Brown Set To Wrestle At Missouri Valley

From not wrestling his freshman season to finishing second in state as a senior, Tristan Brown had one of the most interesting careers in Sullivan’s rising program.

The 2020 Sullivan High School graduate wrestled as an eighth grader, but he didn’t like it. He chose not to wrestle that freshman season, then came back on the mat as a sophomore.

In just three seasons, he racked up the accolades. 

He won his weight class at districts his senior season, helping Sullivan to the program’s first-ever district championship.

At state, he was just seconds away from becoming a champion, but he fell short to Monett’s Harrison Merriman.

Brown finished as a three-time state qualifier and two-time all-state wrestler. He took sixth in 2019 and came back even stronger in 2020.

Former head coach Matt Peregoy said Brown was one of his hardest workers, and he has used that to sign at Missouri Valley College.

“I knew a couple people who went there and they had pretty good things to say about the school,” said Brown, who will pursue a degree in forensic pathology. “I’ve always been set on being a forensic pathologist. I looked at different schools and talked to other coaches who said they could get me in this program, which can lead into this. But Missouri Valley has forensic science, so I can go right into that.”

Brown said he may not wrestle right away and there are at least two guys who are in the same weight class, but he’s confident his hard work and determination can get him on the mat.

“I’m sure I can earn my spot,” he said. “I’m not only a hard worker, but a strong-minded person. When I have a goal, I’m set on that and I work until I achieve it.”

Brown, who also was an accomplished football player, was a leader on the gridiron and the mat, according to his former coaches.

Former head coach Cody Davis referred Brown last year as more of a quiet leader, but Brown said he can also be vocal.

“I do expect a lot from my teammates, as they do from me. When it’s time to say what needs to be said, I say it,” he said.

While Brown and teammate Evan Shetley were never formally captains of the wrestling team, Brown said Peregoy bestowed on them the responsibility of setting a good example.

“Coach told us the guys look up to us and when we fall off the path, we need to get it back on track,” he said.

Asked what changed for him on the mat his senior season, Brown said it was a matter of listening more and of course, putting in the work.

“I listed to my coaches more,” he said.

He also changed his approach to become more offensive.

“My sophomore year I was scared to shoot on people,” he said. “This year I made it one of my goals that I wanted to wrestle offensively. I pushed guys into my match. It helped me a lot with being able to tire them out and have more endurance.”

Brown said his best memories were the camaraderie he had with his teammates.

“We got to do a lot of fun things last season,” he said. “Just hanging out in the hotels and the pool. We also went to an escape room. It was a very cool experience.”