Artwork by
Dennis Murphy

For the students, by the students

Hearnes Center Hosts State Wrestling Championships
Adam Buckallew, Corner Post Staff

February 22, 2004 - The Hearnes Center played host to the MSHSAA Wrestling Championships this past weekend. This year's tournament was the site of heart-breaking losses, unbelievable wins and for some wrestlers and coaches, the culmination of years of hard work and preparation.

Tyler Krentz of Cameron ended his high school wrestling career with a 5 - 0 decision over freshman Kenzie McClain of Plattsburg in the 125-pound weight class championship match. This marked Krentz first state championship in a wrestling career that began 14 years ago. Krentz had come close to winning a title his freshman year, but finished third. Krentz did not place the following year as a sophomore, and placed sixth as a junior.

"Looking back over the years," Krentz said, "I can finally say how it feels to be among the best of the best and be at center stage."

Plattsburg head coach, Grant Leighty, came to Columbia with eight wrestlers whom had qualified for the tournament; the most Leighty has ever brought to the state tournament. Plattsburg was able to place five of those wrestlers, three of which were in championship matches. Leighty, who is in his ninth year of coaching at Plattsburg, said the five placers are also the most he has achieved as coach.

"It has been a good run," Leighty said. "It feels good to make a run with the big dogs. We came very close to coming away with the fourth place team trophy this weekend."

One of the big dogs Leighty was referring to is Oak Grove, a perennial wrestling powerhouse. Oak Grove won its second straight Class 1 title, while Plattsburg finished in fifth place, just five and a half points behind Richmond. Monett and Lawson rounded out the top five finishers with second and third place respectively. Kansas City area schools dominated the competition taking all three state championships in the three classes of competition. Kearney fended off Fort Zumwalt North and Hannibal in Class 2 in route to their championship, while Oak Park, another consistent wrestling power, claimed the Class 3 title with a narrow victory over Raymore-Peculiar.

David Doss, a wrestling fan and former head coach of Grain Valley High School, described the tournament as one of the most exciting events in high school athletics.

"I enjoy the pressure, the atmosphere and the excitement of the kids," Doss said. "It's like a reunion where you run into old coaches and wrestlers from the past. I think that is one of the unique things about the tournament and the sport. I also feel like there is no other sport that lets you feel like your as much a part of the competition as wrestling."

Mike McBroom, Brookfield High School head wrestling coach, also was able to accomplish a new feat. McBroom is in his seventh season of coaching at Brookfield, but until Sunday he had never coached a state champion. McBroom got his opportunity when Brookfield junior Brad Parn made his way to the 112-pound championship match. Parn capped off a perfect 34-0 season by pinning Morgan Brown of Richmond 48 seconds into the second period.

"This being my first time on the floor in a championship as a head coach, it was very special for Brad to win," McBroom said. "It was special for Brad, the school and myself."

It had been 12 years since Brookfield last had a state champion. The last time McBroom was coaching a state championship match was when he was an assistant coach at Marceline in 1995. McBroom was coaching a Marceline wrestler named Trey Cavanah. Coincidentally, Cavanah is now McBroom's assistant coach and also on the mat during Parn's match.

McBroom has worked to integrate new concepts and technique into his wrestlers repertoire to help them on the mat. Last summer McBroom invited Tyron Woodley, one of Mizzou's nationally ranked wrestlers, to perform a clinic in Brookfield for the area wrestlers.

"We had seen Tyron at a few of the wrestling camps we had been to in the past, so I invited him to put on his own clinic in Brookfield," McBroom said. "Tyron loves the sport and he loves working with the kids so he was happy to help us out."

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