Marysville’s Josh Melms, top, and Carson Atkins of Olmsted Falls both lock each other’s legs during a state tournament match. (Journal-Tribune photo by Aleksei Pavloff)
Union County was represented by six wrestlers who did not earn trips to the state tournament awards stand.
They were Josh Melms (144), Jack Golla (150), Brady Seger (165) and Ben Bickerstaff (190) for Marysville.
They each saw their seasons come to an end much more quickly than they wanted.
North Union’s Trace Williams (113) and Shan Swank (190) finished in the same boat.
Melms, a senior, dropped his opening-round match to Nick Humphrys, a junior from Wadworth.
That bout ended in a 3:31 pin-fall.
Melms rebounded with a 9-3 Division I consolation bracket verdict over Carson Atkins, a senior from Olmsted Falls.
Melms held a 2-0 lead after the first period and went up 4-0 before Atkins could tally his first point.
Melms took a 7-1 margin into the final period and coasted to victory.
The Monarch grappler’s final season as a high school wrestler came to an end with an 8-5 setback to Matthew Szczpaniak, a junior from West Chester Lakota.
Melms trailed 7-2 in the second period after a near-fall.
He rallied for three points before finally dropping the match.
“Things went better than I thought, especially since this was my first state tournament,” said Melms. “I maybe could have gotten my offense going and scored first, but I was pleased with how I wrestled.”
Melms, who finished the season with a 30-10 record, said he will pursue a license in physical therapy in college.
He said he will not wrestle on the varsity collegiate level.
Golla dropped his first match by a 5-2 count against Lakewood St. Ed freshman Tyrel Miller.
He followed with a 9-3 consolation bracket victory over Miles Moyer, a senior from Clayton Northmont.
Gola went up by a 7-0 advantage when he tallied a near-fall during the second period.
Moyer notched a trio of late points that didn’t make a difference in the outcome.
Golla’s senior season ended when he was edged 4-3 by Flint Guerra, a junior from Lebanon.
“I’m glad I started wrestling 12 years ago,” said Golla, who finished with a 48-9 record. “It shaped me as a person and taught me how to work hard.
“I also met a lot of good friends through the sport.
“I am proud I wrestled at the state,” he said. “I wanted to wrestle to place, but just came up a little short.”
Bickerstaff, a senior, opened the state with a 3-0 loss to St. Ed sophomore Jonny Slaper.
He rebounded with a 4:26 pin-fall in the consolation bracket against Caleb Jenkins, a Barberton senior.
Ajay Locke, a fourth-year man from Lancaster, ended Bickerstaff’s high school career with a 5-0 victory.
Bickerstaff (33-12) said he felt that he wrestled fairly well during the state tournament.
Williams was pinned in 1:12 during his opening match of the tournament.
That pin-fall came at the hands of Milan Edison junior Max Hermes, who was a defending state champion.
Hermes went on to capture his second consecutive Division III state title.
Prior to the pin, Williams had taken a 2-0 lead on what he called “a good takedown.”
“Trace just had a tough draw to begin the tournament,” said North Union assistant coach Donnie Wasserbeck.
The North Union grappler bounced back in the consolation bracket with a 15-3 major decision over Loudenville sophomore Drew Spreng.
Williams took a 6-2 lead with a third-period takedown and added back points for the victory.
The tables, however, were turned on Williams when his final state match ended with an 11-3 major decision loss to Trevor Wilcox, a sophomore from Tontogany Otsego.
Williams concluded his junior campaign with a 43-7 record.
Seger and Swank both lost their first two matches and fell from the tournament.
Seger, a junior, lost to J.R. Reed, a senior from Stow-Monroe Falls by an 18-3 technical fall during the opening round.
He then was pinned in 50 seconds during his consolation match against Evan Thompson, a senior from Fairmont.
Seger finished the year with a 23-15 mark.
Swank was put to the mat in 55 seconds by Berkshire senior Lucas Stoddard to open the tournament.
Stoddard went on to claim top honors in the 190-weight class.
The NU senior (31-12) was the victim of a 17-9 major decision during his only consolation bracket bout.
That season-ending loss came at the hands of Ashton Simison, a fourth-year man from Springfield Greenon.
Trace Williams of North Union takes down Trevor Wilcox of Otsego during a Division III state tournament match at 113 pounds. (Journal-Tribune photo by Aleksei Pavloff)
Monarch 150-pounder Jack Golla, left, goes for a single-leg takedown against Lakewood St. Ed’s Tyrel Miller during the Division I state mat tournament at The Ohio State University. (Journal-Tribune photo by Aleksei Pavloff)
Ben Bickerstaff, right, MHS’ 190-pounder, controls the right arm of Lancaster’s Ajay Locke during the Division I state wrestling tournament. (Journal-Tribune photo by Berkley Behrens)
Brady Seger of Marysville tries to get out of a jam during a 165-pound Division I state match against Stow’s J.R. Reed. (Journal-Tribune photo by Aleskei Pavloff)
Shan Swank of North Union is wrapped up by Ashton Simison of Springfield Greenon. Action came during the Division III state tournament at OSU. (Journal-Tribune photo by Aleskei Pavloff)