After finishing second at the state tournament a year ago, Zyan Knollmeyer returned to Mizzou Arena determined to finish the job.

The Helias Catholic junior did exactly that at the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) state wrestling championship, winning the Class 3 285-pound title with a four-match run that began with two pins, continued with a dominant semifinal, and ended with a gritty one-point victory in the title bout.

His route to the top has been an interesting one. Knollmeyer said he didn’t originally see wrestling as the sport in which he would eventually excel. He began in the seventh grade after his parents encouraged him to become more active, and because they believed wrestling would help him develop for football.

“My parents wanted me to get more active,” he said. “And, also, I really wanted to play football. They said that wrestling helps a ton, so my parents put me in wrestling. It was kind of against my will. I really didn’t want to wrestle at all.”

Football became part of his athletic identity, but over time, he noticed that wrestling progress came faster. “I believed that I was going to excel in my football career, not exactly my wrestling career,” Knollmeyer said. “But in my sophomore year, I was doing pretty well in wrestling and football, but I could definitely tell that I was getting a lot better at wrestling a lot quicker than I was at football.”

He responded by leaning harder into wrestling, attending camps in the offseason, and sharpening his skills. “I didn’t really expect to be good at wrestling, but it kind of just came in front of me, so I worked at it.”

Knollmeyer opened the tournament by pinning Kaden Lamb of Central of Cape Girardeau (1:50), and followed with another fall in the quarterfinals, decking Jaylen Mitchell of Van Horn (3:21) to move into the semifinals.

With a return trip to the state final on the line, Knollmeyer turned in one of his strongest performances of the weekend, defeating Samuel Pilkinton of Raytown by a 10-2 major decision.

That set up a championship match against Louden Bolinger of Webb City, and unlike the first three rounds, the title bout turned into a tense, defensive battle.

Knollmeyer remained composed, found the decisive point, and held firm the rest of the way to secure a 1-0 decision and the state title.

The championship capped a dominant weekend in which Knollmeyer did not allow an opponent to score more than two points in any match.

The title carried added significance because Knollmeyer had been here before.

Last season, he reached the state finals and finished second, an experience that helped shape the mentality he brought into this year’s tournament. Unlike last year, when the run itself was somewhat surprising, Knollmeyer said this time he entered state with a different level of belief.

“Last year was definitely a surprise,” he said. “This year, I feel like it was expected, because I knew what I was capable of, and I kind of just went into state this year just kind of knowing I was gonna win.”

That confidence did not come without pressure, and as Knollmeyer built an undefeated season, the weight of expectations grew heavier with each match.

“As I neared 20 wins and zero losses, I kind of started to feel a little bit of pressure,” he said. “And then as I went on, 31-0, it was pretty heavy going into a match, just knowing I really can’t lose.”

He said the key was trusting both his preparation and his ranking.

“If I just go out there and do my best, perform at the level I know I can, I feel like there is no chance of me losing,” he said.

That mindset showed throughout the tournament.

Knollmeyer overpowered Lamb in the opener, then finished Mitchell in the quarters. In the semifinals, he controlled Pilkinton with steady pressure and positioning, then showed another side of his wrestling in the final — patience, discipline, and the ability to win a low-scoring heavyweight match when every movement mattered.

Heavyweight bouts often come down to positioning, balance, and composure, and Knollmeyer displayed all three in the closing round.

Despite winning at an elite level, Knollmeyer said confidence has remained one of the biggest challenges in his development.

“Even as good as I am, I still go into some matches more timid than I should be and end up underperforming,” he said. “Even if I do win the match, I still feel like I end up underperforming.”

That internal battle makes this year’s state title all the more impressive.

The champion who walked off the mat in Columbia was not simply the strongest wrestler in the bracket that weekend, but a competitor who had learned to carry both expectation and memory — the surprise of last year’s runner-up finish, the strain of staying unbeaten, and the burden that comes with knowing everyone wants to knock off No. 1.

Outside the spotlight, Knollmeyer presents himself differently than many might expect from a state champion heavyweight.

“Off the mat, I’m definitely … pretty kind,” he said.

Knollmeyer said he works to keep the same consistency regardless of the opponent.

He also credits much of his success to his family, whose support has remained constant through the highs and lows of competition.

“I’m immensely fortunate for the situation I’m in with the family that I’m with,” he said. “We just all love each other so much. I’m really thankful.”

That gratitude was visible in the aftermath of the championship, which represented more than a medal.

It was the completion of a climb. A year after walking away with second place, Knollmeyer returned to the biggest stage in Missouri high school wrestling and left no doubt.