By Ben Stroup
The Delaware Hayes wrestling team continued its stellar season Saturday, cruising to a team title at a Division I sectional tournament at Watkins Memorial.
The Pacers, who had six individual champs, won the event with 255 points.
Hayes champions included Zach Williams (106), who clipped Watkins Memorial’s Alec Fulwider 4-3; James White (120), who beat Hilliard Bradley’s Val D’Ambrosi 9-3; Garrett Young (145), who beat Tri-Valley’s Caden Walcott 6-2; Greg Brusco (152), who pinned Tri-Valley’s Cole Collins in 3:04; Max Wright (160), who blanked Gahanna’s Carl Turner 4-0; and Chris Martinez (195), who beat Gahanna’s Austin Torr 16-9.
Jalill Barnes (2nd at 132), Ian Mayberry (2nd at 138), Carter Davidson (2nd at 170), Jakota Carter (4th at 182) and Paul Lance (4th at 285) also punched tickets to the district rung of competition.
Newark Sectional
Olentangy Liberty was in action over the weekend and, like Hayes, couldn’t have been much more dominant. The Patriots won their Division I sectional tournament in Newark, nabbing top team honors on the strength of 329.5 points and eight individual champs.
Brakan Mead (106), Jordan Rosselli (120), Zach Furnas (126), Connor Brady (132), Trey Grenier (145), Kyle Lawson (160), Cole Fitzpatrick (182) and Jake Kenderzski (195) all wrapped up first-place points.
Mead forced Whetstone’s Justin Rodriguze to the mat in 3:19, Brady pinned Pickerington Central’s Zach Kelly in 3:04 and Fitzpatrick pinned Central’s John Beaver in 2:23. Rosselli sailed past Central’s Noah Dotson 16-0, Grenier won his title by beating Central’s Chance Esmont 7-1, Lawson won via forfeit and Kenderzski outlasted Groveport’s Kalen Duty 11-9.
Other Liberty district qualifiers included Luke Blaine (2nd at 113), Mike Ezenekwe (2nd at 220), Kyle Stewart (3rd at 138), Connor Thomas (3rd at 152), Trevor Lawson (3rd at 170) and Andrew Crooks (4th at 285).
Olentangy was also in action in Newark, finishing third with 148.5 points. Xander Gore (138) led the Braves, winning a sectional title by beating Zanesville’s Aaron Clark 12-11 in a tiebreaker.
Other Olentangy district qualifiers included Jacob Sherman (3rd at 106), Nick Varanelli (3rd at 120), Brady Pathtel (3rd at 126), Max Hall (3rd at 145), Michael RosalesFlores (3rd at 195), Avery Flanagan (4th at 132) and Braden Held (4th at 152).
Upper Arlington Sectional
Orange and Big Walnut were in action at a Division I sectional showcase in Upper Arlington. The Pioneers finished third with 146 points while the Golden Eagles closed 11th with 58.
Orange finished with seven district qualifiers while BW closed with two.
Bryce Houston (220) powered the Pioneers, pinning Westerville North’s Mason Hay in just 49 seconds to garner first-place points.
Logan Broskie (152), Christian Hipsher (170) and Hunter Knipp (182) were also solid, finishing second in their respective weight classes. Other Orange qualifiers included Chris Wallace (4th at 160), Robbie Wicks (4th at 195), and Albert Van Fossen (4th at 285).
Bailey Munday (113) led the Golden Eagles with a runner-up showing. He beat Mount Vernon’s Cameron Farmer 7-1 in the semifinal before falling to Central Crossing’s Jackson Lakso 19-4 in the championship.
Cole Foster (132) was the Eagles’ other qualifier, advancing with a fourth-place finish.
Whitehall Sectional
Nine Barons punched tickets to the district rung of competition as the Buckeye Valley wrestling team nabbed runner-up honors at a Division II sectional tournament Saturday in Whitehall.
BV standouts included Cameron Hurt (106), Brandon Webb (182) and Wes Cochran (285). All three earned sectional championships in their respective weight classes — Hurt pinned Hebron Lakewood’s Donnie Allen in 2:29, Webb advanced to the final before winning the title by forfeit and Cochran pinned Hartley’s Tyler Sweeney in 2:49.
Mitchell Garnett (152) was also solid, finishing second, while Colin Webb (145) and Ben Kidwell (170) picked up third-place points. Stephen Mentzer (120), Jordan Anthony (126) and Todd Westover (160) also advanced, each finishing fourth.
The Barons finished with a combined 204 points — a mark second only to River Valley’s 229.5.
—
Follow Ben Stroup on Twitter @delgazette_ben.
