West Union’s Alexis Cowan (center) moves to the district tournament as a sectional champion after winning her weight class at least weekend’s sectionals. (Photo courtesy of Ohio Valley Wrestling Club)
Local wrestlers advance to district meets
By Mark Carpenter
People’s Defender
Though sometimes under the local sports radar, the wrestling squads at West Union and Manchester have completed their regular season schedules and last weekend grappled headlong into the postseason, competing in sectional tournaments with hopes of advancing to the district meets.
In West Union, where the wrestling program has flourished for a few years now, the Dragons’ girls program produced a repeat sectional champion in senior Alexis Cowan. Cowan, who will be continuing her wrestling career at the next level at Rio Grande and picked up her 100th high school win earlier this year, moved on to district competition after being crowned sectional champion for the second time in the 235 weight class, pinning Greenfield McClain’s K.C. Foster for the title. The girls sectional tournament was hosted by the Gallia Academy in Gallipolis.
West Union has another girls district qualifier as Cheyenne Gross qualified with a fourth place finish in the 135 weight class. Both Cowan and Gross will move to the district tournament on Sunday, March 2 at Big Walnut High School.
The West Union boys will have two district qualifiers, led by two-time sectional champion Ethan Cantrell. Cantrell, who has committed to Mount St. Joseph University for his college wrestling career and earlier this season collected his 150th high school win, won his second sectional in the 120 weight class by decision over Albany Alexander’s Landyn Wandling. The Division III sectionals were hosted by Albany Alexander High School on February 21 and 22.
Also qualifying for districts from the West Union boys program in the 126 weight class was Ethan Wheeler with his fourth place finish.
The Manchester boys wrestling program under Coach Nick Neria can still be considered a fledgling program, but the Greyhounds will be represented at the Division III district meet by a pair of qualifiers.
In the 113 weight class, Colton Arnett finished in third place in the sectional meet, getting a decision over Ironton’s Liam Aimekinder in the third place match up. In the 190 weight class, Brendan Barnes will move on to the district meet after placing fourth overall, dropping the third place battle to Reedsville Eastern’s Gavan Smith.
With fifth and sixth place finishes, the Greyhounds also have district alternates in Hunter Stephens, Parker Neria, Mason Gilliam and Hunter Shelton.
The Boys Division III district meet will be held on Friday, February 28 and Saturday, March 1 at Coshocton High School.
