Additional notable teams to watch among the 47 in attendance are the three other out of state teams - Avon (Ind.), Dundee (Mich.), and Portage (Ind.); along with in-state teams such as three-time individual state runners-up Elyria, two-time dual team runners-up Wauseon, two-time individual state runners-up Canfield, plus a pair of teams that ended the 2016-17 season nationally ranked in Cincinnati Elder and Olentangy Liberty.
The tournament is headlined by a pair of weight classes that feature three nationally ranked wrestlers, including the 106 pound weight class, which is led by No. 1 Jacob Decatur (CVCA). Additional ranked wrestlers are No. 13 Jacob Moon (Oregon Clay) and No. 19 Jacob Moran (Portage, Ind.). Also here are returning state Collin Yinger (Nelsonville-York) and Jacob Kuhlins (Tuslaw) along with Cadet freestyle All-American Kyle Rowan (Perry) and Beast of the East placer Jack Stanley (Brecksville).
Also featuring three nationally ranked wrestlers is the 152 pound weight class, which is led by No. 7 Connor Brady (Olentangy Liberty) plus also features No. 16 Jake Marsh (Marysville) and No. 20 Cameron Amine (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.). Other contenders include returning state champion Zach Bellaire (Dundee, Mich.), two-time state runner-up Sandro Ramirez (Wauseon), 2016 state runner-up Donnell Washington (Portage, Ind.), state placer Nathan Conley (Avon, Ind.), and David Cumberledge (Ashtabula St. John).
Three other weight classes feature a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers, including the pair of state champions present at 120 pounds in No. 5 Julian Tagg (Brecksville) and No. 9 Ben Kamali (Detroit Catholic Central, Ind.). They are joined eight other state placers from last year, plus a ninth wrestler that placed at state two years ago. Notables among that group are three-time state placer Matthew Cardello (CVCA); two-time state placer Hunter Ryan (Lake Catholic); Jordan Rosselli (Olentangy Liberty), Brock Peele (Portage, Ind.), Jonathan White (Dundee, Mich.), and Dylan Burns (Milan Edison) who all placed third or fourth last year; along with 2016 state placer Jake Canitano (Solon).
The 113 pound weight class features No. 13 Zach Shupp (Fairfield) and No. 16 Dylan Shawver (Elyria); Shupp placed at Flo Nationals, while Shawver is a two-time Cadet freestyle All-American. Also in the field are additional returning state medalists Brandon Lucas (Western Brown), Devon Johnsen (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), and Ray Adams (Milan Edison).
The 170 pound weight class features a pair of Super 32 placers in No. 6 Carson Kharchla (Olentangy Liberty) and No. 16 Ashton Eyler (Claymont); Kharchla placed third at 160, while Eyler was seventh at 182 in that tournament. Other notables in the field include state champion Jacob Lagoa (Ashtabula St. John) along with returning state medalists Anthony D'Alesio (Canfield) and Tyler Speelman (Nelsonville-York).
No. 9 Jordan Decatur (CVCA) is the anchor of what is by far the tournament's deepest weight class, as eight additional returning state placers are present in the 126 pound weight class, plus another that placed at state in 2016 but not last year. Prime among that group of nine are 2016 state champion Asa Garcia (Avon, Ind.), a Super32 placer this fall, and returning state runner-up Gio DiSabato (Hilliard Davidson). Others include Cadet freestyle All-American Mick Burnett (Elyria), NHSCA Junior Nationals placer Colin Poynter (Portage, Ind.), and two-time state placer Connor McCrone (Lake Catholic).
Another pretty deep weight class is the one at 132 pounds, where No. 16 Gabriel Tagg (Brecksville) is the lone ranked wrestler. He is a three-time placer at the Walsh Ironman and two-time placer at the Beast of the East. Eight others in the field were on their state tournament podium last year, including two-time state medalists Avry Mutschler (Lowell, Mich.) and Niko Chilson (Rootstown).
No. 6 (at 145) Kevon Davenport (Detroit Catholic, Mich.) is dropping down to the 138 pound weight class for this event. Joining him in this weight class are three other returning state placers: two-time medalist Kris Rumph (Portage, Ind.), Marco Regalbuto (Brecksville), and Hunter Yackee (Wauseon). Others to watch are 2016 Cadet freestyle All-American Andrew Garr (Aurora) and impact freshman Stoney Buell (Dundee, Mich.).
The 145 pound weight class will now be led by No. 11 Kasper McIntosh (Portage, Ind.), a placer at the Flo Nationals and Super 32 Challenge. Others to watch include state champion Austin Boone (Lowell, Mich.), Cadet freestyle All-American and Flo Nationals placer Victor Voinovich (Brecksville), as well as state placers Walker Heard (Marysville) and Dakota Bunting (Claymont).
Two-time state champion Kevon Freeman (Lake Catholic), ranked No. 18 nationally, headlines a 160 pound weight class that does feature another state champion in Tyler Orrison (Dundee, Mich.). Additional returning state placers in the field include Colt Yinger (Nelsonville-York), Nevan Snodgrass (Kettering Fairmont), and Tyler Bates (Marysville), while Austin Murphy (Cincinnati Elder) was a state placer in 2016.
Featured in the 182 pound weight class is state champion David Crawford (Canfield) as well as No. 12 Trevor Lawson (Olentangy Liberty). Four other state medalists in this field are David Kruse (Lowell, Mich.), Sam Stoll (Milan Edison), Charles Sanders (Cincinnati Elder), and Chris Langguth (Rootstown).
The last of the ranked wrestlers in this tournament is No. 3 Brandon Whitman (Dundee, Mich.) at 220 pounds. Other contenders include Junior freestyle All-American Antonio McCloud (Cincinnati Elder); state placers Ryan Boyle (Rootstown), Josh Bever (Ashland), Connor Nugent (Lowell, Mich.), and Zach D'Anna (Brecksville); as well as Flo Nationals placer Tyler Stein (Canfield).
Two weight classes in this tournament do not have a nationally ranked wrestler, 195 and 285 pounds. The 195 pound class feature just one returning state medalist, Dalton Hoover (Martins Ferry) with six additional state qualifiers, including Freakshow champion Keigan Yuhas (Lowell, Mich.). At 285 pounds, there are two returning state placers, Alec Moore-Nash (Cincinnati Elder) and Brayden Phillips (Tuslaw); while four additional state qualifiers are present, including Walsh Ironman placer Tyler Connolly (Marysville).
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now