Senior Josh Pearson drives his opponent into the mat. Riley Hennessy’20/Media

On Saturday, February 24, the Academy wrestlers traveled to Madison Plains for the OHSAA Sectional tournament, facing 11 other schools. CA placed 6th as a squad, and the Vikings also saw 5 wrestlers advance to the individual district tournament.

Senior Angus Soderberg kicked off the successful showing by placing 2nd overall in the 170 weight class. Freshman Chris Sugar followed suit, beating his final opponent 7-5 to win 3rd in the 126 weight class. Juniors Bobby Diller and Eric Menq, along with senior Josh Pearson all placed 4th in the 132, 195, and 220 weight classes, respectively. Pearson competed a weight class higher than normal, making his finish even more exceptional. All five Vikes will move on to districts.

Other solid performances included 6th place finishes by freshmen Ethan Stahl and Keir Gorospe, and 8th place finishes from Thomas Jones’19, Philip Soderberg’20, and Vassar Barney’21. Although these wrestlers will not advance in the individual tournament, this was a fantastic end to each of their seasons.

The Vikings that advanced to Districts will compete at Heath High School on Saturday, March 3.