Wrestlers finish well at state level

Manchester’s state qualifiers participate in the grand march on Friday morning at Ford Field.

Taking 10 wrestlers to state level competition is a great accomplishment in and of itself. Having four of those athletes coming home with medals–one of them a state championship medal–is another notable effort for the Manchester Dutchmen and their coaches.

Manchester’s top-seeded State Champion Reese Fry, wrestling at 112#, won his 56th match of the year in the course of this weekend. At 103#, up and coming freshman Drew Gebhardt received a fourth-place medal for his performance at state finals. At 119#, sophomore Jacob Shelby earned an eighth-place medal. And senior Charlie Depp finished his high school career winning fourth place in the 215# weight class.

Manchester wrestlers Grant Tungate (junior, 130#), Blake Belaire (senior, 135#), Josh Bunn (junior, 135#), Jacob Kurgin (sophomore, 140#), Derek Guenther (sophomore, 152#), and Collin McCaffrey (sophomore, 160#), each wrestled hard to reach state level but were eliminated in early rounds on Friday, March 2.

Coach Steve Vlcek is proud of his wrestlers, and especially pleased that he has several state qualifiers returning for the coming years. The future looks bright for the Dutch wrestling team! Congratulations to all the competitors.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.