Local duo set for state wrestling tourney
Photos by Chery Wertman – Hunter Jewell-Smith from Holley-Kendall, left, and Reece Senske from Medina will be competing in the state wrestling championships at Albany this coming Friday and Saturday.
Having successfully advanced through class and sectional competition two local wrestlers, Medina junior Reece Senske (108) and Holley-Kendall junior Hunter Jewell-Smith (285), will be competing in the Division 2 (small schools) state championships this coming Friday and Saturday at Albany.
Senske, who is 28-5 on the season, advanced by placing second at both the Section VI Class C-D Tournament and the Section VI state qualifier.
Jewell-Smith, who is 37-5, advanced by winning the Section V Class B2 Tournament and placing second at the Section V state qualifier.
Senske, who has drawn a bye in the opening round, is seeded 9th . The just released unofficial brackets have him facing 8th seeded Jackson Moore, a junior from Sherburne-Earlville (Section III) in his first match. Moore is 23-5.
In the quarterfinals the winner will likely face top seeded Maverick Beckwith, a freshman from Norwich (Section IV) who is 25-2.
Jewell-Smith will face Jaden Tesher, a junior from Putnam Valley (Section I) who is 24-3, in the opening round.
The winner will face No. 2 seed William Wortkoetter from Wilson, a sophomore who is 23-0.
Wilson also has two other wrestlers competing as Hamza Merrick is seeded 4th at 285 with a 30-5 record and Jacob Stephenson 6th at 160 with a 42-4 record.
Niagara-Orleans League champion Newfane likewise has a trio of wrestlers in the state competition. The Panthers have Jacob Lucinski who is seeded second at 101 with a 31-3 record, Ayden Buttery who is 5th at 145 with a 37-3 record and Aidan Gillings who is 8th at 138 with a 41-6 record.