The Nixa boys wrestling team competed in the Class 4 District 3 tournament at Raymore-Peculiar High School on Feb. 16-17. 

16 teams took the mat, and the Eagles placed sixth overall as a team with 107.5 points, behind Lee's Summit (109), Ozark (133), Ray-Pec (147), Neosho (158.5), and Willard (175).

En route to the team's sixth-place finish, four wrestlers placed in the top four and qualified for the state tournament. 

Senior Malachi Rider was Nixa's top performer, capturing the 157 district title in dominating fashion. Rider was the top seed and coasted to the gold, as he won his quarterfinal and semifinal matches with technical fall victories, 17-2 and 18-3, respectively. In his championship match, he only needed one minute and pinned Lee's Summit Michael Foley at the 0:59 mark.

Senior and 2023 state medalist Aidan Ward secured his third-consecutive qualification with a second-place finish in the 138 division. Ward was the No. 2 seed in the district and won his opening two matches with wins by fall in the first period. In the semifinals, he defeated Ray-Pec's Evan Gatlin 5-2 with a first-period takedown and a third-period escape and takedown. He faced the top seed Carthage's Bradyn Tate for the title. Ward carried a 1-0 lead after scoring an escape in the early stages of the third but suffered a takedown late to fall 2-1.

Two freshmen, Jax Adams (126) and Reed Wilson (144), placed third in their respective weight classes to secure state tickets. 

Adams won his opening matches with a 16-0 tech fall victory and an 8-0 major decision victory. He fell in the semifinals to the district's top seed and responded back in his bubble match with a 6-2 decision win over Lebabon's Luke Smith to earn his state berth. In the third-place bout, Adams faced Springfield Central's Rylan Lashley and defeated Lashley 11-3, scoring two points in the first, four in the second, and five in the third. 

Wilson opened the district tournament with a first-period win by fall and a 17-3 major decision quarterfinal victory. He dropped a tough semifinal match in the third period 4-1 but answered in his bubble match with a dominating performance, defeating Waynesville's Jonah Manuel 18-3 to secure his state berth. Wilson pinned Ray-Pec's Connor Gatlin at the 4:57 mark and a 5-0 lead to crown third.

CJ Cribbs (106), Kaden Young (150), and Owen Diemoz (165) had strong district outings and fell in their bubble matches one win away from a state berth.

Nixa's four state qualifiers will compete in the Class 4 state tournament on Feb. 23-24 at Mizzou Arena.