New Madrid County Central senior earns fifth place at Class 1 MSHSAA Wrestling Championships

One sudden movement was the difference between sixth and fifth place in the MSHSAA Wrestling Championships last year.

As a senior, he was determined not to go out like that again.

New Madrid County Central senior Connor Henderson pinned Mason Adkisson of Centralia in the third round to win fifth place in the 190-pound bracket during the Class 1 MSHSAA Wrestling Championships on Thursday, Feb. 27, at the Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo.

“Honestly, I take it as a complete success,” Henderson said. “Last year, I got sixth place. To me, that means I keep getting better.”

Henderson made it to the state tournament each year he wrestled at NMCC. In each of his four years as an Eagle, he has ended with an increased amount of wins.

“Progress is progress,” Henderson said. “I just think I’m doing better.”

Henderson secured all-state status on Wednesday, Feb. 26, after winning his first two matches. He led 11-0 in the third round and survived nearly getting pinned to escape with an 11-7 decision. He won his quarterfinal bout in a second-round pin to advance to the semifinals.

“It feels great, feels like hard work paying off,” Henderson said. “There were a lot of practices all season, just getting here and doing all this makes it all worth it.”

Henderson was pinned with a second to go in the first round of the semifinal bout against Mayson Edwards of South Harrison (41-7), who went on to win the state championship.

Henderson was then defeated by Logan Wilson of Trenton in the third round by fall drop to the fifth-place match, the same place he finished his junior season.

While the first day was filled with triumph and elation, the second day was a test of his resolve.

“It’s just a really big high and a really big low,” Henderson said. “I feel like my main thing is I didn’t want to do is end on a losing streak. It all worked out for the best.”

This year, Henderson was coached by someone who was once a teammate during his freshman year. Jacob Wilcox was a state qualifier in his own right and was with Henderson during his junior and senior years before graduating in 2022.

“It feels like you always got somebody on there with you, somebody that knows you back from way back when,” Henderson said of Wilcox. “It just adds a lot of familiarity and comfort to coaching. Feels like, since he knows me from my younger days, he knows what I’m good at, knows what I’m bad at. He really helped me get to where I am now. So it just feels like he’s been coaching the way through.”

Henderson finished his final season with a 27-3, a Class 1 District 1 championship, and a fifth-place medal at the Class 1 state tournament. It’s a small step in terms height difference between where the sixth-place finisher and fifth-place finisher stand on the podium.

For Henderson, it was a giant leap.