Helton earns 100th win with title at Columbia

COLUMBIA — The Norwalk wrestling team scored 102.5 points to place fifth, and Western Reserve totaled 100 points to place sixth among 13 teams on Jan. 3 at the Columbia Invitational. The Truckers had a pair of individual champions, as seniors Gavin Lepley and Nico Helton won the 165-pound and 175-pound weight classes, respectively. Lepley opened with a pair of pins in 1:45 and 4:21 to reach the final, where he claimed a 6-3 overtime win over Columbian's Xavier Hendon. It marked his second straight tournament title, as he was also the champion at the Kenston Invitational on Dec. 30. Helton, who earned his 100th career win at the tournament, pinned his way through the bracket at 175. He needed 52 seconds, 2:34, and 1:23 to reach the final, where he also pinned Huron's Marco Scally in 47 seconds. Also for Norwalk, Ayden Brown was second at 157, as was Cooper Gee at 285. Brown had a pin in 1:24 and a 4-2 decision to reach the final, where he fell, 16-5, by major decision to Elyria Catholic's Jacob Hill. Gee posted a pair of pins in 1:45 and 35 seconds before a 16-7 major decision to reach the final, where he was pinned by Benedictine's Sheppard Charlton in 3:16. Aldynn Mtzger placed fourth at 132 for the Truckers. For Western, Lucas Summerfield won then bracket at 113 pounds, and Anthony Lierenz was second at 132. Summerfield pinned his way to three wins, including in 1:25 and 1:10 to reach the final. He then needed 1:32 to pin Benedictine's Hassan Crutcher in the finals. Lierenz advanced to the final at 132 with pins in 1:41, 5:26, and 1:11 before falling 17-2 to Benedictine's Devion Coffin in the final. Also for the Roughriders, Colson Lutz was third at 106, followed by Chance Warthling (120), Kohler Graves (144), and Landen Barnhart (150) each placing fourth. Six area champs at Plymouth PLYMOUTH — Six area wrestlers earned first place on Jan. 3 at the SSG Marcus W. Dawson Memorial Invitational. Hillsdale won the 13-team tournament with 174.5 points. New London (159.5) and South Central (148.5) placed fourth and fifth, respectively. Norwalk's 'B' team finished ninth with 111 points. New London's lone champion came at 175, as Hunter Chandley went 4-0 with three pins (14 seconds, 1:20, 2:57) and a 17-0 technical fall. Oliver Harrison was second for the Wildcats at 190, where he went 3-1. Placing third for New London included Jayden Bracken (157), Ethan Koch (165), and Keith Squire (215). Earning fourth was David Goble (144), while Tristen Howell (126) and Tate Mitchell (132) pac finished sixth. South Central's champions included Wyatt Martin (113), Jaxson Strickland (138), Greyson Fisher (157), and Alex Hamons (215). Martin was 5-0 with four pins (59 seconds, 2:43, 2:26, 1:52) and a 17-0 technical fall. Strickland was 4-0 in pool matches with four pins in 1:05, 48 seconds, 1:09, and 2:41. He added a fifth pin in 5:07 in the final over East Knox's Brent Link. At 157, Fisher had three pins (1:09, 1:19, 59 seconds) and a 17-1 technical fall before claiming a tight 7-5 decision in the final over Loudonville's Brayden Marotta. Hamons also had four pins (1:59, 1:18, 1:09, 2:31) before a 5-1 overtime win against Hillsdale's Colt McCoy. Cole Frankart also placed fifth for the Trojans at 150. "It has been quite some time since we have won all of our finals matches," South Central head coach Ken Johnson said. "Each of these guys wrestled well throughout the day and equally as well in the finals. We are quickly approaching the mid-season mark, and as a coaching staff we like how these guys are performing at this time. "They are making the necessary adjustments needed to be successful, and we are looking forward to how they continue to improve the second half of the season," he added. "Having all five guys place with wins in the final round was special. All of our wrestlers are showing improvement including those that did not make it into the medal round." For Norwalk, Adam Gobble finished third at 175. Placing fourth was Brayden Thornberry (113), Nolan Naseman (132), and Colby Metcalf (285). Titus Roth (126) and Oscar Avila (165) each finished in fifth, and Luis Ramirez (215) was sixth. Thomas Winegardner was the lone champ for the host Big Red at 120. Levi Foley (106) and Ben Trimmer (144) took second for Plymouth. Earning fourth place included Lucas Distl (126), Cortez Hernandez (138), and Parker Miller (165). Isaiah Miller (190) was fifth, and Anthony Moore (285) placed sixth. Figueroa third at JC Gorman MANSFIELD — Willard's Jose Figueroa finished 4-1 to place third at 106 pounds on Jan. 2 at the 62nd J.C. Gorman Invitational at Pete Henry Gymnasium. Figueroa (16-4) opened with a 15-0 technical fall win, and a 19-4 technical fall win to reach the semifinal round, where he also fell by technical fall (16-0) to East Liverpool's Kyle Ingram. He then came back to pin Upper Sandusky's Braylon Shepherd in 2:18, then posted his third technical fall win, 20-5, over Mount Gilead's Rocco Castricone in the third-place match.