In Farmington, Missouri, there’s a building where sweat hits the mat like clockwork, where echoes of grit and glory bounce off the walls, and where a single name carries decades of dominance: Krause. They don’t just call it the wrestling room—they call it The House of Krause. And that’s not just a nickname. It’s a monument to a family that has shaped one of the most respected wrestling programs in the state of Missouri, from its roots in dusty gymnasiums to the bright lights of state championships.
The Krause legacy in Farmington wrestling didn’t start with trophies or titles. It started with a father, Jim “Papa” Krause, who simply wanted to give his sons a shot at something greater. In 1984, he launched the Mineral Area Wrestling Club, unknowingly planting the seed for a dynasty. His sons took to the mat—Jimmy, Lance, Mark, and John—each leaving their own imprint, but it was Mark and John who turned that seed into something massive.
Mark Krause wrestled with a quiet intensity that turned into a lifelong devotion. After high school, he competed at Forest Park Community College, then SEMO, and thought he was done. But with one year of eligibility left, he strapped the headgear back on. That fire never faded. By 1991, he was back in Farmington—this time as head coach—bringing a vision with him that would change everything.
Five years later, his brother John joined him as an assistant. John was fresh off a wrestling career that spanned Missouri State (then Southwest Missouri State) and the University of Oklahoma, surviving injuries and surgeries and qualifying twice for nationals. Together, the Krause brothers built something special. They weren’t just teaching takedowns—they were building a culture. A mindset. A family.
In 1995, the program crowned its first two state champions. A year later, they took third in the state. By the early 2000s, Farmington Wrestling had become a juggernaut, winning back-to-back-to-back state championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002. The era from 1996 to 2004 was so dominant, it was officially enshrined in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
But the Krause impact isn’t measured in medals alone. It’s in the way John Krause still leads his room—with sleeves rolled up, drill shoes on, grinding alongside his wrestlers. He doesn’t need to bark orders or play the disciplinarian. The room is built on trust and work. He creates the structure, the intensity, the expectation—and his athletes rise to it.
That culture is still alive. Just last season, three wrestlers placed in the top 10 at state, with two winning championships. One, Aiden, stunned the bracket by toppling a two-time returning champ. Another, Presley, took on a mid-season weight class drop and still came out on top. But it wasn’t just about the wins—it was about what it took to get there. When Presley needed a coach for a major competition in West Virginia, John didn’t hesitate. He got on a plane and flew across the country to be in his corner. That’s the kind of coach he is—hands-on, all-in, and fiercely committed to his athletes. It wasn’t just talent that carried those boys to the top. It was the swagger. The belief. The Farmington edge.
And it all starts young. Todd Brackett, now an employed assistant coach for the high school team, runs the Mat Rats youth program – where kids from pre-school to sixth grade are sharpening their skills year-round. He volunteers his time over the summer, just to keep them on the mat consistently. That’s the kind of commitment that has kept the pipeline strong and steady. Brackett, once a wrestler himself, is now shaping the next wave under John’s full confidence and trust.
With one of the largest, most committed groups of freshmen and sophomores in recent memory, the program is poised for another run. John admits his coaching days may be numbered, but the future? The future looks like fire. With the right kids, the right coaches, and the right culture, Farmington is ready to climb again—toward victory, toward championships, and toward forging the next generation of tougher, smarter, and stronger athletes who carry the Krause legacy forward.
Wrestling isn’t for everyone. It demands everything – grit, technique, heart, and an appetite for adversity. It’s not a game. It’s a grind. And in Farmington, it’s more than a sport. It’s tradition. It’s family. It’s legacy. It’s the House of Krause, and it still stands strong.