The Rockmart Middle School wrestling team had eight wrestlers place at the Floyd County Area Championships on Saturday, Jan. 12, including three wrestlers that won first place in their weight division.

Competing in a tournament with seven other teams, the young Yellow Jackets placed fifth out of eight teams with 148 points.

Model won the tournament with 246 points, followed by Pepperell with 181 and then Cedartown (166), Armuchee (151.5), Rockmart, Darlington (140.5), Chattooga (140) and Coosa (56).

Rockmart’s Truett Bowman, AJ Streetman and Griffin Pace won first place in their respective weight divisions to give the Yellow Jackets a lot of team points.

Bowman went 3-0 in the 85 pound division to win first place. Bowman pinned Cedartown’s Levi Womack, pinned Armuchee’s Ethan Nixon and then pinned Chattooga’s Levi McGuire.

In the 90 pound division, Streetman took top honors after going 2-0. Streetman pinned Darlington’s Cade Brock and then won by decision over Chattooga’s Avery Fillers.

Pace won a championship in the 95 pound class, going 3-0 on the day. Pace pinned Coosa’s Ian Harper, won by major decision over Cedartown’s Jesse Kirkpatrick and then won by decision over Model’s Matthew Cook.

Braden Durocher finished in second place in the 70 pound weight class for Rockmart. Durocher pinned Pepperell’s Blaze Adams but then lost to Model’s Walter Byrd by pinfall.

Shane Wolfe, in the 75 pound division, went 1-1 to take second place. Wolfe pinned Darlington’s Ben Robinson but was later pinned by Model’s Dalton Blankenship.

Jake Brown finished third for Rockmart in the 103 pound division. Brown pinned Armuchee’s Devin Hollingsworth, lost to Chattooga’s Austin Kiser by decision, but bounced back to win two more. Brown won by forfeit over a Coosa wrestler and then pinned Cedartown’s Dalton Bowman.

Payton Sanford also finished in third for the Yellow Jackets in the 118 pound group. Sanford won by decision over Chattooga’s Dylan Herod before being pinned by Model’s Donavon Kinsella. Sanford came back though, pinning Cedartown’s Gram Taff and Pepperell’s Josh Tucker.

TJ Cusyck, wrestling in the 200 pound division, earned a fourth place finish for the Yellow Jackets. Cusyck went 1-2 on the day, falling to Model’s Sharif Ramon, pinning Pepperell’s Adam Eickeberry before losing by pinfall to Chattooga’s TJ Adams.

Hunter England, wrestling in the 80 pound group, went 1-2 on the day. England earned a major decision win over Chattooga’s Darion Alexander.

In the 112 pound division, Cason Goodson picked up one win in three matches for Rockmart. Goodson’s win came over Coosa’s Trey Brooks when he pinned him.

Brendan Granham went 1-2 in the 132 pound class. Granham’s win came over Model’s Brasen Ruthledge in his first match, when Granham pinned Ruthledge.

Parker Sanford was able to record one win in three matches for Rockmart. Sanford, wrestling in the 145 pound division, got his win over Cedatown’s Isaiah Stocks by pinfall.

Carson Brown, 160 pounds, went 1-2 for Rockmart. Brown’s lone win came against Chattooga’s Rhett Meddox, win Brown recorded a pinfall victory.

Aubrey Thaxon competed for Rockmart in the 125 pound group, but went 0-2 on the day. Jonah Roberson, 139 pounds, also wrestled for the Yellow Jackets but went 0-2 at the tournament. Aaron Purkerson, 170 pounds, went 0-2 on the day for Rockmart.