MOULTRIE – The eight members of the Colquitt County girls wrestling team will head to its area tournament on Friday at Houston County to begin their quest for a berth in the state championships.
The top four finishers in each weight class in the 43-team area tournament will advance to the February 7 Sectional, which also will be held in Houston County.
The state tournament will be held February 13-15 at the Macon Centreplex.
The Colquitt County contingent is young, with four freshmen and two sophomores heading to the mats.
There are no seniors and Candi Tercero-Bernabe and Lesly Tercero are the only juniors.
“It’s hard to say how we’ll do,” said Colquitt County wrestling coach Benjy Scarbor. “But they have all improved a lot over this season.
“Anything can happen. I just hope we wrestle the best we can.”
Scarbor noted that the team did not practice last week after school was called off because of the snow that fell and then lingered.
Freshman London Coleman will take a 10-6 record into her first bout at 100 pounds against Northside sophomore Josilyn Duncan, who is 11-17.
At 115 pounds, the Lady Packers will be represented by Hanly Batista, another freshman, who has split her 20 decisions this season.
She will face Northside’s Sarah Browning, who is 24-10.
Tercero-Bernabe will take a team-best 11-4 record into her opening match at 120 pounds against senior Haniyah Coleman of Long County, who is 11-13.
Aileen Martinez, another ninth-grader, is 9-6 as she prepares to meet 3-7 Caroline Hammett, also a freshman, of Richmond Hill.
Sophomore Lillian Brown, 2-14 at 140 pounds, will meet Long County senior Maddison Chambers, who is 12-10.
Sophomore Marley Anderson will take a 7-4 record at 145 into her Area-opening match against Houston County’s Lillian Seligman, 4-3.
Allison Quiroz has produced a strong 10-3 record in her freshman season.
Her first Area match at 155 will be against Veterans High senior Kendall Alderman, who is 3-11.
Lesly Tercero, who is 10-6, drew a first-round bye at 170 pounds and will face McIntosh County Academy senior Jerilyn Bryant, who is 19-1.
Bryant also has a first-round bye.