JWCC Show-Me Spotlight: Arch’s pursuit of four-peat puts him in rare company

PALMYRA, Mo. — Four for four. That’s Collin Arch’s challenge.

Four victories at the Missouri Class 1 state wrestling championships, beginning Wednesday morning at Mizzou Arena on the University of Missouri campus, will win the Palmyra senior grappler his fourth state championship.

Arch, with a 48-1 record, is the prohibitive favorite to win the 150-pound championship and is in position to become just the 37th wrestler in state history to win four titles. The most notable four-time state champion is J’den Cox, a Columbia Hickman graduate, a three-time NCAA Champion at Mizzou and a 2016 Olympic bronze medalist.

This would be the third consecutive year Missouri crowns a four-peat champion. Whitfield’s Evan Binder did so in 2022, while Neosho’s Cayden Auch completed his in 2021. Both of those wrestlers won titles in four different weight classes, something Arch is aiming to do as well.

Arch also is looking to continue his own dominant trend.

Each of his three state championship matches were won by major decision. As a freshman in 2020, Arch beat Gallatin’s Ross Critten 12-2 at 120 pounds. In 2021, wrestling at 132 pounds, he scored an 11-2 major decision over Hallsville’s Gavynn Carpenter. Last year, Arch beat Trenton’s Hunter McAtee 9-2 at 138 pounds.

In last week’s district tournament, Arch left no doubt he is ready for his historic pursuit, winning four matches all by pinfall and all in less than 1:45. He pinned Brookfield junior Colton Parn in the championship, further cementing his spot as the wrestler to beat at Mizzou Arena.

Parn, at 40-7, and Father Tolton senior Justus Martin, at 44-6, are expected to be the other top contenders in the 150-pound weight class.

Arch will open the championships against South Callaway sophomore Ayden Mumford (23-26). First-round matches and quarterfinals are scheduled to be wrestled Wednesday morning, with semifinals set for Thursday morning and the championships beginning at 5:45 p.m. Thursday.

All state wrestling matches will be livestreamed at MSHSAA.tv.