In spite of some wrestlers’ lack of tournament experience, Polk County’s mostly young varsity team garnered four place-winning honors at Friday’s Western Highlands Conference tournament, held at Polk.

Chase Emory took second at 138 pounds, while fellow Wolverines Frederick Vesser (113 pounds), Cameron Reed (145 pounds) and Anthony Marino (152 pounds) each captured third in their weight classes.

As a team, Polk placed fifth, with 56 points. Defending 1A state champion Mitchell took first with 203 points.

“We’re still just really young,” remarked Polk head coach Phillip Miller following the tournament. “Hopefully, we’ll gains something from it, and take it . . . to state duals.”

State duals begin today (Tuesday, Feb. 3). This is the first time that Polk has qualified for states as a team in five years.

“That’s a good thing,” Miller said of the team’s qualifying.

Team duals begin at 5 p.m. today (Tuesday, Feb. 3) at East Burke High School, Morganton. Polk faces Hunter Huss High School. Action will be held at East Burke High School, Connelly Springs, east of Morganton.

At 138 pounds, Emory started by defeating Hendersonville’s Daniel Pearce, 14-10. Emory next defeated Owen’s Tyler Pressley, 7-3, but, in the championship round, lost, 5-0, to Solomon Duncan of Mitchell.

On Friday, Vesser moved to the second round through a bye, but was pinned by Braxton Maya of Avery County. Eventually, Mitchell’s Christian Lowery pinned Maya, to win the 113-pound championship.

Reed also moved into the second round via a bye. He was pinned by Avery County’s Preston Childress, the 145-pound champion. Reed picked up the team after the Wolverines’ regular 145-pounder, Dustin Calvert, was out with an injury.

Marino possibly had the hardest lot of all. After earning a first-round bye, he lost a 3-2 decision, where he couldn’t quite take down his opponent and move ahead. However, in the consolation finals, Marion outlasted Sam Browne of Hendersonville, 8-5.

Polk’s Jerry Cox had a similar experience at 182 pounds, where he lost a 2-1 decision when he fought hard for a takedown that he couldn’t quite achieve.

In the Jan 24 Razor Rumble at Wahalla (SC), Polk also earned four weight-class honors. Emory, Dustin Calvert (145 pounds), Marino and Cox earned fourth-place honors, while Deven Panchynshn took fifth at 195.

Individual regional competition is set for Feb. 13 and 14, with state individual championships to be held Feb. 19-21, at the Greensboro Coliseum.