A state championship was a matter of time for Mexico’s Grant Van Horn.

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The senior had one more try at it on Thursday at the Class 2 state wrestling championships at Mizzou Arena in Columbia and rose atop the podium for his first career state championship and Mexico’s first state title since Keith Ransom’s in 2021. Van Horn’s 8-3 victory in the 175-pound championship match tied the school record 178 career wins held by two-time state champion Terrese Aaron. 

“I was just screaming and yelling and looking around,” Van Horn said. “Emotions were everywhere.”

Van Horn came into this season as a three-time state medalist but hadn’t advanced to a state championship match until last season. With time running out on his career, Van Horn tore through his bracket with two technical falls and a pin before he beat Father Tolton’s William (Frank) Hazelrigg in a district title rematch. The district title match went in Van Horn’s favor as well, making it two straight wins against last year’s state champion.

Head coach Gayle Adams has been adamant for years that Van Horn would win a state title. Despite Van Horn falling short every year, Adams didn’t lose faith in him because he knew his wrestler well.

“There is a lot of emotion,” Adams said while choking up. “Grant put a lot of time in. Grant’s had a lot of heartbreaks the last three years at this tournament. He decided that he wanted to be a state champion. He put a lot of muscle on and a lot of time in the gym and on the mat.”

Adams remembers Van Horn had a lot of drive and was “business-like” ever since he started in the program. While others might give up after falling short, he said Van Horn told himself to keep working until he didn’t fall short. That has the makings for a great role model and aligns with the legacy of the program. 

Just like his cousin, Ransom, and others such as Aaron, Kellen Ekern and Dillon Nichols, Van Horn shares the feat of a state championship with them. However, Adams said he also shares the dedication with them while offering something unique.

“Grant had a little grit to him,” Adams said. “Every year, he got grittier and tougher. We're going to talk about dedication and grit with Grant.”

Van Horn showed grit in football, a sport he hadn’t played since freshman year to focus more on wrestling. Seeking a break from wrestling, he returned to the gridiron as a senior, finishing with a second-most 77 tackles and earning all-conference and all-district linebacker honors.

While Van Horn said he tried to be more consistent with his routine this year when pertaining to practice, diet, school and even brushing his teeth, the readdition of football to his life helped him become a better wrestler. Along with eating whatever his mother makes, Van Horn bulked up two weight classes to 175 and was even considering 190 before losing weight during workouts.

“I’ve never had more fun in a sport in my life,” Van Horn said. “I don’t regret it. Playing football actually opened up a lot more muscles I wasn’t working in wrestling and made me more athletic.”

Van Horn made most of the tournament seem routine, holding a sizable lead in each of his first three matches until he ran into the expected tough final against Hazelrigg. He said he knew what to expect from state and was able to show that aforementioned grit.

“Anything can happen,” Van Horn said. “I’m always never staying on my heels. Anybody can win any match at any time, and it’s never over until the final whistle. You’ve just got to keep going for it and doing your stuff. Once you let up, that’s when they take advantage of you.”

He didn’t let up against Hazelrigg since he was one step away from his ultimate goal after another season’s journey. Van Horn knew Hazelrigg would be ready too.

“This match was a lot different,” Van Horn said when comparing his state title match to his district title match. “I really wasn’t on my aggressiveness, but I was still out there trying shots. He was trying different stuff. I noticed he had his hand covering the leg I was always shooting to, so I was moving a little bit more and getting him to move that arm. When he moved that arm, that’s when I was shooting that way.”

Carlos Juarez Ramirez couldn’t lock up a state title after falling short 2-1 to Lutheran St. Charles’ Caleb Dyer. He lost in the finals a season ago but is a sophomore with already two second-place state medals.

Adams said he and Juarez Ramirez were disappointed right after the match but know just how tough it is just to advance to a state final, let alone two in the two first high school seasons. After attacking in his first three matches, Adams said Juarez Ramirez was sitting back more in the finals. Like he never gave up on Van Horn, he has plenty of reasons to believe that Juarez Ramirez will be a state champion in the future.

“A lot of people dream about being in the state finals, and Carlos has done it twice,” Adams said. “He’s right there. Grant has shown him the work ethic, and Carlos has picked that up and has got that work ethic. Carlos is going to get it done. I promise you.”

Van Horn finishes with a career record of 178-19, which is a slightly better winning percentage than Aaron’s 178-27. He said Adams is responsible for “probably 99 percent” of his growth into a state champion and figured out it is wise to listen to his “homeboy.”

While Adams is sad Van Horn won’t be in the wrestling room next year, he helped build up wrestlers like Juarez Ramirez, Logan Hilderman and Kyler Carr, who were all underclassmen who advanced to the tournament’s second day. Adams guarantees that each of his young wrestlers will be better next season. They will have another name to aspire to be on the wall of Mexico’s wrestling room.

“I’ve always looked up to Keith as a wrestler,” Van Horn said about his cousin Ransom. “He’s always taught me and given me a lot of experience and opportunities. I couldn’t wait to put my picture right next to his on that state wall.”