Olentangy wrestlers win sectional championship

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Jacob Sherman, Nick Varanelli, Alexander Gore, Avery Flanagan and Corey Hill all won sectional championships to lead the Olentangy wrestling team to the team title at Saturday’s Division I sectional tournament at Watkins Memorial.

The Braves finished with 259.5 points to run away from the competition. Hilliard Bradley was second with 171 points while New Albany finished third with 135.5.

Sherman pinned Gahanna’s Christian Salazar in 53 seconds to win the championship at 113. Varanelli, meanwhile, beat Watkins’ Alec Fulwider 3-0 to take top honors at 126, Gore beat Mifflin’s Moutaga Sy 7-0 at 145, Flanagan handled Bradley’s J.T. Lemmermen 13-2 at 152 and Hill slipped past New Albany’s Peter Ackley 5-3 at 170.

Other Olentangy standouts included Brady Pethtel (second at 132), Brice Kade (second at 160), Colton Doup (second at 182), Jackson Moses (third at 106), Benjamin Hall (third at 120), James White IV (third at 138), Daniel DelGratta (third at 195) and Ethan Hand (third at 220).

Newark Sectional

Olentangy Liberty nabbed a top-three showing, Delaware Hayes finished fifth and Big Walnut closed seventh at Saturday’s Division I sectional tournament in Newark.

The Patriots, led by sectional champs Blake Saito, Carson Kharchla, Trevor Lawson and Davin Lambert, finished with 213.5 points to finish third behind champ Lancaster (223) and runner-up Westerville North (214.5).

Saito won the title in the 132-pound weight class, knocking off Big Walnut’s Bailey Munday 9-3 in the final. Kharchla, meanwhile, pinned Lancaster’s Jordan Deluse in 3:48 at 170, Lawson cruised past the Gales’ A.J. McCritchie 11-3 at 182 and Lambert forced West’s Dawson Shaw to the mat in eight seconds at 285 to take home top honors.

The Patriots were also boosted by district qualifiers Luke Blaine (second at 120), Jordan Rosselli (second at 126), Jayce Fitzpatrick (second at 145), Josh Sutton (third at 113), Hunter Ford (fourth at 106) and Kaden Tong (fourth at 220).

Hayes and Big Walnut finished with 101 and 94.5 points, respectively.

The Golden Eagles were led by Cole Foster, who won a sectional championship at 138. He beat St. Charles’ Ian Noonan 3-0 in the final. Those joining Foster and Munday at the upcoming district tourney for BW include Max Lenz (third at 220), Christian Jodrey (fourth at 113), Josh Halbakken (fourth at 160) and Tanner Daniels (fourth at 285).

The Pacers also punched a handful of tickets to districts. Corbin May nabbed runner-up honors at 160, winning each of his first three matches before falling to Mount Vernon’s Max VanFossen in the championship match. Zach Williams (fourth at 132), Mason Sutandar (fourth at 170) and Jacob McCloskey (fourth at 182) also advanced.

Upper Arlington Sectional

Olentangy Orange finished sixth at Saturday’s D-I sectional tournament in Upper Arlington.

The Pioneers were powered by sectional champ Rocco Torio, who pinned Teays Valley’s Cole Younger in the 126-pound title match.

Connor Evans (second at 145), Cole Jackson (third at 113), Alex Lopez (third at 195) and Zack Miller (fourth at 120) also made some noise while earning trips to the upcoming district showcase.

Licking Valley Sectional

Ethan Szanati finished second by the slimmest of margins and Brandon Bart earned second-place points of his own to lead Buckeye Valley at Saturday’s Division II sectional tournament at Licking Valley.

Szanati won each of his first three matches before falling to Marion-Franklin’s Jalin Goodman 6-5 in the championship of the 113-pound weight class. Bart, meanwhile, was pinned in the 132-pound final.

Overall, the Barons finished 11th as a team with 79.5 points.

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By Ben Stroup

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