Mt. Vernon’s Devin Kendrex is one of two Marauder wrestlers remaining in championship round matches today at the 43rd Al Smith Classic.
The Daily Reporter File Photo
Staff report
Greenfield-Central, New Palestine and Eastern Hancock have a combined 16 wrestlers competing today in the championship round of the Connersville Spartan Classic.
The two-day event concludes today with quarterfinals, semifinals and championship matches, as well as, consolation round competition.
East Noble leads the event with 86.5 points, just .5 ahead of Greenfield-Central. There are 32 teams in the field. New Palestine heads into today’s rounds in 11th (56 points). Eastern Hancock is 18th (51 points).
The Cougars have seven wrestlers still in contention for a weight-class championships. New Palestine has five and Eastern Hancock four.
For the Cougars, Jett McGuire (106), Lincoln Parsons (113), Cade Zuber (120), Cohen Hager (145), Isaiah Holden (152), Clay Guenin (170) and Brayden Flener (285) moved on to the championship round.
Guenin is 19-0 on the season. He received a bye and won by fall in just 17 seconds.
The Dragons advanced Gunner Butt (106), Cole Vandygriff (113), Bryce Doss (120), Jaedyn Jeffries (152) and Shaun Glass (195) to quarterfinal rounds.
For Eastern Hancock, Zayne Badgley (126), Cameron Volz (132), Gabe Johnson (170) and Brayden Tincher (182) are among the final eight in their respective weight classes.
Five weight classes include two Hancock County wrestlers. At 152, Holden and Jeffries will go head-to-head for a spot in the semis. At 106, 120 and 170, county wrestlers are on opposite sides of the bracket. At 113, if both win quarterfinal matches to start the day, Parsons and Vandygriff would meet in the semifinal round.
Action is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. today.
Marauders put two in semis
Mt. Vernon wrestlers Aiden Kiner and Devin Kendrex have advanced to today’s championship semi-final round of the 43rd Al Smith Classic in Mishawaka.
Kiner won three matches in the 145-pound class, including a 6-4 decision over Cathedral’s Dillon Graham in the quarterfinals, Thursday.
Kendrex, the county’s only returning state qualifier and one of only two area wrestlers still unbeaten on the season (along with Greenfield-Central’s Clay Guenin) went 3-0 on the day. He won by technical fall, fall and finished the day with a 5-2 decision over Bellmont’s Keagan Martin in the quarterfinals.
Mt. Vernon will also have wrestlers competing today in consolation rounds.
Crown Point leads the 32-team event with 161.5 points. Center Grove has 151.5. The Marauders are 20th with 62.5 points.
Matches are scheduled to get started at 10 a.m. today.
