Warriors grab fourth place at league wrestling meet
Sports reporter
While no Marion-Florence Peabody-Burns wrestler took first Saturday at the Mid-Central Activities Association, consistent individual top-four finishes gave the Warriors a fourth-place team finish out of eight teams.
Shawn Britton and Casey Nelson led the way for MFPB. Both took second place in their respective weight classes. Nelson's finish in the 171-pound class gave him a record of 18-7 on the season.
"Casey is peaking at the right time and should contend for a state title this year," head coach Chad Adkins said.
Britton is now 11-4 after his second-place finish in the 275-pound class, and Adkins is impressed with senior who is competing for the first time.
"He has been wrestling very well especially considering that his first matches ever were just right after Christmas break," he said. "Hopefully by the time the state tournament rolls around he will have picked it up enough to compete at Hays."
Ben Leppke had one of his best days of the season taking third place at 160.
"Ben wrestled well at the Hesston tournament earlier this year but has not returned to that form until this weekend," Adkins said. "Hopefully it carries on into regionals and state."
John Barr III, Hank Collett, Adam Depler, and Adam Regnier each took fourth place in their classes.
Regnier had a shot at the championship but fell in the second round in overtime to Hillsboro's Chris Jensen.
Regnier, a freshman, defeated the former-state qualifier and senior Jan. 19, but lost on Saturday, 7-5.
"Adam has been very impressive so far this season," Adkins said. "The fact that he can battle with seniors like Jensen is pretty good in itself. He has a very good chance to qualify for the state tournament."
The weekend evened up Regnier's record at 9-9 on the season.
Barr III notched his 12th victory of the season at the tournament, Collett his ninth, and Depler his 17th.
With three meets left before regionals Adkins thinks his young team is finally headed in the right direction. He expects his seniors (Nelson, Depler, Moore, and Britton) to all qualify for state and thinks two or three others have a shot as well.
"The number of kids we qualify will greatly depend on how well our young wrestlers compete at regionals," he said.
MFPB heads to Remington Thursday for a double dual.
