Four Pirates go undefeated as Hannibal wrestling team wins NCMC dual tournament

MOBERLY, Mo. — Dominant performances from its top grapplers allowed the Hannibal wrestling team to win five duals and capture the championship of the North Central Missouri Conference tournament held Tuesday night at Moberly Area Community College.

The Pirates had four wrestlers go 5-0 and two others finish 4-1.

In dual action, the Pirates beat Fulton 43-12, Kirksville 49-22, Marshall 44-30, Mexico 40-30 and Moberly 44-36.

Individually, senior Cody Culp, wrestling at 144 pounds, won his 100th career match while going undefeated. Culp pinned Fulton’s Jame Dooley in 57 seconds, earned a 10-2 major decision over Kirksville’s Lane Patterson, pinned Marshall’s Carter Howery in 53 seconds and stuck Moberly’s Derrick Sanders in 2:23. Culp also earned a forfeit victory against Mexico.

Hannibal senior Tristen Essig was the only Pirate to win five matches on the mat.

The 132-pounder scored a 21-6 technical fall over Fulton’s Kai Foster, pinned Kirksville’s Jacob Lunsford in 1:11, stuck Marshall’s Hayden Alberon in 59 seconds, finished Mexico’s Watson Azdell in 1:07 and flatbacked Moberly’s Carson Roark in 47 seconds.

Reign Creech at 120 pounds and Ryan Ross at 285 also won five matches apiece.

Creech pinned Fulton’s Matthew Pfeifer in 1:16, Kirksville’s Jaden Crisp in 2:32 and Marshall’s Aidan Alling in 1:00, while scoring a 16-0 technical fall over Moberly’s Tyler James. He earned a forfeit victory against Mexico. Ross pinned Kirksville’s Cody Drury in 3:34, Marshall’s Levin Duncan in 39 seconds, Mexico’s Emile Scanavino in 7:19 and Moberly’s Rhett Wilborn 1:20. He picked up a forfeit victory against Fulton.

Austin Brown and Koen Ramage each went 4-1.

At 113 pounds, Brown pinned Kirksville’s Ethan Hale in 2:21, Marshall’s Josh Jenkins in 1:17, Mexico’s Brayden Arnold in 1:38 and Moberly’s Kaiden Leonard in 3:23. He suffered a 2-0 loss to Fulton’s Cole Blattner.

Ramage pinned Fulton’s Kaden Barnes in 5:20 and Kirksville’s Nikalous Jordan in 5:40, earned an 11-2 major decision over Marshall’s Mason Evans and beat Moberly’s Nick Kessler 7-4. He suffered an 8-2 loss to Mexico’s Grant Van Horn.