Girls Wrestling: Olentangy Orange captures first OHSAA state title
Sunday, March 10, 2024
By Scott Gerfen
sgerfen@cbussports.com
Olentangy Orange’s Mackenzie Carder (right) competes against Steubenville’s Talea Guntrum during the OHSAA girls wrestling state tournament Mar. 10 at Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center. Photo: Michael Rich
The Olentangy Orange girls wrestling team endured some tough results on the mat March 10 in the OHSAA state tournament, but the sting of those defeats was diminished by a program accomplishment.
The Pioneers, who had nine wrestlers competing in the three-day event at Value City Arena, raised the team championship trophy into the air following their first-place finish with 95 points.
They finished ahead of runner-up Harrison (83) and third-place Vermilion (65). Marysville (60) finished fourth and Gahanna (33) was tied for 12th.
Orange was runner-up (69) to Harrison (97) in last year’s inaugural OHSAA-sanctioned state girls tournament.
“One of the things we kept stressing to the girls all year — and this is going to sound cheesy — but it’s that your best is plenty. Give us your best,” Orange coach Brian Nicola said. “And if it’s not enough, it’s not enough. The same people who care about you now are going to care about you after the state tournament, regardless of if you win or lose.”
The Pioneers have finished in the top three in all five years of the girls individual state tournament and captured the OHSWCA state dual championship in 2022 and ’23 before falling to 42-39 in this year’s final.
Olentangy Orange’s Surraiya Mahmud (left) battles Warren’s Kylee Tait during the OHSAA girls wrestling state tournament Mar. 10 at Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center. Photo: Michael Rich
“We’ve been chasing a state title for a while,” said freshman Mackenzie Carder, who at 110 pounds lost her championship match 6-2 to Steubenville freshman Talea Guntrum. “It’s just exciting to see, along with having two state finalists. It’s amazing to see how much the program has grown.”
Carder, who went 37-2, lost both postseason matches with Guntrum (38-0), including the 4-0 defeat in the March 3 regional tournament at Orange.
“I think we felt each other out a lot more in our regional final last week,” Carder said. “This time, I scored first. … I just think there was a lot more back and forth last time.”
At 155, Orange senior Surraiya Mahmud (23-5) was pinned at 3 minutes, 47 seconds by Warren’s Kylee Tait, who closed her season with an undefeated run to the title at 55-0.
“I did feel like an underdog today, and even though I didn’t finish on top, this is the best finish of my career,” said Mahmud, who took fifth two years ago and eighth last season.
Two third-place finishes by junior Lydia Heinrich (170, 42-5) and senior Kascidy Garren (190, 26-1), who each recorded pins, and senior Josie Nickoloff’s (120, 41-12) sixth-place finish boosted the point total.
Gahanna’s KyLee Tibbs (right) competes against Avon Lake’s Reijan Alhashash during the OHSAA state tournament Mar. 10 at Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center. Photo: Michael Rich
Also finishing third were Mount Vernon freshman Ashylnn Brokaw (105, 41-4) and Columbus Academy junior Marie Nina Kim (135, 31-6).
Gibsonburg junior Morgan Leonhardt admits she was shocked by her victory over Marysville freshman Cami Leng in the 115-pound regional championship match last week. She pinned Leng at 2:38.
Sunday’s victory in the state title match was even more shocking.
Trailing 12-5, Leonhardt managed to get Leng on her back and record the pin with just 16 seconds remaining in the match.
“I did look up at the clock, don’t tell my coach,” Leonhardt said. “But I said, ‘Oh, no, we have to do something big.’ I did exactly that. I rolled right through it, and I was able to sink in that half (nelson) deep.”
Marysville, which won the regional (164) ahead of runner-up Vermilion (152), qualified six wrestlers at state.
Marysville also recorded a fourth-place finish from junior Desi Lee (235, 42-8), sevenths from sophomore Cara Leng (140, 40-11) and junior Addi Lyon (135, 45-10) and an eighth-place ending for junior Lori Grimes (170, 43-13).
Gahanna freshman KyLee Tibbs and Avon Lake junior Rejan Al-Hashash contributed to the highest-scoring final of the day, with Hashash winning 14-10.
Tibbs (40-4) led 4-3 after one period and got a near fall to pull into a 9-all tie after the second but never led in the final period.
Marysville’s Cari Leng (front) reacts after falling to Gibsonburg’s Morgan Leonhardt to finish second at 115 pounds during the OHSAA girls wrestling state tournament Mar. 10 at Ohio State. Photo: Michael Rich