COLUMBIA, Mo. — With three state champions and four runners-up, the Joplin area fared well at the MSHSAA Wrestling Championships on Saturday at Mizzou Arena.
Neosho’s Eli Zar, Seneca’s Brady Roark and Monett’s Simon Hartline all captured state championships.
Carl Junction’s Sam Melton, Carthage’s Davion King, Monett’s Harrison Merriman and Diamond’s Landon Clement all took second place in their respective brackets.
Below is a look at how area squads fared at the state wrestling tournament.
NEOSHO
In Class 3, Zar was the champ at 170 pounds. He defeated Hannibal’s Trevor Wilson 7-2 in the title bout. Zar, who went 50-4 this season, won his first two matches by fall before a 7-1 decision in the semifinals.
Four other Wildcats competed in third-place matches.
Trent Neece placed third at 152 pounds, while Hayden Crane (132), Nate Copeland (138) and Collyn Kivett (160) all finished fourth.
Also for Neosho, Fisher Butler took fifth at 113 and Johnny Chrisco placed sixth at 126.
With seven medalists, the Wildcats finished third in the Class 3 team standings with 122.5 points. Whitfield (181.5) and Hillsboro (125) were first and second.
CARL JUNCTION
Carl Junction’s Melton was the Class 3 runner-up at 113 pounds.
In the bracket’s title match, Farmington’s Dayton Boyd defeated Melton 9-4. Melton went 3-1 at the tourney, with a win by fall and two major decisions, to finish the season with a record of 40-6.
The Bulldogs had two medalists at the event.
In addition to Melton, CJ’s Lukas Walker won the 106-pound bracket’s third-place match 7-3 over Hannibal’s Reign Creech.
Walker went 4-1 at the event, falling in the semifinals 3-1 to Kearney’s Ryder Shelton. Walker finished the season with a record of 43-5.
CARTHAGE
Competing in Class 4, King was the runner-up at 160 pounds. In the title bout, Seckman’s Cole Ruble won by fall over King.
After going 3-1 at state, King finished the season with a record of 38-5.
Also for the Tigers, Braxdon Tate won the fifth-place match at 152 by beating Grain Valley’s Tanner Barker 4-2. Tate went 32-8 this season.
MCDONALD COUNTY
The McDonald County Mustangs had two medalists in Class 3, as Samuel Murphy took third at 220 and Jayce Hitt placed fifth at 285.
Murphy went 47-2 this season, while Hitt went 24-6.
SENECA
Seneca had three medalists and one champion in Class 2.
Roark won the title bout at 120 pounds by technical fall, 20-4, over Helias Catholic’s Carter Prenger. Roark went 48-0 this season en route to his second championship.
Seneca’s Andrew Manley won the third-place match at 138 pounds, while Gabriel Commons took third at 170. Manley went 50-5 this season, while Commons had a record of 47-4.
The Indians finished fifth in the Class 2 team standings.
OTHER SWMO MEDALISTS
In Class 2, Monett’s Hartline won by fall over Osage’s Zach Green in his title bout at 106 pounds, while Merriman suffered a 3-1 overtime loss to Boonville’s Peyton Hahn in his title match.
Cassville’s duo of Arkhilleus Arguelles (132) and Jake Anthonysz (160) both finished fifth, while Aurora’s Ian Jackson took sixth at 220.
Nevada’s Kenneth Johnson went 1-2 at 195, while teammate Mokey Dawn went 0-2 at 126.
In Class 1, Diamond’s Clement lost by fall to Mid-Buchanan’s Wade Stanton in the title bout at 195. Diamond’s Breydon Pelt was sixth at 106.
In girls action, Seneca’s Isabella Renfro was the runner-up at 174 pounds and Cassville’s Annie Moore took second at 115.
JOPLIN RECAP
Joplin’s Gunner Price went 2-2 in the Class 4 heavyweight bracket, while Draven VanGilder went 0-2 at 195 pounds.
FULL RESULTS: MSHSAA Boys State Championships (trackwrestling.com)
