>> What: Division I and II tournaments.
>> Where: McKenzie Arena, Chattanooga.
>> Cost: $10 per day.
SCHEDULE
>> Today: 3 p.m. — DI Round of 32 and 16.
>> Thursday: 9 a.m. — DII Round of 16, DI and DII quarterfinals; 5 p.m. — DI and DII semifinals.
>> Friday: DI and DII finals, 5 p.m.
WORTH WATCHING
>> Bruin reunion?
Brentwood junior Cameron Croy and Lincoln County senior Tate Mustin could meet in the 189-pound semifinals. Mustin transferred from Brentwood last summer.
Croy won state at 189 last year after teammate Mustin took runner-up at 171.
“That would be something else,” said Croy, who was recently profiled in Sports Illustrated’s Faces in the Crowd. “We are really good buddies and keep in touch. He’d know me better than any other opponent, definitely.”
>> Bracket busters
The seeding system was especially rough on Independence. Three Eagles who medaled (top six) last year and are seeded first or second could wrestle a former medalist in the second round. Why? Former medalists are not seeded if they do not win region.
Independence top seed Chase Beazley (125) could have a second-round match with 2008 runner-up Tee Boone of Notre Dame, who lost 5-4 in his region final. Chris Sinsheimer (152) could see Cookeville’s Ethan Henry and Taylor Dixon (160) could see Bradley’s Josh Disney in second-round matches that look more like the semifinals.
“You think they’d split those type of people up,” Independence Coach Jared Grindstaff said. “But we have goals of wrestling the best kids in state, so I guess it doesn’t matter when you see them.”
>> Irish anniversary
It is the 40th anniversary of Father Ryan’s first wrestling championship in 1969 under Coach Joe Drennan, also the first by a non-Chattanooga school. Metro Athletics Director Scott Brunette, a 155-pound state champion on that Irish team, described the team’s feat as monumental.
“We had some head-on battles with Notre Dame and we knew it would be between the two us,” Brunette said. “They had more individual champions, but we had 10 place-winners and that’s what won it for us. We carried Joe Drennan around the mat we were so excited. The 12 of us on the team were best friends. We could finally say that a Midstate school won the state championship in wrestling.”
>> Girls Invitational
For the first time there will be a girls individual tournament, though it is non-sanctioned because girls wrestling is not yet a sport recognized by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association.
Forty-six girls, including 14 from Middle Tennessee, have signed up to compete across nine weight classes.
“Since this is the first year and it has not been promoted enough, I feel like there won’t be much (competition),” Tullahoma sophomore 138-pounder Emily Gessler said. “In a few years it might be a lot better and bring a lot more girls out.”
The girls wrestle Thursday and Friday, with finals finishing before the DI and DII finals at 5 p.m.
QUICK HITS
>> Bradley (DI) and Baylor (DII) are strong favorites for the team title and both won state duals titles.
>> Everyone will be asked to wear admission wristbands for the first time as the state association tries to curtail event security. Wrestlers must keep the paper-based bands on during competition.
>> Metro will try to keep its streak of having a wrestler in the DI finals every year since 2003. Its lone titles in that span have come from Overton’s Ari Ibrahim (2003) and Daniel White (2008).
>> MBA senior Jeff Francis, a three-time DII finalist and 2006 champion who has been plagued by concussions and injuries, is not entered in the 125-pound field. He can be substituted into the bracket Thursday morning if he’s able to go.
LOCAL TOP SEEDS
Division I
125: Chase Beazley, Sr., Independence
160: Joe Proctor, Jr., Cookeville
171: Gabe Vasquez, Sr., Clarksville
189: Cameron Croy, Jr., Brentwood
Division II
103: Carlos Calloway, So., Brentwood Acad.
135: Cody Austell, Sr., Father Ryan
152: Justin Cash, Sr., Brentwood Acad.
160: Patrick Marchetti, Sr., Father Ryan
171: Wes Wesley, Jr., Father Ryan
189: Max Jarrell, Sr., MBA
215: Watson Sweat, Sr., Ensworth
285: Ryan Carrethers, Sr., Brentwood Acad.
LOCAL RETURNING 2008 STATE MEDALISTS
Division I
112 Blake Thomas, Brentwood (4th at 112); Chris Soubon, Antioch (3rd at 103)
125 Chase Beazley, Independence (5th at 119)
135 Ryan Treloar, Hendersonville (6th at 130)
140 Anthony Grady, Clarksville (4th at 135)
152 Chris Sinsheimer, Independence (4th at 152); Ethan Henry, Cookeville (6th at 145)
160 Joe Proctor, Cookeville (3rd at 160); Taylor Dixon, Independence (6th at 160)
171 Gabe Vasquez, Clarksville (4th at 171)
189 Cameron Croy, Brentwood (1st at 189); Tate Mustin, Lincoln Co. (2nd at 171); Michael Kennedy, Blackman (6th at 171)
215 Nick White, Cookeville (5th at 215)
285 Quintin Robinson, Hunters Lane (6th at 285)
Division II
103 Carlos Calloway, Brentwood Acad. (4th at 103)
112 Johnny Maurizi, Father Ryan (3rd at 103); Daniel Bellet, MBA (6th at 103)
119 Thomas Garbarino, JPII (5th at 112); Anthony Simpson, Father Ryan (6th at 112)
130 Chase Brannon, Brentwood Acad. (2nd at 119); Mark Simpson, MBA (4th at 119)
135 Cody Austell, Father Ryan (2nd at 135); Zeno Dupree, Brentwood Acad. (4th at 112)
140 Matt Brewer, Father Ryan (3rd at 125)
145 Nick Bateman, Father Ryan (6th at 130)
152 Justin Cash, Brentwood Acad. (1st at 145); Sean Hershmann, SAS (6th at 140)
160 Patrick Marchetti, Father Ryan (1st at 140); Daniel Todd, MBA (3rd at 145); William Ball, Brentwood Acad. (6th at 152)
171 Wes Wesley, Father Ryan (1st at 160); John Floyd, MBA (4th at 152)
189 Max Jarrell, MBA (1st at 171)
215 Watson Sweat, Ensworth (6th at 215); Taylor Brasher, Brentwood Acad. (5th at 189)
285 Ryan Carrethers, Brentwood Acad. (3rd at 285)
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