Michael Smith Team Kansas looked to be in great shape.
The team won the first three matches and took a 10-0 lead early in the 30th annual Metro Classic Tuesday at the Mabee Fieldhouse at Avila University.
In an event that featured some of the best senior wrestlers from the Missouri and Kansas sides of the Kansas City metro area, Missouri won nine of the final 11 matches to down Kansas 40-18.
Kansas had its most success in the lower weight classes and Jayhawk Linn’s Cobrin White (113 pounds), a two-time Kansas state champion, got his team started with a 6-1 decision against Lexington’s Josh Payne. He had a takedown, reversal and a near fall in a bout he controlled from the get-go.
“I come from a small school, so I don’t ever get to compete in big duals,” White said. “This is my first one and it was awesome.
“In that last period, I wanted to give everything I could. I got to his leg and was able to swim to my two and I had a cushion from there.”
Washburn Rural’s Jacon Tangpricha (120), a two-time state champion, got an escape in the third period and was able to block any takedown attempt from Lee’s Summit Nathan Wishne and came away with a 3-2 decision.
“He’s a stud,” Tangpricha said of Wishne. “I could tell he had some slick counterattacks in that scramble we had. He almost got my ankle and took me down. He’s really tough and strong. I just had to adjust when things like that occurred.”
Three-time state champion Hayden Mills of Blue Valley Southwest capped his high school career with a win as he earned a 16-7 major decision against Fort Osage’s Dylan Reed to cap Kansas’ hot start.
“It was pretty fun,” Mills said. “(Reed) is an outside wrestler with very few attacks, so it was hard to get to my offense at the beginning. I had fun out there and got the bonus points but didn’t get the pin. Overall excited and happy for the future.”
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