wrestling

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Clay Sugg

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Clay Sugg

Southwestern Randolph, football/wrestling  Sugg was an all-Piedmont Athletic Conference lineman for the Cougars, who had their best football season in school history last fall. He was a senior. Sugg was also an all-conference performer in wrestling. He racked up a 32-8 record, concluding by winning his final five matches on the way to a third-place finish in Class 2-A in the state tournament at 195 pounds. Those five victories came with two pins followed by three decisions, including two outcomes that avenged losses from the Midwest Regional a week earlier. Sugg has entered the military, joining the Army. This concludes…
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David Makupson gears up for next challenges

David Makupson gears up for next challenges

David Makupson of Trinity reacts to winning the Class 2-A state title at 138 pounds during the past season in a match vs. Will Nix of Bandys. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record) Trinity’s state champion built powerful prep career TRINITY — In order for Trinity’s David Makupson to become a high school state champion in wrestling, he took a path of nonstop pursuit of that goal. He thought he worked hard to attain that. Now, he’s aiming even higher. “I just know I have to work that much harder if I want to be on the D-I level,” Makupson said. “I got…
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College Notes: Hill picks up first win, league award

College Notes: Hill picks up first win, league award

Uwharrie Charter Academy alum Hunter Hill was named Rookie Pitcher of the Week recently in the USA South Conference for baseball. Hill, a North Carolina Wesleyan freshman from Asheboro, threw four shutout innings across two relief outings. He gave up a total of four hits with four strikeouts and without a walk. Hill, a right-hander, logged the victory in N.C. Wesleyan’s 3-2 victory at Greensboro College. The result marked his first career decision. That was part of what became a six-game winning streak for the Battling Bishops, who take a 23-14 overall record and 15-3 USA South mark into the…
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Area wrestlers stick with it for solid finishes

Area wrestlers stick with it for solid finishes

Uwharrie Charter Academy’s Doug Bowles lifts Mount Airy’s Connor Medvar in the air during the 170-pound bout in the Class 1-A finals Saturday at the Greensboro Coliseum. PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL GREENSBORO – It was an encouraging start to the state tournament for Randolph County wrestlers Thursday. And not a bad finish either by Saturday. Aside from state champions David Makupson (138 pounds, Class 2-A) of Trinity and Aldo Hernandez (132, Class 1-A) and Grayson Roberts (160 pounds, Class 2-A), there were solid performances that lasted all the way to their final matches. Randolph County wrestlers excelled in the first…
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Winning it all motivates state champs Makupson, Roberts, Hernandez

Winning it all motivates state champs Makupson, Roberts, Hernandez

Trinity’s David Makupson, top, controls Will Nix of Bandys in the Class 2-A 138-pound final Saturday at the Greensboro Coliseum. GREENSBORO – Contending for state championships in years past was part of the motivation for Trinity’s David Makupson and Uwharrie Charter Academy’s Grayson Roberts. Experiencing the winning feeling again was part of the quest for UCA’s Aldo Hernandez. All three wrestlers ended up as titlists Saturday at the Greensboro Coliseum. Makupson, a senior, put together a dominating four-match run through the 138-pound division in Class 2-A, winning the states after fourth-place finishes in each of the past two years. “Fourth…
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Asheboro’s Santos finds wrestling niche, wins regional

Asheboro’s Santos finds wrestling niche, wins regional

GIBSONVILLE – Xavier Santos was relatively late to find wrestling as a preferred sport. But he’s finding it to be a good time. The Asheboro junior secured a regional championship at 113 pounds Saturday, and he’ll lead a contingent of Blue Comets to the Class 3-A state tournament. Santos won all three bouts in the two-day Midwest Regional at Eastern Guilford. The last of those was a pin in 1:12 of the regional final against Oak Grove’s John Courson. The Blue Comets will send five wrestlers to states this week at the Greensboro Coliseum, with twin brothers Luke Lambeth (160…
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UCA gives strong battle, falls in 1-A final

UCA gives strong battle, falls in 1-A final

Uwharrie Charter Academy’s Grayson Roberts works for a takedown against Avery County’s Bradley Parker at 160 pounds Saturday. GREENSBORO – Uwharrie Charter Academy came within a couple of matches of claiming a state championship in dual team wrestling. The Eagles rallied at times but ultimately came up short in a 39-30 loss to Avery County in the Class 1-A championship meet Saturday afternoon at the Fieldhouse at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. Avery County picked up its second straight state championship. For UCA, it was a memorable experience. “I thought the kids performed outside of their minds,” coach Chris Waddell said.…
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UCA advances to state wrestling championship

UCA advances to state wrestling championship

Uwharrie Charter Academy’s Jair Ulloa works the arm bar against East Davidson’s Bryson Young in the 145-pound match in November. PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL ASHEBORO —Randolph County will be represented in the Class 1-A dual team wrestling state championship meet as Uwharrie Charter Academy is the last remaining of the five county teams that qualified for the postseason. UCA (35-0) will face Avery County for the state championship at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Fieldhouse on the Greensboro Coliseum grounds. UCA defeated Pamlico County 45-40 in the regional semifinal before toppling host Rosewood 44-34 in the East Region final Wednesday.…
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UCA, Trinity open strong in state duals

UCA, Trinity open strong in state duals

Trinity’s Casey Hohn, top, works against West Wilkes’ Holt Hanchey during the first round of the Class 2-A dual team state tournament Monday at Trinity. Wrestling teams from Uwharrie Charter Academy in Class 1-A and Trinity in Class 2-A advanced through the first two rounds of the dual team state tournament. UCA and Trinity were both home teams for the first and second rounds Monday. These teams moved on to third- and potentially fourth-round meets Wednesday. The winning teams from that advance to the state finals. The goal is to make it to Saturday’s championship meets at the Fieldhouse at…
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UCA gears up for more on mats

UCA gears up for more on mats

ASHEBORO – The Uwharrie Charter Academy wrestling team produced another stellar regular season, but the Eagles will have to wait in their pursuit of a Class 1-A dual team state title. Under coach Chris Waddell, UCA has run up a 31-0 record in duals. That includes a 6-0 mark in the Piedmont Athletic Conference. The North Carolina High School Athletic Association postponed the first and second rounds of the dual team tournament until Monday. That decision came after multiple weather-related postponements hit pockets of the state, so this will allow teams to complete more of their regular-season schedules and league…
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