KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Gage Baska finally conquered some postseason demons on Saturday, Feb. 15.
The senior at Park Hill South finally achieved his goal of reaching the state wrestling championships by winning his final four matches in the Class 4 District 4 tournament at Staley High School.
Baska was one of three Panthers to qualify for the state championships, joined by Max Rosario and Cameron Gillespie, which starts Thursday, Feb. 20 in Columbia.
The victory in the consolation semifinal on Saturday afternoon was a monumental one personally for Baska.
The 145-pound wrestler reached that point in the postseason tournament his first three years of high school and each time lost. This time, he got a 6-4 decision over Staley’s Mason Sipes, which secured his spot in the state tournament but he closed his day with a 6-0 decision over Blue Springs’ Jaxson McIntyre in the third-place match.
“It is unbelievable,” Baska said. “It has been hard. I always been to the bubble match. I haven’t been to state since seventh grade so it feels so good to be going to this state tournament. I not only made it to state but to win the third place match, I feel great about that.”
Baska posted a 5-1 record on the day and his only loss was to Lee’s Summit North’s Hunter Ross, who was 33-4. Baska dropped that match 6-3 but then rattled off two wins by pins to put himself back on the bubble.
The memories of being one of the last ones to miss the cut had haunted him since eighth grade, when he lost a bubble round in his final year of youth wrestling too.
“They pile up and it makes you want to drive more,” he said. “I won by going out there and never giving up. I will work hard because I want it more than he does and I think I proved that.”
CODY THORN/Citizen photo
Park Hill South’s Gage Baska reacts after winning a bubble-round match on Saturday, Feb. 15 in the Class 4 District 4 tournament at Staley High School in Kansas City North.
The win over McIntyre was particularly sweet after losing by a 13-5 decision to him in the Lee’s Summit Holiday Tournament in December.
Rosario (170) and Cameron Gillespie (182) both secured a return trip to the state meet.
Gillespie went last year and got a return trip after a 3-1 mark, the lone setback came by a 16-6 major decision against Liberty’s Greyden Penner, an Oklahoma signee who is 25-0 on the year.
The setback was the second of the year for Gillespie, now 43-2, and both have came to a defending state champion.
“Greyden is one of the best kids anywhere and he is top ranked in the nation,” said Gillespie, who got two pins and a major decision to reach the finals. “I came in with the expectations to get to the finals. I try to hold myself to a higher standard. I had the expectation to make the finals and I knew what I needed to do to go out with a good seed to Columbia.”
If there is a rematch, it will come in the state championship match on Saturday, Feb. 22 at Mizzou Arena.
Rosario is going to state for the second time after placing third, going 4-1. His lone setback came against Staley’s Aidan Johnson in the semifinals, a 12-3 loss by major decision.
Rosario won by a 12-3 major decision over William Mayfield of Raytown to punch his spot at state. In the third-place match, he won by an 11-3 major decision against Liberty North’s Vince Restivo.
The Panthers had a chance for one more qualifier as Connor Detty (120) reached the bubble round but lost by a pin against Staley’s Jacob Windsor.
The Panthers finished eighth in the team standings with 81 ½ points.
OTHER MATCHES
Park Hill South 78, North Kansas City 6
The Panthers almost had a perfect score had it not been for a loss in a dual on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
Park Hill South benefited from eight forfeits against the Hornets and won five of the six contested matches.
Dylan Taylor (106) pinned Mehran Karimi in 4:22 and the next match game as Gage Baska (145) needed 1:25 to pin Fadi Jayyusi. Ashton Kuhn (152) pinned Adyen Edwards in 1:22 and Dylan Love (160) pinned CJ Gallen in 3:43.
Cameron Gillespie (182) pinned Ako Hamaamin in 3:04 before North Kansas City got a victory from Xavier Doolin at 220. Doolin finished the regular season undefeated with the pin over Taivion Hicks.