Patton boys, girls wrestling teams combine for five in-county wins
The Patton boys and girls wrestling teams ran roughshod over fellow Burke County squads over the past week, with the boys downing East Burke, Draughn, and the North Carolina School for the Deaf and the girls topping the latter two of those schools.
The Panther boys (3-10, 2-0 Western Piedmont 3A/4A Conf.) won 39-36 at EB on Dec. 12 before both a 40-35 win over Draughn and 60-0 win over NCSD at Tuesday’s home tri match.
Against both the Cavaliers and four days later against the Wildcats, Patton’s Brady Christian (285 pounds) won via pinfall in the evening’s final match as the Panthers pulled out a pair of league-opening wins.
Other PHS winners included Taylor Baker (106; forfeit), Gabriel Puac Miguel (132; decision), Cayden Marshall (144; pin), Cavan Sullivano (165; forfeit), Landon Smith (175; forfeit), and Connor Mahoney (190; pin).
East Burke (0-11, 0-2 WPC) countered with a pinfall victory from Daniel Cook (150) as well as forfeit wins via Jason Gates (120), Tucker Chapman (126), Julius Kershner (138), Austin Sanderfer (157), and Jaxson Wiley (215).
Against Draughn, Patton’s winners were Baker (106; forfeit), Desirae Smith (120; pin), Marshall (144; pin), Liam Singleton (150; forfeit), Sullivano (165; major decision), and Mahoney (190; pin).
Gaston Garrison (132) claimed a 15-0 tech fall, and the Wildcats (3-8, 0-2 WPC) picked up forfeit victories from Adrien Prakuson (126), Wade Garrison (138), Elijah Morgan (157), Lucas Foley (175), and Landon Clark (215).
Patton and Draughn both topped NCSD (0-8) in boys action by identical 60-0 scores at Tuesday’s tri in Morganton.
The Panthers got wins over the Bears from Baker (106; forfeit), Smith (120; forfeit), Puac Miguel (132; forfeit), Marshall (144; forfeit), Singleton (150; pin), Emily Aguirre (157; forfeit), Sullivano (165; forfeit), Richard Snyder (175; forfeit), Mahoney (190; forfeit), and Christian (285; forfeit).
The Wildcats’ wins over NCSD came via Azalynn Rutherford (120; forfeit), Prakuson (126; forfeit), Gaston Garrison (132; forfeit), Wade Garrison (138; forfeit), Morgan (157; pin), Cayman Lewis (165; forfeit), Foley (175; forfeit), Ely Ledford (190; forfeit), Clark (215; forfeit), and Lukas Rivera (285; forfeit).
Draughn ended last week with a 62-10 league-opening loss at home against R-S Central despite wins from Gaston Garrison (132; pin) and Foley (175; major decision).
After an earlier win over Freedom this season, the Patton girls improved to 3-0 versus in-county competition at home Tuesday as they topped Draughn by a 24-18 margin and defeated NCSD, 24-6.
The Patton girls (5-4, 1-0 WPC) got a pair of wins on the evening from Baker (107; two forfeits), Smith (120/126; two forfeits), Madeline Perez (145; two forfeits), and Aguirre (152; two forfeits).
Draughn’s girls (1-5, 0-1 WPC) got forfeit wins over Patton from Rutherford (120), Diamond Vasquez (165), and Genesis Figueroa (185), while the lone win for the NCSD girls (0-6) over Patton came via Harmonii Pearson (126; forfeit).
Draughn-NCSD girls results from the tri were not available. Freedom’s boys (1-1) were set to wrestle in a quad Tuesday against West Caldwell, South Caldwell, and East Rutherford; results were also not available.
And the EB boys on Tuesday lost 75-6 to Hibriten and 42-24 to Tuscola in a home tri match. The Cavaliers got a win apiece at the event from Gates (120; second-period pin), Chapman (126; first-period pin), Angel Rodriguez-Hernandez (132; forfeit), Kershner (138; forfeit), and Daniel Capps (190; forfeit).
SWIMMING
Panthers sweep five-team road meet
The Patton boys and girls teams both finished first in a five-team meet hosted by Isothermal Community College in Spindale on Dec. 12.
The Lady Panthers’ Ana Sic won the 100 butterfly in a automatic 3A regional-qualifying time (1:16.01) and also claimed the 200 individual medley (2:52.96), while Carter Phillips hit an automatic regional berth in his 200 IM win (2:39.79) and also finished first in the 100 backstroke (1:13.70).
