Statesmen advance to regionals: Five Randolph-Henry wrestlers win Quad River Conference 34 championships

Published 10:25 am Wednesday, February 8, 2017

All 12 members of the Randolph-Henry High School varsity wrestling team qualified for regionals by placing in the top four of their respective weight classes at the Quad River Conference 34 tournament on Feb. 1 at Nottoway High School.

Five Statesmen won their respective weight classes, including senior Christopher Nichols, at 126 pounds, senior Michael Nichols, at 132 pounds, senior John H. Walker, at 160 pounds, senior Spencer Parrish, at 170 pounds, and junior Caleb Calhoun, at 285 pounds.

As a team, Nottoway won the conference tourney with a score of 205, producing four weight-class winners. Randolph-Henry came in second with 184 points, Amelia County High School was third with 140.50, Goochland High School was fourth with 109 and Bluetone High School was fifth with 75.

“Our team wrestled mostly the same competition as the previous week and came out better than previously,” Statesmen Head Coach Dean Schwartz said. “R-H wrestled hard, and the results showed that.”

Christopher Nichols, Michael Nichols, Parrish and Calhoun won all of their matches by pin. Walker won his semifinal match by pin and his final match by a 6-2 decision.

Randolph-Henry wrestlers to earn second place included senior Franklin Morton Jr., in the 195-pound weight class, sophomore Billy French, at 145 pounds, and senior Zach Tharpe, at 120 pounds.

Freshman Matthew Aydlett placed third in the 106-pound class, and the three Statesmen to place fourth included freshman Travis Adams, at 113 pounds, freshman Chandler Newcomb, at 138 pounds, and freshman Danny Parrish, at 182 pounds.

The Region 2A East tournament will be held Friday and Saturday at Strasburg High School. Wrestling is set to begin at 3 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. on Saturday.