Culpeper Team Cobra Crowns Two New State Champions

Culpeper Team Cobra recently participated in the 2009 Virginia Challenge Middle School and Elementary School State Wrestling Championships. The two-day tournament was held this past weekend at the newly constructed Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton, VA.

Almost two dozen of Culpeper Team Cobra’s wrestlers entered the rugged, double elimination weekend tournament and scored over forty victories for Team Cobra. Fifteen of those wrestlers made it through to the second day of competition, with thirteen of the nineteen Team Cobra wrestlers ultimately placing in the top eight of their respective grade and weight classes.

Culpeper Team Cobra had four grapplers in the championship round on Sunday, crowning two champions in the middle school division;
Brandon Walker-Grade 6-8 at 75 pounds and
Austin Jenkins-Grade 6-8 at 119 pounds.
Second year wrestler Bret Shurina-Grade 3-5 at 80 pounds and
Bryan Ramey-Grade 6-8 at 85 pounds placed second.

Three of Team Cobra’s wrestlers battled their way to the quarter finals.
Second grader Zachary Brown wrestled up to Grade 3-5 at 100 pounds and took third place.
Meanwhile, first year wrestler Dayne Harrison-Grade K-2 at 50 pounds and
Yarhoski Aldiva-Grade 3-5 at 65 pounds grabbed fourth place.

First year wrestler Dillon Werth-Grade K-2 at 45 pounds,
second year wrestler Drew Shurina-grade K-2 at 50 pounds and
Brett Blankenship-Grade 6-8 at 146 pounds finished in fifth place.
While teammate Malcolm Robinson-Grade 3-5 at 60 pounds took seventh place.

In the Grade 6-8 division at 126 pounds, Alex Curnow and fellow Cobra, as well as Floyd T. Binns Middle School wrestling teammate, Logan Shurina showed everyone in the Boo Williams Sportsplex what Culpeper Team Cobra wrestling is all about. The two friends battled each other in a vigorous, see-saw triple overtime match, with Curnow, earning seventh place, edging Shurina, finishing in eighth place, 8-6.

Team Cobra wrestlers Jeremy Yates-Grade 3-5 at 80 pounds and
Jamie Lynch-Grade 6-8 at 132 pounds made it to the second day of the tournament and came within a couple of wins of placing in the top eight of their respective grade and weight classes.

Fierce competition from across the state fell the following Culpeper Team Cobra wrestlers on Saturday;
Zachary Baughman-Grade 3-5 at 65 pounds,
Nathaniel Aldiva-Grade 6-8 at 85 pounds,
Nick Brown-Grade 6-8 at 119 pounds, and
John Daley-Grade 6-8 at 146 pounds.

Coaches and parents are extremely proud of the hard work and dedication that the Team Cobra wrestlers, many of whom are just first and second year wrestlers, displayed over the Christmas and New Year’s Holdiay weekends.

Besides open tournaments in Virginia and neighboring states, Culpeper Team Cobra participates in duals and matches in the Capital Area Wrestling League, Northern Virginia Wrestling Federation and the newly formed Central Virginia Wrestling League. Check back for upcoming information on home events for Culpeper Team Cobra.