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Tyler Beckner works for a first round victory.

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Beckner wins wrestling state title

Tyler Beckner closed out his career by winning the state championship in the 130 pound weight class at the Group A tournament at the Salem Civic Center Saturday. Beckner won in the first two rounds Friday and then won the semifinals and finals Saturday.
Beckner won the title by beating Tanner Sutphin of Radford 4-2 in overtime. Sutphin, who was the 2007 state champion at 119 pounds, had defeated Beckner in the Three Rivers District and Region C tournaments.
“I’d wrestled him before, so I had an idea of what he would do,” Beckner said. “Every match is different, but I had a basic idea.”
The finals on Saturday night started with a 0-0 first period. Sutphin then took a 1-0 lead with an escape point.
Beckner went up 2-1 with a reversal, but Tanner scored another escape point and regulation ended with a 2-2 tie.
In overtime “he tried to take a shot, but I defended it and got control and was able to make a move.”
Beckner opened the tournament Friday with a first round pin of Cody Cooper of Strasburg. Cooper, the Region B third seed with a 11-16 record, jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a take down.
“He took me by surprise,” Beckner said. Beckner tied the match with a reversal, but fell behind again at 4-2.
Beckner was able to turn Cooper with 40 seconds left and got the pin for the win with 28 seconds left in the first quarter. He advanced with a win over Dylan Smith of Lebanon and made the finals by defeating Conrad Maszack of Middlesex.
Josh Penn was also a state medalist for the Buffaloes, finishing sixth at 285 pounds. Penn opened the tournament with a first period pin of Gage Stanley of Virginia High.
Penn took control with a take down at 1:32 and used a leg lock to notch the fall with 38 seconds left in the first quarter. “I was really confident,” Penn said.
Zach Bonham was also a first round winner, beating Michael Mullins of Powell Valley 2-0. After a scoreless first period, Bonham went up 1-0 on a penalty point.
Bonham added an escape point with 19 seconds left in the second and stayed in control for the rest of the match. “He was taller, but I was able to get low and use my strength,” Bonham said.
Max Lander lost an 11-2 first round match to Anthony Franklin of Stonewall Jackson. Franklin had a 47-1 record.
Daniel Bradford lost 7-2 in the first round of the 160 division to Jeremy Gilliam of J.J. Kelly. Gilliam had a 42-6 record.
Bonham, Lander and Bradford each had a 1-2 record overall for the tournament.