6:29 pm ET
Silver for Trukovich
Zachary Holden
After missing out on the podium entirely as a sophomore following a fifth place finish as a freshman, Galion’s Carter Trukovich wrestled his way to the Division II 126-pound championship match before ultimately falling by a 7-1 decision to Licking Valley’s Joe Curry.
6:26 pm ET
Gold at last!
Zachary Holden
Ontario’s Aiden Ohl completed one of the greatest wrestling careers in program history with a 7-2 decision over Woodridge’s Gavin Genovese for the Division II 120-pound state title.
5:22 pm ET
Title bouts initiate!
Zachary Holden
5:09 pm ET
Walk of Champions
Zachary Holden
2:43 pm ET
Day 3 intermission!
Zachary Holden
Session 4 is officially in the books and the staff here is hard at work setting things up for the championship matches this evening! Division I, II, and III boys, along with the girls, will begin title bouts at 5:15 in ascending weight class order.
Fifty six exciting matches will close out the 2025-2026 wrestling season.
2:40 pm ET
Stancombe 4th in rematch of district title bout
Zachary Holden
Madison’s Jaxin Stancombe knew his opponent, Celina’s Cash Patrick, well. A week earlier, Patrick pinned Stancombe in 2:50 at in the district championship and with the two matched in the Division II 285-pound third place match, Stancombe was determined not to let that happen again.
It didn’t happen again, but the end result was the same as Stancombe trailed 1-0 into the final seconds of the match and knew he needed to make a move, but Patrick got the takedown and secured the 4-0 decision.
“You get stuck in bad positions and you gotta do undesirable things,” Stancombe said.
He ends his career with a fourth place finish improving on last year’s sixth.
“I’ve never been one to settle, I always want the biggest and I want the best — I want to win,” he said. “I hate losing more than anything. But I can’t be too mad with how things turned out, better than a lot of kids, right?”
2:29 pm ET
Owen adds 3rd to her collection of medals
Zachary Holden
Black River junior Taylor Owen was extra motivated Sunday for her 155-pound third place match.
“Knowing the people in the finals, I only lost to them by one, I know I can get first (next year),” she said. “It just gives me a lot of confidence.
And she wrestled with confidence against Lebanon’s Natalie Carlisle earning an 8-5 decision sparked by a clutch escape that led to a takedown in the third period.
“It was a big thing that won the match for sure,” Owen said. “I knew once I got that, I was ready to fight for what was mine.”
A bronze medal draped around her neck is what was hers, and it meant the world after placing fifth as a freshman and seventh as a sophomore.
2:20 pm ET
Northmor gets two placers
Rob McCurdy
Northmor senior Ethan Amens lost his state opener, then won three matches in a row, eventually leading to a fifth-place finish in Division III’s 120-pound class. Senior teammate Carson Campbell became a three-time placer by taking third at 165.
“Sometimes were great, and sometimes there were a couple of lows, but at the end of the day, it’s all about fun. I had a lot of fun. I believed I wrestled pretty well. I have some things to grow and some areas to grow in. There’s still work to do, but it was a good weekend.”
Two other Marion-area placers
Marion Harding senior Kile Sentieri, who was making his state wrestling debut, ended up fifth in Division I’s 175-pound class. Highland’s Emma Bolton, a four-time qualifier, finished on the podium for the first time, taking seventh in girls 190 pounds. Both earned their final victories via medical default by opponents.
2:19 pm ET
Bauer makes it 3-for-3 at state with 3rd place finish
Zachary Holden
Ashland junior Mason Bauer is now a three-time state placer after winning by virtue of an injury default (4:44) over Massillon Perry’s Seth Cavazos, Bauer was leading the match 4-1 at the time of the stoppage.
“Same thing happened (in districts),” he said. “I was looking for my offense and challenges, just needed to stay composed throughout the match … And constantly try to break his position.”
It puts Bauer in a spot to become a prestigious four-time state placer next season.
“It’s awesome,” Bauer said. “Just making history and it’s so fun to wrestle in this environment.”
2:11 pm ET
Snyder stymied in bronze match
Zachary Holden
Clear Fork sophomore Caleb Snyder battled back after a tough loss in the quarterfinals to have a chance to bring bronze back to The Valley. Unfortunately he ran into Canton South’s Dominic Prosperi in the Division II 113-pound third place match and lost by a 20-5 technical fall (4:37).
