TROY — For the first time since 2006, Preble Shawnee is sending someone to the state wrestling finals.
Camron Neal earned a third place finish after he scored a technical fall against his opponent during the district tournament at Hobart Arena in Troy on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 26-27.
“Getting Neal qualified was a huge deal for himself and the program,” said Shawnee coach Jake Follick. “Next for Neal would be to place up in Columbus. We have a tough draw in (Cole) Mattin from Delta.”
Neal earned his way to the third place round after tallying a technical fall in the first round before losing 14-7 in the quarterfinals. He went on to earn a technical fall in the second round of the consolation bracket, a pin (2:03) in the third round, and a 10-5 decision in the consolation semifinals.
Tanner Claybaker (170), Alex Steele (285), and Kolton Dillon (182) also competed in Troy over the weekend.
Claybaker got in the hole early, losing in the first round before pinnint his next two opponents in the consolation bracket. In the third round consolation, Claybaker’s season ended after losing by default.
Steele won his first round match by pinning his opponent in 1:21. He got pinned in the quarterfinal round, sending him into the consolation bracket, where he split his matches – earning a pin (2:06) before losing in an 8-1 decision in the third round of the consolation.
Dillon won his first match of the weekend, earning a 5-0 decision in the opening round. He lost two decisions in the next two rounds, however, to end his season for the Arrows.
“I am very happy with their effort and performance. We need to keep working and building on this year for the future, hoping Neal performance sparks a fire this program needs,” said Follick.
Neal will compete in the state tournament on Thursday, March 3, beginning at 3 p.m. at the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus.
