Flashing strobe lights, smoke, loud music, the booming voice of the PA announcer, the noise of the crowd – no way was Mya Hairston letting any of it distract her as she waited in the bowels of Columbia’s Mizzou Arena to wrestle for a state championship Feb. 22.
The 100-pound Festus junior squared off against junior Ellie Douglass of Sikeston, the same opponent Hairston pinned in two minutes to win the Class 1 District 1 championship two weeks earlier. This time it took an additional 18 seconds to achieve the same result and Hairston became the first female wrestler from Festus to win a state title and only the third girl from Jefferson County to top the medal podium, joining De Soto’s Jaycee Foeller, a three-time champion, and Faith Spicer of Fox.
“I don’t really remember the introductions because I was so focused on the match,” Hairston said moments after the referee raised her arm in triumph. “I was thinking about what I was going to do and in my own world.”
Hairston (33-2) went on the offensive immediately, tying up Douglass (31-10) in a variety of positions before pinning her at 2:18. It was her fourth stick-‘em of the tournament after vanquishing Alyssa Hicks of Marceline, J Colbert of Kansas City Center and Mckenzy Mason of Marshall in successively shorter times (4:00, 2:57 and 59 seconds).
Hairston put her extensive knowledge of Douglass to good use, and quickly.
“I knew my snap-downs worked good on her and I could get legs on her,” Hairston said. “My plan was to either arm-drag and shoot or snap down, go behind and throw legs. She was flattening out on her stomach really hard, so I stepped through the legs to take her base.”
Kearney defended its Class 1 state title with 80 points, one point ahead of Brookfield; last year Kearney edged out those same Bulldogs by a half-point. Festus moved up from 14th in 2023 to ninth with 48 points. De Soto scored 31 points to finish 22nd, followed by Herculaneum (46th, 19) and Hillsboro (70th, 3). Windsor was scoreless.
Hairston has steadily moved up the state podium, thanks in part to her offseason training at Thoroughbred Wrestling Academy in Hillsboro, a breeding ground for an increasing number of state champions in the county.
“I worked on speed and changing directions this year,” she said.
Festus head coach Jarad Sheppard said Hairston started preparing for her rise to the top the moment after losing in overtime in the state semifinals last season.
“She didn’t forget that,” Sheppard said. “She was on the mat the following week. She’s trained really hard and is super-dedicated.
“She’s always had really heavy hands (wrestling) on her feet. She’s had a lot of (bouts) with Ellie Douglass. We had a similar game plan from what’s worked in the past. Don’t deviate from something if it’s not broken. She rode hard on top and got the pin.”
Festus garnered one other state medal as freshman Trinity Butler (39-10) finished sixth at 135 pounds. She won her first two matches by forfeit and pin to reach the semifinals, where she was a 24-second pin victim to Cassville senior Faith James (47-2), who went on to take the championship after finishing second at 130 last year.
“We were eager to see what her first couple of (state) matches looked like,” Sheppard said. “We had a tough second day, but we brought more girls than we ever have and they’ve really progressed and the bright side is nobody graduates.”
Two Tiger sophomores, Addison Cupp (105 pounds) and Dani Gullet (140) both were eliminated in close wrestleback matches. Cupp (37-9) lost 2-1 in sudden victory to junior Janessa Avila of St. Clair while Gullet (35-10) came up short on a 3-2 tiebreaker to a familiar foe, Eddyson Reeves (46-8) of Herculaneum.
Sheppard and assistant coach Steve Holt wore matching outfits and silver boots. It’s not uncommon for wrestling coaches to dress unconventionally for the biggest day of the year.
“Those (boots) are the Amazon specials,” Sheppard said, laughing and enjoying the moment after Hairston’s historic win. “It shows the girls we like to have fun too. It keeps it light and takes some of the seriousness away.”
Ella Bradley of De Soto will graduate in a few months with three state medals. Bradley (40-6) finished fifth this time at 155, beating West Plains junior Nikeshia Davis 5-1. Bradley’s path to her first state final was blocked in the semifinals by undefeated Centralia freshman Jayci Shelton (42-0), who went on to take the title with an 11-1 major decision over Justice Brewer of Cameron.
