Rockbridge County High School senior wrestlers Markus Nelson and Graham Niebur both went 0-2 at the Class 3 state tournament on Friday at the Salem Civic Center.
Nelson, competing at 157-pounds and making his second state tournament appearance, was pinned by Christiansburg’s Zack Hudson in the first round in 1:09. In the first round of the consolation bracket, Nelson lost in a 10-0 decision to Culpeper County’s Arturo Alvarez.
Niebur, making his state tournament debut at 138, battled hard against Petersburg’s Nasir Goode in the first round, but Goode prevailed in a 16-14 decision. In the first round of the consolation bracket, Niebur was pinned by Fauquier’s Zach Marshall in 2:32.
This year, RC placed third in the Shenandoah District and seventh in the Region 3C tournament. During the regular season, the Wildcats went 9-7 in duals.
The Wildcats, under the direction of head coach Mike Wood, were a young team this season and will graduate just three seniors: Nelson, Niebur and Carlos Reynolds (113-pounds).
For the full story on the state tournament, with team results, please see our Feb. 25 newspaper.
