Norwalk runners-up at Husky Invite

WEST SALEM — The Norwalk wrestling team had four individual champions among 11 placers on Saturday at the Northwestern Husky Invitational. The Truckers totaled 248 points to finish runners-up to champion Avon Lake (384) in the 18-team field. Winning their respective weight classes included Aldynn Metzger (113 pounds); Nico Helton (165); Kevin Howard (175); and Anderson Evans (190). At 165, Helton had four pins and a major decision en route to his title. He opened with a pin in 53 seconds, 42 seconds, and 56 seconds, respectively. After a 12-4 major decision, Helton pinned Orrville's Paul Hostetler in 4:51 in the finals. Howard had four straight pins to reach the finals at 175. He needed times of 1:38, 1:05, 57 seconds and 12 seconds to earn his pins. Howard then won a 9-5 decision over Avon Lake's Landen Kunzelman to win the weight class. Evans had four pins and a technical fall at 190. He needed 1:37, 1:26, followed by a technical fall score of 17-2, and 1:46 to advance to the finals. Evans then pinned Smithville's Karsen Moore in 2:32. Metzger opened with a 9-5 loss to Mitch Meyer (Independence), but responded with a pin in 1:59, a 15-0 technical fall, and a pin in 36 seconds. In the latest borofanohio.net state rankings, Evans is ranked No. 15 in Division II at his weight, while Metzger is 22nd and Helton is 26th. Finishing runners-up at 215 was Cooper Gee. He had two pins (:50, 1;54) and two technical falls (23-8, 16-1) before defaulting out in the finals to Avon Lake's Tommy Rodkey. Nick Toth (144) and Gavin Lepley (157) each finished 4-1 to finish in third place at their respective weights. Earning fifth place for Norwalk included Landon Knoll (120), Victor Negrete (126), Caiden Wilson (138) and Devin Kolanda (285). St. Paul duo places at Perrysburg PERRYSBURG — State-ranked Rafael Gross and Tristan Nickoli earned spots on the podium Saturday at the Perrysburg Invitational Tournament. Gross — ranked No. 3 in the state in Div. III — went 5-2 to place fifth at 157 and improve to 20-2 on the season. The sophomore won by technical fall (17-1) and pin (:41) before falling by major decision to Northmont's Graham Moyer, 14-2. Gross then bounced back to win by technical fall (15-0) and was awarded a medical forfeit. He fell by major decision, 13-4, in the consolation semifinals to fall to the fifth-place match, where he turned the tables on Moyer with an 8-1 decision victory. Nickoli finished 4-2 to place seventh at 190. He opened with a 19-4 technical fall and a 9-2 decision before falling by pin (5:07) in the quarterfinals. Nickoli — ranked No. 15 in the state this week — then posted a 6-4 decision before losing 8-3 to fall to the seventh-place match, where he claimed an 8-0 major decision over Centerville's Levi Anderson. Willard places five at Freddie Invite FREDERICKTOWN — The Crimson Flashes scored 106.5 points and placed fifth among 13 teams at the Freddie Invitational on Saturday. Luke Slone led five placers for Willard by finishing runners-up at 138. The No. 11-ranked wrestler in Div. III at his weight pinned in 1:42, 18 seconds and 55 seconds before falling to Dean Poppy of Thomas Worthington by a 14-5 major decision in the finals. Also placing second was Aiden Wallace at 175. He opened with a pin in 3:30, then lost 3-0 in overtime. Wallace rebounded with a pin in 1:13 and 1:37 before falling by pin in 4:37 to Shelby's Christian Santiz in the finals. At 106, No. 13-ranked Jose Figueroa placed third, while Nolan Kilgore (120) and Adler Ames (132) each finished fourth.