So far, wrestling has been pretty good for Chase Ebker.

The 10-year-old Jonesburg resident has enjoyed success in the sport since he started competing in it five years ago. Recently, he wrapped up an outstanding season that included a Missouri AAU state championship and a Missouri USA state runner-up finish as a member of the Wright City Junior Wrestling Club.

“It’s a fun sport,” Chase said.

Chase, who is 5-foot-2 and weighs 188 pounds, was pinned by Paul Grado of Greater Heights Wrestling in Kansas City in the 10-and under 190-pound championship match at the Missouri USA State Wrestling Championships, which was held March 12-15 in Springfield. Also this season, he won his first AAU state championship, captured a USA district title and came out on top in the Missouri Nationals Tournament.

Chase’s accomplishments have definitely impressed his mother, Kasey.

“Chase has worked so hard practicing with his team and coaches for hours multiple nights a week,” Kasey said. “When he puts his mind to something, he puts his whole heart into it. He is a determined little boy with a heart of gold. I am so proud of him and everything he has accomplished this season.”

Now, Chase hopes his success would help bring wrestling to Montgomery County. One of his goals is to see a youth program developed in the county.

“He’s hoping that Montgomery will get a wrestling team within the next couple of years, but we’ll see,” said Daniel Ebker, Chase’s father.

Chase started wrestling when he was 5 years old. He has wrestled in Warren County throughout his whole career. He wrestled at Warrenton the first two years before joining the Wright City program.

“We have a friend, Tony Peacaut, who is the head coach of the wrestling team, and he asked about Chase and they were making some changes at Warrenton,” Daniel said. “We didn’t really know what they were going to do or not do, so we decided that we were going to wrestle for Wright City.”

Chase first got interested in wrestling while he was playing soccer at TSM Sports in Warrenton.

“I’ve seen some wrestling and I kind of wanted to do it,” Chase said. “My friends said Warrenton had a wrestling team and I kind of started to go to it.”

Daniel said his son has been passionate about wrestling ever since he started it.

“I think he likes the ability that you get to go out on your own and work as yourself and be your own individual,” he said. “It’s a team sport to a degree, but in a little division, it’s each man for himself and he kind of likes that you can put in your own work and you can see all of the results for what you get for yourself.”

Chase was one of two Wright City wrestlers who placed at the USA state tournament. The other was Hector Cardoza, who won a state title in the 12 and under 125 division, becoming the first wrestler in program history to capture a state championship.

Chase won his first two matches by pin before losing in the championship match. It’s the second year in a row he placed runner-up at USA state.

“He took it pretty tough,” Daniel said. “When they’re 190 pounds, they’re pretty tough to work off the bottom. He had about 15 seconds left in the second period and he (Paul Grado) got him on his back and he couldn’t get out from under it. It started out where Chase had him work him down, but he went for the pin too fast and just didn’t get him to work down flat and then build off of it.”

Daniel said Chase was excited when he won the AAU state title. The AAU state tournament was held in St. Charles in February.

“It’s been something he’s been working on for a couple of years,” Daniel said. “Last year, he took second. The year before, he took third. Each year, he wrestled pretty hard to get there and then something didn’t work right when we got in there. This year, it kind of came together. He got it done this year. He was hoping to get it done on both of them, but it didn’t pan out.”

Chase is a fourth-grade student at Jonesburg Elementary School. He also plays football and baseball.