ROCKINGHAM — Cracking the top five spot in the Richmond Observer’s Top 10 Sports Story countdown of the 2019-2020 school year is a pair of wrestling teammates.
Seniors Austin Gallops and Joey Nicholson entered their final season with high aspirations to make a run at an individual state championship.
The two Raiders achieved their goal of qualifying for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s 4A state championship, the first time either had done that in his respective career.
To qualify for the state tournament, Gallops and Nicholson each took fourth place in a tough 4A Midwest regional tournament to advance to Greensboro. Nicholson wrestled in the 120-pound weight division, while Gallops competed in the 160-pound division.
The duo rebounded this winter from a junior season that was plagued by late-season injuries that saw neither wrestler able to qualify in 2019.
Entering the tournament, Nicholson had a 33-8 overall record, while Gallops carried a 30-11 mark.
At the state championship, neither Gallops or Nicholson would finish in the top six of his respective weight class to place, but the experience of making it to the big dance was satisfactory enough.
Both wrestlers were also named to the All-Sandhills Athletic Conference team to cap their careers.
Below is the link to the state championship preview feature, written by sports editor Kyle Pillar for the Feb. 19, 2020 edition of the Richmond Observer:
