
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, December 31, 1994                   TAG: 9501030066
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: FROM STAFF REPORTS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

FRANKLIN CO. WRESTLERS FINISH 5TH

Franklin County established its credentials as one of Timesland's top wrestling teams by finishing fifth in the prestigious Agie Skeens Memorial wrestling tournament hosted by Grundy this week.

The Eagles had two champions as Bryan Jones won the 152-pound title with a 9-4 decision over Grundy's Donnie Bishop and John Muse decisioned Denibigh's Aaron Martin 8-7 for the 160-pound title.

Franklin County's Trung Nguyen lost 7-2 to Grundy's Doug Adkins in the 119-pound championship bout.

Grundy finished first with 287 points. Defending Kentucky state champion Sheldon Clark (2101/2 points) finished second ahead of Bestavia Hills (1861/2), the defending champ in Alabama. Franklin County (173) finished behind Pennsylvania's Warren Area (1851/2).

Five Timesland wrestlers won consolation titles. Franklin County's Brian Saul decisioned Grundy's Nick Young 17-8 for fifth place at 112; Northside's David Higgins pinned Warren Area's Bill Kramer in 4:13 for fifth place at 152; Franklin County's Shawn Ferguson pinned Mark Barney of Woodrow Wilson of Beckley, W.Va., in 4:35 for fifth at 160; Pulaski County's J.R. Osborne decisioned Bestavia Hills' John Cammack 15-7 for fifth at 189 and Northside's Chip Nininger took third at 189 by beating Franklin County's Landon Cuff 5-0.

Losing third-place matches were Christiansburg's Jamie Harris (pinned in 2:59 by Grundy's Michael Hartford at 112) and Northside's Brad Hungate (6-3 to Bestavia Hills' Rod Gaddy at 119) and Mike Noell (pinned by Bestavia Hills' Jim Whaley in 1:46 at 152).

In fifth-place matches, Franklin County's Ivan Trotter (135) lost 8-2 to Jay Potts of Homewood, Ala.; Franklin County's John Booth (140) was pinned by Denbigh's Chris Clark in 2:46; Pulaski County's Eric Queen (152) was pinned by Anthony Looney in 3:56; and Pulaski's Steve Osborne (189) fell to Sheldon Clark's Matt Stepp 9-5.

by CNB