JWCC Show-Me Spotlight: Hannibal and Palmyra wrestlers chasing podium dreams at state tourney

The Show-Me Spotlight will appear each week to highlight Missouri area student-athletes.

COLUMBIA, Mo. — For Collin Arch and Trevor Wilson, the goal is to repeat.

For the rest of the area wrestlers competing this weekend at the Missouri state wrestling tournament, the goal is to join them on the podium.

Arch, the Palmyra junior wrestler who is undefeated in his high school career, will chase his third straight state title in the 138-pound class beginning Thursday at Mizzou Arena. Arch won the Class 1 District 3 championship with a pin of Trenton’s Hunter McAtee in 3:31.

In his other two district matches, Arch pinned South Harrison’s Hayden Trammel in 15 seconds and won a 6-2 decision over Brookfield’s Devan Pam.

Arch is 36-0 this season.

In Class 3, Wilson is on a flatbacking roll. The Hannibal grappler won the Class 3 District 4 title with four consecutive pins, all of which occurred in the first period. In the championship match, Wilson stuck Platte County’s Blaine Keuhn in 35 seconds.

Wilson, a senior with a 37-3 record, also pinned Winnetonka’s Joshua Misic in 32 seconds, Warrensburg’s Daniel Stark-Wroblewski in 1:40 and Jefferson City’s Clayton Hurley in 1:07.

Last year, Wilson went 30-1 and won the 170-pound title with a pin in 45 seconds.

Hannibal’s Tristen Essig also won a district championship and is carrying momentum to the state tournament. A sophomore at 120 pounds, Essig used three pins and an 8-0 major decision to win the district title and improve to 37-4 overall.

His first two pins came in the first period, and in the championship match, Essig stuck Capitol City’s Abdiel Kempker in 3:07. He was leading 7-0 at the time.

Two other Hannibal wrestlers punched their ticket to state with top-three finishes at districts. Cody Culp finished second at 126 pounds, losing a 4-0 decision in the finals to Smithville’s Kolby McClain. Culp, a sophomore with a 34-6 record, won his previous two matches by first-period pin and a 15-0 technical fall.

At 106 pounds, Hannibal’s Reign Creech finished third at districts. He rebounded from a technical fall in the semifinals to win two consolation matches, pinning Capitol City’s Austin Feely in 4:04 and decisioning Winnetonka’s John Nguyen 2-0 in the third-place match.

The sophomore owns a 33-7 record.

Two Palmyra wrestlers also have their sights set on doing something special at state after third-place finishes at districts.

At 220 pounds, senior Luke Triplett used a second-period takedown to gain the advantage and held off Lafayette County’s Caden Munson for a 2-1 victory in the third-place match. Triplett won his first two district matches by pin before losing in the semifinals to Penney’s Fischer Nixdorf, who went on to win the district title.

Triplett rebounded with a pin in the consolation semifinals and the third-place victory, improving to 35-7.

At 132 pounds, freshman Brayden Pillars fought for his spot in the state field. After getting pinned in the semifinals, Pillars won a 9-7 decision over Trenton’s Brayden Hughs in the consolation semifinals and beat Lafayette County’s Braxton Ernst 4-0 in the third-place match.

Pillars scored a first-period takedown and a third-period reversal to win the match. He carries a 30-18 record to state.