21 district wrestlers bound for Columbus

Eric Chine leads three Fitch qualifiers in Division I action.
VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT
Twenty-one area athletes will be competing in the state wrestling tournament Thursday through Saturday at Ohio State University's Schottenstein Center.
Eric Chine of Austintown Fitch High returns to the Division I meet where he'll try to improve on last year's fifth-place finish at 171 pounds.
This time, the senior athlete will go in with a 32-8 record at 189 pounds and a fourth-place finish at last week's district tournament.
Fitch sophomore Nick Bodnar (130, 37-6) lost twice at the 2003 state meet at 119. Teammate Fred Weidenthal (160, 31-8), a junior, will compete at state for the first time. Both athletes placed third at district.
Chris Pankewicz (152, 24-4), a Canfield senior, will appear at state for the first time. He was third at district.
Hoppel returning
Representing the area in Div. II will be 13 athletes, including Adam Hoppel of Beaver Local, who's returning for the fourth straight year.
He carries a 38-1 record into the heavyweight division. Last year, he placed second at 215 pounds, but won the title at that weight in 2002. He won the district title last week.
The Beavers' Grant Hoppel (140, 31-9) also is making a return trip to the meet. He placed third at district.
Beaver Local's Derik Caudill (103, 28-12); Shawn Dunn (135, 34-9); and Jimmy Bowersock (215, 29-13) are making their first trip to the big meet.
Howland's Brandon Alexander, who is headed to the University of Toledo to play football in the fall, lost twice at state a year ago, but will try to improve on that when he takes a 36-2 mark into the Div. II 189-pound class.
The Tigers' district champion, junior Rob Holbert (275, 34-3), a surprise at the Akron Firestone tournament last week, is making his first trip to state.
Southeast will be represented by seniors Jacob Bartley (125, 24-1), a district champion, and Brad Lanham (215, 31-5), who both placed sixth at state last year. Brian Dye (103, 26-6) was fourth at district to make it to state for the first time.
Warriors' freshman
West Branch's Nathan Sharp (275, 30-8), one of two area freshmen going to Columbus, will be following in his brother Seth Sharp's footsteps. Seth was third at state last year. Junior Eric Morrow (119, 32-9) is making his first trip. He was fourth at district.
East Liverpool's lone entry is junior Anthony Duffield (112, 34-9).
Jackson-Milton has two athletes returning in Div. III, with juniors Jake Hambrick (112, 34-6) and Nick Dierkes (140, 38-0), while Brookfield junior Dave Dillon (140, 31-10) and freshman Tristan Thompson (103, 35-4) are going for the first time.