Alston leads area wrestlers in Super 32

GREENSBORO — A few wrestling state champions from Randolph County had varying results in this month’s Super 32 Challenge

Lorenzo Alston, a three-time champion from Uwharrie Charter Academy, had the most success, though he wasn’t able to live up to his fourth-seeded status entering the tournament at the coliseum complex in Greensboro.

Alston went 4-2 at 157 pounds. He won three matches before he was stopped with a 2-1 loss to 13th-seeded Liam Kelly of Mokena, Illinois, in the round of 16.

Alston then handled Hortonville, Wisconsin’s Declan Koch by 11-3 before suffering a 1-0 loss to Jake Hughes of East Liverpool, Ohio. Kelly finished sixth and Hughes ended up seventh.

Earlier, Alston controlled Eric Ellis of Boiling Springs, South Carolina, for a technical fall in less than three minutes, handled Matthew Arndt of Gainesville, Virginia, by 10-2 and dominated Luke Knox of Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, for a 12-3 decision.

At 190 pounds, Wheatmore’s Dominic Hittepole had a first-round bye before falling by 11-4 to Noah Templin of Manheim, Pennsylvania.

Hittepole then blanked Jordan Crouch of Greenbrier, Tennessee by 7-0 before he exited via a technical fall in 3:45 against Holden Hoiness of Laurel, Montana.

Wheatmore 126-pounder Ayden Sumners defeated Darion Johnson of West Linn, Oregon by 7-0 in his first match. Sumners then lost in 3:13 to Elijah Scriven of Greenville, Pennsylvania, and dropped a 2-1 decision to Austin Guerrieri of Milton, Delaware.

Trinity 113-pounder Aiden Burkholder began with a 16-3 loss to Julian Zargo of South River, New Jersey. He responded to defeat Shawnley Clervoyant of Lake Worth, Florida by 5-3 before losing 7-3 to Tahrik Bailey of Rincon, Georgia.

Earlier this month in the Journeyman Fall Classic, another national-type tournament, in Schenectady, New York, Alston placed third with a 4-1 record and Hittepole ended up sixth. Alston had the highest finish of any North Carolina wrestler.