Alexander wraps up record-setting career

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHELLE MUNDLE
Maryville native Bryce Alexander, right, just completed his college wrestling career at Hannibal-Lagrange University as the most decorated wrestler in program history. Alexander holds the single-season record for wins (33) and was also the first wrestler in program history to reach 100 victories and the first All-American wrestler in school history.

Most wrestling rooms are set up fairly similar — mats all over the floor, benches and workout equipment off to the sides and names and accolades adorning the walls.

This is where Bryce Alexander’s legacy will forever be remembered.

His name can be read several times on the wrestling room at Maryville High School as well as at Hannibal-Lagrange University in Hannibal, Missouri, where he recently completed a stand-out four-year career on the mats.

“Just the shear numbers of what he accomplished is something that will be up on our wall in our wrestling room and something we can point at every day,” Hannibal-Lagrange wrestling coach Scott Hawes said. “His legacy is going to be something we can point at for a while. He’s somebody that not only was he our first All-American and first 100 match winner and the season win record, but he was also a four-year wrestler. He set the standard that if you stick with it and work hard, you can be at a small school and wrestle at a high level and be one of the best wrestlers in the nation.”

Before Alexander walked the halls of Maryville High School, he wrestled for two year in Henderson, Kentucky advancing to state as a freshman in the 119-pound weight class and finishing eighth in the state at 135 lbs. in 2008 as a sophomore.

Then came the move to Maryville and subsequently, back-to-back Class 1 state championships.

Alexander won the 152 lb. title in 2009 with a 42-1 record. He repeated that record and final outcome at 160 lbs. the next year, drawing interest from colleges to continue his career.

He chose Hannibal-Lagrange, where he was the first-ever two-time Missouri state champion to commit to the Trojans.

Alexander said there were several reasons for choosing Hannibal-Lagrange, such as the scholarship, the distance from home and the ability to compete, but not be consumed by wrestling.

“I wanted to wrestle and I wanted to compete, but I didn’t want to make it my life,” he said. “I was going to always work hard, but sometimes (wrestlers) get too focused on wrestling and not really what you’re there for, which is to get a degree. Then they either drop out of wrestling or dropping out of college and none of those are the goals.”

Hawes also sold Alexander on the newness of the program and the ability to leave a legacy at the NAIA school.

“We were a newer program and we were looking for someone with potential, but maybe some other people passed over. He was a two-time Class 1 state champion and sometimes the Class 1 state champions don’t get the looks of Class 4,” Hawes said. “I think it was a good fit. It was a combination between the fact that we’re a Christian university, we’re a smaller school, we’re a newer program and we were looking for someone to come make history. I think he was attracted to the possibility of making history for us, as well.”

Alexander admitted Hawes sold him on making history.

“He was saying ‘We’re trying to build a program here that’s going to last and you have an opportunity to say you were one of the first guys,’ and that really stood out to me,” Alexander said. “I liked that about it and that was my goal — get all of the records before I left.”

That was one thing Alexander was quick to do — cement his name on the wall as one of the best.

Alexander set a school single-season record with 33 victories on his way to 108 career wins — the top mark in school history. He is the only wrestler in Trojan history with over 100 and was the school’s first All-American.

In addition, he was a two time Academic All-American, earning third team honors in 2013 and second team accolades following his senior campaign in which he went 19-3 and earned All-America status on the mats as well. He finished sixth in the 165 lb. weight class this season, but got a concussion in the quarterfinals or could have possibly placed higher.

For his hard work, he was honored by the Hannibal-Lagrange coaching staff as the school’s Male Athlete of the Year.

He just hopes the work he put in sets a standard and his records are soon surpassed.

“Hey, I hope the get broken. I hope they get broken soon,” Alexander said. “I hope they do good, but I was the first guy on all of the boards, so that means a lot to me.”

Alexander graduated in May with a degree in Business Administration and recently landed a job back in Henderson, Kentucky. He said wrestling played a part in getting the job, as well.

“I actually just got a job and the guy that was hiring me, I asked him what stood out to make him call me. He said, ‘Well everyone I interview has a degree, but not everyone wrestled and was an All-American and an Academic All-American while going to school,’” Alexander said. “I’m just a normal guy now, the days of being an athlete are over, I guess.”

While he is working on getting settled into his new job and doing “normal adult things,” he knows the mats will call him back soon, and he’s looking forward to the time when he is able to give back to the sport, much like those that spent their free time helping him reach one of the highest levels the sport has to offer.

“It’s kind of a hectic time in my life right now with just getting a job and trying to move out, but the first thing I’ll do when I’m settled down is find the nearest high school wrestling program,” Alexander said. “This has been my 12th year wrestling. All the state championships and All-Americans, once you get through all of that, it’s the relationships that you build. I wouldn’t have got to this point if I don’t know how many people came in in their free time and coached me, wrestled around with me. Who knows, I could just go in some high school wrestling room three or four times a week and end up helping to change some kid’s life and not even know it.”

For now, though, he’s just looking forward to getting out in the professional world and watching his little brother, Nathaniel, wrestle as a senior next year for Maryville High School.

“My little brother is wrestling for Maryville High right now,” Bryce said. “He’s going to be a senior next year. He’s already placed at state multiple times, so now I’m living vicariously through him next year. Just watching his success will be fun.”