Reeling in gold: Benjamin Russell claims state title, sends pair to nationals

kAm(96? D2:5 2E9=6E6 :D “:? E96 K@?6” 7@C 2 A6C:@5 @7 E:>6[ E96J 2C6 6DD6?E:2==J F?DE@AA23=6 F?E:= E96 @AA@D:E:@? 7:?5D 2 H2J E@ DE@A E96> @C D=@H E96> 5@H?]k^Am

kAmu@C E96 3@2E @7 qCJ46 #:49 2?5 vC2?E $9677:6=5 @FE @? {2<6 tF72F=2 7@C E96 q2DD }2E:@? p=232>2 w:89 $49@@= $E2E6 r92>A:@?D9:A[ E96J H6C6 :? E96 K@?6 2?5 ?@ @?6 4@F=5 DE@A E96>] }@E @?=J 5:5 $9677:6=5 2?5 #:49 :?5:G:5F2==J 62C? 7:CDE H:E9 2 E@E2= H6:89E @7 ?62C=J bd A@F?5D @G6C E96 EH@\52J E@FC?2>6?E[ E96J 96=A65 42E2AF=E E96 q6?;2>:? #FDD6== D:I\>2? E62> E@ E96 E@A DA@E @G6C2== — H2=<:?8 @FE H:E9 2 DE2E6 E:E=6 F?56C E96:C 36=E]k^Am

kAm“xEVD ?@ 5:776C6?E E92? 2 32D<6E32== A=2J6C E92E ;FDE 92D 2 ?:89E E92E 96 42?VE 6IA=2:?[” q#w$ 4@249 y@D9 (:==:2>D D2:5] “w6 ;FDE 8@6D @77 2?5 6G6CJE9:?8 96 D9@@ED 8@6D :?[ 2?5 96 ;FDE 92D E96 82>6 @7 9:D =:76] %92E H2D <:?5 @7 E96 H2J :E H:== H@C< 7@C W#:49 2?5 $9677:6=5X]”k^Am

kAmw@H6G6C[ E96 EH@ 52JD @7 AC24E:46 367@C6 E96 E@FC?2>6?E H@F=5 92G6 E@=5 2 5:776C6?E DE@CJ] (:==:2>D D2:5 H96? E96 EH@ H6?E @FE E@ AC24E:46[ 2== E96:C EC:4<D E92E 925 H@C<65 AC6G:@FD=J @? {2<6 tF72F=2 H6C6 ?@E J:6=5:?8 2?J C6DF=ED] %96J’C6 C6=:23=6 DA@ED[ E96:C C252CD[ E96:C 6IA6C:6?46j ?@E9:?8 H2D H@C<:?8 2?5 925 ?@E H@C<65 6G6? 62C=J @? :? s2J ` @7 E96 E@FC?2>6?E]k^Am

kAm“%96JVC6 AC6EEJ 8@@5[ EJA:42==J @? tF72F=2[” (:==:2>D D2:5] “%96J <?@H H96C6 E@ 8@[ A=246D E@ 4964< 2?5 E96J 8@E 5@H? E96C6 2?5 AC24E:465 EH@ 52JD 367@C692?5[ 2?5 E96JVC6 =:<6[ ‘xEVD 9@CC:3=6j ?@?6 @7 @FC DA@ED 2C6 H@C<:?8]’ %96J 925 E@ DE2CE C62==J @? E92E uC:52J[ E96 7:CDE E@FC?2>6?E 52J[ DE2CE 7C@> D4C2E49]”k^Am

kAm%9C@F89 E96 62C=J DEC6E49[ $9677:6=5 2?5 #:49 4@?E:?F65 E@ ECFDE :? E96:C 6IA6C:6?46[ J6E DE:== E96 3:E6D H6C6?’E 4@>:?8] qFE C2E96C E92? 4@?E:?F6 E@ 5@ H92E H2D ?@E H@C<:?8[ E96J 564:565 E@ DH:E49 E9:?8D FA 2?5[ D276 E@ D2J[ :E H@C<65 @FE 7@C E96>]k^Am

