Mules, Dexter sending 10 wrestlers to state

The stage is set for the MSHSAA Class 4 state wrestling tournament, and 10 local wrestlers are headed to Mizzou Arena Friday and Saturday for an opportunity to bring home the gold.

The Poplar Bluff Mules are sending five of their athletes to the big finale.

“We’re really happy to be in this position right now,” Mules coach Kelton Thompson said. “Wrestling in Class 4 is a different animal compared to others, so making it here feels great. Our ultimate goal from the beginning of the season was to wrestle as deep into the state tournament as possible. That’s what we built our offseason and schedule around. We strive to bring home some medals, but we’re just going to take it one match at a time.”

For some, this is the first trip, and for the returns, they’re ready to learn from past experiences.

Senior Lucas Robertson (150 pounds) and junior Logan Hite (165) will return to the tournament, while senior Dace Wisdom (144) will be going for the first time.

Robertson placed first at the district championship while reaching 150 career wins in his victory and is state bound for the third time in his career.

“I feel accomplished,” Robertson said. “I’ve been wrestling since I was little, and I’ve been working for this moment for a long time, so to capture district feels great, but the ultimate goal is to take care of business at state.”

Robertson said his mindset for state is to wrestle his match, and he credits coach Thompson for the guidance he’s given him as this will be his last ride for the Mules.

“I’ve learned that you can do anything as long as you push yourself every single day and continuously get better every single day. He really pushes us on being mentally tough and well-conditioned, and I can’t thank him enough,” Robertson added.

Hite placed first at the district championship while picking up his 100th career win and is headed to state for the second time.

“Getting back to state feels really good, and I’m hoping to get there and place,” Hite said. “My mindset this season was to train really hard and stay ready. I’m ready to compete, and maybe I can bring home a state medal.”

Wisdom, a senior who’s been wrestling since junior high, finally gets his shot at the state tournament by placing fourth at district. Though competing at state might be overwhelming to some, Wisdom is up for the challenge.

“It’s pretty exciting to make it to state,” Wisdom said. “I think it’s going to be a great experience, and I’m excited about it.”

Wisdom making it to state comes full circle as his father and former Poplar Bluff wrestling coach Brian Wisdom competed and placed in the state tournament in 1991.

“It feels pretty cool,” Dace Wisdom said. “I think, for the first time, there’s a father-son to qualify for state at Poplar Bluff. Hopefully, I can place, and then we’ll both be state places.”

Wisdom said he became mentally stronger this year as he didn’t push himself as hard as he should have the previous season. With this being his final season, Wisdom said he has turned his work ethic to another level and is ready to grind for it all at state.

Lady Mules

For the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules, the dynamic sophomore duo of Zoë Freeman (170) and Kayleigh Dazey (105) will compete against some of the best wrestlers in the state.

Freeman will compete at state for the second time after placing second at districts, while Dazey, who placed third, will compete at state for the first time.

“I am super proud of them both,” Thompson said. Both of them put in a lot of hours in the offseason, and they are doing what the coaches have told them to do. They’re both great girls, and to be quite honest, I really think they should make some noise at the state tournament.”

“For them to only be sophomores just makes everything even more exciting because this won’t be the last time you see both Zoë and Kayleigh at state,” Thompson added.

Dexter

The Dexter Bearcats will send five wrestlers to the MSHSAA Class 2 State Wrestling tournament this Friday.

Dexter has battled through a lot of adversity this season. Whether it was dealing with injuries or help, they still managed to regroup, and with hard work and dedication, they have qualified for state.

Senior Eric Harmon (132), who won the district 2 championship, Kolin Simpson (285), junior Kasen Forkum (150), Ryan Young (144) and freshman Conrad Purnell (126) will be in action at the Mizzou Arena for a chance to be called a state champion.