Oracle senior Braden Atwood almost met his goal of being a state wrestling champion, but in the state championship match his opponent scored a takedown in overtime to seal his fate as the 189-pound state runner-up.

Atwood began the tournament by pinning his opponent Friday night in round one. In the quarter finals he also pinned his opponent, to reach a personal goal of 40 pins in a season. In the semi finals he wrestled a smart match that went the distance with Atwood declared the 3-0 winner.

Atwood’s opponent in the championship match was Warren Central senior Michael Johnson-Jones, who came in with a 43-1 record. His lone loss was to Atwood, whose record was perfect at 48-0. At the end of regulation the score was tied 2-2. But in the overtime period, Atwood gave up a takedown for the 2- 4 loss. That was only the third time all season that Atwood had been taken down.

Atwood finishes his wrestling career at Delphi with the school’s best-ever career record of 183 wins to only 13 losses. He holds the school’s most wins in a season record at 51, set his junior year. He also has 123 falls in his career, another school career record, along with 40 pins in a season, a school record.

This was Atwood’s third state finals appearance. He placed fourth in 2008 and fifth in 2009.

Atwood’s wrestling days may be over at DCHS, but he recently signed a letter of intent to wrestle for Scott Hinkle at Purdue University, where he plans to study mechanical engineering technology. As a Boilermaker wrestler, he will be competing in one of the toughest wrestling conferences in the nation, the Big 10.

According to coach Mike Atwood, Braden has challenged himself to succeed in college on the mat and in the classroom. The senior Atwood has no doubt that his son will accomplish his goals.

Tanner Lynde

Oracle sophomore Tanner Lynde concluded his outstanding season with a fifth place state finish. Friday he wasted little time beating his first opponent by points, 11- 0. In the quarter finals Lynde lost a close match 4-7, setting him up for the fifth place finish. He continued to take his opponents down. In the first round of the consolation matches he won 4-2 and in the last round he also won 4- 2.

Lynde has a two-year record of 85 wins to 12 losses. He ended this season 46-3.