On Saturday, LCHS freshman Austin Swarts won the Missouri State Submission Fighting Championship during the North American Grappling Association's Submission Fighting Championship tournament.

This is Swarts' third submission fighting state title. He has won the Missouri title twice now and the Illinois title once. With the championship win, Austin has cemented himself into the expert division, the top 10 percent of all Midwest grapplers and top 5 percent of Illinois fighters. Austin trains year-round out of Team Warrior Concepts, of Springfield, Ill., with coaches Scot Ward and Lex James when he is not in wrestling season with coach Brad Gardner.

Austin's next tournament will be at the end of April in Chicago.

Photo by T.J. Swarts   (Click on image for a larger version.)

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