had a pair of 17-1 tech falls and a third-period pin.
Jaguar freshman Kaemen Orine (18-7) lost by tech fall in the 106 final to unbeaten Francis Howell North sophomore Wyatt Dannegger (19-0). Seckman freshman Nicky Giacalone (17-10) won an 8-5 decision in the 126 semifinals before falling 9-5 to Francis Howell North freshman Noah Brown (19-1) in the title bout.
In girls wrestling, meanwhile, there’s just as much to be excited about for this postseason. The coaches I talk to about Festus say the same thing: the Tigers have “hammers” to nail down their best state finish ever as a team. Before the boys rumbled at Summit, the girls took the mat at the Sherri Lance Invitational Jan. 17. Lafayette, a contender for the Class 2 state title next month, won the meet with 210.5 points. Festus (172.5) and Northwest (169) were next.
Those Tiger hammers are defending state champion Mya Hairston (27-1), a senior, at 100; junior Addison Cupp (23-5) at 105; sophomore Trinity Butler (22-3) at 135 and junior Dani Gullet (27-3) at 140. Festus has another potential weapon in senior Grace Dust (18-12), who is coming on at 145.
Hairston is the most talented girls wrestler in the county since Jaycee Foeller was ripping off three state titles at De Soto. Hairston pinned all four of her opponents at Lance between 24 seconds and 2:56. Butler also got four quick pins, the first two in less than 40 seconds. Gullet won her first three matches by fall in the first period.
Meier and Stark aren’t the only unbeaten Lions. Junior Cherry Hassler is 10-0 after winning 115 at the Lance tournament. A two-time state qualifier, Hassler had the lead role in a school play, forcing her to miss several matches. But she’s got a starring role on the mat now for a deep and talented team. She also won the title in dramatic fashion at the Tiger Classic in Cape Girardeau. Losing 9-1 in the final to Lafayette junior Rory Flores, she caught Flores on a move and pinned her at 2:40.
“Cherry is our strongest girl and you don’t realize that until you wrestle her,” Wilhelm said.