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CHS Is State Runner Up
Clark, Laughlin, Sutro
Earn Individual Titles
by Newton Nichols

Updated on Wednesday*:

Calhoun High School had six of its nine wrestlers place in the top three of their respective weight classes on Saturday, as the team finished second of 40 Class AA-A teams represented at the W.Va. State Wrestling Tournament in Huntington.

Individual titles were won by Cody Clark, 135 lbs.; Ben Laughlin, 152 lbs.; and Tim Sutro, 189 lbs.

This trio of individual champions helped lead the Calhoun High School Red Devils to a runner up trophy in the W.Va. State Wrestling Tournament. Left to right are Cody Clark, 135 lbs.; Tim Sutro, 189 lbs.; and Ben Laughlin, 152 lbs. Also placing for CHS were Jared Haught and Aaron Yoak, second, and Austin Moore, third.

Placing second were Jared Haught (160) and Aaron Yoak (171). Austin Moore (125) was third. Also winning a match each were Levi Gordon (103), Seth Wease (140) and Zach Hanshaw (145).

Coach Mike Stump and assistant Chris Morris watch Austin Moore defeat an opponent in the consolation round. He had a record of 4-1 and placed third at 125 lbs. Photo by Robin Gordon

Aaron Yoak controls an opponent. He placed second in the 171 lb. class.

Ben Laughlin, shown pinning an Oak Glen opponent, won the 152 lb. state championship. It is the second title for the Calhoun junior, who also had a second place finish as a freshman.

Tim Sutro, a senior, registers one of four pins on his way to the 189 lb. state title. He placed fifth as a junior.

Cody Clark, 49-0, was chosen by participating coaches as the Most Outstanding Wrestler. It was the seventh MOW award earned by a Red Devil wrestler since 1983. No other Class AA-A team has had more than three award winners during that time.

Clark became only the second wrestler to win the award twice since 1983. He also won as a freshman, and finished his career with a state tournament record of 16-1, including three titles and a third place finish. His overall career record is 167-11.

Ben Laughlin, a junior, won his second state title and also had a second place finish as a freshman. He defeated Region 1 champion Tanner Whyte of Cameron, 5-1, in this year’s title match.

Tim Sutro, a senior who was ranked fifth by the www.wvmat.com wrestling poll, not only defeated three regional champions on the way to his title, but was one of two wrestlers to register a perfect 30 points by pinning all four opponents.

Tim Sutro. Photo by Robin Gordon

Jared Haught was one of only two freshmen of the 28 finalists, and the only freshman to place in the top six after the 135 lb. class. He defeated a regional champion from Cameron in the semi-finals, before losing in the finals to a 48-3 wrestler from Berkeley Springs.

Aaron Yoak, a senior who had fought off illness and injuries all season, defeated a regional champion from Braxton in the semi-finals, and attempted to come back from a possible illegal slam before losing in the finals, 13-7, to a wrestler with a 35-1 record.

Austin Moore, a senior who was ranked seventh coming into the state tournament, finished fourth in the region to wrestlers who were ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the state. He set the pace early for Calhoun, when he pinned the regional champion from Oak Glen in the opening round.

After losing in the semi-finals to the top ranked (31-1) wrestler in the 125 lb. class, Moore defeated his Oak Glen opponent again, and earned third place by scoring a 4-2 win over another regional champion from Greenbrier West.

Joining state qualifiers Laughlin and Haught as returnees next year for Calhoun are freshman Levi Gordon, sophomore Seth Wease, and junior Zach Hanshaw.

Leading Calhoun to a second place finish in the Class AA-A West Virginia State Wrestling Tournament were, left to right, kneeling, Zach Hanshaw, Seth Wease, Cody Clark, Levi Gordon; standing, assistant Chris Morris, Jared Haught, Aaron Yoak, assistant Justin Ashley, Ben Laughlin, coach Mike Stump, Tim Sutro, Austin Moore, and assistants Derek Metz and Tony Morales.

The updated Calhoun record book will be published next week.

1. Pt. Pleasant 170.5, 2. Calhoun County 152.5, 3. Berkeley Springs 143.5, 4. Oak Glen 142.5, 5. Roane County 102.5, 6. Wirt County 97.5, 7. Cameron 84, 8. Williamstown 77.5, 9. Clay County 64, 10. Braxton County 63, 11. Herbert Hoover 56, 12. (tie) Greenbrier West 53, St Marys 53, 14. Madonna 51, 15. Liberty-Raleigh 46.5, 16. Independence 40, 17. Grafton 39, 18. Keyser 38, 19. (tie) Shady Spring 36, Liberty-Harrison) 36, 21. Sissonville 35.5, 22. Weir 35, and 18 other teams.

103 lbs. - Levi Gordon, 1-2, 1 pin, 3 pts.

125 - Austin Moore, 4-1, 1 pin, 16 pts., 3rd place

135 - Cody Clark, 4-0, 3 pins, 28 pts., Champion

140 - Seth Wease, 1-2, 2.5 pts.,

145 - Zach Hanshaw, 2-2, 3 pts.

152 - Ben Laughlin, 4-0, 3 pins, 28 pts., Champion

160 - Jared Haught, 3-1, 1 pin, 20 pts., 2nd place

171 - Aaron Yoak, 3-1, 2 pins, 22 pts., 2nd place

189 - Tim Sutro, 4-0, 4 pins, 30 pts., Champion

Following are individual records, pins, and points earned by members of the CCHS wrestling team:

Wt. Wrestler Rec. Pins Pts.

103-Levi Gordon 23-21 12 124