Four Glenvar wrestlers made the state Class 2 championship match Saturday night to lead Glenvar to a third place finish. The Highlanders had two state champions, Jack Yetzer and Levi Wright.
Poquoson High, with a team full of seniors, won the Class 2 championship with 244 points. Strasburg was second with 165.5 and the Highlanders finished third with 120 points and five underclassmen on the podium to go with one senior.
Jack Yetzer, Nick Yetzer, Levi Wright and John Vishneski all made the championship match on Saturday evening. Twins Jack and Nick Yetzer opened the tournament at 106 and 113. They’re twin sons of Roanoke College head coach Nate Yetzer, who has the Maroons competitive on the national stage in Division III. Roanoke was off last weekend so he was able to take in the state tournament on both days, and it was nerve wracking for Nate to watch two sons compete for state championships.
“I was there the whole weekend and I was about to throw up,” he said. “It’s a great experience. We get to work along side each other in something we love. I think it’s every father’s dream to share in something that we are passionate about.”
Jack finished off a 29-5 season by pinning Caden Hash of Marion in the 106 pound championship match in 2:32. Nick was next at 113 and he lost a 4-1 decision to Kam Harrell of Poquoson in a match where Nick was on top for most of the match. He finished second in the state with a 27-12 record.
Glenvar’s next finalist was Levi Wright at 144. Levi is the son of former Salem High and Christiansburg wrestler Jeb Wright, who was in the corner with coach Tim Miles, and Levi defeated Arnoldson Destine of Nandua by a 17-2 technical fall to win his second straight Class 2 state title. Levi finished the season at 35-5.
“The performance of our two champs, Levi Wright and Jack Yetzer, can be summed up as nearly perfect,” said Miles. “Bonus points in all matches and they are only sophomores. Those guys are leaders by example in the practice room and under the lights.
“Nick Yetzer had a great tournament and had a returning state champ on the ropes, winning over the Civic Center crowd in the process. Really bright future ahead for him.”
Glenvar’s final bout in the championships came at 165 with senior John Vishneski. The only senior among the six Highlanders who placed, John took second as he lost to Ian Ray of Lebanon in the final, 13-4, to finish the season at 26-12.
“John Vishneski is a prime example of what makes coaching worth it,” said Miles. “Only wrestling a handful of years and losing a season to a broken bone, he made the most out of his senior year. Really proud of his tournament. Outscoring the multiple time champ in the third period and nearly pulling off the Cinderella story.”
Jack Osburn placed fourth at 157 to finish 23-14 and Haden Henderson was fifth at 150 to finish his sophomore season at 18-7.
“All season long we’ve told the guys that it’s not about the wins and loses but more about how we compete despite our circumstances, never letting adversity get in the way,” said Miles. “The team embodied that this weekend. Osburn was dealing with sickness Thursday and Friday. Henderson took a heartbreaking loss in the quarters and made some adjustments and really got cooking in the revenge match. The sky’s the limit for the returning guys on the team. Not only chasing being the best wrestlers in the state but also national recognition.”