The other four Dragons to qualify for state were all freshmen. Kya Aubuchon (105), Cheyenne Kincade (110), Emma Taylor (120) and Macie Tomlinson (170) represent a bright future. After losing her first match, Kincade (51-8) won her next two bouts to earn a spot in the medal rounds, where she finished fourth.
Reeves, fourth at 130 a year ago, also needed two wins on the backside of her bracket for a second state medal and she closed out her career by finishing fifth at 140. Reeves won the final match of her career, pinning Sikeston senior Kimarhri Wilkins at 4:20. Reeves’ sister, Emerson, a freshman, won her first state match at 105, but was eliminated by the eventual third-place finisher, Aleah Conard of El Dorado Springs.
Also representing Jefferson County in Columbia were Hillsboro senior Alleigh Culley (145), a two-time state qualifier, and sophomore Sydney Streckfuss (125) and freshman Ashley Hansen (235) of Windsor.
Hawks crown 3 more champions, finish second in Class 3
It takes more than champions to win a team championship in wrestling.
Hillsboro and Hannibal presented a textbook example of that Feb. 23-24 in the state Class 3 tournament at Mizzou Arena in Columbia. Both schools brought 10 qualifiers and the Pirates and Hawks ran neck-and-neck in the team race. When the mats cleared, both teams boasted three individual champions.
But the difference came in the medal count. Aside from the champs, Hannibal had five medalists to Hillsboro’s three. That was enough to propel the Pirates to their first-ever state title – after nine previous appearances in the top four – with 156.5 points. Hillsboro, the defending champion, finished second with 132, the Hawks’ fourth straight team trophy at state.
Whitfield Academy of St. Louis County finished third with 96.5 and
Kearney, the school that beat Hillsboro for the state Class 4 football championship back in December, was fourth with 92.
Windsor, with one medal-winner, wound up in the middle of the 45-team field with 25.5 points. De Soto also had one medalist and scored 20 points for 27th place; Festus was 34th with eight.
It was still a historic weekend for Hillsboro as sophomore Carter Wallis (120 pounds), junior Jackson Tucker (138) and senior Sam Richardson (165) all became the school’s first two-time champions.
“Pretty special day for the program,” said Hawk head coach Matt Mitchell, sporting his customary blue plaid jacket but also topping it with blonde hair that sprouted on the heads of all the Hawk wrestlers in a show of team unity. “We’ve got nothing to complain about. It’s awesome to see the guys continue to build on their goals and legacy here. It’s another bar we’ve raised and it’s awesome to watch these guys.”
After two pins the first day, Wallis (38-5) won a 6-1 decision in the semifinals over Hannibal senior Reign Creech (38-5). In a taut, low-scoring final against Kearney junior Ryder Shelton (41-6), there was controversy at the end of the match when the officials awarded a last-second reversal for Shelton and then reversed the call, giving Wallis the victory 2-1.
“I looked up at the clock, there was 12 seconds left,” Wallis said. “I had the two (points) for the control. He was rolling around, then we went out of bounds. I was like, ‘I’m here to prove I’m the best in the state. I’m not letting go.’ I took him down, we went into a crazy scramble, and there was a questionable call. Time was definitely up.”
“There was some drama there,” Mitchell said. “Maybe a loss of control or reversal or some type of score at the end for (Shelton) and the officials got together and it wasn’t. That’s how that stuff goes sometimes.
“There’s different obstacles along the way, and I know that’s what Carter’s going to go through. A goal of his is to be a four-time champ and he talks about it a lot. That was some adversity he had to get through, and he did.”
Tucker (30-3) reached the final at 138 against senior Jayden Lambert of Belton after wins on a technical fall (21-6), a 99-second pin and a 9-3 decision. With his shoulder heavily taped, marks around his eyes and blood in his mouth, Tucker finally pinned Lambert at 5:36 after taking him down six times. The Hawk with a flair for showmanship raised his arms high and spun off the mat to spark a celebration by the Hillsboro fans.
“We went out there with the same mindset as districts – to score as many points as we can,” Tucker said. “That’s what happens and when guys break, you put them on their backs and stick them. We just cared about putting on a show for the crowd, and that’s exactly what we did.”
At the other end of the personality spectrum is Richardson (48-3), who won a 4-0 decision for the 165-pound championship over Van Horn senior Darrius Paige (29-5). Richardson had his arm raised and then strolled off the mat without fanfare. Strangely, Paige never took a shot at Richardson, who scored his points on a reversal in the second period and a takedown in the third.
