Beaver Dam High School (WI) Wrestler Signs with the Trojans

Willie Roth pictured with his parents Joe and Judy Roth

and Beaver Dam High School Head Coach Jeff Slayton. 

 

 

Hannibal, MO - The Hannibal-LaGrange University Wrestling program is pleased to have signed William (Willie) Roth from Beaver Dam, WI. Roth will graduate from Beaver Dam High School in May of 2014. 

In his senior season Willie Roth compiled a record of 28-14 and an overall career record of 98-44. Roth’s season this year was hampered by injury. However he provided leadership for his team as a team captain. Roth also led his team as holding the 6^th place for most career wins for the Beavers. Roth also earned over 120 team points for Beaver Dam High for three seasons.  “Roth is a hard working tough wrestler. He wrestled his senior season having to face the pain of a nagging injury every day. Some people would just hang up the shoes, but Roth is hungry to keep wrestling. I’ve seen him wrestle and was impressed with his fearlessness wrestling stronger and older opponents. I’m excited to have Roth be part of our continued growth as a program”, said HLGU Head Wrestling Coach Scott Hawes. Roth plans to wrestle at 174 pounds for the Trojans. Roth also played Football, Baseball, and competed in Track for the Beavers. Roth plans on majoring in Biology at HLGU.

Willie Roth is the son of Joe and Judy Roth.

HLGU is a Division I NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) school and a member of the American Midwest Conference.

Hazelwood Central Hawk State Champion Commits to the Trojans

Hannibal, MO - The Hannibal-LaGrange University Wrestling program is pleased to have signed Khial Jamison from Florissant, MO. Jamison will graduate from Hazelwood Central High School in May of 2014. 

Khial Jamison compiled an impressive record of 42-2 during his senior season for the Hazelwood Central Hawks. At the Class 4 MO state wrestling tournament Jamison overcame Dustin Gray of Timberland with a 4-2 decision. The state finals matchup between Jamison and Gray at 170 lbs was a rematch between the two who had faced each other in the district finals. Gray was a returning state finalist facing Jamison who finished 6^th in the previous state tournament. In the district matchup Gray was the winner. However, Jamison changed up his strategy in the finals match and stepped to the top of the winner’s platform as the 2014 Class 4 170 lb  MO state wrestling champion. Jamison makes history with the Trojans as the first MO Class 4 State Champion to wrestle for the Trojans.

To accompany Jamison’s monumental achievement in the Missouri state tournament he has also been recognized by the Hazelwood Central Hawks as the 2013&14 Outstanding Wrestler, 2014 SLOWA Supreme Wrestler Achiever, and 2014 SLOWA Senior of the Year. Jamison also led the Hawks this year with most falls, most takedowns, most wins, most match points. Jamison’s overall career record is 120-25. “I’m really excited that Khial has decided to be part of making history here at HLGU. Khial is an overcomer. He proved that this year facing a disappointing loss in districts to come back and win in the finals over Gray. He has the heart of the competitor that we are looking for in our program.  His achievements on the mat speak for itself. Khial knows college wrestling is a big step up, but we both believe he can come into our program and help make a difference.” said HLGU Head Wrestling Coach Scott Hawes. Jamison plans on wrestling at 174 pounds next season for the Trojans.

Jamison plans on majoring in Business at HLGU.

Jamison is the son of Greg and Karen Stevens and Howard Jamison III.

HLGU is a Division I NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) school and a member of the American Midwest Conference.

Excelsior Springs Tiger Joins The Trojans

Hannibal, MO - The Hannibal-LaGrange University Wrestling program is pleased to have signed Braxxtin Todd from Excelsior Springs, MO. Todd will graduate from Excelsior Springs High School in May of 2014. 

