Chason Sachs had reason to be thrilled after he found out his results in the USA Mullet Championships on the evening of Aug. 14.

The 12-year-old Wellsville resident not only earned a top-25 nationwide finish, but he was also awarded the top mullet in all of Missouri.

Chason placed 13th out of over 1,000 competitors in the kids division of the mullet contest. He was the top finisher out of all of the Missouri contestants.

“I wish I could have won that, but I’m happy to have the best mullet in Missouri,” Chason said.

The strong finish in the mullet contest was part of an outstanding summer for Chason, who will turn 13 on Nov. 16. In July, he helped the East Central Starz team – which was made of players from Montgomery City, Wellsville and Martinsburg – win the Lincoln County Athletic Association 12-and-under division title and finished 14-0.

“I was really proud of him,” said Gina Sachs, Chason’s mother. “At the (Montgomery County) Fair, he passed out business cards with the information on it. Just seeing him do things that adults can’t do like talking to strangers, promoting himself and sharing about it, it was really awesome. It built his confidence, too.”

The USA Mullet Championships awards the best mullet in the kids, teens, men’s, women’s and people 55 years old and older. It originated in 2020 as the Michigan Mudflap Contest before it became a nationwide contest.

Also three years ago, Chason couldn’t get a haircut due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic that closed many businesses, including barber shops. So he decided to grow a mullet, which is a popular hairstyle that has been worn by celebrities such as Patrick Swayze, Billy Ray Cyrus and Mel Gibson.

Chason uses plenty of conditioner and a wet brush for his mullet.

“It’s a little hot,” Chason said. “But I’m already used to it. I get a lot of compliments at baseball games and in public about my hair.”

Chason said Harrison Bader, a former St. Louis Cardinals baseball player who currently plays for the New York Yankees, inspired him to get the mullet.

“The season before coronavirus, I was a big fan of the Cardinals,” Chason said. “Harrison Bader is my favorite player. Then, the coronavirus happened and I couldn’t get a haircut. So I decided to grow it out like his.”

Chason competed in the USA Mullet Championships for the second time this year. Last year, he placed in the top 100.

Gina said she first found out about the contest through social media.
“Several people tagged us in the post from Facebook, saying that there was a competition,” she said. “Enough people knew that Chason was growing a mullet. They thought it would be fun. We stumbled across it.”

Results of the mullet contest were based on online voting, judging and donations. Money raised in the event goes toward Jared Allen’s Home For Wounded Warriors. Chason raised $639.77 in donations, earned 3,659 votes and had 122 points.

Chason said since he had plenty of support, he was confident that he was going to win the contest.

“A lot of people were saying, ‘Keep on going,’and other things. They were cheering me on,” Chason said. “I thought I was going to go all the way.”

Gina said even though her son didn’t win anything for his 13th-place finish, he got plenty of recognition from local residents.

“He can’t go to Wal-Mart without somebody recognizing him,” Gina said.

Rory Ehrlich, a 6-year-old from West Pottsgrove, Pa., won the kids division and earned $5,000 of prize money. Ezekiel Arita, a 3-year-old from Hawaii, placed second. Kamden Cunningham, a 5-year-old from Swoyersville, Pa., came in third.

“We really didn’t check out the other competition too much,” Gina said. “We just focused on Chason and him getting his points. There was one other guy (Dre Bell) Chason felt like it was his toughest competition. That kid ended up in fourth place.”

Chason will be a seventh-grade student at St. Joseph Catholic School in Martinsburg this fall. He said he can’t wait to share his amazing summer to his friends and teachers.

“I’m kind of excited to go back to school, see my friends and tell stories about our summer,” Chason said.