The Fort Zumwalt North (FZN) boys wrestling team recently competed in the prestigious Thrasher Invitational, hosted by Francis Howell. The Panther grapplers secured a strong 7th place finish in the 50-team event, which is widely regarded as one of the most grueling regular-season tournaments in Missouri.
Championship Performances
The Panthers were led by two standout champions:
Carsten Burkemper (Jr., 132 lbs.): Captured top honors in his bracket.
Cole Aguirre (Sr., 165 lbs.): Claimed the gold and made school history.
With his victory in the finals, Aguirre broke the FZN all-time career wins record, formerly held by 2012 graduate Zach Nelson. The new record now stands at 169 wins.
Notable Finishes
Two additional Panthers reached the podium to earn medals:
Patrick Provost (144 lbs.): Finished 5th place.
Drake Weston (150 lbs.): Finished 6th place.
The team achieved these results despite missing the services of Deacon Moran, the state’s #1 ranked wrestler at 190 lbs., who sat out due to injury. Moran is expected to return to the mat soon.
Looking Ahead
Currently ranked 10th in Missouri’s Class 4 poll, the Panthers will wrap up their regular season on Wednesday, February 4th, as they host Parkway North and McCluer North.
The road to State begins shortly after:
Girls District Tournament: February 13–14
Boys District Tournament: February 20–21
MSHSAA State Championships: February 27–28 at Mizzou Arena in Columbia.
The top four wrestlers from each district tournament will advance to the state finals.