Blake Peahuff also swam to an automatic regional berth in winning the boys 100 fly (1:07.95), and Jolann Buff joined Sic and Phillips with two individual event victories as she claimed the girls 200 freestyle (2:41.51) and 500 free (7:37.96).
Gabby King (girls 100 breaststroke, 1:28.58) and Dominick Curtis (boys 500 free, 7:10.01) won an event apiece for Patton, who was also victorious in four relays.
Those winning relays included the girls 200 medley squad of Buff, King, Sic, and Elora Pike (2:31.46); girls 200 free squad of Buff, King, Sic, and Zoe Gregory (2:14.26); boys 200 medley of Phillips, Peahuff, Liam Bradshaw, and Trevor Throneburg (2:12.34); and boys 200 free relay, also composed of Phillips, Peahuff, Bradshaw, and Throneburg (1:55.94).
On Tuesday, Patton was joined by Draughn and East Burke at a five-team Hibriten meet, with the Draughn girls placing second, Patton third, and EB fourth and the Patton boys taking second, with Draughn in third and EB fourth.
Bradshaw (boys 100 fly, 1:12.60) and Phillips (boys 100 back, 1:09.20) won for Patton and teamed with Peahuff and Throneburg to claim the boys 400 free relay (4:15.20).
Saylor Watson (girls 100 fly, 1:09.62; 100 free, 1:03.17) won twice for Draughn, Aldridge claimed the girls 50 free (30.57), and they both teamed with Raeghan Williams and Olivia Miller on the first-place girls 400 free relay (4:49.08).
And EB got a win apiece from Haiden Dale (boys 100 free, 57.77) and Gage Allen (boys 500 free, 6:26.11).
INDOOR TRACK
Draughn collects 3 wins, Patton 2 wins
Draughn athletes participated in a 19-team Alexander Central polar bear meet on Thursday, Dec. 11, claiming three total wins.
Leading the way was the Lady Wildcats’ Adelei Morrow, who won both the 1000 meters (3:51.43) and 1600 meters (6:31.57) and also took third in the high jump event.
Jerome Ramseur collected DHS’ other victory, winning the boys 55-meter hurdles (8.33) and also placing fourth in the long jump.
The Draughn girls and boys 4x200-meter relays both finished second, as did Noah Thomas in the boys 1000 meters (3:10.38). Maria Medrano (girls long jump) and Natalie Crowe (girls 300 meters) placed third, Ryan Parker (boys 300 meters) was fourth, and Carson Winkler was fifth in the boys shot put, two spots ahead of teammate Kealan Metcalf.
Patton and NCSSM-Morganton then competed at the 17-team Polk County Reindeer Games meet on Dec. 13, with Patton claiming a pair of event victories.
Cross country state champion Elise Sawdy won the girls 3200 meters (11:21.78), and the PHS girls 4x800 relay squad (10:58.91) was also victorious.
Layla McGuire was third in the girls 1000 meters (3:31.58), Julia Niehoff was fourth in the girls 1600 meters (6:20.72), with teammates Anna Aiken seventh and Evelyn McGuire ninth in the same event, and Isaiah Cook placed sixth in the boys 500 meters.
The Dragons’ effort was led by Owen Howard’s third-place effort in the boys pole vault (10’). Max Vaughan was fourth in the boys 1600 meters (4:49.19), and Brayden Tody was fifth in the boys 1600 meters (4:59.37) and sixth in the 1000 meters.
Between those two events, Freedom opened the season at the 16-team Northwest Cabarrus December Invitational hosted by JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem on Dec. 12, with Patriots’ athletes achieving five personal bests at the meet.
Senior Justice Dominguez, running in his first indoor meet ever, recorded a quick 6.76 clocking in the boys 55-meter dash in a team-best eighth-place finish. Also finishing 30th or better in the boys 55 meters were Brooks Snipes (7.02, 24th) and Jusian Perkins (7.08, 28th).
Snipes also recorded a PR in the 300 meters (37.60, 14th), as did Frank Harrelson in winning his heat of the 1600 meters en route to finishing ninth overall with a 4:53.25 clocking.
FHS’ Mlonlue Yang was ninth in the boys triple jump (34’9½”), and the 4x200-meter relay also placed ninth.
The top performers for the girls were Lexi Norris (20th in 1000 meters), Abigail Call (21st in 1000 meters), Kaylin Norman (21st in long jump; 34th in 300 meters), and Jolaina Operato (27th in 300 meters; 33rd in 55 meters).
Paul Schenkel can be reached at 828-445-8595 or paul@thepaper.media.