This season Todd compiled an impressive record of 36-8 and an overall career record of 115-52.  Todd is a 3 time state tournament qualifier qualifying in his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. Todd had a strong showing at the 2014 Missouri State Championships making it to the consolation finals and finishing 3^rd at 160 lbs.  Todd was also a two-time 1^st team All-Conference wrestler for the Excelsior Springs Tigers. “Braxxtin Todd has done a lot of off season wrestling and that shows he is dedicated wrestler. Todd has a history of working hard as he improved every season of his high school career. I’m looking forward to him making this next step of wrestling for me at the college level.  Todd has what it takes to be a competitive collegiate wrestler,” said HLGU Head Wrestling Coach Scott Hawes. Hawes continued, “Braxxtin is a great addition to our program. I’m excited to see what Braxxtin will accomplish next year." Todd plans on wrestling in the 157 lb weight class next year for HLGU.

Todd plans on majoring in Biology/Dental at HLGU.

Todd is the son of Fred and Stacey Todd.

HLGU is a Division I NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) school and a member of the American Midwest Conference.

Alexandar and Capp HLGU's First Wrestling All-Americans

TOPEKA, Kan. – Seniors Bryce Alexander and Dan Capp finished in sixth and eighth place, respectfully, in the NAIA National Championships, becoming the first NAIA All-Americans in HLGU wrestling history.
Alexander (165) started the tournament off with a bye before defeating Malcolm Johnson (Morningside) by fall in 6:54, advancing him into a quarterfinal match against Kafuba Donzon (Indiana Tech).
Alexander was awarded the third round win and advanced into the semifinals after Donzon was disqualified for an illegal move. However, the Maryville, Mo. native was given a concussion in his quarterfinal match, forcing him to medically forfeit his remaining matches and end the national championships in sixth place.
Capp (184) lost his first match of the championships by way of a 10-5 decision to Rulin Pederson (Morningside), sending the senior down into the consolation bracket where he finished 3-2 for an eighth place finish.
Capp bounced back from his early defeat with three straight wins by decision. His first win came against Marcus Zachary (Simpson) in a 4-2 decision while the Kansas City, Mo. native picked up another 4-2 win against Cody Sivertsen (Oklahoma City).
Capp guaranteed himself a top-eight finish and All-American status after defeating Kamron Jackson (Great Falls) by an 8-4 decision.
His winning streak finally came to an end in the next consolation match as Capp lost to Pederson again, this time by a 4-1 decision, to fall into a match against Jacob Abrams (Southern Oregon) for seventh place.
Capp lost his second straight as Abrams won by a 7-4 decision, giving Capp an eighth place finish.
Freshman Grant Godfrey joined Alexander in the 165-pound bracket, but was unable to make his way past the first day of the tournament.
The Ozark, Mo. native lost his first match by fall in 1:49 to Jacob Shirley (Cumberlands), sending him into the consolation bracket.
Godfrey pinned his next opponent, Jordon Ward (Bethany), in 1:08 before being knocked out of the championships by a 9-0 major decision to Trey Rhodes (Campbellsville).
Along with claiming their first two All-Americans, the Trojans finished the tournament in 21st place as a team, it's highest ever while competing in the NAIA National Championships.
-Jordan Argo/ HLGU SID

