Anna-Jonesboro’s Arieh Hart second in 1A state wrestling
Anna-Jonesboro Community High School wrestler Arieh Hart, 152 pounds, finished in second place in the Class 1A state wrestling championship at Assembly Hall in Champaign Saturday, Feb. 18.
Hart, 42-4, lost to undefeated and No. 1 state-ranked Belleville Althoff’s Danny Braunagel, 47-0, by a 10-4 decision in the title match.
Hart, who transferred from Murphysboro, where he missed qualifying for state last year after losing his first two matches at 126 pounds during his freshman season.
A-J’s Nick Jimenez, 285 pounds, lost to No. 2 state-ranked Normal University’s Packard Otto by a fall and was eliminated from the tournament when Otto lost his next match. Jimenez is now 34-9.
Nick Harvel, 195 pounds, lost to No. 10 state-ranked Chicago Bowen’s Marquiese Paino by a fall. Paino brought Harvel back into the tournament with a next match win. Harvel them lost to No. 8 state ranked Clifton Central’s Justin Coggins by a fall. Harvel is 30-14.
Sectional Competition
The Wildcats were scheduled to compete in the team sectional at Litchfield earlier this week against Auburn.
A win at the team sectional would advance the entire A-J squad to the team state duals tournament at Bloomington this Saturday.