Mount Vernon wins D-I Sectional, six Jackets wrestlers take gold
Mount Vernon High School had 10 wrestlers reach the podium at the OHSAA Division I Sectional Tournament at Watkins Memorial High School on Feb. 25 and won it all, finishing in first place with 256.0 points, 62.5 ahead of second-place Westerville North’s 193.5. Olentangy Berlin was third at 189.5.
The Yellow Jackets saw six of their wrestlers win their weight classes and Mount Vernon wrestling coach Cory Firebaugh said he believed two school records were set.
“I believe that 11 top-four finishers – 10 top-three – for the sectionals and six weight-class winners were both the most in school history,” Firebaugh said. “All the boys fought hard and competed well.”
The Jackets finished with six champions, two second-places finishers, two third-place finishers and one fourth-placer.
Winning gold medals for the Yellow Jackets were: Brock Blankenhorn by a pin over Nolan Perry of Watkins Memorial at 106 lbs.; Preston Hempfield by a pin over Grant Gibson of Olentangy Berlin at 113 lbs.; Rylan Firebaugh won by an 8-4 decision over Peter Emery of Olentangy Berlin at 132 lbs.; Jake Taylor won by a technical fall, 16-1, over Alex Moore of Franklin Heights at 150 lbs.; Luke Mullins won by a pin over Christopher Price of Dublin Scioto at 190 lbs.; and Alex Taylor won by a pin over J.T. Tompkins of Olentangy Berlin at 215 lbs.
Aden Burdelis won a silver, losing in the final to Gavyn Louks of Watkins Memorial at 120 lbs., and Kayden Packard finished second to Hunter Lower of Watkins Memorial at 165 lbs.
Other top finishers for the Jackets included Mavrik Gregory, third place at 144 lbs.; Kyler Howard, third place at 175 lbs. and Mason Mitchell, fourth place a 157 lbs. A.J. Fonner at 126 lbs. and Charlie Bell at 138 lbs. both finished in fifth place.
Highland third in D-II as three Scots win championships
Three Highland Fighting Scots won gold and three took home silver at the Division II Wrestling Sectional at Licking Valley High School on Feb. 25, with Highland finishing in third place with 184.5 points, as Columbus DeSales won with 243.5 and Licking Valley was second with 222.0
Highland’s Konner Blaney won by a pin at 106 lbs. over Licking Valley’s Aiden McMahon, Caleb Wetzel won by a technical fall, 19-3, over Columbus South’s Donovan King at 132 lbs. and Landon Pedigo won by a pin over Columbus DeSales’ Rey Benton at 285 lbs. Three Fighting Scots took home silver, with Brendan Lester second at 113 lbs., Cael Gilmour second at 138 lbs. and Chandler Stevens second at 190 lbs. Taking home bronze for Highland were Matthew Scarbury at 144 lbs. and Remington Baker at 150 lbs.
Utica wrestlers earn gold and silver at D-III Sectional
In Division III Sectional wrestling, Utica had one gold-medal winner and one second-place finisher as the Redskins took fifth with 110.0 points and East Knox placed 13th with 18.0 points at the Heath HS event on Feb. 25. Elgin won with 214.0 points.
Utica’s Clayton Smith won the 144-lb. championship with a pin over Mason Crouse of Liberty Union, and Breyden Hill was second to Zane Trace’s Zane Pickerrell at 126 lbs. East Knox’s Blake Elliott earned a second-place finish at 190 lbs.
Northmor places third, five local wrestlers win gold at D-III in Ridgedale
At the Division III Sectional wrestling tournament at Ridgedale High School on Feb. 25, Northmor earned a third-place finish with 143.0 points and Centerburg was fifth with 107.0 points. Fredericktown was ninth with 70.0 points and Mount Gilead put up 18.0 point for 13th place. The overall winning school was Pleasant, with 216.0.
Champions in their weight class included Ethan Amens (Northmor) at 113 lbs.; Cowin Becker (Northmor) at 120 lbs.; Carson Campbell (Northmor) at 138 lbs.; Caylan LeMaster (Centerburg) at 157 and Mason Lanthorn (Centerburg) at 285 lbs.
Silver medals were won by Trent Rooke (Fredericktown) at 113 lbs.; Wyatt Denney (Cardington-Lincoln) at 165 lbs.; Mason Hoefflich (Fredericktown) at 190 lbs. and Lucas Herbst (Fredericktown) at 285 lbs.
In third place, winning bronze, were Northmor’s Brady Carr at 106 lbs. and Ashton Clark (Northmor) at 175 lbs. and finishing fourth were Thomas Keen (Northmor) at 125 lbs. Bryce Cooper (Northmor) at 144 lbs. and Charlie Sargent (Centerburg) at 215 lbs.
