By Duncan Nixon
Correspondent
The ninth annual Billy Wensel Wrestling Classic was hosted by Fluvanna County High School on Jan. 17. Four wrestling mats were set up in the Fluco gymnasium to accommodate the event, which included 16 high school teams.
Teams were divided into four groups and wrestled each team in their group during the first round. In the second round, teams with winning records were matched against each other, while teams that were not successful in the early rounds were paired together. Each school wrestled five matches.
The Fluco team, coached by Craig Conner, finished fifth out of 16 teams with a 4-1 record. Fluco earned decisive wins over William Monroe (60-16) and Rocktown High (60-17), along with victories over Halifax County (45-30) and Broadway High (54-21). Their only loss came against Clover Hill High, 43-32. Clover Hill, from the Richmond area, finished the Classic undefeated.
Wrestling requires a high level of stamina. Once the whistle signals the start of a period, there are no timeouts or breaks to allow competitors to rest. Wrestling five matches in a single day is a demanding task.
Conner said the team’s standout wrestler at the Wensel Classic was senior Jonathan Gretz, who went 5-0. Conner also noted prior to the tournament that the team has at least one wrestler in every weight class this season, with a roster of 30 athletes. Filling all weight classes is critical, as an empty class results in a forfeit if the opposing team has a wrestler at that weight. A few forfeits can significantly impact a team’s score.
The Fluco wrestlers traveled to Charlottesville High School on Jan. 21 and competed at Madison High School on Jan. 26.
