Mexico sophomore Grant Van Horn has made two trips to the state wrestling meet and has earned two state medals.

The next trip he wants to take is to the top of the podium.

State Meet Day 1 Photo Gallery

State Meet Day 2 Photo Gallery

Van Horn won his final match of Thursday’s Class 2 MSHSAA boys state championships at Mizzou Arena in Columbia by defeating Ste. Genevieve’s Gage Gross 9-6, winning a fifth-place medal at 138 pounds. This follows Van Horn reaching the podium his freshman year and now he wants more for his junior season.

“It always feels good ending the season off with a win, but it’s all about focusing on what mistakes you made and how you can recover from that,” Van Horn said. “I’ve got to realize what I’ve done in practice and do better.”

There didn’t seem to be a bout Van Horn or his head coach Gayle Adams could breathe easy as three of his matches were decided by three points or less. Two of those ended up as losses to add to his 44-7 record to end the season.

During the first day on Wednesday, Van Horn was locked in a tight battle with eventual state champion, Cameron’s Chase Short. Van Horn trailed 7-5 in the final period and needed to take action, but his final last-ditch effort wasn’t enough for the officials.

The loss bumped Van Horn to the wrestlebacks bracket, where he bounced back nicely with a pinfall win and a 19-3 technical fall over a 40-match winner in Wright City’s David Riggs. His next match against another 40-match winner presented more problems as he and Odessa’s Gable Gross went three overtimes before an escape decided a 2-1 match.

“I’ve got to attack the left leg more on the swing,” Van Horn said. “I’ve got to tie up and can’t be diving. That’s how I lost my matches. I’ve just got to be more aggressive and smarter in how I take my shots and finish the match.”

Adams said he thought Van Horn had a great shot at a state title this season and still promises that he will be atop the podium once in his high school career. He said Van Horn is a “gritty” kid that leaves everything on the mat but also leaves no stone unturned regarding how he can improve.

“He’s hard on himself just like most competitors are,” Adams said. “I’m proud of him. He stayed in the fight and fought all day and all weekend.”

Adams admits there was some confusion with the calls during the Short match as Van Horn thought he had a reversal and was in control of the match.

“My only complaint about it was the referee communicating with the wrestlers in the match,” Adams said. “Other than that, we can’t leave it that close. The referee didn’t do anything wrong. It was just a tight match.”

Van Horn said he felt like his fifth-place match ended up closer than it should’ve been as he needs to make mental notes from that match as well.

“I kind of ran out of gas there in the third period,” Van Horn said. “I got the win and that’s all that matters.”

Even though Mexico’s other four state qualifiers — Keegan Koons, Watson Azdell, Gavyn Martin and Dalton Arndt — each lost two matches and were eliminated on Day 1, Adams said it’s great the program was able to send five but now needs to “finish its business” and not just be satisfied with qualifying.

Adams said most of those wrestlers — except the senior Martin — have at least one year of wrestling left so there is still time to seize more for the program. Van Horn, in the meantime, wants to get to work.

“All next year in the summer, I’m just going to practice that swing on that right leg,” Van Horn said. “Just attack that leg every day at practice.”