Fulton Sun

Having conquered a No. 1, Cody Pae is aiming to become the ultimate No. 1.

Fulton head coach Eric Hudson just wants to make sure Pae doesn’t let his guard down in his pursuit of a state title.

Pae — ranked second at 126 pounds in Class 2 by MissouriWrestling.com — will guide a collection of five Fulton qualifiers into the 82nd MSHSAA Wrestling Championships starting this morning at Mizzou Arena in Columbia.

First-round and first-round wrestleback matches in Class 2 begin at 10 a.m.

A three-time qualifier, Pae medalled with a fifth-place finish at 125 pounds in 2011. Also entertaining thoughts of a state title is Fulton 145-pound senior Zack McClure, who is making his fourth and final appearance in the championships.

Pae and McClure, both two-time state medalists, will be joined by a trio of sophomore qualifiers for the Hornets — Jared Keiser at 106 pounds, John Kingsley at 170 and Paul Books at 182. Keiser and Kingsley are both two-time qualifiers, while Books will be making his first trip to the state championships.