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Kirksville has an excellent chance of securing a team championship in Class Two on Saturday. The Tigers sit in first place with 127.5 team points after Friday's action, and stand 36.5 points ahead of second-place Oak Grove. If Kirksville scores 20 team points on Saturday, it will earn its second-ever team wrestling crown, and first since 2009. The Tigers will have four wrestlers grappling for individual championships Saturday night: Austin Roper at 132 pounds, Makenna Cook at 160 pounds, Travis Lang at 182 pounds, and at 138 pounds, Justin VanHoose will try to become only the 21st wrestler in Missouri history to win four individual state championships. Ethan Rentschler at 106 pounds and Chris Hooper at 152 pounds are also guaranteed state medals, and will wrestle in fourth-round wrestlebacks on Saturday morning.
Behind Kirksville, Mexico and Moberly are caught in a battle for bragging rights, sitting in a 13th place tie with 49.5 points each. The Spartans have a grappler in Saturday night's finals, as Trey Smith will wrestle at 152 pounds in an attempt to become Moberly's first state champ since Dane Fuhrman in 2005. Dylan Johnson at 120 pounds and John Orscheln at 195 pounds have also guaranteed themselves medals, and will compete in fourth-round wrestlebacks.
Mexico has four wrestlers who will medal at this year's state meet. Jake Vitale at 145 pounds, Monterio Burton at 160 pounds, Sinjon Adams at 170 pounds and Josh Harlan in the heavyweight division will all grapple Saturday morning in fourth-round wrestlebacks.
Class One will see a new top dog this year, as returning champion Brookfield struggled as a team on Day Two. With 142 points, Whitfield is all but assured of a team championship, but Brookfield still hopes for a team trophy. The Bulldogs ended Friday in fifth place with 67 points, 10.5 points behind the trophies. Brookfield's Derek Scates will grapple for a state crown in the heavyweight division, and four other Bulldogs will compete in fourth-round wrestlebacks: Cody Neimeier at 120 pounds, Anthony Cupp at 132 pounds, Ramzie Cooper at 145 pounds, and Micah Blakely at 152 pounds.
Centralia still has an outside chance at a state trophy, as the Panthers are in seventh place with 57 team points. Marc Schmidt will seek his second straight state championship in the 120 pound class on Saturday, and three other Panthers will take home medals from this weekend's action. Ethan Leighton at 126 pounds, Mitch Schmidt at 132 pounds and Austin McBride at 145 pounds have all earned berths into the fourth-round wrestlebacks.
Marceline sits in 22nd place in Class One with 28 team points, but the Tigers have Mark Bradley in the state title match at 195 pounds, and Kyle Bell in the fourth-round wrestlebacks at 126 pounds.
You can see full results from the 2012 MSHSAA Wrestling Championships here.
Matt Tarnawa speaks with Kirksville head coach Kevin Powell after Friday's matches....
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Behind Kirksville, Mexico and Moberly are caught in a battle for bragging rights, sitting in a 13th place tie with 49.5 points each. The Spartans have a grappler in Saturday night's finals, as Trey Smith will wrestle at 152 pounds in an attempt to become Moberly's first state champ since Dane Fuhrman in 2005. Dylan Johnson at 120 pounds and John Orscheln at 195 pounds have also guaranteed themselves medals, and will compete in fourth-round wrestlebacks.
Mexico has four wrestlers who will medal at this year's state meet. Jake Vitale at 145 pounds, Monterio Burton at 160 pounds, Sinjon Adams at 170 pounds and Josh Harlan in the heavyweight division will all grapple Saturday morning in fourth-round wrestlebacks.
Class One will see a new top dog this year, as returning champion Brookfield struggled as a team on Day Two. With 142 points, Whitfield is all but assured of a team championship, but Brookfield still hopes for a team trophy. The Bulldogs ended Friday in fifth place with 67 points, 10.5 points behind the trophies. Brookfield's Derek Scates will grapple for a state crown in the heavyweight division, and four other Bulldogs will compete in fourth-round wrestlebacks: Cody Neimeier at 120 pounds, Anthony Cupp at 132 pounds, Ramzie Cooper at 145 pounds, and Micah Blakely at 152 pounds.
Centralia still has an outside chance at a state trophy, as the Panthers are in seventh place with 57 team points. Marc Schmidt will seek his second straight state championship in the 120 pound class on Saturday, and three other Panthers will take home medals from this weekend's action. Ethan Leighton at 126 pounds, Mitch Schmidt at 132 pounds and Austin McBride at 145 pounds have all earned berths into the fourth-round wrestlebacks.
Marceline sits in 22nd place in Class One with 28 team points, but the Tigers have Mark Bradley in the state title match at 195 pounds, and Kyle Bell in the fourth-round wrestlebacks at 126 pounds.
You can see full results from the 2012 MSHSAA Wrestling Championships here.
Matt Tarnawa speaks with Kirksville head coach Kevin Powell after Friday's matches....
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