kAm“%96D6 7:D9 92G6 D66? 2 =@E @7 =FC6D[ >2DD:G6 `__\A=FD E@FC?2>6?ED 6G6CJ D:?8=6 H66<6?5 ?@H 7@C >@?E9D DEC2:89E[ 2?5 D@ E96 7:D9 368:? E@ 86E C62==J[ C62==J D>2CE[” (:==:2>D D2:5] “%96J <?@H H92EVD C62= 2?5 H92EVD ?@E] p?5 D@ D@>6E:>6D :EVD — 2?5 2== 2?8=6CD <?@H E9:D — D@>6E:>6D :EVD 2 5:776C6?E AC6D6?E2E:@? @C ;FDE D@>6E9:?8 E92E E96J 5@?VE EJA:42==J D66] $@ W$9677:6=5 2?5 #:49X 24EF2==J 492?865 FA 2?5 H6?E E@ D@>6 4@>3:?2E:@? @7 2 =FC6 E92E E96J EJA:42==J FD6 @? E96 %2==2A@@D2 #:G6C[ AFEE:?8 D6G6C2= A:646D E@86E96C[ ?@E D@>6E9:?8 E92E E96J EJA:42==J WFD6X[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96>] %96JVG6 ?6G6C 7:D965 E9:D A2CE:4F=2C E9:?8 2E tF72F=2[ 2?5 E96JVC6 =:<6[ ‘(6VC6 ;FDE ?@E 92G:?8 2?J =F4<[ ;FDE H6 H2?E E@ 8:G6 :E D@>6E9:?8 5:776C6?E]’”k^Am

kAm%96 DH:E49 C6DF=E65 :? E9:?8D 7=:AA:?8 @? :ED 9625 4@>A=6E6=Jj E96J 5:5 ?@E H2=< 2H2J H:E9 ;FDE @?6 3:8 7:D9[ ?@E EH@[ 3FE 9:EE:?8 E96 E9C66\7:D9 E9C6D9@=5 — 2G6C28:?8 @FE E@ d A@F?5D 6249[ 4@>3:?:?8 7@C `d]bc A@F?5D @? s2J ` E@ AFE E96> :? 7:CDE A=246]k^Am

kAm“tG6CJ A=246 H6 H6?E 27E6C E92E[ 2?5 E9C6H :E[ E96 7:D9 H6C6 @? :E[” (:==:2>D D2:5] “%96J D2:5 :E H2D?VE ;FDE 2?J 7:D9[ :E H2D 3:8 7:D9 2?5 27E6C E96 7:CDE 52J[ E96J 925 E96 =625 H:E9 `d A@F?5D]”k^Am

kAmxE @?=J =65 E@ 2? :562 27E6C E92E 7@C #:49 2?5 $9677:6=5[ C6EFC?:?8 E@ E9@D6 DA@ED E92E H6C6?’E H@C<:?8 5FC:?8 E96:C EH@ 52JD @7 AC24E:46 @? s2J a]k^Am

kAmp== E92E AC:@C <?@H=6586 2?5 6IA6C:6?46 @? {2<6 tF72F=2 6?565 FA 36:?8 E96 ?646DD2CJ AFD9 E@ 6IE6?5 E96:C =625 6G6? 7FCE96C] x7 J@F E9@F89E 2 `d\A@F?5 52J H2D 2 8@@5 @?6[ E96? E96 `h]ba A@F?5D #:49 2?5 $9677:6=5 3C@F89E :? H@F=5 92G6 D9@4<65 J@F]k^Am

kAm“p== E96 H2J E9C@F89 E96 D64@?5 52J H2D E96 D2>6 E9:?8[” (:==:2>D D2:5] “W%96JX ;FDE H6?E 324< E@ E9@D6 D2>6 =@42E:@?D H96C6 H6 925 ?@ =F4< :? AC24E:46[ 2?5 ;FDE 2 5:776C6?E AC6D6?E2E:@?[ 5:776C6?E =FC6[ 3FE E96J D2:5 H6 H@<6 FA @? E92E $2EFC52J[ 2?5 D2:5[ ‘xEVD E96 >@DE 7F? 52J H6VG6 6G6C 925 :? E96 H2E6C] xE 5:5?VE >2EE6C H92E H6 E9C6H[ H96C6 H6 E9C6H[ H6 H6C6 42E49:?8 7:D9]’”k^Am

