SALEM, Va. – Staunton River runs rich with gold tonight. The Golden Eagles ran away with the Class 3 wrestling team championship--with 8 finalists and six champions, including three-peats from Colin Martin at 132 and Noah Nininger at 150. Nininger delivered a dramatic third-period pin.
“Yeah, it’s awesome. All the guys in the room working hard all coming together. It’s great seeing some of our teammates win state titles,” the three-time champ said.
“That’s probably the coolest part about it. Just seeing these kids do something for the community seeing the success that we’ve had and it’s only gonna continue, so it’s really cool to kind of see how we’re building something really, really special,” Staunton River head coach Scott Fike.
Also in Class 3, Christiansburg’s Brady Hand cashed in on a state title at 138, and William Byrd’s Darin Witcher won by fall at 106. In Class 2 action it was Radford earning the top team spot of our class 2 contestants, finishing 4th. The Bobcats were led by the state champion Taven Williams at 157.
Glenvar had a pair of state champs including Ethan Flowers by fall here in 3:17, and teammate Chase Miller at 190. And James River’s Xaiden Wynn won by fall to capture gold then had to take the high road..as his vanquished opponent wasn’t quite finished.
And in Class 1 Rural Retreat had a pair of champs including Caleb Gibson at 113 and Odell Stroupe at 165. But it’s Grayson County that notches a pair of state champions, including Sergio Rodriguez at 126. They finish as the Class 1 state runner-up and take home state silver.