The Oak Hill Academy Wrestling Team traveled to Alleghany High School in Sparta, North Carolina, for a quad meet on Tuesday, January 28, 2020. The team competed against host school Alleghany, as well as Elkin High School (NC) and North Surry High School (NC).
Round one saw the Oak Hill team facing North Surry High School. Bridget Hoffman ’21 was the first wrestler on the mat for OHA. She twisted and turned trying to evade the grasp of opponent Landon Hiatt. After being pinned, Bridget stated, “That was wild! I’ve never been in some of those positions.” Next up was OHA’s Josh Ziegler ’20 wrestling Adam Martin. Adam proved to be a tough opponent, pinning Josh in the first period. Gideon Wepner ’20 was the final first round wrestler for the Warriors. Gideon faced Jace Hernandez, and in a wild back-and-forth match, Gideon came up with the win by pinfall late in the second period.
In the second round, Oak Hill faced Elkin High School. Bridget went up against Ethan Van Horn, wrestling two periods before being pinned. During her match, she used an impressive bridge out four times trying to break Ethan’s hold on her and keep the match exciting. Josh challenged Elkin’s Adam Settle in a competitive match, wrestling deep into the third period. He successfully escaped three times and completed a reversal prior to being pinned. Elkin did not have a wrestler in Gideon’s division, giving Gideon the win by forfeit.
For the final round, OHA was up against the home team. Despite some shoulder discomfort, Bridget took to the mat to face Alleghany’s Koda Blythe. She once again turned and worked to break away before being pinned. Coach Wymer said, “This was Bridget’s smartest match. She really thought about what she was doing and how to approach her next step. I am really proud of her.”
Facing Riley Pruitt in the final round, Josh completed three escapes in two periods before being pinned. Gideon’s match against Alleghany’s Riley Billings was the final contest of the evening. Gideon showed patience on his feet and masterfully completed a takedown and pin during the first period, earning him the honors of three wins for the night, two by pin.
Photos by Mikki Haas