photo by Wesley Hallman

Thompson High School wrestling coach Shawn Weltzin (Right) celebrates as Nick Gentile pins his 171-pound opponent Feb. 6 to earn a spot in the Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 6A state tournament. Gentile is one of 11 Thompson wrestlers who qualified for the state tournament a Class 6A sectional at Hoover High School.

Thompson sends record number to state wrestling tournament

By Wesley Hallman (Contact) | Alabaster Reporter

Published Saturday, February 6, 2010

HOOVER — If an award for the most improved high school wrestling team in the state of Alabama existed, it would have to belong to the Thompson Warriors.

In only the program’s third season of existence, the Warriors joined the ranks of powers Hoover and Vestavia Hills with double-digit qualifiers for the Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 6A state tournament.

A school-record 11 wrestlers qualified for the state tournament Feb. 11-13 at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville with standout performances at a Class 6A sectional tournament Feb. 6 at Hoover High School.

The Warriors were led by 140-pound freshman Nick Hall and 152-pound sophomore Josh Gillaspie, who each became the first Thompson wrestlers to capture a sectional title Feb. 5.

“That’s something nobody can ever take away from them,” said Thompson coach Shawn Weltzin. “That’s huge. I had to wait until my senior year to win a sectional. They’re doing it as sophomores and freshmen.”

Thompson had two wrestlers, including Hall, qualify for the state tournament in 2008 in their first varsity wrestling season. That number jumped to seven last year in the program’s second year of existence.

Thompson capped a third-place finish at the sectional with 11 wrestlers sealing state tournament bids at Hoover.

“It’s really big for the program,” Weltzin said. “It’s huge because they can actually see the results. We’re getting there.”

In addition to Hall and Gillaspie, Matt Gilson, Reed Jacks, Brewer Gilliland, John Austin Jones, Chris Walker, Nick Gentile, Jesse Masters, Jimmy Miller and Nick Parten also qualified for thestate tournament.

Hall (49-6) recorded a technical fall and a pin before picking up a 9-2 decision over Hoover’s Rush Hall in the championship match. Gillaspie (44-11) earned decisions over Hoover’s Spencer Reynolds and Pelham’s Hudson Pitts on his way to the 152-pound title.

Jacks, Walker, Masters and Parten each finished runner-up at the Class 6A sectional.

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