Drake Lovvorn

Next weekend March 3rd and 4th Topeka, Kansas will be the host of the 60th annual NAIA National Wrestling Championships at the Expocentre and Holton native will hit the mats to compete in the action.

Former Holton Wildcat, Drake Lovvorn is continuing his wrestling career at Wayland Baptist University in Texas and with a third place performance last week at the NAIA National Championship South Qualifier earned a spot at the National Championships. Lovvorn opened up his action at 174lbs at the South Qualifier hosted in Ottawa, Kansas with a pinfall win in his first match in 2:59 that put him in the Semifinals. In the Semifinals Lovvorn suffered a tough 6-2 decision loss but bounced back to win in the consolation Semifinals by a 6-0 decision. In the third place bout Drake would cap the tournament with a 10-3 decision win and qualify for Nationals in the process and helping his team take second place at the South Qualifier.

On the year Lovvorn has performed strong carrying an 18-5 record on the mats competing for Wayland Baptist who ranks #19 in the latest Top 20 NAIA Wrestling rankings. At Wayland’s home tournament on the year the former Holton Wildcat took second place posting a 2-1 record in action. Lovvorn also isn’t the only Holton tie to Wayland Baptist wrestling as his coach Aaron Meister is a Holton native and Kane Lovvorn also wrestled at Wayland graduating last year.

Back in high school Drake was a strong performer on the mats for Holton laying claim to four Big Seven League titles at four different weight classes, while also wrestling to a pair of fourth place finishes at State in Class 4A his senior and junior years.

Lovvorn looks cap off his season on the mats with a strong performance for Wayland Baptist when he competes at the National Championships on March 3rd and 4th in Topeka.