Trey Crawford insists there was no external pressure on his decision. However, the Park Hill senior openly added to a family legacy when he recently signed to continue his wrestling career at the University of Missouri where his dad earned All-American honors on the mat in 1990.
ROSS MARTIN/Citizen photo
Park Hill’s Trey Crawford, shown here at the KC Stampede last month, has committed to wrestle at Missouri, the same school his dad wrestled.
“My dad was very good about just letting me go through the process by myself,” Crawford said of the recruiting process. “It was good though. It was a good process, and it was fun, exciting, and I’m happy with the choice.”
Park Hill’s pipeline to the most prominent in-state program continues.
The Trojans have produced recent All-Americans John Erneste and Alan Waters, and Canten Marriott and Weston DiBlasi are currently on Missouri’s roster. Now, Crawford has signed with the Tigers, while junior Ethen Miller recently made his commitment to coach Brian Smith.
Affectionately known as “Stump,” Crawford entered Park Hill’s program in 2016 as a highly rated 106-pounder. He placed fifth in his first trip to the Class 4 Missouri State Wrestling Championships with a 36-8 record, and he looked poised for a breakout sophomore campaign before an injury ultimately forced him to miss most of the second half of the season and the postseason.
Crawford spent most of last season as the No. 2 ranked wrestler at 132 before finishing third after a loss in the semifinals to eventual champion Vincent Zerban of CBC. Crawford is at 138 early this season and recently made his third straight appearance in the finals of the KC Stampede — one of the top regional tournaments in the nation.
With just over a half of a season left, Crawford found the right place for the next step in his career after he finishes his chase for a state title.
“I took some other visits, but nothing felt the same as Mizzou. It just feels like home,” Crawford said. “You know, I’ve been around it my whole life. It’s just a great place, great teammates up there, great coaches, and it’s just the environment I want to be in.”
Miller is also a two-time state medalist for Park Hill and one of the top juniors in the state. He reached the state finals at 126 as a sophomore and finished second with a 35-6 record after placing third at 120 as a freshman with a 39-9 record.
While Crawford’s signing was definitely noticeable, Miller said Missouri’s program sold him on his choice, although he’s happy to help continue Park Hill’s tradition of sending wrestlers to the Tigers.
“I had multiple choices, but once I went to Mizzou on my visit, I liked it a lot,” Miller said. “Just what they have going on is good. They have the No. 4 recruiting class for the seniors this year, and it’s only going to get better for there. I think it’s going to be a championship team by the time my class gets there.”
Missouri has been a consistent top-25 program in recent years. The Tigers have won the past seven straight Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament postseason championships.