FUQUAY-VARINA — Two Lumberton High School wrestlers earned regional championships and seven advanced to the state tournament at the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s 4A Mideast Regional held Tuesday in Fuquay-Varina.

Kenson Sinclair won the regional championship in the 182-pound classification and Quintez Shipman won at 195.

Shipman’s title is especially impressive as this season is his first participating in the sport.

“Quintez is a first-year wrestler; he’s just had a good season, he’s come naturally to the sport, and he’s just wrestled well,” Lumberton coach James Bell said. “He had some tough guys; he just wrestled smart through everything and that led him to his championship. It happens, but it’s rare, especially with a season like this. Realistically he’s only wrestled 20 matches, and that’s the only matches he’s ever wrestled. He just started two months ago. That’s kind of special. It’s kind of a testament to his work ethic, his athleticism and just learning through the whole experience of these past couple of months.”

Shipman defeated Panther Creek’s Andre Dube by fall in the first round, Hillside’s James Bankston by 4-2 decision in the second and Green Hope’s Sebastian Whitesock by 8-2 decision in the semifinals. He won the regional title by defeating Hunter Berryhill from Overhills by a 3-1 decision.

Sinclair had a first-round bye before defeating Jordan Alexander from Cary by a 2-0 decision and Deidrick Rush from Hoke County by 10-2 majority decision to reach the championship match. A tight final against Jordan’s Caleb Joines came down to a tiebreaker, with Sinclair earning the 6-4 win.

“For Kenson, he’s been in the program four years, he’s a senior,” Bell said. “This is his best regional showing yet, and that’s a testament to the work he’s put in these four years.”

The two regional champions, in addition two runners-up and three third-place finishers, led Lumberton to a second-place finish in the team standings.

“We wrestled well, getting a couple of guys in the finals,” Bell said. “As a team I’m pretty pleased with that.”

With the top four wrestlers in each classification advancing to the state tournament, which will be held June 26 at Kernersville’s Glenn High School, Lumberton achieved its stated goal of topping six state qualifiers, the program’s previous high in Bell’s tenure as coach.

“Wherever we go we’re always trying to beat our personal best and I’m always trying to set a goal like that,” Bell said. “I’m pleased that as a program we’ve reached another milestone, and we’ve beat another personal best for, at least the program (during my tenure).”

Ma’Kya Kerns finished second at 113 pounds and Jackson Buck was second at 145. Finishing third was Matthew Foil at 126, Davieyon King-McAllister at 152 and Darionte McLaurin at 170.

Kerns defeated Apex’s Logan Walker by fall in 24 seconds in the first round, then also pinned Pine Forest’s Aiden Ditmore and Green Hope’s Finn Urmey to reach the championship match. He lost to Cardinal Gibbons’ Hunter Gundry by fall in the final.

Buck defeated Brody Funk from Green Level by fall in 34 seconds in the first round, then beat Cary’s Jax Fuller by technical fall in the second. He pinned Fuquay-Varina’s Tanner Truesdale in the semifinals before losing the final to Jordan’s Maxwell Kiel by a 6-0 decision, his first loss of the season.

Foil beat both Green Level’s Tushar Abraham and Cary’s Ryan Rago by fall to reach the semifinals, where he lost to Riverside’s Luke Fogleman by 16-5 majority decision. He defeated Fuquay-Varina’s Mason Hawks by fall in the third-place match.

King-McAllister pinned South View’s Logan Boahn in 21 seconds in the first round and defeated Cardinal Gibbons’ Carter Bliss by a 3-2 decision in the second round. He lost to Cary’s Sam Grena by a 4-0 decision in the semifinals before winning the third-place match over Fuquay-Varina’s Jack Nystrom by technical fall.

McLaurin had a first-round bye before defeating Riverside’s Wesley Shepard by fall. He lost by fall to Eric Schaefer from Panther Creek in the semifinals but beat Cary’s Jake Wolfram by 18-7 majority decision in the third-place match.

The Pirates’ seven state qualifiers now have over a week to prepare for the state tournament.

“We’re just going to get back into the room,” Bell said. “Everyone’s got a little bit of film, everyone kind of saw something a little bit different. Guys are going to tune up some things; everybody got challenged a little bit in one way, shape or form. We’re going to work on that. We’re going to kind of fine-tune everything, feel good, wrestle good, and feel good going into the state tournament.”

Five additional Lumberton wrestlers participated in the regional meet, and all lost in the first round.

Tristan Rodriguez (132 pounds) lost to Apex’s Isaiah Williams by 12-8 decision; Evans Ivey (138) was defeated by Cary’s Luis Lopez by 11-4 decision; Joshua McLaurin (160) lost by fall to Aspen Talbot from Cary; Andre Bethea (220) lost to Hoke County’s Juan Tosic by fall; and Casey Hardin (285) lost to Jonathan Ward from Cardinal Gibbons by a 7-5 decision.

No wrestlers from any of Robeson County’s other high schools participated in a regional tournament.