Marysville’s Lauren Mobley, top, is in control of an opponent during the state wrestling tournament. Mobley was not able to place in the 125-pound weight class.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Aleksei Pavloff)
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Every athlete who earns a trip to the Ohio High School Athletic Association state wrestling tournament hopes to eventually stand on the awards podium.
However, with 16 competitors from four regional tournaments advancing to the sport’s biggest stage and only eight spots available on the podium, half of them will go home disappointed.
Several high school grapplers from the Union County area converged on The Ohio State University’s Schottenstein Center over the weekend with the hopes of having a medal draped around their neck.
Those hopes did not come to fruition for a handful of them.
Marysville High School was represented by three student-athletes who were not able to place in their respective weight classes.
A pair of them competed in Division I as part of the Monarch boys program.
Juniors Boston Burkhardt and Gage Counts respectively saw action in the 144 and 285-pound divisions.
Burkhardt opened with a 3-2 setback at the hands of Cincinnati Moeller’s Stone Busler.
The MHS grappler dropped down into the consolation bracket, where he suffered a 10-4 loss to Jack Dinwiddie of Wadsworth.
Burkhardt bowed out of the state competition with those two losses.
He completed a season during which he battled a shoulder injury with a 30-13 record.
Counts suffered a 5-2 loss during his opening bout against Painesville Riverside’s Antonio Bottgiggi.
He bounced back with a 3-0 decision against Clay Broadhurst of Avon Lake.
The 2023-2024 campaign, however, came to an end with a 5-1 loss to Lucas Stuererberg of Cincinnati Moeller.
Counts posted a 31-11 record for the season.
Lady Monarch Lauren Mobley (125) won once in three matches.
She fell 6-4 to Alona Strausser of Kettering Alter during her opening-round match.
Mobley, a sophomore, rebounded for an 8-3 verdict over Erin Scully of Columbus Bishop Watterson.
The season, however, came to a conclusion when Mobley lost her second match of the tournament.
Lila Krull of Miamisburg downed Mobley by an 8-3 count.
A trio of Jonathan Alder athletes did not place.
Senior Ava Ater (120) finished the girls state tournament with one victory in three matches.
She fell by a pin in 0:53 to Raegan Briggs of Harrison.
Ater then scored a pinfall at the 3:58 mark when she put Lalia Wentz of Chesapeake to the mat.
The Lady Pioneer exited the tournament when she was pinned by Kaylee Ramsey of Clinton-Massie in 3:59.
Ater posted a 33-11 record for the season.
Jonathan Alder had two boys who weren’t able to place during the Division II tournament.
Dominic Kroninger, a 285-pound senior, lost his first two bouts.
He began with a 7-4 loss to Garrett Dillon-Rine of New Philadelphia.
He was pinned in 2:18 by Nick Bowser of Hubbard and finished the season with a 44-12 record.
Ethan Kuhns represented the Pioneers in the 144-pound bracket.
He got started on the right foot when he put Johnny Beltz of Alliance to the mat in 4:46.
That, however, was followed by an 8-5 loss to Benicio Torres of Wauseon.
Kuhns was shuffled into the consolation bracket for a possible shot at third place.
A 15-6 major decision loss to Zach Greber of Celina, however, concluded Kuhns’ state run.
Kuhns’ 1-2 state record finished him at 42-12 for the season.