Wrestling: Pioneers blaze championship trail to state for fourth straight season
Sunday, March 3, 2024
By Scott Hennen
shennen@cbussports.com
Olentangy Orange won its fourth consecutive state-qualifying girls wrestling tournament March 3, but the Pioneers have their eyes on an improvement next weekend at Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center.
Host Orange sent nine performers to state as it totaled 236 points to easily outdistance the 95 scored by runner-up Gahanna. Watkins Memorial (84), Delaware (80) and Teays Valley (72) rounded out the top five.
Last season, the Pioneers had seven state qualifiers and finished as runner-up (69 points) to defending champion Harrison (97) as 111 teams scored. They look for that improvement at Ohio State on March 8-10.
“We love winning districts or regionals, whatever they call it,” said coach Brian Nicola, whose program won district titles in 2021 and 2022 and regional titles in 2023 and 2024. “If we win the title, it means we got a lot of people to state. We got five (state) returners back and two freshmen hammers in, which is great.”
The Pioneers had two champions in senior Kascidy Garren at 190 pounds and junior Lydia Heinrich at 170. The top four at each weight advanced.
Garren has placed fifth at state as a sophomore and junior. She won her second consecutive regional title by edging out Gahanna’s Jordan Mills 5-4 in a tiebreaker. The overtime victory was her longest match of the season since returning in January from a third knee surgery.
“I’m tired,” said Garren, who is 21-0. “That was my longest match of the season and my cardio isn’t the best.
“I think (state) will be nerve-racking but you always have to have some nerves to get you going. These girls are the best group I could hope to be around.”
Heinrich pinned Olentangy’s Alyssa Barr in 2 minutes, 34 seconds to win at 170. Last season was her first competing in the sport and finished fifth at state at 155.
Olentangy Orange’s Lydia Heinrich (top) tries to control Olentangy’s Alyssa O’Barr during the girls wrestling regional tournament on March 3 at Orange. Photo: Michael Rich
“Last year my goal was just to get there (to state) but this year it’s bigger,” said Heinrich, who is 38-4. “Hopefully I can go there to win it.”
Gahanna made quite an improvement at regional after finishing 16th last season with just 35 points.
This year was a pleasant surprise for us,” Lions’ coach Jamie Leeseburg said. “Last year we had three in the (regional) tournament and two moved on to state. This year we had seven here and three qualified.
“(Daughter) Emily Leeseburg (runner-up at 105) goes back to state and is the only senior in the program. (Sophomore) Jordan Mills returned to state at 190, and (freshman) KyLee Tibbs won at 140.”
Central Crossing’s Addison Rudolph (40-11) was the 120-pound champion and has placed in her first three seasons at state. The senior was third last season and as a sophomore and placed fifth as a freshman.
“Last year was definitely kind of a shock (at state) with the amount of people there,” she said. “This year I’ll be ready to be tough and strong and hopefully finish on top.”
Hamilton Township senior Sienna Sanborn won at 130 for her second consecutive title. In the last two seasons, she placed fifth at state.
“Last year it was like ‘Oh my gosh, we’re here.’ Now that we have been to the big ‘Schott,’ we are comfortable now and we have been in the big place now,” said Sanborn, who is 42-2. “I had never wrestled somewhere that big before. I know I will feel more confident.
“This year, (junior 285-pound champion) Audrina (Pack) will be there with me. She was an alternate last year but didn’t wrestle. So far, I have been the only one and I’m so happy (to have her competing there this time).”
In only her second season in the sport, Pickerington North junior Reagan Knapp won the title at 145 to earn her first trip to state.
Hamilton Township’s Sienna Sanborn (back) tries to hold off Vincent Warren’s Nevaeh Rockhold during the girls wrestling regional meet on March 3 at Olentangy Orange. Photo: Michael Rich
“Last year I was the only girl on the team and I got some club wrestling in (during the offseason),” said Knapp, who is 44-4. “I busted my butt every day in practice and it’s exciting to get the chance to go (to state).”
Other area champions included Dresden Tri-Valley’s Kandice Spry (115), Mount Vernon’s Ashlynn Brokaw (105) and Olentangy’s Cori Young (125).
Cailyn Casto had her ticket punched to state in her first season competing. The junior placed third at 135 to improve to 21-5 and become the first female wrestler for Johnstown.
“We didn’t have a team last year, so it’s crazy that I’m going to state,” Casto said. “I deserve it and I think my teammate (145-pound alternate Kortlynn Smith) serves it, too. We both worked really hard all season, and it was just awesome.”
Marysville regional
Host Marysville won a tight battle for the regional championship, edging Vermilion 164-152. Fremont Ross (114) was third.
“It takes a team effort,” said Monarchs’ coach Shawn Andrews, who won a second consecutive regional title and a third consecutive state-qualifying title. “It’s hard when you’ve got 13 girls because unless all 13 are winning, it feels like things are going bad. You want all your kids to have success, but in the end we had seven girls place (six state qualifiers). We ended up with two champs, two runner-ups and two third-place finishers.
Marysville had two champions in junior 170-pounder Lori Grimes and sophomore Lauren Mobley at 125.
“Definitely setting a standard that we are here to be state champs,” Grimes said. “Basically all the hard work we’ve put in during the season is starting to show off.”
Marion Elgin sophomore Hallie Winslow won at 120.
(Jarrod Ulrey contributed to the Marysville portion of the story.)
