Gallatin’s Peter Steele unintentionally took the most difficult road to a state wrestling medal, but his will to win following an opening round loss eventually paid off with his first state medal.
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Steele dropped his opening match on Thursday by a narrow 18-16 margin to Lexington’s Dallas Lamphier, then rebounded to win five straight bouts and earn a third place finish in the Class 1, 140-pound weight division.
Steele was one of four Bulldogs competing for medals in the MSHSAA State Wrestling Championships.
"What a tournament for Peter," said Bulldog head coach Barron Gann. "I didn’t know what to think after he lost that first match," he added. "When he came back and won his second match he wrestled a lot better. Coach (Zac) Morrison and I both said Friday was going to be a good day just by the way Peter warmed up and the frame of mind he was in. It carried through the rest of the tournament."
Steele, one of four Bulldogs competing for medals, got on a roll. He pinned Whitfield’s Jake Becker and Butler’s Austin Fix in back-to-back matches in the consolation bracket. Next came a 7-4 decision over Brookfield’s Ramzie Cooper, and 4-2 overtime win over Higginsville’s Ian Gash.
Steele’s second period pin of Sherwood’s Matt Mattingly for third place capped an outstanding tournament for the GHS junior. Peter finished ahead of his first round opponent, Lamphier, who placed fifth with a win in his final match.
It was a tough tournament for Gallatin’s other three participants, Myrick McLey (285), Sterling Steele (135) and Jimmy Dale (215), in more ways than one.
"I felt with it being the first time in the tournament for Myrick, that got to him, but he came back and won his next one and I felt he had a chance then to still medal until the upset in the quarters put the Lexington kid with us," said Coach Gann.
McLey lost his opener to Principia’s Garrett Moulton, but fought back with a victory by pin over Rolando Gonzalez of Diamond. Next, he faced Lexington’s Nathan Hollingsworth after the latter was upset in his quarterfinal bout. Hollingsworth advanced with a pin but did not himself get to the medal round.
"Sterling and Jimmy both had tough draws and we knew that if they won it was going to be hard on the back side for them," Gann advised. "Jimmy was behind, 4-3, in his wrestleback match when the kid shot and lifted Jimmy and when they came back to the mat both kids’ weight went onto Jimmy’s leg," he added. "It broke the femur in the growth plate and he will be having surgery on Wednesday."
Final season records for Gallatin’s state participants were: Peter Steele 35-9, Sterling Steele 27-15, Jimmy Dale 12-8 and Myrick McLey 27-15.