Palmyra’s Pillars finishes as state wrestling runner-up, while Hannibal’s Zimmerman medals

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Brayden Pillars was better than almost everyone in the 165-pound weight class at the Class 1A state wrestling championships at Mizzou Arena.

Only Rex Bryson was better.

Pillars, the Palmyra senior, reached the state championship match in dominant fashion before running into Bryson yet again. The Centralia wrestler Bryson took down Pillars 31 seconds into the championship match and finished the pin in 41 seconds to win the state title.

Bryson beat Pillars with a 22-5 technical fall in the district championship.

Pillars began the second day of the state tournament with a 13-3 major decision over Tipton’s Paxton Pyle, using four takedowns to keep Pyle off his feet. It set up the rematch with Bryson.

Pillars finished his senior season with a 47-5 record. Bryson went 51-1.

Adrian’s Carter Dumas foiled Palmyra freshman Emmett Lorenson’s chance at a podium finish, turning a takedown with 25 seconds remaining in the third period into a pin. Lorenson, who led 7-1 going to the third period, finished his season with a 38-12 record.

In the Class 1 girls state tournament, Hannibal senior Sydney Zimmerman became the first female grappler in Hannibal history to earn a state medal.

Zimmerman opened the day by beating Palmyra’s Elly Lorenson in the wrestlebacks, earning a pin in 2:54. After getting pinned by Lafayette County’s Lorelei Weaver in 1:37 in the consolation semifinals, Zimmerman beat Warrenton’s Allison Vacek 4-0 in the fifth-place match.

Zimmerman finished with a 46-11 record. Lorenson finished with a 45-7 record.

Hannibal’s Riah Wigfall lost her consolation quarterfinal, suffering a 15-3 major decision to St. Charles West’s Arianna Augustyniak. Wigfall, a junior, finished with a 38-17 record.