Adam Howe
Sports Editor
The Warsaw Wildcats wrestling program is taking four wrestlers to the 2023 MSHSAA State Wrestling Championships this Wednesday after they all had qualifying finishes at the Class 1 District 2 tournament held in Versailles over the past weekend.
Senior Nick Bagley (35-8) will make his fourth trip in four years to the state competition after dominating his way to a district championship in the 150 pound weight class.
Jayce Estes (31-5), a freshman, is a first-time qualifier after walking through the 106 pound bracket in the district tournament.
Like Estes, sophomore Drake Murrell (37-6) and fellow freshman Joshua Harvath (27-13) are also both making their first trips to the event. Murrell rolled early and then dropped a 4-0 match in the championship, resulting in a runner-up finish. Harvath, wrestling injured and attempting to stay as healthy as possible, withdrew from his final match after qualifying for the state meet a round earlier.
"We are proud of the opportunity these Wildcats have earned to represent themselves and their community on the biggest stage," said Warsaw head coach Justin Wisdom. "Along with Skylon Boone; Jayce Estes, Nick Bagley, Drake Murrell and Josh Harvath will represent Warsaw well at the 2023 State Wrestling Tournament."
Unfortunately, the high school wrestling careers of Donovan Campbell, Coehen Walton, Hudson Karr and Sean Owens came to an end after their early exits in the district tournament.
Below are consolation semifinal and placement results, by weight, from the Class 1 District 2 Tournament:
106 Placement
1st Place Match - Jayce Estes (Warsaw) 33-5 won by fall over Carter Dumas (Adrian) 21-4 (Fall 0:13)
3rd Place Match - Tucker Tune (Fatima) 30-15 won by fall over Wyatt Weekly (Sherwood) 19-14 (Fall 1:31)
Cons. Semi - Wyatt Weekly (Sherwood) 19-14 won by decision over Isaac McCarty (California) 13-8 (Dec 10-4)
Cons. Semi - Tucker Tune (Fatima) 30-15 won by decision over Sylas Fletcher (El Dorado Springs) 19-18 (Dec 7-5)
113 Placement
1st Place Match - Brandon Brewer (Versailles) 44-4 won by fall over Mason Grosz (Knob Noster) 31-12 (Fall 1:55)
3rd Place Match - Alek Tune (Fatima) 38-9 won by fall over Breydon Pelt (Diamond) 30-17 (Fall 2:21)
Cons. Semi - Breydon Pelt (Diamond) 30-17 won by fall over Sean Reinertsen (Warsaw) 16-14 (Fall 1:24)
Cons. Semi - Alek Tune (Fatima) 38-9 won by decision over Graysen Thieman (Holden) 23-15 (Dec 12-5)
120 Placement
1st Place Match - Daylen Greene (Holden) 41-1 won by medical forfeit over Levi Wilhelm (Knob Noster) 24-15 (M. For.)
