JA’s 190-pounder Will Heisler attempts to get free of Norwayne’s Alex Berry with a sit-out. Heisler went on to place third in his weight class during Alder’s Ron Thomas Sr. Invitational.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Aleksei Pavloff)
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With one Jonathan Alder grappler taking first place, the Pioneers finished within the top five as a team while hosting the Ron Thomas Senior Invitational.
Jonathan Alder grapplers combined for 146 points in the team’s fourth-place finish out of 21 teams present.
Taking the team crown was Licking Valley, which scored a total of 170 team points.
LV was followed by Mount Vernon (169) and Grove City (154) to round out the top three.
Taking home first place for the Pioneers was 150-pounder Oliver Byerly, who beat Jake Taylor of Mount Vernon in a 13-3 major decision.
Byerly also defeated his quarter and semifinal opponents — Landry Lee of Hilliard Darby and Porter Rick of River Valley — by major decisions.
At 120 pounds, JA’s Xavier Peirce finished second after falling to Bishop Hartley’s Aiden King in a 16-4 major decision.
At 157 pounds, JA senior Pryce Watson defeated Karter Harris of Mount Vernon to take home third.
Will Heisler, 190-pounder, also placed third after defeating Blake Elliot of East Knox by an early second period pin.
At 285 pounds, Damon Hay defeated Mount Vernon’s Nate Stradley with a first period pin to take third place in the bracket.
Owen Crabtree finished in fifth place at 144 pounds with his final match being a victory against Ripley Szanati of Buckeye Valley by medical forfeit.
Anthony Kroninger, JA’s 165-pounder, also took home fifth place by defeating Big Walnut’s Micah Tiller by a 15-8 decision.
At 215-pounds, Owen Braithwaite finished in sixth place after falling to Columbus Bishop Hartley’s Griffin Halenar by way of a first period pin.