Nine wrestlers, six girls and three boys, begin competition at the state meet in Garland today and tomorrow.

To advance to state, wrestlers had to place in the top four in their weight divisions at the regional meet last Saturday.

Girls

The girls took home the regional championship as a team and coach Joe Daniel was named regional coach of the year.

Six of the eight girls placed high enough to be eligible for state and earned a first place team score. There were two regional champions: Jezebel Pardo (138 pounds) and Brittany Marshall (185); three runners-up: Elizabeth Pagano (95), Angelica Rodriguez (102) and Ruby Garcia (165); and one fourth place: Jordan Lee (215).

“They’ve done a good job,” Daniel said. “I hope they do another good job this week.”

Coach Joe Daniel had nothing but respect for the schools represented at regionals.

“They came out, they wrestled hard, and they didn’t roll over, ” Daniel said. “They did well. Coppell, Trinity, Skyline, Grand Prairie, all of them.”

Daniel said to know what school will be the toughest competition, you have to see how many they’re bringing, group those up and point your finger.

“You’re talking about the top 16 girls in each weight class from around the state,” Daniel said.

Daniel said if four-time regional champion and defending state champion Marshall wrestles the way she has been, she has a chance of completing the perfect season she has had so far at 45-0.

“If she stay within herself, it’s doable for her,” Daniel said. “She’s determined with what she wants.”

Other returning state-qualifying wrestlers are juniors Lee, Pardo, and Rodriguez.

Boys

Three boys wrestled their way to state and placed 13th in the final team standings at the regional meet. Xavier Franklin (126) placed won the regional championship, while George Haskins (145) and Chris Hamill (160) both placed fourth.

Hamill’s fourth place finish didn’t come easy.

“I had some steep competition this weekend,” Hamill said. “I lost against a Coppell kid that was 49-0 before entering the tournament. I lost to him by a point.”

Coach Noel Peterson said the team did a nice job at regionals.

“We’re improving,” Peterson said. “We had two [advance] last year. Now we have three.”

Peterson named Allen and Arlington Martin as the teams to beat due to the fact that Allen placed 13 wrestlers and Arlington Martin placed 10.

However, Hamill has high hopes for Franklin and Haskins.

“They’ve both come a long way,” Hamill said. “They were both on JV two years ago. X has a serious shot of winning the whole thing. I think me and George have a shot at placing. I could place top four; George can place top six.”