Alexandar, Godfrey, Capp Trojans 2014 NAIA National Tournament Qualifiers

MARSHALL, Mo. – Hannibal-LaGrange qualified three wrestlers for the NAIA National Championships and finished eighth as a team Saturday while competing in the NAIA Central Qualifying Tournament.
Senior Bryce Alexander (165 lb.), freshman Grant Godfrey (165 lb.) and senior Dan Capp (184 lb.) all qualified for the NAIA Championships with top-five finishes at the qualifying tournament.
Alexander qualified for his fourth showing at the NAIA Championships with a third place finish in the 165 pound bracket. The Maryville, Mo. native closed out the tournament with a 4-1 record, including a victory over teammate Godfrey.
Alexander started the day off with back-to-back wins over Courtney Shavers (Benedictine) and Joshua Eidson (Lindenwood-Belleville) by way of a 6-0 decision and 13-3 major decision, respectfully. The senior suffered his lone loss of the tournament in an 8-3 decision against Jordon Ward (Bethany), placing him into the consolation bracket against Godfrey.
Alexander made quick work of his teammate, winning by fall in 33 seconds before taking third place with a 6-1 decision over Dylan King (Missouri Valley).
Godfrey also won his first match of the day, defeating Jamie Shawver (Oklahoma City) by a 12-6 decision. However, the freshman lost his next match by fall to eventual champion Chad Lowman (Grand View), placing him into the consolation bracket.
The Ozark, Mo. native followed the loss with a win by fall over Josue Terrones (Benedictine). Godfrey pinned Terrones in 1:37 before losing by fall to Alexander. The loss to his teammate placed Godfrey into the fifth place match against Eidson where he won by fall in 1:24 to claim a top-five finish in the 165 pound weight class.
Capp claimed an at-large bid into the NAIA Championships, giving the senior his third trip to the national championships after placing fifth in the Central Qualifying Tournament.
The Kansas City, native won his opening match with a 10-0 major decision over Vincent Opuiyo (Benedictine) before losing a 4-2 decision to Parker Owen (Baker). The loss sent Capp into the consolation bracket where he defeated Jose Hernandez (Benedictine) and Spencer Wilson (Bethany) by 7-2 and 5-4 decisions, respectfully.
Capp then fell by a 6-2 decision to eventual third place finisher Cody Sivertsen (Oklahoma City) and defeated John Hambleton (Baker) 5-3 to claim fifth place in the 184 pound weight class.
The three Trojan wrestlers will now prepare for the NAIA National Championships held in Topeka, Kan. on March 7-8.

--Jordan Argo, HLGU SID

Preliminary Brackets and NAIA Press Release

Trojans Claim Victory Over RedBirds

HANNIBAL, Mo. – Hannibal-LaGrange defeated Illinois State 33-18 Saturday afternoon in its first match of the season.  The win gives HLGU its second straight victory over the Red Birds as the Trojans took last year's match 40-6.
"[Woods, McElfresh, Townsend, and Wright] have been working hard and they came through big for us and got us six points each [by fall] to help us win the dual," commented Head Coach Scott Hawes.  "I'm very proud of the team.  We had a lot of guys out with sickness and injury as well as some eligibility issues.  We had a young lineup step in and take the lead and they did a good job for us."
Sophomore Brady Sloup (125 lb.) opened the dual for Hannibal-LaGrange with a win by forfeit, giving HLGU an early 6-0 lead.
Sophomore Gary Woods (133 lb.) and freshman Caleb McElfresh (149 lb.) increased the Trojans' lead by 12 as each won by fall.
After giving up three points to Illinois State, HLGU pushed ahead with another win by fall.  Sophomore James Townsend (157 lb.) pinned Ryan Loy to up the Trojans' advantage to 24-3.  Freshman Jeremiah Reed (165 lb.) followed the pin with a 2-1 decision over Marcus McCall, giving Hannibal-LaGrange three more points.
Illinois State picked up 15 points during the next three matches to cut the Trojan lead down to 27-18.  Steve Burling won by fall over Trojan freshman Jacob Kaibel (174 lb.), Julio Perez won by a 3-2 decision over sophomore Seth Pierce (184 lb.) and Tom Mitrenga won by forfeit in the 197 lb. weight class.
In the final match of the afternoon, sophomore Michael Wright (285 lb.) put the finishing touches on the Red Birds with Hannibal-LaGrange's fourth win by fall.  Wright's victory over Kyle Ressinger gave HLGU six more points and a 15 point win.
The Trojans will now prepare for their next match on Thursday, Nov. 7.  The home dual against Benedictine is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. inside the Mabee Sports Complex.
-Jordan Argo, HLGU SID

