The Westminster wrestling team traveled to Mexico, Missouri, on Friday to compete in the MSHSAA Class 2 District 2 Tournament. Each weight class featured up to 16 wrestlers in a double-elimination bracket, with the top four finishers earning a trip to the state championships.
Westminster brought a young lineup to districts—four freshmen, two sophomores, and three juniors—and the Wildcats showed both promise and grit throughout the day. In the end, freshman Luca Olivastro (106) and junior Maddox Hilfrink (138) advanced to the high pressure consolation semifinal round with a chance to qualify for state.
In an eight-man bracket, Luca received a first-round bye before dropping a hard-fought 3–6 decision in his opening match. He responded with an impressive 12–3 major decision to stay alive and advance to the state-qualifying match.
In a dramatic battle, Luca wrestled to a scoreless first period and trailed 1–0 entering the final minute. He secured an escape to tie the match and force overtime. After both wrestlers exchanged penalty points in the extra periods, the match came down to sudden death. A final penalty point awarded to his opponent ended Luca's season just one step shy of state qualification.
Maddox took a strong path through the bracket, winning his first two matches to reach the championship semifinal—one win away from an automatic state berth. After falling in that round, he moved to the backside of the bracket for a decisive wrestle-off.
Maddox came out aggressively, building a 5–0 lead with a takedown and reversal late in the second period. His opponent responded with a penalty point and reversal to close the gap. After an early third-period escape, Maddox led by three before surrendering a takedown to tie the match at 6–6 with one minute remaining.
With 30 seconds left and in the bottom position, Maddox executed a clutch reversal to regain the lead. He held on for an 8–7 victory, punching his ticket to the state tournament and ultimately finishing fourth in the district.
Looking Ahead
With no seniors on this year's roster, the future is bright for Westminster wrestling. The experience gained by this young group will serve as a strong foundation moving forward.
Maddox now prepares to compete at the MSHSAA State Championships in Columbia on Wednesday and Thursday. Be sure to wish him luck as he represents Westminster on the state stage.
District Lineup
106: Luca Olivastro (Fr)
113: Lincoln Roam (So)
120: Matthew Anderson (Fr)
126: Charles Anderson (Fr)
132: Andrew Sobers (Jr)
138: Maddox Hilfrink (Jr)
144: Matthew Romanov (So)
150: Will Havens (Jr)
157: Noah Chappeau (Fr)
