Marysville High School senior Jacob Marsh defends a shot by Lakewood St. Ed’s Paddy Gallagher during the semifinals of the Division I state wrestling tournament. Marsh placed second in the 152-pound weight class and helped MHS to a ninth-place finish.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon)
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Another solid season came to a conclusion for the Marysville High School wrestling team on Saturday during the Division I state tournament at The Ohio State University.
The Monarchs sent four athletes to the awards podium, highlighted by senior Jacob Marsh’s second-place finish in the 152-pound weight class.
Junior Tyler Connolly was fifth in the heavyweight division, while senior Tyler Bates and junior Walker Heard were respectively sixth in the 160 and 145-pound divisions.
Their efforts helped Marysville to a ninth place finish in the state tournament.
Marsh’s elevated trip to the awards podium was a huge step up from his 2017 state tournament during which he failed to earn a place.
“This year’s tournament went much better than last year,” said Marsh during Monday evening’s telephone interview with the Journal-Tribune.
The Princeton University-bound grappler had said earlier that he looked too much ahead of the matches during the state tournament his junior season.
This year, he said, was different.
“I stayed more mentally focused,” he said. “I didn’t take any matches for granted.
“I went in prepared for a battle during each match.”
Monarch head coach Shawn Andrews took some time to reflect on the just-completed campaign.
“Clearly, every competitor’s goal is to win,” he said. “You want to have your arm raised at the end of the final match and get to the awards podium.
“However, if that is your only measure of success, only a few guys could call their season successful.”
Andrews said a team’s and individual’s rate of progression is also a sign of a successful season.
“A lot of our guys got better as the year went along,” he said. “I think that’s what you want them to take from the season.”
The Monarchs won a regional championship in the state duals format and claimed a sectional title.
They finished second to Dublin Coffman in the Ohio Capital Conference Central Division and took runner-up honors in the district tournament.
Although the 2017-18 season was just put into the books, Andrews is already looking ahead to next winter.
“It’s easy for the rest of the team to stand back and be fans of the guys (including junior 220-pounder Ethan Smeagel) who advanced to the state tournament,” he said. “My hope is that the ones who are coming back next year will be inspired to be like those guys and not just be a fan.
“We will have to see who are the ones who will step up and be those next guys who qualify for the state tournament.”