Pioneer Classic produces strong competition for area girls wrestlers
Saturday, January 13, 2024
By Jarrod Ulrey
julrey@cbussports.com
Hamilton Township’s Sienna Sanborn defeated Olentangy Orange’s Lexie Riley in the quarterfinals of the 130 weight class at the Pioneer Classic at Olentangy Orange on Jan. 13. Photo: Lorrie Gardner
When she first began competing in wrestling as a seventh-grader, Sienna Sanborn remembers feeling “terrified” about who she might have to face.
Now, the Hamilton Township senior can’t get enough of the competition.
A fifth-place finisher at 125 pounds as a sophomore when the state tournament was held at Hilliard Davidson, Sanborn wound up finishing in the same place last winter at the first OHSAA-sponsored state tournament at Ohio State while competing at 115.
She’s wrestling at 130 this season and is hopeful tournaments like the Pioneer Classic which she competed in Saturday at Olentangy Orange represent precursors for what is to come.
“I started in seventh grade and had to wear the cap and the shirt because I was wrestling guys, but I was lucky if I placed at a tournament,” said Sanborn, who has signed to compete for Tiffin. “I was super intimidated and not in the right mindset. … Sometimes I get into my head, but I’m excited for the great competition.”
Heading into the Pioneer Classic, Sanborn’s only loss was to Washington Court House junior Lyndyn Gibbs. A season ago, Gibbs was third at state at 120.
Gibbs and Orange’s Lexie Riley, who Sanborn beat 4-3 in a quarterfinal at the Pioneer Classic, were the first two wrestlers this season to score a takedown on Sanborn.
Sanborn was excited about the opportunity to face Tipp City Tippecanoe senior Emma Hanrahan – who was fifth at 130 at last year’s state tournament – in a quarterfinal at the Pioneer Classic. Hanrahan wound up edging Sanborn 7-5.
“I’ve been looking forward to this match since the summertime,” Sanborn said. “It isn’t somebody I’ve wrestled before, but somebody I’ve wanted to wrestle.
Marysville’s Cameron Leng defeated Eaton’s Josie Ellerman in quarterfinals of the 115 weight class at the Pioneer Classic at Olentangy Orange on Jan. 13. Photo: Lorrie Gardner
“I’ve had a great season. Two years ago, I just wanted to place in the top three in every tournament, and last year that was my goal (again) and I got fifth (at state). I’ve been wrestling at 130 (since the) offseason. It’s easy to maintain.”
Sanborn wound up third at the Pioneer Classic, which was won by host Orange with 207 points while the Rangers placed 16th (71).
Marysville was runner-up (170), with Delaware finishing third (161), Westerville North placing eighth (87) and Teays Valley ninth (85).
Central Ohio wrestlers who won titles at the Pioneer Classic were Mount Vernon freshman Ashlyn Brokaw (105), Orange freshman Kenzie Carder (110), Olentangy junior Cori Young (115), Orange junior Lydia Heinrich (170), and Orange senior Kascidy Garren (190)
Teays Valley senior Ava Miller (110), Columbus Academy junior Marie Kim (135), Marysville sophomore Cara Leng (140), Delaware junior Nelease Danzy (145), Hilliard Darby junior Emma Bolyard (155), Watkins Memorial senior Emma Watkins (170), Marysville senior Desi Lee (190) and junior Jenny Huaracha-Are were runners-up.
Orange had 10 placers at the Pioneer Classic. Among those was senior Josie Nickoloff (120), who won one state match last season but lost to Doylestown Chippewa freshman Kayla Moroschan 7-0 in a semifinal at the Pioneer Classic and wound up third.
“Our team is really strong,” Nickoloff said. “Our conditioning’s up, so we’re all doing really great. We’ve had a lot of great tournaments, going to Ironman and Findlay. It was humbling, but we have these duals and our home tournament here. We’re working on things that we didn’t work on at the beginning of the season. I’m still trying to step outside my comfort zone a little bit, hit a couple more moves, maybe take some shots. I hope to get on the (state) podium this year.
Olentangy Orange’s Kascidy Garren defeated Lakota East’s Sydney Hall in the semifinals of the 190 weight class during the Pioneer Classic at Olentangy Orange on Jan. 13. Photo: Lorrie Gardner
“Everybody knows who we are and what we have, and there’s a lot of pros to (hosting our own tournament), too, because we have our own locker room and get to compete in our home gym.”
Marysville had six placers at the Pioneer Classic.
Leng and her freshman sister, Cami Leng (115), are the younger sisters of Cali Leng, a 2023 graduate who won the state championship last season at 120 and is now competing for Iowa.
Their father is Jesse Leng, a former assistant at perennial state boys power St. Paris Graham.
“It’s been going pretty well,” Cara Leng said. “I’m happy with the progress I’ve made. Last year was my first year ever wrestling, so I’m happy with how I’m doing, but I think I have a lot more to achieve and can do a lot more. I’m excited with how it’s going. A lot of our girls have been doing really well, and we have a lot of newer girls.
“Our whole family’s a wrestling family so I decided to try it and just kept going. I’ve been around it my whole life and I’ve definitely been able to pick it up pretty quickly.”
Cami Leng has been wrestling since she was 8, which has helped her adjust quickly to prep competition. She had just one loss heading into the Pioneer Classic before getting pinned by Parkersburg (West Virginia) South sophomore Anniya Powell in 2 minutes, 34 seconds, and wound up third overall.
The Monarchs are in their first season under head coach Shawn Andrews, who had been the school’s boys coach for 16 seasons before switching to the girls side in August. His brother, Nate Andrews, is now Marysville’s boys coach.
“I get nervous easily, but I feel like everyone does,” Cami Leng said. “My dad used to wrestle a lot and used to coach at Graham with Jeff (Jordan) and all of them. Shawn Andrews is our head coach, and it’s been good. Our practices are hard and we’re also learning a lot so we keep the pace up.”
Hamilton Township’s Audrina Pack fell to Whetstone’s Grace Murphy in the quarterfinals of the 235 weight class during the Pioneer Classic at Olentangy Orange on Jan. 13.