Lexington County wrestlers traveled to the Anderson Civic Center last weekend to participate in the individual state wrestling tournament. 

Six athletes from Lexington County took home the top prize, and many others finished in their classes top-4. 

Most of the champions came from one of the county’s five 5A schools. Chapin was the only team with multiple championship-winning wrestlers, having two claim the title. 

Preston White won the 113-pound for Chapin. He defeated region opponent Jackson Stocker of Dutch Fork in the title bout after a dominant 7-0 majority decision performance. 

White’s teammate, Toler Hornick, won the 190-pound weight class after also defeating a cross-county opponent in Reese Lawrence of River Bluff. Hornick won the match by a 14-4 majority decision. 

Lexington’s Breydon Jennings won the 5A 144-pound weight class by decision. He defeated Goose Creek’s Jordan Baptist, who ranked one spot above Jennings in the latest wrestling coaches poll. 

The final 5A champion was River Bluff’s Joshua Neblo. He won the 215-pound division after beating West Ashley’s Will Wagner by fall.

Airport’s Alyssa Ceacal was the only girls champion, winning the girls 235-pound weight class. She defeated defending champion out of Hartsville Rylee Berghorn, 10-5. 

The final local champion was Gilbert’s Hayden Schroeder, who won the 3A 132-pound tournament. Schroeder defeated Norikus Cowan of Belton-Honea Path in the final match. 

Other athletes in the area came close to winning but fell just short of capturing the title. Eight finished runner-up, including Stocker and Lawrence. 

Dutch Fork’s Kaleb McNeil finished second in the 5A 157 weight class, losing by major decision. Chapin’s Harrison Jones took second in 165 after a decision loss to Dorman’s Owen Hendricks.

Irmo’s Ethan Gamble finished second to Baron Leonard of Eastside in the 215-pound bracket. Leonard was the No. 1 ranked 215-pounder all season with Gamble one or two spots below. 

Gilbert had two athletes finish second. Jonathan Brentlinger was runner-up in the 3A 144-pound division, and Colton Travis was second in 190.

 Travis was the top-ranked athlete in 190 but fell to No. 2 Mitch Knepp of Travelers Rest. Brentlinger, the No. 2 in his weight class was not able to produce his own upset falling to top-ranked JoJo Morris from Belton-Honea Path.

The last runner-up from Lexington County was Pelion’s Landon Byrd. He won silver in the 2A/A 106-pound weight class after losing to Alex Allison of Liberty by a tech fall, 16-0.  

Athletes from Lexington County that finished in the top 4

5A

106: Dane Dillon - White Knoll - 4th

113: Preston White - Chapin - 1st; Jackson Stocker - Dutch Fork - 2nd

144: Breydon Jennings - Lexington - 1st

150: William Lide - Lexington - 3rd

157: Kaleb McNeil - Dutch Fork - 2nd 

165: Harrison Jones - Chapin - 2nd; Logan Taylor - White Knoll - 3rd

175: Edward Pitts - River Bluff - 3rd; Carlos Ponce - White Knoll - 4th

190: Toler Hornick - Chapin - 1st; Reese Lawrence - River Bluff - 2nd

215: Joshua Neblo - River Bluff - 1st; Benjamin Del Piore - Chapin - 3rd

4A

150: Logan Crandall - Airport - 3rd

215: Ethan Gamble - Irmo - 2nd

3A

132: Hayden Schroeder - Gilbert - 1st

144: Jonathan Brentlinger - Gilbert - 2nd

190: Colton Travis - Gilbert - 2nd

2A/A

106: Landon Byrd - Pelion - 2nd

Girls

145: Giwyn Dyer - Airport - 3rd

235: Alyssa Ceacal - Airport - 1st