COLUMBIA — Starting last Wednesday night at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Steven and Bo Buddemeyer had their eyes on making more Owensville High School (OHS) Dutchmen wrestling history during the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Wrestling Championships.

Joined by junior Cael Walker in Columbia, the Dutchmen trio began their path to the medal stand in first-round action last Wednesday night after the Class 1 Boys and Class 1 Girls wrestled before them earlier in the day.

By the time Thursday evening came and went, Steven Buddemeyer was the last Dutchmen standing after securing his third state medal with a fifth-place finish at 138 pounds after winning an 11-7 decision over Moberly’s Logan Banker in the fifth-place match at 138 pounds.

“Steven (Buddemeyer) has had a heck of a wrestling career at OHS and has earned everything he has accomplished,” Dutchmen head wrestling coach Dustin Howard said. “He will be sorely missed in the wrestling room next year but we have a lot of young wrestlers that will look to follow in his footsteps.”

Steven’s journey to the medal stand at 138 pounds began in first-round action against Southern Boone senior Kaid Shaw.

Leading 3-0 after one period, Buddemeyer scored a reversal and four back points helping him win a 10-4 decision to advance to the 138-pound quarterfinals against Odessa sophomore Makai Smalley.

Down 3-1 after one period, Buddemeyer surrendered seven more points in the second period before losing a 13-3 major decision to his Bulldog opponent.

Smalley went on to win a state championship at 138 pounds in MSHSAA Class 2 Boys wrestling pinning Seneca’s Eli Manley in 4:28.

Manley defeated Buddemeyer in the district championship the previous weekend at the district tournament in Buffalo.

Now in the second round of wrestle backs, Buddemeyer found himself needing two more wins just to get into the medals.

Matched up against North County’s Aiden Nash, Buddemeyer pinned his Raider opponent in 1:55 advancing to day two of the tournament last Thursday and a third-round wrestle back bout with Ste. Genevieve’s Maximilian Kruppe.

Down 7-1 against his Dragon opponent after one period, Buddemeyer scored a take down and two back points trimming his deficit to 7-6 entering the third period.

Starting on bottom, the Dutchmen senior escaped to tie the match at 7-7 before scoring a penalty point and a 3-point take down helping him win an 11-7 decision to secure no worse than a sixth-place medal at 138 pounds.

Matched up with Savannah’s Lawson Francis in the consolation semifinals, Buddemeyer could not overcome a 7-1 deficit after two periods before ending up on the wrong side of a 13-2 major decision.

This sent Buddemeyer to the fifth-place match at 138 pounds which he won by an 11-7 decision.

“While I would’ve liked to have finished higher, it feels great to become just the second 3-time all state wrestler in Owensville history,” Buddemeyer said.

Steven’s brother Bo looked to join his brother on the medal stand in Class 2 Boys at 144 pounds.

His tournament began with a match against St. Clair senior Cole Horton.

Trailing 4-2 with a minute left in the match, Buddemeyer scored a 3-point take down right as time expired helping him win a 5-4 decision over his Bulldog opponent and advancing him to the quarterfinals against Knob Noster senior Elijah Avery.

Losing an 8-2 decision to Avery, Buddemeyer was sent to the second round of wrestle backs and a showdown with Dexter freshman Korben Warner.

After a scoreless first period, Buddemeyer started the second period with an escape and a take down before eventually winning a 4-1 decision advancing him to day two and the third round of wrestle backs against Clinton junior Connor Bramell.

Scoreless throughout the regular three periods of the match, a one-minute overtime period then ensued with no points also scored.

Both wrestlers then got :30 with their choice of position.

Bramell started the first :30 in the bottom position scoring a 2-point reversal in the final seconds of his time.

Buddemeyer was unable to score during his 30 seconds ending his freshman season at 42-10 after a 2-0 tie breaker - 1 loss.

“Bo had a heck of a freshman season,” Howard said. “I look for him to be a multiple time state qualifier and a multiple time state placer before he is done in an OHS wrestling singlet.”

Upsetting one of the best Class 2 boys wrestlers in the state at 190 pounds just to qualify for the MSHSAA Wrestling Championship, junior Cael Walker started his quest for the medal stand in first-round action against Mexico senior Grant Walker.

Taken down :11 into the match, Cael Walker was pinned by Grant Walker in 1:11 sending him to the first round of wrestle backs and a match against Herculaneum senior Keaton Reeves.

Grant Walker went on to place fourth in the state at 190 pounds in MSHSAA Class 2 Boys Wrestling.

Leading 3-0 after a first-period take down against Reeves, Walker then scored a 2-point reversal before being caught and pinned in 2:21.

Reeves was eliminated in the second round of wrestle backs.

Finishing his junior season at 20-28, Walker will look to advance further in the state tournament next year as a senior.

“Seeing Cael get to state the way he did at districts was awesome,” Howard said. “He just had a tough draw this time around at state and I see him doing what he needs to do next year to get back here and set a goal of placing.”