The Union County area will be represented by one of the biggest “rosters” of wrestlers to compete during district tournaments.
Tournaments throughout the state are scheduled to begin this afternoon and run through Saturday.
As mentioned in previous articles, Marysville is sending a total of 13 athletes to the Division I district that is scheduled for Hilliard Darby High School.
That is out of 14 weight classes.
That is one of the largest district contingents the Monarchs have had in recent memory.
That number comprises slightly more than half of the 25 area grapplers scheduled to compete this weekend.
Jonathan Alder is sending six (with a pair of alternates) to the Division II district that is set to begin this afternoon at Wilmington High School.
North Union and Triad will compete in separate Division III districts.
NU has four scheduled to take to the mats at Heath High School.
Triad, unlike Marysville, Jonathan Alder and North Union, is not a Central District school.
Cardinal teams compete in the state’s Southwest District.
That D-III district is scheduled to be held at Hobart Arena in Troy.
Triad will send a trio of athletes to the tournament.
Of JA’s six grapplers, four have won more than 30 matches this season.
Xavier Pierce (120) will take a 33-9 mark into today’s action.
Oliver Byerly (150) is 32-5, Will Heisler (190) is 33-12 and Damon Hay (285) sports a 35-12 mark.
Jonathan Alder’s other two district qualifiers are both just a pair of victories away from giving the team two additional 30-plus win grapplers.
Eli Trobovich (138) will take a 28-14 record into the tournament.
Dom Kroninger, who wrestles at 215, has also won 28 of his 42 decisions.
Jonathan Alder has two alternates who could participate in the district if someone in their respective weight class cannot take to the mat for any reason.
Among those reasons would be illness, a late injury or simply the inability to make weight.
Owen Crabtree (144) and Anthony Kroninger (175) , Dom’s brother, both placed fifth during last weekend’s sectional meet.
That was one spot out of the top four placers who advanced to the district.
However, it qualifies both as district alternates who will be on standby, ready to jump into action if needed.
North Union will be represented by Trace Williams (113), Gabe Hansen (126), Shan Shank (190) and Brody Wilson (215).
Hansen sports the best season record of any local wrestler going into district competition with a 43-3 mark.
Another interesting story of the local mat season pertains to the youth of Triad’s district qualifiers.
Awsom Mitchell, who won a 165-pound sectional championship last weekend, sports a 36-6 record as a freshman.
Triad’s other district qualifiers are sophomores Tucker Webb (190) and Reid Todhunter (157).
Both earned fourth-place finishes in sectional action.
The top four placers in each weight class from the district tournaments will advance to the state tournament.
The state will be held at The Ohio State University March 11-13.