Wrestlers from area high schools earned half of Region 5-AAAA's 14 individual championships Saturday at South Aiken, and even more advanced to the Lower State tournament with top-four finishes in their respective weight classes.
In all, 32 area wrestlers will hit the mat Feb. 15-16 at Bluffton High School for Lower State, where they'll try to earn spots in the Class AAAA state championship tournament the following week at the Anderson Civic Center.
South Aiken, which as a team earned its first-ever region title Thursday, had 13 of 14 wrestlers earn spots for Lower State. Five T-Breds – Camden Taylor (120 pounds), Nequel Ryans (160), Wyatt Matthews (182), J'shon Horn (220) and Ethan New (285) – won individual championships.
Midland Valley is sending nine wrestlers to Lower State, including region champions Dustin Yazzie (170) and Lane Owenby (195).
Six wrestlers from North Augusta advanced to Lower State, and Aiken is sending four.
Airport had 13 wrestlers, including seven region champions, qualify for Lower State, and Brookland-Cayce had 11.
Before that, South Aiken and Midland Valley will compete for a chance at a state duals title, which begins Saturday with first- and second-round matches. South Aiken has a No. 1 seed and a first-round bye, and the T-Breds will face either Colleton County or Region 4's No. 2 team in the second round. Midland Valley, Region 5's No. 4 seed, will hit the road Saturday to face Hilton Head Island in a first-round match, with the winner advancing to take on host North Myrtle Beach.