2:10 pm ET
Cooper Schlaegel now a two-time podium placer
Rob McCurdy
Elgin sophomore Cooper Schlaegel finished fourth in Division III 132-pound division a year after finishing third at 126.
“Sometimes were great, and sometimes there were a couple of lows, but at the end of the day, it’s all about fun. I had a lot of fun. I believed I wrestled pretty well. I have some things to grow and some areas to grow in. There’s still work to do, but it was a good weekend.”
2:07 pm ET
Cael Gilmore settled for third
Rob McCurdy
With a goal of a state championship dashed Saturday night March 14 in a 7-1 semifinal loss to junior Joel Welch of DeSales, Highland senior Cael Gilmore had to recalibrate overnight.
That’s exactly what he did. The future wrestler at Northern Iowa answered with a pin in 4:15 and a 7-3 win to claim third place and become a four-time state placer.
“That’s not where I wanted to be,” he said. “The semis loss, that was my drill partner for years at club. That sucks. He had a game plan, and I didn’t really perceive like I wrestled my best there. You can’t have that here.”
2:04 pm ET
Proctor caps off junior year with 6th
Zachary Holden
Madison’s Aiden Proctor was eighth a year ago and was determined to improve on that. He did just that making it to the Division II 157-pound fifth place match and going beyond the distance ultimately falling by a 5-1 tiebreak to Columbus DeSales’ Jonah Jenkins.
1:59 pm ET
Cash Owen returns from injury
Rob McCurdy
Sheridan senior Cash Owen was more than okay with a fifth-place finish in Division II’s 113-pound class. He was just happy to be back wrestling.
He missed roughly two months of his season due to a calf tear.
“I had three weeks to prepare for state. I’m not exactly sure how I did it. With an adrenaline rush, I didn’t feel it until about 20 minutes after the match, he said of the initial injury. “I just kept showing up to practice and rooting for my teammates and wanting them to do better kept me motivated to want to reach back and push myself to want to make it to state. That’s what I did.”
1:58 pm ET
From 5th at districts to 5th at state!
Zachary Holden
Chippewa sophomore Grady Lambdin remembers the disappointment he felt as a freshman.
“Last year at districts I had a tough run and got fifth, so I was an alternate,” he said. “That has weighed on me the whole offseason and this season. I just really wanted this moment and it feels good to come from fifth at districts to fifth at state.”
He dropped his consolation semifinal by a 10-1 majority decision to the defending state champion, Scotty Fuller of Genoa, before bouncing back to grind out a 5-2 decision over Crestwood’s Rocco Wrobel.
“It just feels amazing,” Lambdin said. “I know I put in that work and now I’m getting the results I wanted.”
1:52 pm ET
Kandice Spry third again
Rob McCurdy
Tri-Valley senior Kandice Spry was third in the state as a sophomore and second last year at 115 pounds. She shook off a tough 10-2 loss in the semifinals to bounce back for a pair of Sunday morning wins and a third-place finish.
“Honestly, I just feel like I gave everything to the sport, and I owe it to myself to fight back and get third,” she said. “That’s not where I wanted to be. My heart was really heavy. It felt like everything I worked for got ripped apart and ripped away from me. Mentally, I had to listen to my coach and really keep my head in the game because I knew I wasn’t done yet.”
1:45 pm ET
Budda closes career with 7th
Zachary Holden
Ashland’s Budda Martin was on the bad end of a judgement call Saturday that sent him into the consolation rounds.
“Had some questionable stalling calls that were against me, but it happens,” he said. “It sucks when the refs can impact the match, but it is what it is. I knew I could’ve placed higher, but it’s my first time placing here as a senior, so it feels good.”
He closed out his career with a win in the Division I 215-pound seventh place match with a 5-3 decision over Normandy’s James Moore.
“Wrestling has always been hard, it’s just a hard sport,” Martin said. “So it’s good to come out here and compete.”
1:30 pm ET
Cambridge area gets two on podium
Rob McCurdy
Shenandoah junior Devyn Kunkle lost by a 23-5 technical fall to settle for eighth place in Division III’s 157-pound class.
Cambridge junior Marshall Laishley took sixth at 150 pounds in Division II after a tough 4-3 loss to Bellevue senior Ben Jacobs.
“I came here to get first and be in the finals. Disappointed I got sixth. It wasn’t what I was looking forward to, but at the end of the day I know I put in more work than anyone here.”
