Eden Prairie sophomore Zytavius Williams (31-9) will compete in the 120-pound class at the state wrestling tournament this weekend. Photo by Gillian Holte
It’s been a good week for Eden Prairie sophomore wrestler Zytavius Williams and the Eagles wrestling team.
With his 4-2 decision over third-ranked AJ Smith (33-7) of Shakopee in the 120-pound class at the Section 6AAA wrestling tournament last Saturday, Williams (31-9), ranked ninth in the state, earned a trip to the state wrestling tournament at Xcel Energy Center this weekend.
Williams joins eight of his Eden Prairie teammates in the individual competition at the state tournament. And for his accomplishments, Williams was named one of the Star Tribune’s Prep Athletes of the Week.
Eagles head coach Marcus LeVesseur told the Star Tribune’s Ron Haggstrom that Williams’ work ethic is consistently “top notch.”
“Zy is always looking for the next-level challenge or tough obstacle to overcome,” LeVesseur said.
Joining Williams in the individual competition at the state meet:
Seventh-grader Anthony Heim (35-7) at 106 pounds
Senior Jafari Vanier (22-13) at 138 pounds
Junior Terae Dunn (32-4) at 145 pounds
Senior London Bui (16-23) at 152 pounds
Senior Jacory Bates (21-3) at 160 pounds
Junior Julian Berg (22-15) at 195 pounds
Junior Dominic Heim (25-4) at 220 pounds
Junior Will Sather (39-1) at 285 pounds
Eden Prairie junior Will Sather will defend his state title in the 285-pound class at the state wrestling tournament this weekend in St. Paul. Photo by Gillian Holte
Sather, ranked second in the state, will be defending his title from last March when he became the first sophomore wrestler in MSHSL history to win a state championship in the 285-pound class.
The state wrestling tournament begins Thursday and continues through Saturday at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Team competition takes place on Thursday, with individual brackets starting on Friday. For more information on the event, visit the MSHSL website.
Nine Eden Prairie wrestlers will compete in the state tournament individual competition this weekend. Front row, from left: Julian Berg, Anthony Heim, Dominic Heim, London Bui, Jacory Bates. Back row, from left: Terae Dunn, Zytavius Williams, Will Sather, Jafari Vanier. Submitted photo