“I’m not into all that (celebrating),” Richardson said. “I like wrestling and winning and getting better. I can get a lot better. I promise I will.”
Last year, Richardson and Griffin Ray (2023 graduate) both used a move called a “spladle” to help win their state titles. Richardson said it’s one of countless moves in the sport.
“I thought I had my ‘broomstick’ when (Paige) was laying on his belly,” he said. “It’s a weird move. He landed on his belly because he knew it was coming. It’s like a five-point move.”
“Same as last year, Sam doesn’t want to celebrate,” Mitchell said. “He wants to get his hand raised and move on to the next thing.”
Sophomore Evan Litzsinger (113) and junior Jordan Penick (126) both won their final matches to finish third.
Litzsinger (39-10) won a 13-1 major decision in his bubble match and a 6-1 decision in the fourth-round wrestlebacks, then took third when Warrenton junior Maddy McCauley was a medical forfeit.
“It’s always fun to wrestle, but you take what you can get and don’t complain,” Litzsinger said. “The season is about how you come back from adversity.”
After winning his first match, Penick (31-14) ran into Whitfield senior Porter Matecki (26-2) and lost by tech fall 18-3 to the eventual state champion. Three pins in consolation matches put Penick into the third-place match, where he planted Jeremiah Cassing, a senior from Warrenton, at 2:58. One round earlier, Penick trailed Fort Zumwalt South senior Zack Tihen 11-0 before turning him on his back and completing the pin.
“When you have five kids in the top three in the state, you can’t ask for much more than that,” Mitchell said. “We brought some young kids that didn’t have experience and they got that. We have two or three who wanted to be more successful and that puts the fire in the belly.”
The Hawk coach also attributed his team’s continued high-level success to the support they receive from the school and community.
“We have a great wrestling community and youth club,” Mitchell said. “We get support from our school district, so there’s a lot of things that go into it. Our fans are awesome. I think they’re the biggest crowd here and they’re always chanting, win or lose.
“What’s awesome to see is this consistency. OK, we fell a little bit short, but our name is still at the top of that list.”
Of the six De Soto wrestlers at state, only senior Drake Peeler (40-5) reached the medal rounds and he finished fifth at 138 on a 4-2 sudden victory over Marshfield senior M.J. Gritts, who had beaten Peeler 5-3 on the other side of the bracket the day before.
“There’s 1,000 things I could have done,” Peeler said, wearing two days of scrapes and bruises. “I had a takedown and put him on his back and the ref didn’t call two (points). I could have made 1,000 excuses. I have a torn labrum. That’s another obstacle I’m trying to work through. I got into this long scramble and ended up prevailing.
“I grabbed one of his ankles and was pulling it up and looked at my corner and my coach yelled, ‘ankle pass!’ and I sent it. I had to take his leg over my chest and come up in between his legs and got the two (points) and it was the most surreal experience because it’s the last time I’ll wrestle. You’re only as good as your last six minutes.”
Windsor junior Brice Henry (47-2) lost his bid to become the third state champion in school history, losing the 175-pound final 5-3 in overtime to
Kearney freshman Carter Temple (37-4). Henry was in close matches in all four rounds, winning 9-3, 3-1 and 4-3 to make the final, in which neither Henry nor Temple scored a takedown. Temple’s winning points came on a reversal in the third period. Just seconds before, Henry had scored on a reversal.
“Overtime is a different level of stress, a different level of exhaustion,” Henry said. “A lot of people can’t overcome it and I thought I could, and clearly I’ve got more work to do.
“He caught me off guard with a switch I wasn’t ready for. I thought I was safe after my (reversal) and it bit me in the butt. I’m going to grind this summer and this is never going to happen again.”
Young Lancers learn valuable lessons
One weight apart, St. Pius X freshman Dawson Litterall (175 pounds) and junior Peyton Shaver (165) are partners in the practice room.
For a few minutes on the floor of Mizzou Arena in Columbia Feb. 22, the two Lancers were on side-by-side mats in their third-place matches at the Class 1 state championships.
Litterall (39-3) came off first after pinning Mack Creek’s lone state qualifier, senior Aidyn Merchant (28-5), at 4:13. Merchant scored the first two points of the match, but Litterall was leading 10-2 at the time of the pin.