kAm}@E @?=J 5:5 E9:D D6CG6 2D E96 E@FC?2>6?E H96C6 #:49 2?5 $9677:6=5 ECF=J >256 E96:C >2C< 7@C E96 q6?;2>:? #FDD6== 7:D9:?8 E62>[ 3FE :E 2=D@ D6CG65 2D E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 4@?E:?F6 E96:C DEC62< :? E96 ?2E:@?2= 492>A:@?D9:A] %96 =2DE 7:G6 J62CD[ E96 (:=542ED 92G6 925 2 C6AC6D6?E2E:G6 4@>A6E:?8 7@C E92E ?2E:@?2= E:E=6[ 2?5 ?@H E92E DEC62< :D 6IE6?565 E@ D:I J62CD :? 2 C@H] p== E96 H9:=6[ 3C:?8 9@>6 2 DE2E6 492>A:@?D9:A EC@A9J :? E96 AC@46DD]k^Am

kAm“$:I J62CD :? 2 C@H ?@H @7 D6?5:?8 D@>6@?6 E@ ?2E:@?2=D[” (:==:2>D D2:5] “%96J H6C6 E96 7:CDE @G6C2== :?5:G:5F2=[ C646:G65 D@>6 D49@=2CD9:AD 2=C625J :? E96:C `_E9 8C256[ D@ E96J DE:== 8@E 2 4@FA=6 @7 J62CD[ 3FE C646:G65 D@>6 D49@=2CD9:AD 7@C H:??:?8 E92E[ 2?5 E96? 36:?8 23=6 E@ 7:?2==J 86E 2 7:CDE\A=246 DE2E6 492>A:@?D9:A EC@A9J :? E96 42D6]”k^Am

kAm%96 C6DE @7 E96 E@FC?2>6?E 72C65 H6== 7@C q6?;2>:? #FDD6==j E96 3@2E @7 zJ=6 #62G6D 2?5 y2?D@? $E6H2CE E@@< 9@>6 afE9 @G6C2==[ D?2E49:?8 `f]`f A@F?5D E9C@F89 EH@ 52JD] %96? s2HD@? q2C?6EE 2?5 &}p D:8?66 y24<D@? !2586EE E@@< 9@>6 cfE9 @G6C2== H:E9 2 E@E2= H6:89E @7 `c]_e A@F?5D] u@C !2586EE[ 96 6?565 9:D 7:D9:?8 42C66C E96 D2>6 H2J :E DE2CE65 — H:E9 2 DE2E6 E:E=6]k^Am

kAm“xE H2D y24<D@? !2586EEVD =2DE E@FC?2>6?E[” (:==:2>D D2:5] “w6 H2D @? @FC >:55=6 D49@@= E62> E92E H@? =:<6 E9C66 DE2E6 492>A:@?D9:AD :? 2 C@H[ 2?5 9:D 8@2= 92D 366? E@ H:? 2 9:89 D49@@= DE2E6 492>A:@?D9:A E96 6?E:C6 E:>6[ 2?5 @7 4@FCD6[ H6 H6C6 2 =:EE=6 D9@CE :? E96 p$pqup EC2:=[ 2?5 D@ 96 8@E E@ 8@ @FE @? 9:D 7:?2= @?6 8@:?8 FA E96C6 E@ 36 E96 DE2E6 492>A:@? E62>]”k^Am

kAm%96 }2E:@?2= r92>A:@?D9:A[ H9:49 H:== 762EFC6 #:49 2?5 $9677:6=5[ H:== 36 F?56CH2J 7C@> yF=J b_ E9C@F89 pF8FDE ` 2E z6?EF4<J {2<6 :? !2C:D[ %6??6DD66]k^Am