Missouri wrestling championships blog from Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Day 2:
SECKMAN'S BASLER IS FIRST TO EARN TITLE BERTH
With a 5-4 victory over Ozark's J.J. Donnell at 106 pounds, Seckman freshman Weston Basler became the first area wrestler to move to the finals of the Missouri wrestling championships at Mizzou Arena.
Basler (45-3) will take on Nixa's Joe Velliquette (49-1). Velliquette took fourth as a freshman.
The tournament wraps up Saturday, with finals set to start at 4:30 p.m.
In Class 3 at 113, Zach Nelson (44-0) won 4-3 over Warrensburg's Malacai Collins, earning a rematch with Keaney's Jaret Sinh, who beat Nelson 3-1 for last year's championship at 112.
ST. CHARLES WEST SENIOR WINS 50th
Austin Rugraff has been waiting for a match like this. It was what powered him through offseason workouts. It was what gave him energy when practice ran long and the hour was late.
“I always thought, ‘What if I’m in overtime? What’s the other guy doing? How hard is he working?’ the St. Charles West senior said.
Friday, the hard-working Rugraff survived one of the toughest tests of the Class 3 quarterfinals when he outlasted Ian McIntosh of Summit 3-2 in overtime. Tied 2-2 at the end of regulation, Rugraff scored the on an escape in the second OT period and then held off McIntosh in the third OT period.
A second-place finisher at last year’s state tournament, Rugraff improved to 50-2 with his quarterfinal win. He will meet Trevor Engle (46-6) of Staley in the semifinals.
McIntosh, a fifth-place medalist last season, carried a 37-5 record into the wrestlebacks.
Rugraff is one of nine St. Louis wrestlers to advance to the Class 3 semifinals. Also winning quarterfinal tests: Zach Nelson (45-0) of Fort Zumwalt North at 113 pounds, Luke Reeves (46-8) of Hillsboro at 138 pounds, Casey Bartee ( 36-4) of St. Charles West at 152 pounds, Ryan Thomas (36-7) of Fort Zumwalt North at 170 pounds, Aktintunde Odunkeye (36-6) of Hazelwood East at 182, Jarad Sheppard (50-1) of Hillsboro and Rudy May of Summit at 195 and Jonathan Cain (38-2) of McCluer at 220.
REEVES REVERSES OT FORTUNES
Luke Reeves is a heart-and-soul wrestler. The Hillsboro senior appreciates wrestling technique and power, but he believes in the sport’s heart.
SECKMAN'S KRAUS ESCAPES IN OT
Two-time defending champ Matt Kraus of Seckman got all he wanted - and then some - in a 2-1 double-overtime Class 4 quarterfinal win over Timberland's Colton Orlando at 132.
Kraus (45-3) came up with the escape with just seconds left in the second OT period for the win. Orlando (44-10) was a third-place finisher a year ago.
Kraus will face Park Hill's Russell Coleman (27-2) in the semifnals Friday evening.
In a showdown of two-time medalists at 145, Holt's Clayton Ream (41-2) posted an impressive 10-0 major decision over Francis Howell Central's John Wood (15-2).
Hot off a huge first-round win over 2011 runner-up Austin Eads of Blue Springs South, Ritenour's Eric Bowman (34-4) blew by Park Hill's Nick Harper 17-7.
Another two-time medalist, Zumwalt West's James Krischke (44-7) won 4-2. Also at 126, McCluer North's Darrell Pampkin posted a 5-1 win over Seckman's Danny Farrell in a showdown of returning state medalists.
Defending champion Michael Slyman, another two-time medalist, posted a methodical 4-0 win at 160.
Heavyweight Donnell Walker of Parkway South advanced with a 4-3 win. Walker placed fifth in 2010 and sixth a year ago.
Other returning medalists moving on to the Class 4 semifinals were Timberland's Devan Richter (113), Lafayette's Nick Olejnik (138), Troy's Skylar Weber (152) and Eureka's Matt McClimens (182).
Other local winners Friday afternoon were Seckman's Weston Basler (106), Holt's Lawton Benna (113), Seckman's Brock Wingbermuehle (120), Howell North's Tyler Smith (120), Lafayette's Ryan Jones (132), Timberland's Dustin Gray (152), Fox's Dominic Vitale (170), Howell's Jarrett Franklin (170), McCluer North's Gordon Phillips (182) and Hazelwood West's Daniel Vaughn (285).
LARGE SCHOOLS QUARTERFINALS BEGIN
The Class 3 and Class 4 quarterfinals started at 1:30 p.m.
Winners this afternoon will advance to the semifinals this evening. Semifinals in all classes are slated to start at 6 p.m.
WHITFIELD ADDS TO CLASS 1 LEAD
Whitfield took another strong step toward a Class 1 wrestling title, winning six of nine matches in the quarterfinals Friday morning at the Missouri wrestling championships at Mizzou Arena.
The Warriors finished the quarterfinal round with 76 points, well ahead of Blair Oaks (58) and Lathrop (51 1/2).
Whitfield received first-period pins from two-time medalist Austin Smith (132) and returning medalist Ethan Sherertz (182), who needed just 45 seconds to dispatch another 2011 medal-winner, Diamons's Chris Pittman.
Two-time medalist Chris Wilkes (126) and Will Hahn (152) won by technical fall while defending state champion Rodney Hahn (145) shrugged off an early takedown to win by major decision to round out the Warriors' quarterfinal success.
Also in Class 1, Herculaneum's trio of Billy Duncan (160), Kyle Kunz (195) and Brian Duncan (285) advanced to the semis. Billy Duncan and Kunz won by fall while Brian Duncan posted a 2-0 win.
Kunz and Brian Duncan were fourth-place finishers a year ago.
In Class 2 action Winfield's John Bobeen became the first area wrestler to earn a spot in the semifinals, winning 4-0 over Owensville's Matthew Pohlmann in their Class 2 match at 113.
Bobeen, a senior who placed third a year ago, improved to 45-3.
At 126, three-time medalist Cory Lester (53-2) of John Burroughs won 20-13 over De Soto's Aaron Minx while McCluer South-Berkeley's John Williams remained unbeaten, improving to 17-0 with a second-period pin of Seneca's Cole Lankford at 120.
Also advancing in Class 2 was Westminster's Bennett Lewis (47-3), who had a second-period pin at 220.
DAY 2 BEGINS
The second day of the 82nd Missouri wrestling championships has started, with quarterfinal matches in Class 1 and Class 2.
