FRANKLIN, Tenn. – Ben Nelson teaches physics at Baylor, but he hasn’t figured out a way to turn back the clock and keep his three senior wrestling captains.
Stuart Doster, John Mackey and Alex Manley have combined for 509 wins and nine Division II state championship finals appearances.
Manley, who’s looking at Stanford, Virginia and Indiana as college possibilities, took over this year as Tennessee’s all-time wins leader. He enters the TSSAA Division II tournament at Williamson County Agricultural Expo today with 225 wins against just 14 losses in a five-year varsity career.
Doster is the eighth and last of a family that has given Baylor a plethora of championships. He has provided three state titles himself and is considering Hofstra, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Indiana.
Mackey made a name for himself in football and will continue in that sport at Furman. He has provided the ultimate in the team-first philosophy all coaches teach by dropping 30 pounds to move into the 215-pound weight class so bigger teammate Barrett Gouger could be the Red Raiders’ heavyweight.