Waddell wins title, 11 other Gilmer wrestlers place at state

The Gilmer Bobcats wrestling team had a strong showing at the Georgia High School Association Traditional State Wrestling Tournament held Feb. 13-15 at the Macon Centreplex in Macon.

As a team, the Bobcats had 10 of 11 boys and two of seven girls finish as state placers. As a whole, Gilmer placed second as a team in Class 4A with 151.5 points, just shy of team-champion Woodward Academy’s 177 points.

Caleb Waddell, a senior, won his second-straight state title at 170 pounds. Waddell won his first three matches by pin before winning the title with a 16-2 decision. In the first round, Waddell won at 1 minute, 36 seconds, before winning the second round in 24 seconds and the third round in 1 minute flat.

On the girls side, Francisa Lopez placed second at 162 pounds after earning a spot in the finals with a pin at 3:35 in the semifinals.

Two wrestlers placed third for Gilmer: senior Lucas Lopez at 120 pounds and junior Brock Sumner at 132 pounds.

Lopez earned the right to wrestler for third place by winning his consolation match by a 3-1 decision, while Sumner earned his spot after winning his consolation match by a 4-3 decision.

Two boys and one girl placed fourth for the Bobcats: Karina Montoya-Gonzalez at 152 pounds, sophomore Dylan Galloway at 195 pounds, and sophomore Jacob Cruz at 285 pounds.

The team saw three boys place fifth in the state tournament: senior Gustavo Morales at 106 pounds, freshman Diego Jacinto at 138 pounds, and junior Samuel Tercero at 220 pounds.

Rounding out the state placers for Gilmer were sophomore Miguel Jacinto at 126 pounds and junior Abel Jacinto at 160 pounds. Both wrestlers came in sixth in their respective weight classes.

The state tournament brings to an end a very successful wrestling season for the Gilmer Bobcats.