Wrestlers strong in Crawfordville
Published 9:24 pm Tuesday, January 11, 2011
WRESTLING MEDAL WINNERS get together behind their fourth place trophy at the River Springs Middle School Bear Claw Classic in Crawfordville, Fla. From left, front row; first place medal winners T’shombe McKay and Dalin Mack. From left, second row; second place finishers Curt Marshall, Mason Birdsong and Grayson Heard. From left, third row; third place finishers Jack Reynolds and Rashad Gibson. From left, back; fourth place finishers Josh Williams, Hayden Guy, Blake Merchant, Glenn Cooper, Mike Bush, Ashton Cato and Shawn Herring.
Coach Chad Smith’s Bainbridge Middle School wrestling team turned in a strong performance Saturday at the River Springs Middle School Bear Claw Classic in Crawfordville, Fla.
It was an all day event with competition beginning at 10:45 a.m. and concluding at 9 p.m.
In the first round of competition, 24 of BMS’ 28 wrestlers moved on to put themselves in a great winners’ bracket position.
Going into the finals without having a loss on the day were Grayson Heard in the 97 pound division, Mason Birdsong in the 121 pound division, Curt Marshall in the 142 pound division, T’shombe McKay in the 154 pound division and Dalin Mack in the 162 pound division.
Each Bearcat gave a good performance and T’shombe McKay and Dalin Mack won first-place gold medals. Grayson Heard, Mason Birdsong and Curt Marshall won second-place silver medals.
In the consolation finals, Ashton Cato, Shawn Herring, Hayden Guy, Blake Merchant, Rashad Gibson, Mike Bush, Josh Williams and Jack Reynolds all wrestled well. Rashad and Reynolds won third-place medals and Cato, Herring, Guy, Merchant, Bush and Williams had fourth-place finishes in their respective classes.
“I was proud of our wrestlers’ efforts,” Coach Smith said. “We finished fourth for a second consecutive year behind only River Springs, Suwannee and Lake City. We finished ahead of Georgia schools Cairo and Lee County.”