Prep wrestling: Wheatmore’s Sumners reaches 100 wins and more; Area grapplers rack up tourney wins

Ayden Sumners reached the 100-win mark for his career in one tournament and the Wheatmore junior added more in the next tournament in a couple of pre-Christmas events.

Sumners, a reigning state champion, captured the 132-pound title in the Jerry Hampton Invitational on Dec. 20 at Central Davidson. He had missed the Warriors’ previous tournament outing a week earlier with a ribs injury.

Sumners had a 53-second pin and technical fall before blanking Mount Airy’s Justice Collins 9-0 in the final.

Wheatmore’s Dominic Hittepole won the 190 division. He followed a first-period pin and a technical with 48-second pin of Southeast Guilford’s Lucas Simmons in the title bout.

Wheatmore heavyweight Maddox Russo was the runner-up, registering three first-period pins before losing by technical fall to Southeast Guilford’s Brian Bellerand. Teammates Dylan Harris (106) and Spencer Moore (150) placed third.

Central Davidson won the 16-team tournament, with Southeast Guilford the runner-up, Mount Airy in third place and Wheatmore fourth. Southwestern Randolph was 12th.

Rafael Flores of Southwestern Randolph was fourth at 215.

Then in the Tiger Holiday Classic, a two-day, 45-team tournament last week in Chapel Hill, Sumners was dominant again, this time at 126 pounds.

Sumners won with a pair of first-period pins and a second-period technical fall before he was awarded the title via a medical forfeit from Jace Barrier of Mooresville.

Russo was busy on the way to third place at heavyweight. He had three pins, including a 55-second version against Wyatt Johnson of Cardinal Gibbons in the third-place match, among his six victories. His lone loss came in overtime in the third round to eventual runner-up Hagen Barker of Eden Morehead.

But Hittepole, a 2025 state champion, suffered his first defeats of the season. He easily won two matches with pins in a total of 59 seconds before a 10-7 overtime loss to Croatan’s Luke Padgett, who later claimed the title. Hittepole led 6-2, but a third-period stalling infraction and Padgett’s takedown in the final seconds of regulation extended the bout.

That was followed by Hittepole’s 13-5 loss to New Bern’s Amanuel Kahsai in a consolation round.

Parkersburg out of West Virginia was the team champion.

 

Elizabeth Barry Memorial Invitational

At Charlotte, Trinity standouts Aiden Burkholder, Steven Cross, Omega Edge and Joseph Trahan were tournament champions Dec. 19-20.

Trinity, the only team with more than one individual champion, was a huge team winner with 252 points, with host Mallard Creek next with 157 among 40 teams.

Burkholder (113 pounds) notched three pins and a major decision before a technical fall in the third period against Porter Ridge’s Corey Sanchez.

Cross (120) had three first-period pins and a decision before earning a second-period technical fall against East Rowan’s Catoe Byrd in the final.

Edge (132) won his fourth match in the final, stopping Charles Thompson of Mallard Creek in 1:25 for his third pin of the tournament.

Trahan won the heavyweight final by 5-0 against Charlotte Catholic’s Dom Basrawala. Trahan earlier had four pins, all in 85 seconds or quicker.

Addam Bernal (157) was the runner-up, winning four matches before a 10-4 loss to Wakefield’s Kaliil McDowell.

Javen Palmeri (106) placed third and Edgar Vasquez (126) and Hezekyah Matson (138) were fourth.

In girls’ competition, Asheboro’s Grace Redding was the 235 runner-up with two pins before losing by a second-period pin to Mallard Creek’s I’yonia Squirewell.

 

Great Smoky Mountain Grapple

At Asheville, Uwharrie Charter Academy won the team title among 42 teams with 176 points, edging Northwest Guilford (174½) and Pisgah (165½).

Paxton Kearns at 126 pounds and heavyweight Michael Shropshire were UCA’s titlists.

Kearns had two pins and two technical falls before defeating Enka’s Sheppard Homan 14-1 to win the title.

Shropshire’s fourth match was an 11-4 victory against East Gaston’s Nick McClellan in the final.

Rick Riccardella (150) and Travis Nobles (157) claimed third places, while Andrew White (120) was fourth.

 

Mark Adams Holiday Classic

At Cary, Eastern Randolph’s David Lambright and Maddox Carson were runners-up in the tournament Dec. 19-20.

Lambright allowed only one point in his first three matches to reach the 126 final, where he dropped a 7-0 decision to Hoke County’s Jekai Sedgwick.

Carson won three bouts at heavyweight before falling 2-1 to Davante Johnson of St. Stephens. Johnson broke a third-period tie.

Trevor Crabtree of the Wildcats placed fourth at 138.

Eastern Randolph was 11th among 31 teams.

 

Eagle Invitational

At Mebane, Randleman’s Alex Raymundo was the team’s lone champion in the Dec. 20 tournament at Mebane Arts & Community Center.

Raymundo pinned two opponents in the first period and then in a finals match between 2025 state qualifiers he finished Southeast Alamance’s Judah Robinson in 4:35.

David Pugh (165) and Hunter Hall (215) were runners-up for the Tigers. Pugh recorded three pins before he lost by a first-period pin to Orange’s Markus Thomas. Hall had two first-period pins before he was stuck by Southeast Alamance’s Maleek Booker.

Randleman’s Lloy Bosan (126) and Shane Stevens (157) were third.

Orange was the team champion, edging Southeast Alamance. Elijah Watson (126) of host Eastern Alamance was selected as the Most Outstanding Wrestler.

 

Wildcat Invitational

At Gibsonville, Oscar Zelaya of Asheboro was the 132-pound champion. He secured two pins and a technical fall and then needed less than two minutes for a technical fall of Eastern Guilford’s Jazir Donnell in the final.

Asheboro’s Quanta McRae was the 175 runner-up in a four-wrestler bracket. Teammates Jose Martinez (150) and Jonah Lester (285) placed third.

Eastern Guilford, the host school, won the 14-teram title, with Bandys the runner-up. Asheboro placed fifth.

 

Grapple at the Grove

At Climax, Providence Grove won its four meets in round-robin competition on its home mats Dec. 20.

Jeremiah Payne, Aiden Poplin, Skyler Henderson, Caden Mercardo and Ryan Bullard all went 4-0 for the Patriots.

Providence Grove defeated Bishop McGuinness 65-6, East Surry 45-35, Jordan-Matthews 44-29 and Western Guilford 47-29.