Junior Wildcat Wrestlers host On the Prowl tourney
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<p class="p1">The A-J Junior Wildcats Wrestling Club hosted its annual On The Prowl youth wrestling tournament at Anna-Jonesboro Community High School on Jan. 4. The event featured 230 wrestlers from 19 teams and three states.</p><p class="p1">As usual, the event featured a cross-section of community support.</p><p class="p1">Young performer Julia Hall opened the day by singing the national anthem.</p><p class="p1">“Julia’s really become a staple of the tournament,” said A-J Junior Wildcats Wrestling Club communications director Rollie Hawk. </p><p class="p1">“Having someone who can perform the national anthem that well sets the day’s tone so much better than a recording.”</p><p class="p1">Angela Cerney provided medical trainer services.</p><p class="p1">Table workers included some of the club’s older wrestlers, high school wrestlers, various family members of the club and professional wrestler “Farmer” Billy Hills. </p><p class="p1">Concessions and ticket sales were handled by parents and grandparents.</p><p class="p1">High school head coach Eric Massey emceed the event.</p><p class="p1">Recently retired county board of commissioners chairman Don Denny and boys’ basketball head coach Matt Denny braved the weather and manned the grill. Denny’s signature pork steak sandwiches were a hit, as usual.</p><p class="p1">Local IT consulting firm Union County Technology Solutions provided monitors and laptops that acted as timers and scoreboards at each of the tournament’s five mats.</p><p class="p1">“We get a lot of compliments on having the electronic scoring at each table,” explained Hawk. </p><p class="p1">“As a coach, it makes a huge difference being able to see not only the score but the clock. That’s not something you get at a lot of local tournaments.”</p><p class="p1">For the first time, the club used TrackWrestling.com for registrations, payments and bracketing.</p><p class="p1">“I’m definitely sold on it,” said head coach Grover Mays. “Things ran a lot smoother using Track.”</p><p class="p1">“Using Track Wrestling allows results to be tracked in almost real-time on the Internet,” added Hawk. </p><p class="p1">“So you can be sitting in the stands and follow the brackets as they progress. That’s another convenience you don’t see at a lot of local tournaments.”</p><p class="p1">Following the tournament, Mays presented a $500 donation from the club to superintendent Rob Wright for the high school wrestling team in return for helping run the tournament.</p><p class="p1">“The high school wrestlers did a great job for us and the club appreciates it,” said Mays.</p><p class="p1">High school head coach Eric Massey was very pleased with what he saw in terms of the overall event and the wrestling talent displayed.</p><p class="p1">“It was a great tournament, Grover Mays,” said Massey. “Great turnout. Nice to see what the A-J Wildcat wrestling program has to look forward to. A lot of very good wrestlers coming up. I’m excited for the future of our high school program. You do an excellent job. Keep up the good work. It doesn’t go unnoticed.”</p><p class="p1">Individual results from the tournament follow, with the wrestler’s name, age, division, place, wins and losses:</p><p class="p1">Titus Dover: 5, 6&U, 4th, 1-3. Korbin Hale, 5, 6&U, 3rd, 1-2.</p><p class="p1">Noah Chotner, 7, 7&8, 3rd, 2-1. Kyle Conway, 7, 7&8, 4th, 0-3.</p><p class="p1">Tate Miller, 7, 7&8, 2nd, 2-1. Travis Samuels, 7, 7&8, 3rd, 1-2. </p><p class="p1">Kane Buchmeier, 8, 7&8, 4th, 0-4. Daniel Dover, 8, 7&8, 2nd, 2-1.</p><p class="p1">Kylie Hale, 8, 7&8, 4th, 1-3. Drew Holshouser, 8, 7&8, 4th, 1-2.</p><p class="p1">Drew Sadler, 8, 7&8, 9&10, 2nd, 1st, 4-1. Zoee Sadler, 8, 7&8, 1st, 3-0.</p><p class="p1">Milam Smith, 8, 7&8, 3rd, 2-2. Nile Chotner, 9, 9&10, 1st, 3-0.</p><p class="p1">Thomas Macy, 9, 9&10, 4th, 0-3. Caleb Mays, 9, 9&10, 1st, 3-0.</p><p class="p1">Brett Smith, 9, 9&10, 1st, 2-1. Madilyn Hawk, 10, 9&10, 9&10, 3rd, 2nd, 1-3.</p><p class="p1">Kaden Lincoln, 10, 9&10, 3rd, 1-2. Grover Mays, 10, 9&10, 11&12, 1st, 1st, 6-0.</p><p class="p1">Barry Johnson, 11, 11&12, 2nd, 2-1. Wyatt Dowdy, 12, 11&12, 4th, 1-3.</p><p class="p1">Carsten Christy, 13, 13&14, 2nd, 1-2. Ben Dowdy, 13, 13&14, 2nd, 2-1.</p><p class="p1">Nathan Kisat, 13, 13&14, 4th, 0-3. Aiden Jacobs, 14, 13&14, 3rd, 1-2.</p><p class="p1">Christopher Johnson, 14, 13&14, 2nd, 3-1. Catie Mays, 14, 13&14, 1st, 3-0. Marshall Ramage, 14, 13&14, 2nd, 2-1.</p>