The state dual wrestling tournament will take place Thursday through Saturday at the Macon Centreplex. A total of 72 teams will make the trip, including 23 that did not qualify last year. The competition in classes AAAA through AAAAAA consists of 16 teams each, and classes A through AAA have eight-team fields.
The top three classes begin the Round of 16 on Thursday. The quarterfinals and semifinals for all six classes will be held Friday. The third through six places will be determined Saturday morning, and the championships begin at 3 p.m. Saturday in all six classes.
The historical dominance of No. 2 Collins Hill (which has won five state titles) is threatened by No. 1 Archer, the defending AAAAAA champion. The Tigers own a perfect 18-0 dual record this season and have won nine tournament titles. Archer advanced to Macon with a shutout of its area opponents (South Gwinnett, Parkview and Grayson) by a combined score of 240-0.
The Tigers will meet Lowndes in the first round after topping the Vikings 62-10 in last year’s Round of 16. Sophomore twins Daniel and Thomas Bullard lead Archer with senior M.J. Couzan. Collins Hill senior Ryan Millhof, who committed to Oklahoma, has never lost a match in his four-year career with the Eagles.
In AAAAA, Pope reigns as the defending duals state champ and opens with Ware County. The Greyhounds topped Ware County 43-40 last year in the semifinals and topped Whitewater 51-16 in the quarterfinals.
Class AAAA features an opening-round matchup between defending champion Gilmer and a surging Fayette County team that failed to qualify for the tournament last year.
Defending state champion Banks County leads the AAA field, and Buford is one of four AAA teams in the Elite 8 that did not make the tournament last year. The Wolves will face Sonoraville in the quarterfinals and would wrestle the winner of Appling County and Woodward Academy in the semifinals.
In AA, Lovett faces Social Circle, which sent the Lions into the consolation bracket last year.
In Class A, Gordon Lee returns as the state champion and opens with Treutlen County before a possible matchup with the winner of Athens Christian and Eagle’s Landing Christian.
Swimming: Parkview has been no stranger to thrilling swim meets, and 2014 began in similar fashion. The Parkview girls swam to another tie Saturday against Lambert. Both teams accumulated 151 points. But the Parkview boys had an easier time and rolled over the Longhorns 212-93. Morgan Fleming paced the Lady Panthers with victories in the 50 freestyle, the 100 freestyle, the 200 freestyle relay and the 400 freestyle relay. Parkview's Gregory Paulukaitis won the 100 freestyle and the 200 freestyle. … Chattahoochee triplets Jay, Kevin and Mick Litherland competed at the Winter Junior National Championships in Greensboro, N.C., and swam well. In the 500 freestyle final, Jay placed third, Kevin came in sixth and Mick was 20th. Kevin won the grueling 1,650 freestyle in 14:58, eight seconds better than the runner-up finisher. Jay also powered his way to a ninth-place showing in the 200 backstroke and second-place performances in the 200 and 400 individual medleys. Mick finished second in the 200 butterfly. Kevin was seventh in the 400 individual medley. All three teamed to help win the 4x200 freestyle relay.
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