photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State senior Grayson Hagen gets his hand raised during a win in the Sunflower League tournament on February 8, 2025, at Shawnee Mission West High School.

The Free State wrestling team unveiled a special singlet for this season, one with a patch with the initials “BH” on the right corner. The first time senior Grayson Hagen saw them reminded him of something he already knew: His brothers on the team love and support him.

Hagen’s mom, Barclay Hagen, died of a pulmonary embolism in October, and the team came to support the family. His teammates are like brothers to him, and not just because his younger sibling, Brogan, is on the team. They have all wrestled together since the Hagen family moved to Lawrence when Grayson was around 5.

“It felt really good (to see the patch),” Hagen said, “just knowing that these guys are my family. They’re looking out for me and taking care of me.”

Free State wrestling means a lot to Hagen. It is filled with literal and figurative brothers he has wrestled with since elementary school. They do almost everything together and have a genuine connection beyond the mat.

As a senior, it means a lot to Hagen to leave a legacy on the Free State wrestling program. He succeeded as a regional champion and became the school’s first 150-win wrestler earlier in the season. Now, he’s in a good position for a state tournament run as the No. 1 wrestler from the West in the 165-pound weight class.

“I feel good about where I’m at,” Hagen said. “I can beat anyone in that bracket. I have a good look at winning it. I just need to go out there, have fun, and leave it all on the mat.”

Hagen started wrestling at age 3 in Iowa. His dad, Dean, got him into the sport, and after a quick one-year hiatus, Dean got him back into it. Since then, wrestling has always been a part of his and his family’s lives. Wrestling gives Hagen a chance to really feel like an older brother.

“It’s been nice having my brother to bring up and have me remember where I was and recognize that we’ve come so far,” Hagen said. “It’s super fun to watch.”

Hagen said his dad would always be his “main coach,” but Randy Streeter and the Free State coaching staff have also held an equally longtime place in Hagen’s wrestling world. The amount of time that Hagen has spent wrestling with Streeter and his sons helps make the team’s family dynamic so strong. They’ve all grown up together, and Streeter has been able to watch Hagen grow as a person alongside his youngest son, Drew.

“Grayson has been a part of my life since he was 5 years old,” Streeter said. “He wrestled in my club. He and his family have been a big part of our program for the last four years. He’s battled a lot this year. His work ethic sets him apart.”

Hagen entered the program as a freshman and started on varsity, which was a big deal to him. He proved he belonged when his first win came against a good wrestler who went on to be a two-time state placer. Still, he relied on the older guys in the room to help guide him through his first two years at the high school level.

It’s Hagen’s turn to be that veteran presence for younger wrestlers, and he takes the role seriously. He’ll join some of the younger Firebirds in a drill if they aren’t doing it correctly and will work with them until they’ve got it. He feels it’s up to him to show the next group of Firebirds the way and to ensure that the program keeps churning out great wrestlers. To him, it’s a system that Streeter has installed, and it’s up to the upperclassmen to maintain.

“All the guys that have come here… it works,” Hagen said. “What we do here creates good wrestlers.”

Hagen has already carved out a name for himself in Free State’s history with his school-record wins and his success in the regional and state tournaments over the years — his name will hang on banners in the school for a long time. But the legacy he hopes will stay with the program beyond his graduation is more about who he was off the mat. He wants to be remembered as a friend, as a mentor and as a hard worker, because his teammates were all of those things for him, from his freshman year learning the ropes to his senior year overcoming his loss.

“I really wanted to leave a legacy on this school,” Hagen said. “I have a lot of underclassmen I’m friends with. I have my little brother wrestling here. I’ll be someone who can inspire them to work hard, too.”