Missouri (MSHSAA) wrestling championships notebook (Class 1-2 boys, Class 1 girls): Odessa wins first title, Sampson Stillwell, Peyton Parn win third titles
COLUMBIA, MISSOURI – The Odessa High School wrestling program had come close to winning state championships in the past, including four second-place finishes, but the Bulldogs had never won it all before Thursday night.
Coach Jeff Brown’s squad, bolstered by four freshmen winning state titles, will be taking the Class 2 first-place championship trophy back to Odessa after racking up 163.5 points to top St. Michael the Archangel (142) for the top spot.
“It’s incredible,” Brown said. “These kids worked extremely hard. They’ve been working hard for their whole lives. Many of these guys have been wrestling since they were four, five years old. They just do everything you ask – all the kids, not just the four kids that won it – but every one of them do everything I ask them to do. They have great brotherhood, are great teammates and are great people. That’s what it’s about, right? They try to become winners and champions in the sport and they become champions in life. I’m just proud of all of them.”
Odessa had nine wrestlers qualify for state and seven placed among the top five in their respective weight classes.
Freshman Blaine Wallace (120 pounds), freshman Jet Brown (126), freshman Kamden Hooper (132) and freshman Lake Waters (150) won state championships, while sophomore Caiden Davison (138) took second, senior Landon Scarborough (113) took third and freshman Michael Scott (157) placed fifth.
“Everybody contributed,” Brown said. “We had five in the finals. We had guys on the back side win. Even guys that didn’t medal are winning matches for us. Nobody didn’t win a match. Every point matters when you are in a tight race like this. There were teams I think that could have won it. That was incredible.”
Odessa won the Missouri Class 2 wrestling championship
Photo by Nate Latsch, SBLive Sports
JUNIORS SAMPSON STILLWELL, PEYTON PARN BECOME THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS
Four wrestlers went into title matches on Thursday at Mizzou Arena with an opportunity to capture their third straight state championships, but only two of the four were able to accomplish the feat.
Brookfield junior Peyton Parn (Class 1, 132 pounds) and St. Michael the Archangel junior Sampson Stillwell (Class 2, 285 pounds) became three-time champions and both will have a chance to go for their fourth titles next season.
Parn finished his season with a 43-1 record after defeating Father Tolton’s Grant Anderson in the finals.
Sampson, ranked by SBLive Sports as the eighth-best 285-pounder nationally, pinned previously-unbeaten Jacob Schweigert in 47 seconds and finished his junior season with a 45-1 mark. His lone loss came in the finals of the Walsh Ironman in Ohio in December.
UNDEFEATED CHAMPIONS
Five Class 2 boys went into the championship round on Thursday night with undefeated records, but only three of them capped off unblemished seasons with state titles.
Seneca senior Andrew Manley defeated Blair Oaks’ Whit Nicols to win the Class 2 title at 144 pounds and finish the season at 44-0.
Richmond senior Elijah Sanders defeated Evan Winters of Ste. Genevieve to win the Class 2 165-pound championship and complete a 45-0 season.
Pleasant Hill senior Brayden Bush defeated Brady Kerperin of Blair Oaks to win the Class 2 215-pound title and finish his season at 26-0. It was the second championship for Bush, who won the title at 190 pounds a year ago.
Two Class 1 girls – Centralia freshman Jayci Shelton (155 pounds) and Seneca senior Isabella Renfro (190 pounds) – finished off unbeaten seasons. Shelton went 42-0. Renfro went 47-0.
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- Nate Latsch | latsch@scorebooklive.com | @SBLiveMiz
