LHS' Buck finishes 4th in 42nd annual Pembroke Classic
Nov. 6—PEMBROKE — Lumberton High School senior wrestler Jackson Buck finished fourth in a field of primarily college wrestlers at the Pembroke Classic held over the weekend at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
Buck, wrestling unattached in the open tournament in the 197-pound classification, defeated Mount Olive's Nathan Hampton by pin in just over one minute to start the tournament, then pinned Florida's Ethan Larson.
Newberry's John Parker beat Buck by an 11-3 decision in a semifinal match. Buck bounced back in the consolation bracket with a pin of Allen's Christian Poplous, before he was pinned in 20 seconds by Reinhardt's Curtis Thomas.
Buck is at the start of his senior season after finishing second in the 182-pound classification at the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 4A state championship last year.
Purnell Swett's Devon Connor was also in the tournament field in the 133-pound classification, and lost both his matches.
UNCP sends 11 to podium
Logan Seliga (125 pounds), Logan Robinson (133), Scott Joll (174), and Christopher Dickey (197) all finished off perfect days on the mat with convincing victories in their championship bouts to highlight action for the UNC Pembroke wrestling team on Sunday in the Pembroke Classic.
Seliga, Robinson, Joll, and Dickey combined for nine pins on the day in their 15 total bouts.
Redshirt sophomore Chance Cottingham went home with a runner up finish in the 133-pound tournament, while sophomore Keegan Roberson (157), redshirt sophomore Ulises Varner (165), and redshirt junior Massimo Sullivan (285) all posted third-place finishes. Redshirt junior Will Lowery and sophomore Logan Hoffman came away with fourth-place finishes in the 165- and 185-pound tournament, respectively. Junior Ryan Walker rounded out the place-winners with a fifth-place finish in the 285-pound tournament.
24 wrestlers registered at least one victory for the Black & Gold in their respective tournaments, including 17 that picked up two or more wins in the season-opening event for the squad.
The Braves will hit the mat again on Wednesday when they make the trip to Emory, Virginia, to take on Emory & Henry in a Conference Carolinas dual meet on Bob Johnson Court at the King Center. Wrestling action is scheduled to get underway at 6 p.m.
Two Pirates place in national girls event
Lumberton High School wrestlers Wyntergale Oxendine and Kylie Brigman recently placed at the Athena Nationals, a national girls wrestling tournament held in Ohio.
Oxendine placed second in the 235-pound classification; Brigman was fourth at 220 pounds.
