It’s been three years since a Polk County wrestler made a trip to the state 2A championship meet.
If all goes according to form, that drought should end Saturday.
Nine Wolverines will begin competition Friday afternoon in the 2A West Regional at West Lincoln. Each will be looking to place in the top four of his weight class at the two-day event and thus qualify for next week’s state meet.
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A senior and a sophomore offer the best opportunities for a Polk qualifier, which would be the first to actually compete in the state meet since Juan Vera did so in 2012. Vera also qualified in 2013, but was injured and couldn’t compete.
Senior Anthony Marino is seeded fourth in the 152-pound class, with sophomore Chase Emory seeded third at 138. Both, said head coach Phillip Miller, have an excellent shot at proving those seeds justified and wrestling for another week.
“The brackets set up pretty good for both of them,” Miller said. “I’d be disappointed if either of them doesn’t make it.
“The 138 class is loaded in our region, but just the way the brackets fell, it couldn’t be set up any better for Chase. He still has to go out and perform, but the bracket couldn’t be any better. Same for Marino. He may have to wrestle the top seed, but even if he loses, he would just have to win one more match to qualify.”
Senior Jerry Cox will wrestle at 195 and is seeded eighth, the highest of the remaining Polk wrestlers. Junior Dustin Calvert would have been the second seed at 145, but the knee injury that sidelined him much of the latter part of the season proved the end of his state hopes.
“I hate it for Dustin. He had knee surgery yesterday,” Miller said. “He was going to be a two seed, but we had to pull him once he had the surgery. He worked hard this season to get a two seed, but God had other plans for him.”
Action will begin at 5:30 p.m. Friday, with two championship rounds slated. All wrestlers will return Saturday for consolation and championship rounds beginning at 10 a.m.
