SPARTA – Anthony Toineeta, senior member of the Cherokee Braves wrestling team, won the 1A West Regional title in the 160lb division on Saturday, Feb. 11 at Alleghany High School. Toineeta, who won the regional title and the state title in the 145lb division last season, qualified for the 1A State Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro next weekend.
Toineeta won by fall over Tanner Whitman, Rosman, in the finals to take the regional title. To get there, he won by technical fall over Cody Long, Swain Co., in the first round. In the quarterfinals, he won by technical fall over Jordan Mihalke, Alleghany, and in the semi-finals he won by technical fall over Murphy’s Cody Cantrell.
Toineeta’s teammate, Jesse Queen, took third in the 138lb division and will join him at the state meet. Queen won by fall in the first round over Aaramis Hall, Andrews, and then won his quarterfinal match by fall over Robbinsville’s Justin Stewart. Queen lost in the semi-finals by decision to Dakota Hughes of Walkertown. He rallied back and won the consolation semi-final match by decision over Luke Anderson of Elkin, and then he won the third place match by decision over Justin Russell of Bishop McGuinness.
Other Cherokee results are as follows:
* Jacob Norton, 106
– lost by decision to Wesley Chappel (Bradford Prep)
– received bye in round two
– won by major decision over Lucas Utt (N. Stokes)
– lost by fall to Tyler Broome (Robbinsville)
* Jaden Welch, 120
– lost by fall to Ryan Patterson (Elkin)
– won by fall over Tyler Hunter (E. Surry)
– lost by fall to Luis Osorno (Mt. Airy)
* Seth Sneed, 132
– won by fall over Justin Mason (Rosman)
– Quarterfinal: lost by fall to Gage Wiley (Murphy)
– won by fall over Nathaniel Lackey (Cherryville)
– lost by injury default to Austin Bauguess (E. Wilkes)
* Andrew Griffin, 182
– lost by fall to Jerry Neese (Elkin)
– lost by decision to Garrett Hope (Bishop McGuinness)
* Reef Cochran, 285
– lost by fall to Corbin Wildcatt (Swain Co.)
– lost by fall to Wyatt Rayburn (Murphy
Other Smoky Mountain Conference finishers included:
106: Nathan Brock (Swain Co.), 4th place
113: Braden Millsaps (Robbinsville, 2nd place
120: Arlus Orr (Robbinsville), 2nd place
126: Cade Millsaps (Robbinsville), 2nd place
132: Collin Guffey (Robbinsville), 2nd place
145: Drake Cable (Robbinsville), 2nd place
152: Chris Miller (Swain Co.), 3rd place
160: Tanner Whitman (Rosman), 2nd place; Cody Cantrell (Murphy), 4th place
170: Cody Swangim (Rosman), 1st place
195: Cory Farmer (Murphy), 2nd place; William Paul (Swain Co.), 3rd place; Fredy Romero (Robbinsville), 4th place
220: Craig Cutshaw (Swain Co.), 3rd place
285: Corbin Wildcatt (Swain Co.), 2nd place
– One Feather staff report
