Badgley, Carter win sectional wrestling championships
WASHINGTON C.H. — For two days, the Hillsboro and McClain wrestling teams competed with other area schools for the right to be called sectional champions, and once the event was completed at the gym of Washington Senior High School Saturday evening, the two Highland County schools each had a sectional champion.
For McClain, senior Jake Badgley won his championship at 160 pounds, improving to 40-6 overall on the season. The wins in the sectional round make him the first McClain wrestler since Brandon Davis to reach the 40-win mark. Davis finished eighth at the state tournament in 2013.
Hillsboro’s sectional champion was Dawson Carter at 106 pounds. Carter, a sophomore, is now 40-2 overall this season.
To reach the district tournament, wrestlers had to place in the Top 4 in their respective weight classes, and for Highland County, there were a total (counting the sectional champions) of six wrestlers to place in those spots.
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The Tigers saw sophomore Keegan Rawlins place third in the 126-pound class, improving to 31-11 overall, and sophomore Tommy Johnson placed fourth in the 138-pound class, as he now has 12 wins on the season.
Hillsboro will have sophomore Mason Stanley at the district tournament, as he placed fourth in the 152-pound weight class, earning his 14th win of the season over the weekend. Also for the Indians, senior Curran Butler placed third in the 170-pound class, moving to 23-8 overall this season.
As a team, the Tigers placed seventh, and the Indians were eighth. Winning the team sectional championship was the Miami Trace Panthers.
The Tigers had two wrestlers in Tanner Tite (120 pounds) and Kyler Trefz (152 pounds) both place fifth in the sectional tournament, becoming district alternates. Hillsboro’s Jed Asmus was fifth in the 182-pound class, as was Lane Cluff in the 285-pound class. If one of the four wrestlers who finished ahead of them in their weight classes is unable to wrestle next week for any reason, they will take their spot in the tournament.
Also being sectional placers for both Hillsboro and McClain were Shane Huff of MHS at 106 pounds and Deegan Boris at 195 pounds, with both placing sixth.
The Tigers also saw Jamaine “Batman" Barnhart wrestle two matches, but he was unable to secure a victory in the 132-pound class. "Batman" is a senior and has wrestled his final match for McClain. Coach Shane Paul said this of Barnhart: “He has done himself, his family, his school and his community proud.”