Dragons send four to Class AA sectionals
Four Clinton High School wrestlers have qualified for the Class AA sectionals.
The Dragons produced one Region 2-AA runner-up and three third-place finishers in their respective weight classes.
Freshman Emmanuel Rangel finished second at 120 pounds. Freshman Hayden Durliat (113 pounds) and juniors Adam Gonzalez (157) and Jordan Smith (175) each placed third in their respective weight classes.
“I’m really happy for these kids that have earned this opportunity,” Clinton first-year head coach Carl Nielsen said.
Nielsen also praised several wrestlers who narrowly missed qualifying for the sectional round.
Keenan Hoskins (132 pounds) finished fifth in his weight class. Jonah Hoskins also placed fifth at 215 pounds, while Jacob Brown took sixth at 190 pounds despite giving up approximately 20 pounds to many of his opponents.
“I’m really proud of Keenan,” Nielsen said. “All year, he has competed against a kid from Carter who won it. That kid is a senior, and Keenan has competed well against him.
“He was right there. Jacob is wrestling at 190, but he weighs about 170, and he had to move up to find his spot. Jonah wrestled well. Those guys were sort of our honorable mentions.”
While the sectionals are scheduled for this weekend and the state championships are approaching, Nielsen is already looking ahead to the 2026-27 season.
“In the offseason and during the summer, everybody wants to get on the mat,” he said. “I want to get on the mat, too, but we’re going to spend a lot of time in the weight room.
“We’re going to work with weights to improve our grip strength.”
