By Kary Booher (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The common denominator among successful coaches, no matter the sport, is that they’re always trying to find new and creative ways to motivate.
A case in point is Randy Roark, the longtime coach of the Lebanon High School wrestling program.
His teams have earned 277 dual wins since 2004 and, a year ago, the Yellowjackets boys team placed fourth at the Class 3 state tournament. That was in addition to being district and Ozark Conference champions. On the girls side, the team has won state two of the past three seasons.
And, like any coach, he wants the upcoming wrestlers to know the tradition.
“We took over the old junior high gym for our wrestling facility,” Roark said. “We started putting up banners of our 100-match winners and state finalists. All the kids want their own banner that will hang in the gym forever. We also have banners made for the team if they bring home a state trophy.”
Boys Projected roster
Lebanon likely will have a room of 80 wrestlers, including about a dozen with starting experience. Among those, five were state medalists last season.
The projected roster could be freshmen Micah Perryman or Israel Martinez at 106 pounds, followed by junior Quentin Long and Brice Helmig (113), sophomore Canon Roark and freshman Bodee O’Neil (120), sophomore Andrew Bowling and junior Johnathan Perryman (126), junior Davis Joiner and senior Josiah Perryman (132), senior Robert Garner and freshman Avery Starnes (138) and senior Bo Rosen and junior Taydem Johnson (145).
In the upper weights, look for senior Andrew Dent and freshman Nick Allen at 152 pounds, followed by freshman Jax Glendenning and sophomore Keiler Branch (160), senior Connor Brand and junior Walker Smith (170), juniors Nathan Bartel and Preston Ellingson (182), junior Cade Musica and senior Ben Cooper (195), junior Jayden Hubler or Cooper (220), and seniors Zach Smith and Colt Heisz (285).
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Who to watch
Roark and Bowling placed third at the state tournament, while Joiner was fourth, Hubler fifth and Smith sixth. Long is a two-time state qualifier and Garner, Musica and Rosen also were state qualifiers.
Bowling was 44-4 last season.
“He worked hard over the summer and in the weight room,” Coach Roark said. “He put on 25 pounds and attended many camps.”
Canon Roark was 43-3 last season.
“He went to several tournaments over the summer for freestyle and Greco-Roman, and was the state champion in freestyle,” Roark said. “He also was a member of the Missouri National Dual Team.”
Joiner was 24-9 last season and also wrestled all summer, becoming a Greco-Roman champion and Missouri National Dual team member.
Smith finished 37-18 last season and has added 20 pounds since last year, plus competed in freestyle and Greco-Roman tournaments in the summer.
Sleepers?
Perryman, Starnes and Glendenning all competed for Lebanon’s youth club in recent years. Starnes and Glendenning both placed third at the youth state tournament.
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Goals
When asked about goals, Roark responded with, “State Champions!”
It’s a lofty goal, but why not?
Lebanon has won the conference and district tournaments each of the past two seasons. Additionally, the Yellowjackets were fourth in the state last season, and the state runner-up in Class 3 in 2020.
“Our kids love getting those patches for their letterman’s jacket,” Roark said.
Girls wrestling
Everybody will be bringing their best against the Lebanon girls team, which has won the state championship two of the past three seasons.
Its projected roster could be senior McKenzie Gormley at 102 pounds, followed by sophomore Lillian Cottongim (107), junior Adeline Cottongim and freshman Jessa Joiner (112), senior Kaylyn Rogers (117), sophomore Halea Bartel (122), sophomore Bailey Joiner (127), senior Quincey Glendenning (132) and junior Taylor Johnson (137).
In other weights, look for senior Dream Cunningham (143), junior Jasmine Alley and senior Talora Frisbee (151), junior Ali Haiser (159), senior Marissa Martin (174), junior KaKenna Dunham (195) and sophomore Mariyah Brumley (235).
Bartel was a state runner-up last year who finished with a 41-6 record. Joiner placed third at state and finished 43-6.
Glendenning won a state title in a 42-5 season after being a medalist two years ago.
“She hit the weight room all summer and is on a mission this year,” Roark said of Glendenning.
Johnson placed third last year, finished 43-3, while Haiser placed fourth and finished 41-2. Brumley placed fifth at state in a 36-4 season. All three wrestled for Team Missouri this past summer, earning All-American honors at Fargo.
Rogers qualified for state last season. Lillian Cottongim had 33 wins a year ago.
“Our goal is to repeat as state champions,” Roark said.
