Lafayette seeks to defend its title in its annual wrestling tournament

The 44th annual Lafayette Tournament will be held Saturday (Jan. 21) and the Lancer grapplers will be out to defend their championship.

Eight teams will be competing in the one-day wrestling event. Besides host Lafayette, competing will be Fort Zumwalt South, DeSmet, Springfield Parkview, Kirkwood, Parkway Central, Nixa and Springfield (Ill.) High.

“We added Nixa and Springfield this year,” Lafayette coach Scott Sissom said. “Both teams should bring several state qualifiers here to compete.

Lafayette has won its own tournament for the past five years.

In addition to his squad, Sissom said Nixa, from southwest Missouri, and Springfield are the teams likely to vie for the championship.

“Those teams should all contend,” Sissom said.

Overall, Sissom said his Lancers are doing well this season.

“I’m very happy,” Sissom said. “Our young coaches are taking an inexperienced team and making them competitive very fast.”

Junior Nick Olejnik is having a fine year for Lafayette in the 138-pound weight division. He recently saw his undefeated streak come to an end.

“Nick is doing a great job.  He currently has one loss,” Sissom said. “We wrestled him up a weight class to get tougher competition and to improve team strength. Last weekend, he lost to a very good wrestler he is the top-ranked kid at 145 pounds in the finals of the Capital City Tournament in Jeff City.”

Senior Ryan Jones is also doing well for the Lancers.

“He wrestling up a weight in the Capital City Tournament and pinned his opponent in the (132-pound) finals who was a state-ranked kid from Park Hill,” Sissom said. “Senior Khahyil Moore took first (at 152 pounds) and is wrestling very well for us.”