INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — A broken hand kept Poplar Bluff sophomore Lucas Robertson from taking the mat at the MSHSAA Class 4 wrestling championships Saturday while senior Gavyn Hays had his season end in overtime.
Making his first appearance at state, sophomore Gavin Hicks lost two matches against opponents that went on to earn medals.
“It was a good experience for him,” Mules coach Kelton Thompson said.
Robertson was also making his first trip to state but suffered a broken hand in practice earlier in the week on what Thompson described as a routine drill. The broken bone was in the center of Robertson’s hand.
“There was just no way he could go,” Thompson said. “He couldn’t utilize it basically.
“We felt pretty strongly he would have been in that fifth and sixth place match. The silver lining there, he’s only a sophomore.”
Robertson was 43-5 this season, placing second in the district and winning a conference title at 145 pounds. His opening opponent ended up finishing sixth.
Hays, the district champion at 220, was making his second appearance at state.
He opened with a pin in 58 seconds against Battle sophomore Elijah Segovia.
“Maybe the best he’s wrestled all year,” Thompson said.
In the quarterfinals, Hays trailed 5-0 after one period against Nixa junior John Gholson, who turned a second-period reversal into a pin at the 2:30 mark.
Gholson ended up finishing third.
Needing two wins to earn Poplar Bluff’s first state medal since Steven Haley in 2016, Hays took a 1-0 with an escape from the bottom position in the second period. Blue Springs junior Dominic Howlett also escaped from the bottom position with 51 seconds left in the third to even the match.
Howell earned a 3-1 sudden-victory win in the closing seconds of the first overtime.
“(Hays) about scored on that kid 10 times during regulation,” Thompson said. “We had a one count on a nearfall, nearly took him down right at the end of regulation. We just couldn’t finish it.”
In overtime, Thompson said Hays was working for a takedown but the two wrestlers ended up out of bounds. Howell then got a low attack to the right of Hays with 10 seconds remaining.
“I knew right off the bat it was going to be trouble,” Thompson said.
Howell earned the takedown with just 4 seconds left then went on to place sixth, losing to Eureka’s William Nelson who beat Hays in the sectional final.
Hays, a three-year wrestler, finished with an 85-33 career record after a 38-4 season in which he won a SEMO Conference title and was pinned just twice.
“He was disappointed but at the end of the day he had a great year, was a good team captain for us,” Thompson said.
In his opening match, Hicks got a takedown late in the first period but Holt senior Hayden Ferrell started the second on top and earned a pin at 2:42 of the match.
Hicks was pinned by Staley’s Jacob Windsor at 2:11. Windsor went on to beat Ferrell in the fifth-place match.
Hicks, who placed second in the conference and third at both districts and sectionals, finished the season 25-10.
The Mules ended up 33rd as a team with six points. Liberty won the title with 226 points followed by CBC at 117 while Jefferson City and Nixa tied for third place. at 81.