Trojan Wrestling Kicks Off 6th Season

Hannibal, MO  - Hannibal-LaGrange University Trojan Wrestling program started its sixth season of competition this fall. After several weeks of lifting, conditioning, open mat and the start of practice, the Trojan wrestlers are starting to show signs they are ready to rumble on the mat. The Labor Day Weekend Camp out has become an annual Trojan wrestling tradition. The purpose of this camp out is for the coaches and wrestlers to have a team bonding experience. This year’s Labor Day camp out has sparked the fire for good team chemistry which has led to a high level of intensity in practice.  From the beginning of preseason our returning wrestlers have set the tone for the intensity of our practices and the new wrestlers have jumped right in giving us some spirited and intense practices. This season we have three seniors, Bryce Alexandar (184 Maryville, MO), Dan Capp (184 Kansas City, MO), and Dan Carey (197 Batavia, IL), who will lead the Trojans this year.  Returners who are back who will make an impact this season are Caleb Shuck (141 Willard, MO), Tyler Sonnabend (149 St. Louis, MO), James Townsend (157 Neosho, MO),  Mike Wright (HWT St. Clair, MO). Some newcomers to watch will be Brady Sloup  (125 Quincy, IL), Gary Woods (125/133 Fredricksburg, VA), Caleb McElfresh (125 Colorado Springs, CO), Kyle McClinton (141 Middleburg, FL)  Kyle Lippman (157 Winfield, MO), Jeremiah Reed (165 St. Peters, MO), Jacob Kaibel (165 Troy, MO), Seth Pierce (174 Liberty, MO), Robert Simons (197 Mustang, OK).  Other wrestlers who will be competing for HLGU throughout the season are Cameron Lanterman (165 Lake Isabella, CA),  LJ Downey (165 Baltimore, MD), Colton Bock (197 Monroe City, MO), Konner Braughton (197 Kansas City, MO),  Justin Whitaker (197 Kansas City, MO) Cody Carter (HWT Pittsfield, IL), Kenneth Stanger (HWT Troy, MO).  On a spiritual level I have been challenging our wrestlers daily to not strive for excellence just on the mat, but in the classroom and in life in Christ. This year I have been using legendary basketball Coach John Wooden and Jay Carty’s book called Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success Playbook-Applying The Pyramid of Success To Your Life to guide us with Biblical principles which lead to successful living. We aren’t just training for wrestling at the Secker Fieldhouse we are training for life.

Hannibal- LaGrange University

2013- 2014 Wrestling Schedule 

Blue and Red Dual (Intersquad Dual)............................ October 26^th, Hannibal, MO 10 am

IL State........................................................................ November 2^nd, Hannibal, MO 4 pm

Benedictine................................................................. November 7^th Hannibal, MO/ 7 pm

Knox College Invite...................................................... November 9^th Galesburg, IL/All Day

Truman State Dual ....................................................... November 14^th Kirksville, MO/ 7 pm

Luther Open................................................................ November 16^th Decorah, IA/All Day

Joe Parisi Open ........................................................... November 23^rd St. Charles, MO/ All Day

Maranatha Baptist Bible College................................... December 6^th Watertown, WI/ 5pm

Milwaukee School of Engineering Invite....................... December 7^th  Milwaukee, WI/ All Day

York Open................................................................... December 14^th York, NE

Knox College Dual Tournament.................................... January 4^th Galesburg, IL/ All Day

Central College Invite................................................... January 11^th Pella, IA/ All Day

Missouri Baptist University.......................................... January 14^th, Hannibal, MO/7pm

Missouri Valley College Invitational............................... January 18^th   Marshall, MO/ All Day

Grandview Open......................................................... January 25^th Des Moines, IA/ All Day

Graceland University (Senior Night)......................... January 21^st, Hannibal, MO/ 7 PM

Baker University.......................................................... January 28^th, Ballwin City, KS 7 pm

Harper Open................................................................ February 1^st   Palatine, IL/ All Day

William Penn University............................................... February 13^th Oskaloosa, IA/ 7 pm

Midwest Qualifying Championship............................... February 22^nd, Marshall, MO/ All Day

NAIA National Tournament         March 7-8 Topeka, KS