In high school sports, every athlete dreams of that ultimate goal – making that deep playoff run and eventually winning a state championship. It’s a rare and challenging feat, accomplished by only a select few. As only a sophomore, Wyatt Dannegger reached an outstanding milestone by winning a Missouri state wrestling title.
Now a junior, Dannegger continues to build on his early success. He has so much love for the sport and enjoys everything about it.
“My favorite thing about wrestling is traveling and being with friends,” Dannegger said. “I love the people and the coaches.”
After wrestling for 11 years, he has accomplished many different things on his wrestling journey. Part of that journey was a goal he had early on to win a state title.
“Since I first started wrestling as a kid, this has been a goal of mine,” Dannegger said.
Over the years, he has trained alongside very high-level athletes. According to Dannegger, they have always pushed him really hard, and they all have played a role in the success he has had as a wrestler.
“By going hard and pushing me in the wrestling room and making sure I stayed focused on my goals,” Dannegger said. “Even if I was exhausted or overwhelmed, I had my teammates.”
Many different coaches have played a crucial role in Dannegger’s development as well. Chris Brown, the head boys wrestling coach, in his 24th year at FHN, has guided Dannegger for many years.
“I started coaching Wyatt when he was 6 years old and I knew back then that he was quite the athlete, and I just saw him getting better and better,” Brown said. “So, pretty much when I saw him in 6th grade, I knew he was going to be a hammer for the state of Missouri.”
Dannegger has always had a strong support group. Between his coaches and family, there are a lot of people who want to see him succeed.
“I would say my dad wanted me to win the most,” Dannegger said. “He pushes me every day and just wants to see the best for me and my future.”
Other people have also noticed how much his dad has supported him.
“I don’t think his dad ever missed a meet and he’s always there trying to give him opportunities to get better at the sport he loves,” Brown said.
The road to the state championship match was not easy, he faced many strong opponents along the way and had to stay on top of his game to get there. However, one match stands out as one of the biggest hurdles.
“The hardest moment was getting through the semis match at state,” Dannegger said. “It was a 1-0 win and I just had to stay contained the whole match to win.”
While the physical aspect of the sport is incredible for wrestlers, the mental aspect plays a big role as well. According to Brown, Dannegger’s approach in this area has definitely helped him.
“He’s got a good mindset going into his matches, he’s cool, calm, collected, and he doesn’t get rattled,” Brown said.
After winning the state title as just a sophomore, his goal is to repeat as a junior and senior. Dannegger knows it isn’t going to get any easier and he knows he has to work even harder than he has in the past.
“I plan on keeping the same mindset that I’m going to win,” Dannegger said. “Keep working hard and having that mentality, and it should be no problem.”
