All-Timesland: Wrestling

KYLE GREEN | The Roanoke Times

2013 Timesland wrestler of the year Joey Dance, Christiansburg.

The Roanoke Times File February

Christianburg coach Daryl Weber led the Blue Demons to their seventh state championship since he took over the program.

The Roanoke Times | File January

Christiansburg’s Joey Dance won his division in the 2013 Big Blue Invitational.

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All-Timesland teams

Daniel Hamm of Fort Chiswell is our Timesland boys athlete of the year for 2012-13. Caroline Brailsford of Patrick Henry is Timesland's girls athlete of the year.

Check out all our All-Timesland teams.

Got a beef with our picks? Think they're perfect? Chime in on Robert Anderson's High School Sports blog.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Timesland Wrestler of the Year

JOEY DANCE | Christiansburg | Senior

Dance capped a remarkable senior season by outlasting Luke Stewart of Brookville 11-5 in the Group AA 138-pound final to finish undefeated. He was ranked No. 1 in the nation at 126 pounds all year by multiple rating services, Dance moved up two classes for the postseason and kept right on rolling. During the regular season, he won two prestigious national tournaments, the Walsh Ironman in Ohio and the Beast of the East in Delaware. Other firsts included the Big Blue, River Ridge District and Region IV. A four-time state champ, he signed with Virginia Tech.

FIRST TEAM
TY BOYD | RURAL RETREAT | 106 | Sophomore | 42-4
Hogoheegee District and Region C champion ... Also won the Highlander, Northwood and Rural Retreat invitationals ... Was runner-up at the Bobby Bates Classic and third at Agie Skeens ... Beat Miguel Policarpo of Floyd County to place fifth in Group A.

CORBIN WOODS | PARRY MCCLUER | 113 | Junior | 40-3
Defeated Rural Retreat freshman Jacob Wynn 4-2 to win the Group A championship ... Also won the Pioneer District and Region C titles, stopping Dustin Hagerman of Graham with a pin in regional final ... Group A champion as a sophomore at 106 pounds.

COY OZIAS | CHRISTIANSBURG | 120 | Junior | 44-4
Won his second straight Group AA title on top of one state crown in Maryland ... River Ridge District and Region IV champ ... Placed fourth at Walsh Ironman and fifth at Beast of the East ... Ranked No. 10 nationally by Flowrestling ... Has a 133-7 career record.

GABE LUMPP | CHRISTIANSBURG | 126 | Senior | 27-7
Nearly gave up the sport after a second straight Group AA semifinal loss in a row in 2012 ... Was the Group AA runner-up, losing to Michael Hulcher of Briar Woods. ... Won the Big Blue, River Ridge District, and Region IV titles ... Committed to Ferrum.

J.R. WERT | CHRISTIANSBURG | 132 | Senior | 17-3
Missed six weeks while recovering from hernia surgery then came back to win his third Group AA title and fourth overall ... Moved up two weight classes for the postseason. Finished with 141 career wins ... Ranked No. 11 nationally at 132 by Flowrestling.

MICHAEL BRYANT | WILLIAM BYRD | 145 | Junior | 34-3
Strung together three impressive performances en route to the Group AA final where he defeated 57-match winner Austin Jenkins of Eastern View 5-2 ... Added a first at the Turner Ashby tournament. ... Moved to 78-17 for his career.

CHARLIE DICKSON | COVINGTON | 152 | Senior | 32-3
Pinned 36-match winner Dylan Raines of Grundy to capture third in Group A after losing to eventual champ Colby Dean in the semis. ... Won both the Pioneer District and Region C titles, topping eventual state runner-up Nathan Tomlin of Parry McCluer twice.

CHRIS TYREE | STAUNTON RIVER | 160 | Senior | 42-3
Stopped Millbrook sophomore Dylan Wisman 7-3 in the Group AA final after placing second twice previously ... Also won Big Blue and Big Orange titles ... Defeated Judah Bruce of Rockbridge County in Region III after losing in Blue Ridge final.

KODA WAGNER | ROCKBRIDGE CO. | 170 | Junior | 43-6
Placed third in the Group AA tournament after losing to eventual champ Jake Tomlinson of Powhatan in the semifinals ... Won Blue Ridge District and Region III championships ... Also won titles at the Harrisonburg and Turner Ashby invitationals.

ZACH EPPERLY | CHRISTIANSBURG | 182 | Senior | 45-1
Pinned his way through the postseason to a fourth Group AA title after moving up a weight class ... Added Walsh Ironman and Beast of East crowns ... Had 173 high school wins ... Ranked No. 7 nationally by Flowrestling at 170. ... Signed with Virginia Tech.

DEREK YATES | RURAL RETREAT | 195 | Senior | 42-5
Placed fourth in Group A after losing in the quarterfinals ... Captured Hogoheegee District and Region C titles ... Also won three regular-season invitationals ... Was the Group A runner-up at 182 pounds in 2011-12.

ADAM THURMAN | MARTINSVILLE | 220 | Senior | 33-5
After finishing seventh in the state last year at 285, he cut 27 pounds after football season ended to reach wrestling weight. ... Won Piedmont District and Region IV titles. ... Finished fifth in Group AA after reaching semifinals.

JAMES WILLIS | SALEM | 285 | Senior | 26-4
Capped a 102-21 career with a hard-fought 3-2 loss to John Handley's undefeated Jordan Dowery in the Group AA final. ... Won River Ridge District and Region IV crowns after runner-up finishes at both tournaments in 2011-12.

SECOND TEAM
JOSH MCCRAY | Cave Spring | 106 | Freshman | 28-9

CREED LUMPP | Christiansburg | 113 | Freshman | 30-9

BRET ROMANZAK | Jefferson Forest | 120 | Soph. | 44-8

RYAN CLINGENPEEL | Franklin County | 126 | Senior | 49-6

BENJAMIN REYNOLDS | Salem | 132 | Senior | 31-6

CHASE MCDANIEL | Cave Spring | 138 | Junior | 20-6

JOHN STILES | Patrick Henry | 145 | Senior | 48-8

NATHAN TOMLIN | Parry McCluer | 152 | Senior | 43-14

JUDAH BRUCE | Rockbridge County | 160 | Junior | 33-8

JAMES JACKSON | Cave Spring | 170 | Senior | 18-15

CORY WILLIAMS | Rural Retreat | 182 | Senior | 44-0

DERRICK COPELAND | Patrick Henry | 195 | Fresh. | 25-6

ANTHONY ROBINSON | Patrick Henry | 220 | Senior | 38-9

KEENAN HUGHES | Patrick Henry | 285 | Senior | 14-3

COACH OF THE YEAR
DARYL WEBER | Christiansburg
Weber led the Blue Demons to their seventh state title since he took over the program and their 12th straight overall. This time, he moved three of his top four wrestlers to heavier weight classes for the postseason in order to give the team a better chance to win. The moves paid off. The Blue Demons rolled to a 66-point first place margin.

Monday, August 12, 2013