“I lost a close match in the semifinals, bounced back and won three matches and secured third place,” Litterall said. “I got an arm bar on the side. I usually don’t and just stuck him.”
St. Pius assistant coach Dennis Alexander said Litterall’s strength and fitness come from the training he’s received at the school’s wellness center under the care of activities director Tilden Watson.
“Dawson is a freak,” Alexander said. “And it’s a natural thing, but he does work hard in football and wrestling. I can’t give enough credit to Tilden Watson with the strength-and-conditioning program. He’s got these kids doubling what they were doing.”
At Columbia, Alexander had to fill in for head coach Jeff Hoese, who couldn’t attend due to a family matter. This is Alexander’s first year at St. Pius. He coached the Hillsboro Little League Wrestling Program for 15 years. His son, Gavin Alexander, was a state champion at Hillsboro and is wrestling at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.
After pinning his first opponent, Litterall met Macon senior Isaac Kauffman (36-4), and in the first two periods, Kauffman took the Lancer down three times. Litterall scored escapes after each one and received another point by starting down in the second period and escaping. A wild third period, with takedowns, escapes and Litterall being awarded a penalty point, ended in a 10-8 decision for Kauffman, who went on to finish second. Litterall won three matches from there.
Litterall’s goal is to be a three-time state champion. The “other” St. Pius X, in Kansas City, had five champions this time, good enough to run away with the team championship, amassing 234 points. Father Tolton was a distant second with 125, followed by Centralia in third with 108 and Brookfield fourth with 105.
St. Pius of Festus won District 1 and sent eight wrestlers to state, enabling a big move up from 42nd at state last year to a tie for 12th with Lafayette County at 48 points.
“We’re going to do way better next year,” Litterall said. “We’re coming for it all.”
Minutes after Litterall left the mat, Shaver (39-2) held on for a 7-4 decision over junior Wyatt Adkisson of Centralia for third place. Shaver led Adkisson 4-1 after two periods, on two takedowns, before the pair traded takedowns and escapes in the third. Shaver’s road to the final was blocked by Maysville senior Brendan Barton (28-8), who pinned him at 1:48 of the semifinals.
“I’m really happy with my performance today,” said Shaver, who was knocked out in the “bubble match” in his two previous state appearances, when he wrestled for Festus.
“I took a shot (at Barton) and got into a weird scramble and he pinned me, but I couldn’t let one match determine how I perform.”
“He’s a believer,” Alexander said. “He believes in himself. It’s a great family. He’s a great leader and kid on and off the mat. He’ll come back strong and get it done next year.”
Freshman Cody Shaver (190) and junior Justin Lehn (215) both won state matches for the Lancers. Alexander said the team’s goal is higher than just breaking into the top 10.
“That’s not our ultimate goal, but it’s a good start for a third-year program,” he said.
Herculaneum competed in the Class 2 meet in Columbia and finished 40th with five points, all scored by senior Shea Eberhardt, who missed a state medal at 285 by one match.
A three-time state qualifier, Eberhardt (41-9) won his first match by fall before running into St. Michael the Archangel juggernaut Sampson Stillwell (45-1), a junior whose four pins to win state came in 34, 18, 72 and 47 seconds. After taking a 2-1 decision in wrestlebacks to stay alive, Eberhardt lost 2-1 in a “bubble match” overtime tiebreaker to Mexico senior Emille Scanavino (39-12).
“We were evenly matched and neither of us could score,” Eberhardt said. “When it gets to the ultimate tiebreaker, if the other person gets a point, you have to get one and I couldn’t get away.
“(Before the match) you’re standing in the tunnel waiting to decide whether you’re going to medal or not. It’s nerve-wracking for sure. One of the things I like about wrestling is nothing is given and you have to earn every little bit. My opponent earned his medal.”
Eberhardt, a standout in three sports, was an all-conference pick in football and will do the throws for Herky’s track team this spring. He said he’s proud of the progress he made on the mat since going 6-18 overall and 0-2 at district his freshman year.
“We got more coaches involved and I got to state my sophomore year and medaled the next year,” he said. “I’m glad I accomplished what I did. It sucks being seconds away from being a medalist, but it is what it is.”
Blackcat sophomore Keaton Reeves, a two-time state qualifier, lost both of his matches at 157 and finished 32-11.