3rd Place Match - Nolan Laux (Fatima) 34-20 won by decision over Drake Schmidt (Versailles) 29-19 (Dec 10-6)
Cons. Semi - Nolan Laux (Fatima) 34-20 won by decision over Donovan Campbell (Warsaw) 19-17 (Dec 5-2)
Cons. Semi - Drake Schmidt (Versailles) 29-19 won by decision over Patrick Morrow (California) 30-15 (Dec 12-9)
126 Placement
1st Place Match - Cody Strope (Fatima) 47-5 won by tech fall over Preston Mallatt (Butler) 30-11 (TF-1.5 4:46 (17-2))
3rd Place Match - Gage Judd (Versailles) 27-10 won by decision over Mason Smith (Sherwood) 31-14 (Dec 11-7)
Cons. Semi - Mason Smith (Sherwood) 31-14 won by fall over Landon Patterson (Adrian) 19-17 (Fall 1:23)
Cons. Semi - Gage Judd (Versailles) 27-10 won by decision over Landon Wirtz (Knob Noster) 25-18 (Dec 8-1)
132
Open
138 Placement
1st Place Match - Kellen Long (Butler) 38-2 won by fall over Blayze McCullough (El Dorado Springs) 36-3 (Fall 2:55)
3rd Place Match - Benjamin Breeding (Sherwood) 36-15 won by decision over Kale Tryon (Holden) 23-17 (Dec 3-0)
Cons. Semi - Kale Tryon (Holden) 23-17 won by fall over Tristan Balsley (California) 22-12 (Fall 4:42)
Cons. Semi - Benjamin Breeding (Sherwood) 36-15 won by fall over Haidynn Rogers (Versailles) 18-19 (Fall 3:20)
144 Placement
1st Place Match - Brendin Patrick (Butler) 41-0 won by fall over Elijah Avery (Knob Noster) 34-6 (Fall 1:29)
3rd Place Match - Noah Kinney (South Callaway) 27-11 won by decision over Kyle Shockley (Sherwood) 20-8 (Dec 7-5)
Cons. Semi - Noah Kinney (South Callaway) 27-11 won by fall over Hudson Karr (Warsaw) 37-12 (Fall 3:16)
Cons. Semi - Kyle Shockley (Sherwood) 20-8 won by fall over Landon Griffin (Tipton) 26-21 (Fall 2:55)
150 Placement
1st Place Match - Nick Bagley (Warsaw) 39-8 won by fall over Logan Ferrell (Sherwood) 34-11 (Fall 1:59)
3rd Place Match - Justice Vickers (Adrian) 37-6 won by decision over Ayden Munford (South Callaway) 23-26 (Dec 3-0)
Cons. Semi - Ayden Munford (South Callaway) 23-26 won by decision over Conner Carver (Holden) 24-23 (Dec 7-4)
Cons. Semi - Justice Vickers (Adrian) 37-6 won by fall over Christopher Dowell (Versailles) 25-21 (Fall 4:32)
157 Placement
1st Place Match - Michael McCoy (Adrian) 40-3 won by major decision over Drake Murrell (Warsaw) 39-7 (MD 8-0)
3rd Place Match - Wyatt Burks (Versailles) 26-14 won by fall over Wyatt VanGordon (El Dorado Springs) 31-13 (Fall 4:43)
Cons. Semi - Wyatt Burks (Versailles) 26-14 won by major decision over Trent Stout (Holden) 25-19 (MD 8-0)
Cons. Semi - Wyatt VanGordon (El Dorado Springs) 31-13 won by decision over Aaron Hargis (South Callaway) 29-18 (Dec 11-8)
165 Placement
1st Place Match - Christian Whisler (Tipton) 31-2 won by fall over Blake Esparza (El Dorado Springs) 30-11 (Fall 3:47)
3rd Place Match - Houston Fahrenbocker (Versailles) 28-25 won by medical forfeit over Josh Harvath (Warsaw) 29-15 (M. For.)
Cons. Semi - Houston Fahrenbocker (Versailles) 28-25 won by decision over Trent Smith (Knob Noster) 13-17 (Dec 5-1)
Cons. Semi - Josh Harvath (Warsaw) 29-15 won by decision over Nathan Gray (Diamond) 23-19 (Dec 8-6)
175 Placement
1st Place Match - Isaac Rodriguez (Butler) 35-3 won by tech fall over William Dobbins (Versailles) 28-21 (TF-1.5 3:58 (21-3))
3rd Place Match - Eli Ferrell (Sherwood) 25-12 won by fall over C.J. Reifsteck (Holden) 22-19 (Fall 1:47)
Cons. Semi - Eli Ferrell (Sherwood) 25-12 won by fall over Chase Willis (Fatima) 15-14 (Fall 3:38)
Cons. Semi - C.J. Reifsteck (Holden) 22-19 won by major decision over Ashton Wackerman (Adrian) 18-21 (MD 12-2)
190
Open
215
Open
285
Open