FIRST DAY ACTION COMPLETE IN NCHSAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
GREENSBORO — The North Carolina High School Athletic Association state wrestling championships at the Greensboro Coliseum got underway on Thursday evening with the first round of competition in three classifications.
The 4-A wrestlers were the first ones to wrestle on the opening day, followed by the 2-A and then the 3-A competitors.
Perennial power Winston-Salem Parkland, with 10 wrestlers winning their opening round matches, has 29 points to 21 for second-place Fayetteville Jack Britt in 4-A competition. Then comes Huntersville W.A. Hough with 18.5 points in third, followed by Lake Norman (13) and a tie for fifth between defending champ Southern Pines Pinecrest and Northern Durham with 11 points.
Last year Pinecrest snapped Parkland’s string of state tournament titles at five, over two different classifications. A total of 73 4-A schools have wrestlers in the championships.
In 2-A action, Newport Croatan and Newton-Conover, the two schools who competed for the dual team title a couple of weeks ago, were at the top of the standings. Croatan scored 21.5 points in the opening round while Newton-Conover and Monroe Piedmont are tied for second with 18. Hampstead Topsail has 17 and Trinity 16 points. There are 66 schools with wrestlers in the 2-A competition.
Croatan has won two of the last three tournament crowns, with Trinity winning last year, and Newton-Conover won this year’s dual championship.
Orange leads the 3-A team standings after one round with 18.5 points to 18 for Cameron Union Pines. North Gaston is third with 15.5 points, followed by Concord Jay Robinson (13.5) and a three-way tie among Gastonia Ashbrook, East Rowan and Hickory St. Stephens with 12. There are 83 3-A schools represented in the championships.
Orange is the defending tournament champion and qualified 10 wrestlers into the state tournament, with six winning Thursday night.
The 2-A, 3-A and 4-A classifications will begin competition Friday morning with the first round of consolations starting at 9 am. The 1-A class, with a smaller field of wrestlers, will start Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. with quarterfinals.
The championship matches in all classifications are scheduled for Saturday evening, starting at 5 p.m. with the Parade of Champions.
