COLUMBIA, Mo. _ The Lafayette High wrestling squad came through with another solid performance Saturday night at Mizzou Arena, finishing third in Class 4. The Lancers, who finished as runner-up last year, ended the two-day event with 125.5 points as Liberty of Kansas City (187) captured the team title for the sixth consecutive season. Hickman (157) placed second while Neosho (116.5) was the fourth-place finisher. Lafayette capped the two-day event with eight medalists. At the top of that list was sophomore 215-pounder Carter Brown, who won the title at 215 pounds. Brown (43-4) won 10-0 over Liberty sophomore Masen Bindel (21-8) in the title match. Brown dominated this weekend, posting a first-period pin, a 15-0 tech fall and a 9-1 major decision to reach the title match. As a freshman, Brown placed third at 175. "It's a big change (moving up from 175); everyone at 215 seems a lot bigger and stronger to wrestle against and that forced me to switch up the way I wrestled,'' Brown said. "I needed to adapt. Instead of looking to score right away, I tried to tire out my opponents. Then, after a takedown or two, I'm able to take control of the match.
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"I love being out there and I couldn't have done it without my teammates and my coaches. This is a young team, and I think we're all excited to see what we can do moving forward." Brown was one of eight medalists for the Lancers, who also got quality efforts from sophomore Riley Sumner (42-7), the third-place medalist at 120; junior Calum Brown (37-9), who took fourth at 126; sophomore Max Rowe (38-14), who finished fifth at 106; senior Jackson Terry (30-13), the fifth-place finisher at 113; sophomore Caleb Frankenberger (40-12), who earned a fifth-place medal at 132; senior Aidan Schoen (42-8), who took fifth at 150; and senior Jeremiah Drake (37-16), who placed sixth at 157.
Area sophomores rule
Area wrestlers joining Lafayette's Brown on the top step of the medal stand in Class 4 were fellow sophomores Wyatt Dannegger from Francis Howell North and Parkway South's Camron Duffield. Dannegger, who lost in triple overtime in the blood round as a freshman, capped a 35-0 season with a second-period pin of Staley senior Gunner Dahms (35-9) in the final at 106 to kick off Saturday's final round. "I tried not to dwell on it, but losing last year is what fueled me for this season,'' Dannegger said. "This year, I went into every match expecting to win and I was able to accomplish that goal, and finishing the season undefeated really means a lot to me." Six boys entered this weekend at Mizzou Arena without a loss and only three — Dannegger, Hillsboro senior Jackson Tucker (20-0) and Staley senior David Gleason (44-0) — finished the weekend undefeated. Dannegger, who opened this tournament with a technical fall and a major decision, posted a 1-0 decision over CBC freshman Kosta Hatzigeorgiou in the semifinals. "He made it tough, but I wrestled a smart match and got the result I needed,'' Dannegger said. Duffield, who finished second and earned second-team All-Metro honors as a freshman last year, left little to chance in his title match at 138, posting a 24-8 tech fall over Liberty freshman Ross Davis (34-9). Duffield cruised to victory in Columbia, posting a tech fall and two major decisions to reach the title match. This weekend at Mizzou Arena, he outscored his opponents by a whopping 75-17 margin. "I was so disappointed last year. This year, I just wanted to go out and take it,'' Duffield said. "Last year, I let myself get psyched out. This year, I was prepared and ready to win. I really love to go out and get tech falls. "Since last year, this is what I've wanted and been working toward. And I got it." The other area wrestler to reach the final was CBC sophomore Colin Rutlin (47-4), who lost 8-4 to Liberty sophomore Roman Stewart (40-4) in the title match at 144. It was the second consecutive runner-up finish for Rutlin, a second-team All-Metro choice last season. CBC, which finished sixth in Class 4, also got third-place finishes from freshman Hatzigeorgiou (47-7) at 106 and from junior Trey Craig (43-6) at 190. Cadet freshman Waylon Burress (39-9) took fourth at 113 while senior Triston Abrahm (22-12) placed sixth at 215.
Scenes from the Missouri boys wrestling state championships
Parkway South sophomore Camron Duffield celebrates after his match during MSHSAA wrestling state championship round on March 1, 2025 at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo. Parkway South sophomore Camron Duffield scores points during MSHSAA wrestling state championship round on March 1, 2025 at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo. Lafayette sophomore Carter Brown watches a match during MSHSAA wrestling state championship round on March 1, 2025 at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo. CBC sophomore Colin Rutlin throws his opponent during MSHSAA wrestling state championship round on March 1, 2025 at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo. Parkway South sophomore Camron Duffield during MSHSAA wrestling state championship round on March 1, 2025 at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo. The beginning of a match during MSHSAA wrestling state championship round on March 1, 2025 at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo. Get in the game with our Prep Sports Newsletter
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