Wrestlers shook off the holiday blues with a return to the mat Dec. 27 as a part of the Lady Longhorn Invitational at Lutheran West. Brush picked up right where it left off after winning the Vermilion Defense Soap tournament before the holidays. The sextuplet of Deairdre Barnes (100), Lynetta Anthony (105), Leah James (120), Brooklyn Baskin (155), Amari Johnson (170), Elianna Steele (190), Tatianna Johnson (235) and Le’Nayashia Dickson (235) found their way to the championship brackets. Coach Robert Hall, who filled in as an interim for the Arcs at the tournament, has been impressed with the work of the group over the year and the building the Arcs have done as a team. “Seeing them accomplish this has been a dream come true,” Hall said. “We have been doing this for the last six years. We started with the girls in my second year there. We’ve been to every coaches association championship as well as the official championships. We’ve had three straight qualifiers for two years, and we have one state placer. “So to see them come out on top as a team (at Vermilion) and work as a team and understand that not getting pinned and actually pinning makes a difference to get those points. To see them ahead and win by 30 points, it was a beautiful thing.” The Arcs currently sit in third as a team with 176.5 points. Close on their heels however, is Mentor with 174 points in fourth. One of the benefits for wrestlers for the tournament is it was the first tournament to be scratch weight plus two for the season, meaning you could be two pounds over the listed weight. But you have to make the scratch weight once in the season before, so the Cardinals’ Dlorrah Harrold didn’t have that benefit. She’s wrestled the season at 235 so far but ended practice the night before the tournament six pounds over for making 190. But she made the weight for the event and went 4-1 on the day to advance to the championship bracket after an opening-round loss in the pool. “Especially during this week with the holidays and everything, it was definitely hard,” Harrold said. “But I kind of at the beginning was like just kind of kept doing my thing, whatever, and then like as the week went on, I just cut out all the calories. The carbs, sugars, stuff like that. I went to practice every day and then I would go to the gym after practice, Just putting in that extra work, going extra miles, just doing what you can, showing up early when you can, staying late, stuff like that.” Another strong performance was turned in by Madison’s 130-pound senior Kora Radolovic in her second pool-round match against Kubicki of Berea-Midpark. She started in a hole after a takedown by Kubicki in the first period. But she got a loss to start the second and a takedown to open the second through a strong spiral attempt. Radolovic did allow an escape that made it 5-5 in the third. But a takedown that took Kubicki’s back sealed the contest. With her background in cross country, Radolovic has the endurance for matches like that to be no sweat. “I really was just thinking don’t get too high and stay low,” Radolovic said. “I wanted to stay on top because I know that’s a strong position for me. The other thing was the drive on the sprawl. I knew that a takedown won the match and really wanted to win.” Madison sits just outside the top 10 in 11th with 106 points, 15 points behind Vermilion. Several other coverage area wrestlers turned in very strong performances as well and many have chances to still be on the podium. All eight Arcs wrestlers still have a chance to be on the podium. Harrold is joined by Julia Marshall (105), Maddie Beaumier (110), Milo West-Ayalla (115), Josie (120) and Shea Herda (145) in the championship bracket for Mentor. Madison has Adrianna Mussell (120), Emma Finch (140), Sarah Forster (145) and Charity Forester (170) along with Radolovic in the championship rounds. Perry’s quartet of Gigi Dominish (105), Abby Cornwell (115), Emily Kutscher (170) and Eva Kutscher (235) are all in the championship bracket. Harvey has the pair of Veronica Pacheco (105) and Becca Reyes (130) wrestling for a top spot on the podium.