Odessa won the Class 2 team title, outpointing St. Michael the Archangel (Lee’s Summit) 163.5 to 142. Blair Oaks was third with 108 points and Ste. Genevieve tied with Seneca for fourth with 104.
Now there are 2 Orine's with state wrestling titles
Another year, another top 10 state finish for the Seckman boys wrestling team.
Liberty continued its dominance with its fifth straight Class 4 state championship, scoring 188.5 points at Mizzou Arena Feb. 24. Lafayette (139.5), Staley (118.5) and Columbia Hickman (113.5) took home the other team trophies. Of the three teams from Jefferson County in Class 4, the Jaguars placed highest (eighth, 65), while Northwest tied for 19th with Grain Valley with 30 points and Fox’s three wrestlers were 38th with six points.
After spending a year away from home at a prep school in Pennsylvania, Seckman senior Draegen Orine completed his successful return with a state title at 132 pounds. His brother, Kai, was a three-time state champion for the Jaguars and is preparing to wrestle in the NCAA Championships for North Carolina State University.
Before his year away, Draegen finished second in state at 106 as a freshman and third at 120 as a sophomore. One of seven Jaguars to qualify for state, he finished his final season 43-3 after beating Staley sophomore Miller Sipes in a 15-5 major decision. Orine took Sipes down three times in the first period and six times overall, controlling the match from start to finish.
“I fell short my freshman and sophomore year,” Orine said. “Then I was in (Pennsylvania) last year. It feels great to get a state title. What you do in the practice room is what you do out on the mat, so I’ve been pushing the attacks, my offense. My quarterfinals and finals matches were my best. There are some guys in the state to push me to want something more.”
With his own tournament upcoming, Kai wasn’t able to watch Draegen in person, but the brothers follow and support each other closely.
In Orine’s other three state matches, he won by two tech falls and an 11-4 decision. Counting state and District 1, Orine was a champion in seven tournaments this season.
“I’m a little banged up,” he said. “I rolled my ankle again. I hurt it in my semis match. You’ve got to push through those things at state and get what’s yours.”
“Draegen is one heck of a wrestler,” Seckman head coach Ryan Moyer said. “It’s a joy to sit back and just watch what he does as an athlete. His consistent pressure and high tempo never really give kids time to breathe.”
It’s been a pleasure to watch him grow over the years as an athlete and a person. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.”
Senior Drake Jenkins, a “bubble round” casualty a year ago at state, made it to the final this time at 157 and finished second. Jenkins (36-8) pinned his first opponent in 38 seconds before winning 5-4 and 6-1 decisions to avoid the wrestlebacks. In the 5-4 win over Lee’s Summit senior Michael Foley, Jenkins’ winning point in the third period came on a stalling call. In the championship match, Nixa senior Malachi Rider (33-2) scored three of his six takedowns in the third period to pull away for a 20-7 major decision.
“Drake wrestled one heck of a tournament,” Moyer said. “Three years we came up short from placing and this year he was determined to not only place but make the finals. He is a grinder and finds ways to win matches.”
Freshman Chance Ruble (40-14, 138) was Seckman’s third medal winner, coming in sixth after losing a 5-4 decision to senior Brody Rudman of Marquette. In the semifinals against Francis Howell Central senior Noah Keen (38-3), both wrestlers rode each other out until Keen scored an escape in the third period to win 1-0. Keen won a 13-4 major decision for the 138 title.
Seckman sophomore Ahmad Farzad (106), freshman Dorrian Clark (113), sophomore Colton Fowler (144) and senior Graham Bruenger (190) also made state. Fowler was a state qualifier at 126 last year.
“There are always matches you wish you had back, but I am very proud of the way my team performed,” Moyer said.
Fox sophomore Chandler Price went to Columbia as a district champion at 150, but lost two close decisions that kept him from medal contention. After pinning Liberty sophomore Brody Willnerd at 2:48 in the first round, Price (37-8) lost 6-3 to Fort Osage junior Colby Gray, outscoring Gray 3-0 in the third period. A 6-4 defeat at the hands of Neosho freshman Lincoln Howard in wrestlebacks ended Price’s season.
Warrior freshman Ahmet Mamakhov (42-12) won one match in consolation at 132 and 215-pound senior Tommy George (43-8) lost 7-2 in his first match and was pinned in his second.