By Chris Parker
Ozark boys wrestling returns three state placers and two more state qualifiers this season. On the girls’ side, two state qualifiers return.
BOYS TEAM
Dayton Moison finished third as a junior. He lost his quarterfinal match at state and then won four straight on the back side to take third.
“Dayton is one of our toughest wrestlers. He doesn’t get rattled easily, and this allowed him to keep his composure and do what he does. We saw this at state for sure,” Ozark head wrestling coach Tod Sundlie said. “Our expectations for him are to just keep improving. His goals are high, and he will need to continue to grow to reach them. His approach to wrestling in general is a great leadership quality that his team will continue to look to him for.”
He will wrestle 165 or 175 this season.
Ruben Arvizu placed fourth at 215 pounds as a junior.
“That (state) experience is extremely valuable,” Sundlie said. “He has been there, won matches, and knows what it takes. As one of our hardest workers and mentally toughest kids, he doesn’t limit himself in any way. He just wrestles. These leadership qualities benefit him and those around him.”
He will be at 215 or 285 this season.
Caden Harrington placed fifth at 132 pounds as a junior.
“I am not going to put a ceiling on Caden,” Sundlie said. “He has grown a lot since last season, and really has developed a passion for the sport. He has worked very hard and should be fun to watch this season.”
He will wrestle 138 or 144 this season.
Logan Luder and Keaton Hurst also return after qualifying for state last season.
“These guys have a great group of wrestlers around them, which they certainly contribute to,” Sundlie said. “They expect to make each other better all season, and this will certainly help them with their goals.”
They will wrestle in the 120-132 range.
Frankie Pichler (106), Kaden Coffey (132-138), Teagon Patterson (138-144) and Talyn Van Horn (150-157) also return.
“Our team collectively put great investment in their growth this past off-season,” Sundlie said. “It should be fun to watch them continue their growth.”
Ozark has a mix of experience and talent up and down the roster this season.
“We have a good mixture of experience, as well as young talent. They should benefit from each other,” Sundlie said. “This team just needs to continue to trust the process, and really continue to feed their growth mindset.”
GIRLS TEAM
Emily Price and Maeylnn Sundlie both qualified for state last season and return.
“Maelynn and Emily have both grown so much in their leadership qualities, and also just in their wrestling maturity in general,” Coach Sundlie said. “Their in-season and out-of-season experiences have allowed them to gain confidence going into the season.”
Price will wrestle either 105 or 110. Maelynn Sundlie will wrestle 130-135.
Adilyn Hoelzle (105), Janelle Spohn (135-140), Kirsten Abeya (145-155), Katie Hartgraves (115-120) and Leticia Covello (115-120) also return.
“These girls as a group went to many camps and really grew tremendously in the off-season,” Coach Sundlie said. “Their commitment in the weight room has been equally impressive. As a group they have improved.”
The Ozark girls team should get good depth from a large freshman class.
“We have our largest freshman class this year that the girls team has had,” Coach Sundlie said. “Some of them have valuable experience. At this point, it is uncertain when or where they will fill in at the varsity level, but we expect some will.”
Experience will be an overall strength for the roster.
“The girls team just has more experience in general, from our oldest wrestlers to our youngest. This will be valuable in their upcoming season,” Coach Sundlie said. “The girls will need to continue to grow, and trust each other in the process.”
