
Pictured are the state qualifiers and the coaches of the Rockmart Takedown Club. On the back row, from left, are: Head coach David Duchemin, Draven Smith, Kemarion Washington, Braden Durocher, Kohl Streetman, Casin Goodson, coach Dusty Waddell, and coach Cary Streetman. On the bottom row, from left, are: River Durocher, Brent Washington, Steven Sampson, Isaac Sisson, Garrett Pace, and Gunner Chambers.
Head coach David Duchemin and his team competed for five months, from November until March, in some of the state’s toughest events, including the Dixie Nationals in Atlanta and the Georgia Grind in Suwanee.
Wrestlers such as Steven Sampson, Kohl Streetman, Brent Washington, Gunner Chambers, River Durocher, Draven Smith, and Braden Durocher were some of the wrestlers who took home top honors in their respected weight classes this season. Sampson was crowned Dixie National Champion in December at the Georgia World Congress Center, while Smith won first place at the Georgia Grind tournament in February, ranking him as the top Schoolboy wrestler in the nation at 144 pounds.
According to coaches, each member of the Takedown Club qualified for the recent Team USA Georgia State Championships. Sampson won first place while Smith took second place, River Durocher third, and Chambers fourth.
Rockmart’s Bantam Team of five-and-six-year-olds finished fourth in the state.
The Rockmart Takedown Club will now turn their sights to the Team USA Georgia Freestyle season, which they will participate in this spring.
Practices are held on Wednesday night’s from 6-8 p.m. at the Rockmart Takedown Club. They will start practicing on Wednesday, March 28. Any wrestler, ages 4-to-14, interested in competing in Freestyle wrestling should contact Club president Eric Durocher at 770-314-1448.
Freestyle wrestling is the same format of wrestling used in high school and college wrestling. Folkstyle is the format used to determine individual and team state champions at those levels.





