Grapplers do well at state level

Pioneers bring home first, second, fourth and sixth in 1A to 5A division

— The Pioneer Wrestling Team competed in the 2013 Arkansas State Wrestling Tournament last weekend at the Jack Stephens Center on the campus of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, picking up first-, second-, fourth- and sixth-place finishes.

The team had only eight of the 14 weight classes covered but still finished in 10th-place overall in the 1A to 5A division, with every member of the team winning at least one match during the tournament.

Individually, Jonathan Xiong placed first and is the state champion in the 120-pound weight class. Tyler Easter finished in second and is the state runner-up in the 126-pound class. Cody Watson finished at fourth place in the 160 pound weight class. Shannon Smith placed sixth in the 195-pound class.

This is the sixth straight year in which the Gentry grapplers finished with at least one individual state championship.

Sports, Pages 7 on 02/27/2013