Eldon senior Jesiah Simmons has been in the big match before. Now he wants to get to the top of the podium.
Simmons, a four-time state qualifier and two-time state runner-up, is the lone Mustang competing in the Class 2 boys wrestling state championships, which begin tonight at Mizzou Arena.
Simmons (30-0), who won the District 3 title at 113 pounds last Saturday, will begin his final state tournament with a first-round match against Dexter freshman Prestyn Tidwell (11-19).
Simmons has an 8-4 career record at the state championships. This will be his third straight season competing in the 113 bracket and he is the only undefeated wrestler in this year's 16-person bracket.
Simmons is trying to become Eldon's first state champion since 2020, when Kaden Dillon won a state title at 220 in 2020. Simmons' older brother, Isaiah, won a state title at 113 in 2019.
Today's Class 2 boys matches start at 6 p.m. The first-round matches will be followed by the quarterfinals and first-round wrestlebacks and then second-round wrestlebacks.
Action resumes at 12:15 p.m. Thursday with semifinals and third-round wrestlebacks and concludes with the championship matches, which start at 5:45 p.m.
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The Southern Boone Eagles led all area schools with six state qualifiers for the Class 2 state tournament. Three are returning state qualifiers.
Kaid Shaw (27-10), a junior, is a three-time state qualifier and will begin his tournament in the 132 bracket with a first-round match against Father Tolton junior Martin Harrison (32-18).
Shaw is 2-4 all-time in the state tournament, winning one match in each of his first two trips. He took third place in the District 3 Tournament to qualify for state.
Grant Leininger (44-4), a junior, is also a three-time state qualifier. His first-round match at 150 is against Father Tolton junior Ben Schroeder (37-11).
Leininger is 1-4 all-time at state, winning his lone match two years ago as a freshman. He was the lone Eagle to win a district title last weekend.
Blaine Bergthold (23-11), a junior, is the Eagles' third returning state qualifier. He will wrestle Father Tolton junior Chris Ankenman (48-1) in the first round at 126.
Bergthold went 0-2 last year in his state debut and took fourth place at districts this year. Ankenman is a two-time defending state champion, winning at 113 in 2023 and at 126 last season.
Peter Heyen, Owen Britton and Aidan Yung are all first-time state qualifiers for Southern Boone.
Heyen (31-9), a freshman, will face Savannah sophomore Landon Smith (43-7) in the first round at 106. Heyen was a runner-up in the district tournament.
Britton (28-18), a freshman, will face Cameron junior Tyler Estes (36-15) in the first round at 157. Britton placed third in the district tournament.
Yung (30-18), a senior, will face Westminster Christian senior Theodis Collins (33-11) in the first round at 285. Yung also finished third in the district tournament.
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The California Pintos will have three wrestlers competing in the Class 2 state tournament.
Connor Farmer (33-10), a sophomore, will face Centralia freshman Mavrick Ratliff (21-16) in the first round at 113. Farmer came in third place last Saturday at the District 3 Tournament.
Talyn Balsley (31-14), a sophomore, will wrestle Oak Grove sophomore Kale Martin (38-3) in the first round at 106. Balsley finished fourth in the district tournament.
Farmer and Balsley are both returning to state for a second straight season. Farmer finished 1-2 at 113 last season and Balsley went 0-2 at 106.
Freshman Traye Balsley is the Pintos' third state qualifier. Balsley (29-15), who finished fourth in the district tournament, will face Cameron senior Dylan Pratt (37-2) in the first round at 120.
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The School of the Osage Indians qualified four wrestlers for the Class 2 state championships. Two are previous state qualifiers.
Amos Mundy (37-3), a senior, will face Odessa freshman Will Scott (30-8) in the first round at 165. Mundy took second place last Saturday in the District 2 Tournament.
Mundy went 2-2 at 157 last season in his state debut, losing in the bubble round.
Brock Arrowood (40-9), a junior, will face Boonville freshman Carson Renfrow (24-13) in the first round at 126. Arrowood, who took second place at districts, last competed at the state tournament in 2023, taking sixth place at 106.
Cody McClure and Nolan Schepers are making their state debuts for the Indians.
McClure (18-12), a sophomore, will face Ste. Genevieve junior Jace Amschler (27-13) in the first round at 113. McClure came in fourth place at districts.
Schepers (28-7), a freshman, will face Ste. Genevieve senior Owen Drury (33-6) in the first round at 138. Schepers took third place in the district tournament.