Senior A.J. Harvey rolled to a championship at 285 pounds to lead four Christian County wrestlers into next week’s KHSAA State Finals.
The Colonels also had a runner-up showing in semi-state action at Union County on Saturday and two seventh-place finishes.
The top eight in each weight class advance to the State Finals next Friday and Saturday at George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester.
Harvey, ranked fourth in the state at 285, won his first three matches by pin before taking the championship match by injury default over Issac Meyer of Oldham County, who was unable to take the mat in the finals.
Harvey’s longest match was the semifinal, where he pinned No. 5-ranked Carter Guillaume of Louisville St. Xavier in 3:14.
At 113, junior JaRi Campbell reached the championship match before falling to No. 1-ranked Jordyn Raney of Union County.
Campbell, ranked third in that class, won his first match by pin in 54 seconds, then decisioned Louisville Trinity’s Nico Plumeri 8-6.
In the semifinals, Campbell decisioned No. 6 Jayven Williams of Paducah Tilghman 10-1 to reach the first-place match. But Raney won by pin in 1:06 in the championship.
Junior Mason Kellett placed seventh at 150. Kellett bounced back after a first round loss to No. 3-ranked Nolan Banfield of Woodford County to twice win by decision in the consolation bracket.
Kellett was then decisioned by No. 6 Justin Krebs of Louisville St. Xavier 8-5, placing him in the seventh-place match.
Kellett won that match by forfeit over Caeleb Jarvis of Louisville Fairdale.
Omarion Wimberly was seventh at 190. The junior, ranked No. 9 in the state, won his first match by pin before dropping a 9-0 decision in the quarterfinal round.
Wimberly decisioned Calloway County’s Timarian Bledsoe 10-6 in his next match, but was then pinned by Paducah Tilghman’s Jimmy Mooney in 2:23.
Wimberly won the seventh-place match in sudden death, edging Devon Rahrig of Spencer County 5-3.
Two other Colonels wrestled in the semi-state tourney.
Ashton Smith was 1-2 at 106 while Deameion Leavell went 1-2 at 132.
Christian County placed 10th in the team standings in the semi-state with 70 points.
