By Merrimack Journal staff

Merrimack opened the wrestling season on Wednesday and the team hopes to take advantage of some strong returners, along with promising newcomers this season.

The Tomahawks lost 14 seniors – most notably standout and Meet of Champions runner-up Mitchell McMahon – to graduation, but will feature six grapplers in the starting lineup who placed at the Division II championships last spring.

Merrimack, which finished fourth in the division a year ago, started the campaign at Manchester Central on Wednesday, but results were not available by Merrimack Journal presstime.

The Tomahawks will tangle with Milford and Souhegan on Wednesday, Dec. 14.

MERRIMACK WRESTLING

CO-COACHES: Tim McMahon, 10th season; Bryan Dine, eighth season

LAST YEAR: Fourth at D-II championships; 22nd at MOC

KEY RETURNERS: Jon Torres (fifth at D-II last year), so., 113; Ken Dow (sixth at D-II), sr., 126; Julian Hovan (third at D-II), jr., 132; Brendan Parr, jr., 138; Eric Theriault (fourth at D-II, champion in 2015), sr., 145; Dominic Damata (fourth at D-II), jr., 195; Adam Black (fifth at D-II), sr., 220.

PROJECTED STARTERS: Above returners; Mark Slade, jr., 106; Andy Almonte, so., 120; Chad Mason, sr., 285; wrestle-offs to determine 152, 160 and 182.

COACH’S COMMENT: "This will be an interesting year for the Tomahawks as we lost 14 seniors from last year’s class. However, we have a strong core of talented wrestlers spread evenly throughout a full lineup, in addition to some very tough newcomers."