MEXICO - The Fulton Hornets qualified nine wrestlers for this week's state meet on Saturday at the Class 2, District 2 championships.
Fulton's qualifiers are led by a trio of district champions - unbeaten sophomore Josh McClure (30-0) at 113 pounds, sophomore Zach Benner (30-2) at 182 and senior Paul Books (9-2) at 220. Sophomore Trenton Clines (26-6) also qualified by taking second place at 138 pounds.
The Hornets had four other wrestlers qualify by taking third place in their respective weight classes Saturday - freshman Devan Hudson (16-7) at 106 pounds, freshman Brandon Dews (28-6) at 126, senior John Kingsley (10-1) at 195 and sophomore Clayton Bristol (27-6) at 285.
Sophomore Andy Baysinger (25-6) qualified by finishing fourth at 152 pounds.
As a team, Fulton came in second with 183.5 points. Kirksville captured the District 2 team title with 212 points, while St. Charles West finished third behind the Hornets with 176.5.
The Class 2 state championships start Thursday at Mizzou Arena in Columbia.
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(Editor's note: For a complete follow-up on Saturday's District 2 championships, see Tuesday's edition.)