Individual titles in focus for Lowcountry wrestlers

A dozen Lower State champions, including Hilton Head Island unbeatens Talon Seitz and Martin Duane, head a contingent of 26 Beaufort County wrestlers competing this weekend in Anderson to decide the season’s individual champions.

Seitz and Duane each stand three victories away from completing unbeaten senior seasons, both taking 51-0 records into the Class 3-A competition at Anderson Civic Center. Seitz (170 pounds) is seeking a second consecutive crown after winning a state 4-A title last year at Bluffton High; Duane (182) was a 3-A runner-up a year ago.

Beaufort’s Tramone Jenkins, meanwhile, takes a 53-1 record into the 113-pound division as he seeks to win back-to-back titles.

Battery Creek’s Cooper Kaminsky, one of 11 Dolphins to place at the Class 2-A/1-A Lower State tournament, takes a 51-2 mark into his 195-pound bracket. Omar Daniels (49-4) also figures to fare well at 126 pounds.

Other Beaufort County wrestlers with a good chance to at least reach the final are Beaufort’s Will Spann (126) and Connor Gruel (152) and Hilton Head’s Alex Braden (138) and Billy Christie (160).

A pair of Emerald High wrestlers are likely to stand as the biggest obstacle to Seitz and Duane, occupying top seeds from the Upper State competition.

Luke Newton (44-1) potentially awaits Seitz on the other side of the 170-pound competition, having finished as state runner-up each of the past two years. Duane’s path isn’t much easier at 182, as Kivontay Clinkscales compiled a match record of 38-3.

This story was originally published February 25, 2016 at 8:30 PM with the headline "Individual titles in focus for Lowcountry wrestlers."