Photos courtesy of JR Wrestling
Senior Xaiden Wynn won his third straight state championship and the James River wrestlers finished 11th among 35 schools at the state Class 2 wrestling tournament Saturday. Virginia High in Bristol hosted the tournament after a week’s delay and Poquoson High came away as state champion.
River had six wrestlers in the tournament and three placed, including a first place for Wynn at 113. He becomes just the second wrestler in James River High history to win three state wrestling state championships and he placed in the state for all four of his high school years, taking fourth as a freshman.
On Saturday, Xaiden won by tech fall over Kendi Dye of Richlands in the quarterfinals. He decisioned Aiden Swink of Strasburg in the semis, 8-5, then beat Brayden Bunting of Poquoson by a major decision, 12-3, in the final.
Wynn finished the season with a 40-1 record and his four-year record at River is 139-15, with 10 of the losses coming his freshman year. He set a new school record with 104 career pins.
Senior Brayden Forbes finished in third place in the 132-pound weight class. His only loss in the tournament was to the eventual three-time state champion from Poquoson, Jared Goodson, in the semifinals. Brayden wrestled back to finish third, defeating Eli Penix of Lee High in the consolation final, 5-3.
Brayden’s career consisted of four state placements and three Region championships. He finished this season at 42-3 and was 130-20 for his River career, with 15 of the losses coming his freshman year.
Junior Nathan Stewart finished the year with a fourth place state finish at 144. Nate lost to eventual state champion Bryan Latta from Poquoson High School in the semifinal round, then lost to Richlands senior Wyatt Spencer in the third place match. Spencer came in undefeated before losing to Latta in a very tough 144-pound bracket.
Stewart finished the season 25-7 and has placed in the state all three years with two seconds and a fourth. He’s won three District and three Region championships.
Silas Whitson, Josiah Merchant and CJ Mullins also wrestled in the state tournament but did not place.
