Colon, Mitchell and Hoeflich strike gold at Freddie Invite

Three local wrestlers won championships and two took home silver at the 2023 Freddie Invite wrestling tournament, Jan. 14. New Philadelphia traveled to Fredericktown and won the team competition by a wide margin over Marion Harding and Delaware Hayes. New Philadelphia garnered 262.0 points to 182.0 for Marion Harding and 146.0 for Delaware Hayes. Mount Vernon was the top local team, finishing in fourth place with 136.5 points. Host Fredericktown finished in eighth place with 112.5 points. Mount Gilead picked up 12.0 points for 15th place among 17 teams.

Mount Vernon’s Josiah Colon won the 120-lb. championship by a fall and fellow Yellow Jacket Mason Mitchell took home gold in the 144-lb. weight class. Fredericktown’s Mason Hoeflich won the 190-lb. championship. Mount Vernon’s Dalton Curtis lost in the 132-lb. finals and took home silver and Fredericktown’s Lucas Herbst placed second at 285 lbs.

Other top placers among local wrestlers included Trent Rooke, third place at 113 lbs. (Fredericktown), defeating Mount Vernon’s Preston Hempfield (fourth place). Hayden Higgins (Mount Vernon) placed third at 150 lbs. and Nicholas Mitchell (Fredericktown) was fourth at 175 lbs.

Denny wins, Pirates finish 12th at Triad Invite

Cardington-Lincoln’s Wyatt Denny won the 165-lb. championship, but Elgin, Upper Arlington and Marysville wrestled above the competition at the Triad High School Invitational, Jan. 14. Elgin amassed 263.0 points, Upper Arlington had 225.0 and Marysville got 202.5 points, more than 50 points ahead of fourth-place Jonathan Alder. Cardington-Lincoln wrestlers finished in 12th place among 17 teams, with 52.5 points.

Denny took home gold by defeating Urbana’s Max Tucker by a fall in the 165-lb. final. He was C-L’s only placing wrestler, though Bryce Hartley at 126 lbs. and Austin Valis at 138 lbs. reached the sixth round (just before the medal round).