RACKING `EM UP
♦ Rockmart has 5 state champions to go with a second-straight Class AA team title.
By the time wrestling got underway on the final day of the 2024 GHSA Traditional Wrestling State Championships, Rockmart was already all but assured a second straight team title.
By that evening, the Jackets had proven just how.
With the momentum of another spectacular season providing the steam for a productive showing at the Class AA state tournament in Macon over the weekend, Rockmart stormed through the early rounds and had nine wrestlers reach their division’s finals.
Five of them would stand atop the podium at the end of the day and all would be a part of a program that has now firmly established itself as a dynasty in the current landscape of Georgia high school wrestling.
Winning individual state titles were Eli Bowman at 106 pounds, Malachi Macedonio at 113, Major Chambers at 120, Garrett Pace at 138 and Nahzir Turner at 175. State runners-up are Logan Opdyke at 126, Hagen Sharp at 132, Luke Clay at 150, and Tyler Malone at 190.
The Jackets, who won the Class AA state duals title earlier this year, sent 11 wrestlers to Macon. Nine of them won their semifinal match and finished in the top two in Class AA.
With so many wrestlers in Saturday’s finals, Rockmart’s sizable lead in the overall team standings at the end of Friday’s competition appeared insurmountable.
The Jackets went into Saturday with 196 points, 89 points ahead of second place Union County. Rockmart finished with 220 points with Union County staying in second with 123 points.
It’s the second second season in a row Rockmart has swept the Class AA state team wrestling titles, winning both the duals and traditional team championships. In total, the Jackets have won 12 team traditional state wrestling championships.
Rockmart has now won six GHSA team state wrestling championships in the last four years, including the Class 3A traditional title in 2021, duals title in 2022, and both the Class AA duals and traditional title in 2023.
Turner closes out his Rockmart High School wrestling career with three state championships, having won in each of the last two years. Pace meanwhile bookends his time as a Jacket with state titles, having won as a freshman and now as a senior.
In a bit of history, Rockmart had its
first girl qualify for the GHSA State Girls Wrestling Championships with Audrey Sadler. And while she did not place, she set her place in Rockmart High School sports history.
Cedartown High School sent four wrestlers to compete in the Class 4A traditional state tournament and three wrestlers in the GHSA girls state tournament.
Two-time state champion Adam Payton made it to the 132 pound finals but lost to Lovett’s Cael Kusky in the finals by sudden victory. The senior closes out his time at Cedartown with over 150 career wins.
Meanwhile, Cedartown’s Katlyn Fields lost to Maigona Lau in the girls’ 125-pound final Saturday to finish as a state runner-up after winning the 120-pound title a year ago.