Christopher Bryant took a step few Missouri Military Academy wrestlers have taken. On Wednesday he stood on the podium after earning fourth place at 182 in the Class 1 MSHSAA wrestling …
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Christopher Bryant took a step few Missouri Military Academy wrestlers have taken. On Wednesday he stood on the podium after earning fourth place at 182 in the Class 1 MSHSAA wrestling tournament.
An unbeaten record earned Bryant a first round bye. He clobbered Trenton’s Sam Gibson when he took to the mat, but struggled against his next opponent. The third place affair was an epic triple overtime battle in which he fell just short.
The last time a Colonels wrestler finished as high as fourth was James Schwank in 2010. Before that it was Tony Serna in 2004.
You have to go back to 1965 to find the last MMA wrestler to make it to the top three.
Phasakorn Cunningham represented MMA at 195 and Pedro Garduno at 285. Both Bryant and Garduno are two time state qualifiers.
“I’m very proud of them being leaders through the whole season,” said Colonels head coach Tom Allen. “They never once backed down.”
Bryant made his move on Gibson in the second period. He scored on a takedown and followed with a series of near falls, before completing another takedown for a 7-1 advantage. He kept it up in the final period to claim a 15-4 major decision.
Against Noah Frank of Carrollton, Bryant was in control throughout. On top 4-0 after two, he appeared on his way to the finals. But Frank picked top to start the third and Bryant was unable to escape, losing by fall at 5:37.
In the third place match, Bryant and Diamond’s Landon Clement went back and forth. They were 1-1 at the end of regulation and 2-2 following two overtime periods.
On the edge of sudden death, Bryant managed to get to his feet three times from the down position. Each time, however, Clement held on. Unable to shake completely free, the winning point went to the wrestler from Diamond.
“He was a strong kid,” Allen said of Clement. “But Bryant was able to compete at the highest level.”
Cunningham tested Jayden Maggert from St. Paul Lutheran throughout the first two periods of the 195 opener. But Maggert gained control in the third to win by fall at 4:26. In his next contest, Cunningham fell to Hunter Phillips of Centralia.
Garduno took on Aaron Cochran from Adrian to start the heavyweight battles. They sparred in the first, but Garduno dropped points in the second and lost a 5-0 decision. Faced with elimination and down to Brookfield’s Peyton Armstrong in his next match, Garduno tried to rally.
Down 3-0, he picked up 3 points in the third. But he also conceded 2, for a 5-3 loss.
