Junior wrestling crowns two champions at Mason Dixon
The Berkeley Springs Junior Wrestling team competed in the 24th Annual Mason Dixon League Championship on Saturday, March 10 in Greencastle, Pa. BSJW took 15 qualifying wrestlers to the event.
The tribe crowned two champions at the tournament: Matt Parkinson, competing in the Junior Unlimited weight division and Cody Gaither wrestling in the Intermediate 147 class. Parkinson dominated the field pinning his way to victory. In the first round, Parkinson disposed of Evan Windsor of Brunswick, Md. in the first period. He then secured his place in the finals by pinning Joshua Miller of Hagerstown PAL again in the first period. In the championship, Collin Schildt of Catoctin, Md. managed to take Parkinson into the second period before finding his shoulders firmly attached to the wrestling mat.
Cody Gaither had a bye in the first round then won a 6–3 decision over Josh Pluto of Greencastle earning his way into the finals. In the championship round, Gaither likewise dominated his opponent scoring a 13–1 major decision over Kenneth Corl of Tuscarora-Mercersburg, Pa.
These victories place Parkinson and Gaither in an elite group of wrestlers earning championship trophies. Berkeley Springs has only crowned two other Mason Dixon Champions in the past five years.
Berkeley Springs wrestlers also brought home four second place trophies from the tournament. These were won by Daniel Sherrard at Bantam 64 pounds, Zack Risinger at Intermediate 119 pounds, Tory Bennett at Intermediate 140 pounds and Ricky Michael at Intermediate 153 pounds.
Other Berkeley Springs Junior Wrestlers participating in the event included Steven Shade, David Mundey, Trevor Jamison, Damien Mallory, Kyle Hoffarth and Denny Sommers.
Wrestling programs participating in the event included: Berkeley County, Brunswick, Md., Boonsboro, Md., Catoctin, Md., Frederick County, Md., Greencastle, Pa., Jefferson, Urbana, Md, MD School for the Deaf, Hagerstown PAL, Md., Smithsburg, Md., Tuscarora, Pa., Williamsport, Md., Willie Walters, Va. and YMCA, Md.,
