The Great Bridge Wildcats won their 4th consecutive AAA State Wrestling Championship this past weekend, matching last year’s school record with 6 individual champions. Great Bridge has now won 13 State Titles in 15 years dating back to 1987. In addition, it has captured 17 consecutive District Titles and 11 consecutive Regional Championships. Of the 7 State Dual Championships, Great Bridge has won 6. This past weekend the Wildcats scored 155 points followed by runner up Western Branch with 94. The Hayfield Hawks finished 3rd with 74. “It was a great night for Great Bridge Wrestling” said Wildcats coach Steve Martin who is familiar with state championships winning 3 of his own in the 80’s. The 2001 State Champions will look for a 5th straight title next year since they are losing only 3 seniors. It will be extremely difficult to dethrone them with the incredible talent and depth they have returning.

National freestyle champion Christian Staylor (112) started things off for the Wildcats and won his second state championship with a victory over Brandon Hardy from Western Branch. Staylor had wrestled Hardy four times this season and all the matches were grinders. This meeting was no different as Staylor (42-2) prevailed with a 9-4 decision. "All my matches are close with Hardy. You just never know when it could go the other way." It did not this time.

In the 119-pound weight class Great Bridge’s other Sophmore sensation Daniel Frishkorn (40-5) won his second state championship with a 10-3 decision over Colonial Forge’s Kyle Graham. Frishkorn lost to Graham earlier this season. They had met twice and each had earned a victory. That gave Frishkorn incentive to take early control of the final and he cruised to victory. In two years of wrestling, the sophomore has a career mark of 92-7.

Junior Michael Martin (130) won his 3rd State Championship and completed his first undefeated season (43-0) with a 13-7 victory over Western Branch’s Tripp Seed. His career record now stands at 129-2. Martin could easily break 3 time Virginia state champ and 2000 NCAA champion Carl Perry's record for most wins in Virginia High School history with 163. This championship was no different from the last two for Michael Martin. There was, however, one tense moment in the second period when Martin was trying to turn Tripp Seed. Seed used a reversal, caught Martin in a head and arm and scored 3 back points to cut the lead to 11-7. “I was thinking, there goes a four year high school career down the drain,” “I just got caught in a dumb hold and I just had to fight through it and get out.” Next season Martin can join an elite group of five wrestlers, including his father David as a four time state champions. Martin dedicated this tournament victory to fitness guru Bob Werring who passed away this weekend.

At 135-pounds Donnie Barbaree had a tough season, but finished as state champion. Just last weekend he needed overtime to win the Eastern Region Championship against David Gillis (Salem). Barbaree, a senior at Great Bridge, was in overtime again. As Gillis shot in, Barbaree quickly countered but was caught at the ankle. Barbaree (27-8) then spun around 360 degrees and got behind Gillis for the winning takedown. Conditioning was quite important this year and Donnie would like to thank his workout partner, Danny Cresswell.

A.J. Foreman (160) appeared headed for his third consecutive overtime match when he used a “superduck” to take down Hickory’s Brandon Dunavant with four seconds left and post a 3-1 win. Foreman (38-10) had a couple close calls on his way to the finals, again the Great Bridge traditional hard work and conditioning paid off winning another close match. His special thanks are to God, his mother and father.

At 215 pounds David Dashiell (46-3) did not have much trouble getting to the finals. Once there, he wrestled a systematically technical match to a 4-0 victory. The win came over Casey Allen of E.C. Glass. Dashiell, a junior, can now add his Virginia state title to his 2000 North Carolina state title.

Other State Champion Summaries and Podium Shots:

103 - Christian Smith (46-5) knew he could win. As the match went into overtime, he thought about all the tapes he and his coach reviewed. Even while trying to score the last takedown, he listened to his coaches as they screamed directions at him. Smith, a Western Branch sophomore, was in overtime with Brandon Harcum of Hickory. As Harcum shot in, Smith countered with a sprawl and circled to the side to try to hook Harcum's leg. He got the leg and the takedown to win the Virginia State Championship 3-1.

125 - Donnie Ooton (33-3) wanted some payback. He had lost the Central region Championship to Shanon Slack of Hermitage. This was Ooton's chance and he did not let it slip away. The Atlee sophomore triumphed with a 6-1 decision, running his career mark to 60-3. Ooton knew it was better to be a Virginia State Champion.

140 - David Atkins was one of the few in the gymnasium to believe he could beat Cox's Brian Stith. Atkins fought tooth and nail for every point. With a third period takedown, all Atkins had to do was hold Stith down. The buzzer sounded and Atkins raised his arms in triumph. But then the match referees got together to confer on whether Atkins had actually held Stith down. The referees agreed and Atkins (39-0) earned a 5-4 decision.

145 - Marc Lyons of Kellam has been pushed to excel for years. All that pushing finally paid off with a 10-6 victory over Hermitage's David Courtney. Lyons (48-4), a senior, wants to convey this message to his coach, "Thanks Coach Benzio for pushing me all these years."

152 - Tallwood's senior Justin Gabbard took the traditional route to winning a state championship. He placed fourth as a sophomore and second as a junior in the states. Gabbard, or "Spiderman" as he is known, achieved his goal of capping off his high school career with his 9-4 decision over Maury's Finn Supan. This win also culminated his senior season with a perfect 36-0 record.

171 - Josh Walker (44-1) came into this tournament with a mission: a state championship. The Stonewall Jackson senior met Madison's Nathan Dappen in the finals and earned a 7-5 victory. This conquest was a perfect ending to his high school career.

189 - It took a rideout decision for Chad Malone (45-3) to avenge last weekends Northwest Region final loss to Charles Jenkins of Fauquier. Malone, a senior, stood triumphantly as he escaped in his double-overtime victory to become only the second state champion from Potomac High School.

275 - Hayfield's Floyd Wright had a weight on his shoulders. He was top-ranked in Virginia, he was the Northern Regions last hope for a champion, and finally he had to wrestle Lake Taylor's Ray Mccoy. For a Heavyweight match, the exciting 5-2 victory gave Wright (44-2) everything he had worked for.