Despite a mid-season slew of injuries that prevented the Wrestling team from progressing into team playoffs, the Vikes had a great start to the postseason individually in counties with 106lb Clark Boinis, 152lb Hamoon Shokoohinia, and 195lb Jonah Brain all placing sixth in their weight classes along with 182lb Matthew McClanahan placing fourth.
Boinis had an impressive tournament run, winning five matches in a row, after losing in the opening round. He was narrowly defeated 7-2 in the fifth-place match.
Shokoohinia had a strong run into the fifth-place match, exemplified by a dominating second period pin against a Clarksburg opponent in the seventh-place match. However, he then was pinned in the first period in the fifth-place match by a B-CC opponent who bested him during the regular season.
Brain managed to claim sixth while only scoring two points the entire tournament, with one win in a close 2-1 decision and the other two coming off forfeits. He lost in the fifth-place match with a first period pin.
McClanahan had a hot start to the tournament, winning his first match on a 12-1 major decision and the second with a second period fall. After being edged out 7-6 by his Churchill opponent, he lost to the defending county champion from Damascus in the fourth place match.
Along with the four placers, Whitman will send 145lb Mitch Fenton, 126lb Andrew Shiman, and 170lb Ezra Alexander to the regional tournament this weekend. Fenton and Shiman were both favorites for state titles before contracting mononucleosis. Neither could compete in the county tournament, but had earned a sufficient ranking during the regular season to allow to them to compete in regions.
Alexander tied for seventh place at counties, but has also earned a sufficient ranking during the regular season to qualify.
“It was a hard tournament and there were a lot of talented wrestlers there. Luckily I didn’t give up and I’ll be competing in regions very soon,” Alexander said.
The regional tournament will be held starting this Friday at Sherwood High School.
