Area wrestlers earn spots in state title brackets

Feb. 22—Sixteen area wrestlers will compete in this weekend's South Carolina High School League individual state championships after earning their spots this past weekend.

The championships are back at the Anderson Sports & Entertainment Center after last year's were held at Dreher High School. Weigh-ins are scheduled for Friday morning, with quarterfinals and semifinals to follow. The consolation rounds are Saturday morning, and the championship rounds are set for Saturday afternoon.

The group of championship participants is highlighted by a pair of Lower State champions, each of whom defended his Lower State title from a year before. South Aiken's Carson Sessoms is a No. 1 seed at 126 pounds after doing the same at 120 last year, and Aiken High's Triston Williams is once again the top-seeded heavyweight from the Lower State. Sessoms and Williams each finished in third place last year.

Two more area wrestlers are returning to the individual state championships. Aiken High's Will Brinkley is a No. 2 seed at 182 pounds after advancing at 160 last year, and Midland Valley's John Burke returns to the heavyweight bracket as a No. 3 seed after finishing fourth last year.

South Aiken's Cayden Hart is the area's other No. 2 seed after a runner-up finish at Lower State at 145 pounds.

No. 3 seeds include Wagener-Salley's Trevor Hair (106 pounds) and Byron Murray (120), South Aiken's Ian Shaffer (138), North Augusta's Jack Johnson (152) and David Havasy (182), and Aiken High's Jayden Fuller (220).

No. 4 seeds include Midland Valley's Kareem Nelson (106), South Aiken's Hunter Faulkner (132) and Walker Griswold (195), Aiken High's Fabian Johnson (160) and Jonathan Mangione (170).