CBA's Wallace, Paynter advance to state 3A wrestling championships

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on February 15, 2016 1:48 PM

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WENDELL -- Charles B. Aycock junior Joshua Wallace claimed the 170-pound eastern regional championship, and earned his second straight trip to the season-ending N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3-A state individual championship meet.

Teammate Jaret Paynter is joining him, too.

Wallace (50-2 overall) pinned his first two opponents -- Darien Bird of Richlands (1 minute, 14 seconds) and Southern Nash's Vyshaun Richardson (3:52). Wallace slipped past Jacksonville's Milton Chandler, 8-5, in semifinal-round play.

The No. 1 seed in his weight class, Wallace polished off his regional-title performance with a nail-biting, 5-4 conquest of West Carteret's Ruffin Mancuso.

Paynter, who missed last season with an injury, followed the blueprint set by Wallace. The 195-pounder handed his first two opponents, Jacob Brantley of Southern Nash and Dillon Joyner of Northern Nash, by an identical 6-2 score.

Seeded No. 2, Paynter (35-5) wrapped up his silver-medal effort with a 6-2 loss to West Carteret's Will Newbern in the championship finale.

Eastern Wayne senior Cainen Miller worked his way through the 132-pound consolation round and came within one match of advancing to the state tournament. His prep campaign ended with a heart-breaking, 6-5 loss to Havelock's Kristian Kinsey in semifinal-round action.

Teammate Jordan Wooten endured the same fate at 182 pounds. He, too, dropped into the consolation bracket with a quarterfinal-round loss. Jordan pinned two opponents before giving up a season-ending, third-period pin to Wilson Fike's Wesley Jackson.

Southern Wayne had five grapplers fall in second-round consolation action -- Delvonte Davis (120 pounds), Devante Jackson (132), Kimari Johnson (145), Willie Leonard (152) and Tim Taylor (182).