1:13 pm ET
Tapp places 7th!
Matthew Horn
Waynedale sophomore Branton Tapp beat South Range’s Ralph Stellato 9-3 by tiebreaker to finish seventh in the state at 106 pounds in Division III.
The match was tied 3-3 after three periods.
“I got to a stand up,” he said. “He dropped to a leg. I hit a hip wrench to get me up six.”
Tapp pinned Covington’s Brody Taylor in the consolation second round.
“Blood round,” he said. “I got him in a cradle and pinned him to solidify my spot on podium.”
11:57 am ET
Zanesville-area wrestlers in podium matches
Rob McCurdy
The following Zanesville-area wrestlers will be competing for podium positions later this morning:
New Lexington’s Harrison Ratliff in Division II 150 for third or fourth place.
Tri-Valley’s Kandice Spry in girls 115 for third-fourth.
New Lex’s Brody McNabb in D-II 106 for fifth or sixth place.
Sheridan’s Cash Owen in D-II 113 for fifth-sixth
New Lex’s Tyson Spicer in D-II 144 for fifth-sixth.
Tri-Valley’s Logan McClellan in D-II 285 for fifth-sixth.
John Glenn’s Dominic Bates in D-II 175 fors eventh-eighth.
Zanesville’s Trio Ladd in D-II for seventh-eighth.
Sheridan’s Maddox Laymon will compete for a state championship tonight in Division II’s 132.
11:54 am ET
Marion wrestlers in podium matches
Rob McCurdy
The following Marion-area kids will be competing for podium positions later this morning:
Elgin’s Cooper Schlaegel in Division III 132 for third or fourth place.
Northmor’s Carson Campbell in D-III 165 for third-fourth.
Highland’s Cael Gilmore in Division II 165 for third-fourth.
Northmor’s Ethan Amens in D-III 120 for fifth or sixth place.
Marion Harding’s Kile Sentieri in Division I 175 for fifth-sixth.
Highland’s Emma Bolton in girls 190 for seventh or eighth place.
Highland’s Kasey Clark will go for a state championship tonight at 144 in D-II.
11:52 am ET
Ontario’s Miller places 8th again
Zachary Holden
After dropping a 4-2 decision as a sophomore in the seventh place match, Ontario’s Gavin Miller suffered a similar fate again as a junior in the Division II 150-pound seventh place match losing a 15-2 majority decision to Columbus DeSales’ Jonah Jenkins.
11:33 am ET
Koppert-Smith pins her way to 7th!
Zachary Holden
Wrestling is a unique sport where you can finish your career with a win even if it’s not for a state championship.
“We were hoping to be higher up on the podium,” Madison senior Estella Koppert-Smith said. “But I’m thankful for the wins and I’m thankful for what God has given me.”
She won her seventh place match with a 1:54 pin of Benjamin Logan’s Bella Hughes in the 130-pound class.
“I have ended my season and my high school career on a good note,” she said.
11:06 am ET
Snyder into the third place match!
Zachary Holden
Clear Fork’s Caleb Snyder took the long way, but he will wrestle for bronze later this morning! He pinned Sheridan’s Cash Owen in 2:46 in the Division II 113-pound consolation semifinal.
10:56 am ET
Alberty will cap off career with highest finish
Zachary Holden
Galion’s Ryder Alberty was seventh a year ago and after making it to Sunday morning, he already clinched his best finish yet. And doing it as a senior is the perfect way to cap everything off. He was pinned in 4:46 by Bishop Watterson’s Thomas Lindsay in the Division II 138-pound consolation semifinal to drop into the fifth place match. Nonetheless, he will go out in his final state meet with a career finish.
10:44 am ET
Owen’s hopes of bronze stay alive!
Zachary Holden
Black River junior Taylor Owen was extra motivated Sunday for her 155-pound third place match.
“Knowing the people in the finals, I only lost to them by one, I know I can get first (next year),” she said. “It just gives me a lot of confidence.
And she wrestled with confidence against Lebanon’s Natalie Carlisle earning an 8-5 decision sparked by a clutch escape that led to a takedown in the third period.
“It was a big thing that won the match for sure,” Owen said. “I knew once I got that, I was ready to fight for what was mine.”
A bronze medal draped around her neck is what was hers, and it meant the world after placing fifth as a freshman and seventh as a sophomore.
