COLUMBIA — Basking in the glory of his third straight State championship, Zan Fugitt made a point to point out the many contributors to his success within and outside of Nixa’s program.
Fugitt’s quest to become the Eagles’ third three-time State champ concluded Saturday with a fall in 2:56 against Lebanon's Canon Roark in the Class 4 132-pound final.
Fugitt had a rare match go the distance while winning 7-3 against Grain Valley’s Dru Azcona in the semifinal round.
At State, Fugitt (50-1) became the sole owner of Nixa's career wins record with 184. He entered the weekend tied with Joe Velliquette at 180.
Fugitt feels his progress over the years has been aided by experiences such as one in October in which he worked out alongside Ozark’s Braxton Strick and Seneca’s Brady Roark in preparation for their trip to the Super 32.
Combined, Fugitt, Roark and Strick have seven state championships.
“I'd say it was a very competitive room,” Fugitt said. “It was good to get that feel. You don't get a lot of that kind of feel in this area. But, sometimes, we get a room in which we get the best kids around and train hard. Brady and Braxton, I've trained with them my whole life. They're both hammers. They have a good mindset and are fun to train with.”
Fugitt is also thankful for everyone he worked with daily at Nixa.
“There's a big support system around me,” he said. “I wouldn't be where I am without my coaches and teammates. Shout out to them and my family and friends. I couldn't do this without my family.
“There were bumps in the road,” he added. “But that's what built me up and made me motivated to get better and wrestle hard.”
Fugitt looks forward to further tapping into his potential with continued training during his college career at Oklahoma, followed by a possible mixed-martial arts career.
“The job is not finished,” he added. “I have my college career and whatever is after that.”
The Eagles Curtis Glossop (34-13) finished fifth at 144. In a matchup of freshmen, Glossip lost 8-7 to Fort Zumwalt North’s Cole Aguirre in the semifinal round.
Aidan Ward (41-16) finished sixth at 138 and Nate Brower (41-12) was 2-2 at 175.
