COLUMBIA — The capstone to Daylen Greene’s high school wrestling career could not have ended any better.
On top of becoming the first four-time medalist in Holden wrestling history, Greene clinched a Class 1 120-pound state title during the MSHSAA Class 1 Championships Thursday, Feb. 22, at Mizzou Arena.
“It didn’t feel real for sure,” Greene said. “It still doesn’t. I don’t know if it ever will. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
Greene’s (43-2) championship was clinched with a win by a 4-3 decision against Lathrop sophomore Garrett Beane (34-3).
The two were tied 2-2 through two periods. Beane went up 3-2 following an escape in period three. A takedown with 13 seconds to go gave Greene the advantage to close things off.
“Man, he knows how to make a match exciting,” Holden head coach Matt Hertzog said. “Holy smokes. [There was] 45 seconds of all gas, no brake. It was amazing. I’m really happy for him. I hope he takes time to fully enjoy and soak in the moment. He’s been waiting for this moment for a long time. He’s been working his butt off for years to make this moment right here come true. It’s fantastic.”
The first-place match was the second-consecutive Greene has experienced at state. As a senior, he lost to Centralia’s Brayden Dubes by a 7-3 decision.
Greene had third-place finishes as a freshman and sophomore. He concludes the entirety of his high school career with a combined 174-16 record.
He is the program’s third state champion, joining Max Mickey in 2013 and Jacob Reiman in 2011.
“It sucked being right there all of those years and being right there,” Greene said. “To finally get there, it feels great.”
Greene began the tournament with a win by fall against St. Mary’s freshman Audy Clark (21-18) before defeating St. Pius X junior Andrew Garcia (23-14) by a 10-2 decision in the quarterfinals.
He advanced to the championship match via a win by fall over Macon sophomore Rhett Pollard (22-9).
Greene’s meeting with Beane was the first between the two this season. MissouriWrestling.org predicted the matchup in the outlet’s final rankings before state.
“My whole plan was to wrestle aggressive,” Greene said. “I feel like I definitely wore him down a little bit and made him a little bit worried. I didn’t want him to get too comfortable, he’s a smooth wrestler. I couldn’t let him get too comfortable at all.”
Greene’s on-match championship celebration began with an extension of his arms before running into a double backflip.
He proceeded to salute his family, who were sitting directly behind him in the stands. He continued with a celebratory hug with assistant coach David Diener before greeting Hertzog.
Greene’s younger sister, Macey, was in the stands as the match and celebrations took place. She was an all-state medalist herself, finishing sixth in the Class 1 girls 115-pound bracket as the outcome of a medical forfeit due to an ankle injury.
“That was crazy,” Macey Greene said of her brother’s finish. “I was bawling my eyes out … My mom was shaking and shivering so bad. It was a tight match, we knew it was going to be close. That last 20 seconds or whatever it was, Daylen got that takedown somehow. It was really close. It was crazy. It was really cool. We knew he deserved it.”
Daylen Greene was one of three medalists on the boys side of the program, tied for the most the program has had in a single season since 2014.
Junior Aiden Christian (41-8) placed third in the 285-pound bracket. He lost to South Harrison senior Jarrett Elvins (39-11) by a 6-2 decision in the first round but proceeded to eliminate Borgia senior Ethan Holland (19-17) by fall, Trenton senior Gavin Cagle (24-15) by fall and Adrian senior William Brown (26-7) by a 5-2 decision to clinch a medal.
He proceeded to beat Rock Port sophomore Ryder Herron (33-11) by fall in the consolation semifinals before beating St. Pius X freshman Kyler Kuhn (34-11) by fall in the third-place match.
The state qualification was Christian’s second. He qualified as a freshman but missed most of his sophomore year recovering from shoulder surgery.
“It’s the best feeling I’ve had in high school sports,” Christian said. “Not being able to wrestle last year and coming back and doing this just feels more and more amazing … The key going into [my third-place match] was making sure I had a good stance. They had the double-under hooks, so it was just making sure I knew how to defend it well.”
Making his first state appearance, junior Trent Stout (37-11) placed sixth in the 157-pound bracket.
Stout lost his first match in the quarterfinals before beating South Harrison junior Evan Smith (32-17) by fall in the first round of wrestlebacks. He clinched a medal after beating Sherwood senior Benjamin Breeding (38-10) by a 7-2 decision.
Stout lost his last two matches at state, losing to Warsaw junior Drake Murrell (46-8) by an 8-2 decision in the consolation semis before falling to Missouri Military Academy sophomore Trae Griffiths (43-7) in the fifth-place match.
“The fact that I made it and got a medal, that’s what was really awesome to me,” Stout said. “Qualifying was huge for me, but going even further by winning some matches, that’s what really touched my heart. That’s why I feel really good about winning a medal.”
Holden also had state appearances from seniors Andrew Johnston and C.J. Reifsteck
Reifsteck lost in the first round of the 175-pound bracket but earned a pair of wins in wrestlebacks before losing to Warsaw sophomore Josh Harvath (49-8) by a 7-1 decision in the bubble round.
Johnston (19-14) lost both of his state matches in the 215-pound bracket, with his season ending with a loss to St. Mary’s senior Derron Perkins (46-4).
Holden finished seventh out of 52 teams in Class 1 with 61 points.
“‘I’m really proud, and I feel really blessed for how Holden’s season has gone,” Hertzog said. “It’s not all the time you bring five and you medal three. Sometimes I feel like that’s a God thing. You got to count your blessings, you know what I mean?”
Joe Andrews can be reached at 660-747-8123.
