HILLIARD — Nate Cornell had a feeling this was coming.
The Mount Vernon head wrestling coach had witnessed, in his words, “our best four days” of practice leading up to the Division I Central District tournament last weekend.
His Yellow Jackets were energetic and laser-focused in the weight room and wrestling room leading up to Friday night. Practice went so well, Cornell conceded, that when other coaches and teachers would ask him during the week if his team was ready, he hesitated to tell the full truth.
“I didn’t want to jinx it,” Cornell said with a laugh.
But he knew. And on Friday and Saturday, in front of a raucous crowd at Hilliard Darby High School, his Jackets let their wrestling do the talking.
Three Mount Vernon wrestlers qualified for the state tournament – the most since 2015 – having placed among the top four in their respective weight classes at districts. One Yellow Jacket finished fifth and will serve as a state alternate.
“The kids showed up every single day locked in and ready to go. …” Cornell said. “And I think that showed Saturday.”
Ten Mount Vernon wrestlers qualified for the district tournament after top-four performances at sectionals. To have three move on to the state stage, Cornell said, was a testament to the team’s preparation and focus.
“I’m extremely proud and impressed with how the team has performed over the last two weeks,” Cornell said. “They wrestled really well at the sectional tournament and then they took that into this week.”
The qualifiers
Mount Vernon will send three wrestlers to compete in the Division I state tournament this weekend: sophomore Brock Blankenhorn (106), senior Colton Spurgeon (126) and senior Nate Stradley (285).
Senior Dylan Hartman (113) will serve as a state alternate.
Blankenhorn will be making his first trip to the state tournament. The sophomore placed fourth in his weight class at districts, finishing the weekend with a 4-2 record.
After falling to Teays Valley junior Gunner Havens – the state’s second-ranked 106-pounder – in a 6-4 decision in the quarterfinals Friday night, Blankenhorn returned to Hilliard on Saturday and tore through the consolation bracket.
He pinned Marion Harding junior Samson St. Germain 13 seconds into the second period, then ousted Thomas Worthington sophomore J.J. Dodt in a 7-4 decision to advance to the consolation semifinals.
With a trip to the state tournament on the line, Blankenhorn pulled through once more, pinning Olentangy Liberty freshman Neal Krysty with eight seconds left in the second period to punch his ticket.
As the referee blew the whistle, signaling Blankenhorn’s victory, the sophomore leapt off the mat, flexed and pointed toward the gym’s upper deck, where the Mount Vernon parents roared in approval.
“It just lit my world up,” he said of the win. “That’s been my goal all year, qualifying for the state tournament, and I finally got to seal the deal on that.”
Blankenhorn fell Saturday afternoon to Olentangy freshman Kurt Mokros in the third-place match, 7-5 in overtime. He finished fourth in a crowded field, and will head to state this weekend as a first-time qualifier, having missed the district cut last year.
Spurgeon, meanwhile, qualified for his third state tournament on Saturday.
The senior placed second in his weight class, finishing the district tournament with a 3-1 record.
Spurgeon won both of his matches Friday night, knocking off Olentangy senior Vaughn Fowler in a 11-2 major decision, then ousting Olentangy Liberty freshman Lincoln Gardner in a 17-3 major decision in the quarterfinals.
He advanced to the district title match – and booked his third trip to the state tournament – early Saturday afternoon, when he knocked off Marion Harding senior Drake Cerny in the semifinals. Similar to Blankenhorn, Spurgeon flexed with both arms as the clock expired, his 6-3 win guaranteeing him a shot at the title.
“Honestly, going into the district tournament, my goal was just to make it out. And to make it into the finals is something different,” he said afterwards, grinning from ear to ear. Spurgeon finished third at last year’s district tournament.
“I never really expected that,” he continued. “I didn’t really think I was gonna be able to do that, but I did it.”
Spurgeon fell to Dublin Coffman sophomore Omar Ayoub – the state’s top-ranked 126-pound wrestler – via a 9-3 decision in the championship match. But not before he punched his ticket to the big dance.
While Spurgeon has qualified three times for the state tournament, this weekend will mark just his second time competing in it – and his first at the famed Schottenstein Center in Columbus.
The state wrestling tournament was canceled Spurgeon’s sophomore year, at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was held at Hilliard Darby last year due to pandemic-related precautions (he finished seventh in the 120-pound weight class).
Spurgeon said Saturday that his goal all along has been to compete at “The Schott,” which seats 19,000 and is typically near capacity. Now, he’ll finally get his chance.
“It’s great. … Going to the Schottenstein Center has been one of my goals my entire life,” Spurgeon said.
“I got to watch my brother and all of his friends go do it, and I was always growing up there, watching wrestling. So finally getting back to compete in it is something else.”
Spurgeon will be joined at state by Stradley, who qualified for the first time last weekend by placing third in the 285-pound weight class.
Stradley went 4-1 at the district tournament. He won both of his matches Friday night, defeating Olentangy freshman Micah Krenek in a 7-3 decision before ousting Chillicothe junior Trevor Banks in the quarterfinals, 3-1 in overtime.
Stradley fell in the semifinals Saturday to Teays Valley junior Joey Thurston, but redeemed himself in the consolation bracket, pinning Olentangy Liberty junior Luke Fleet with 53 seconds left in the match to punch his ticket to state.
“Last year, I know losing definitely influenced me to come up here and win this year,” said Stradley, referencing his fifth-place finish at districts in 2021.
“Last year, after that, I was crying and stuff, and I was just mad. But I grinded over the offseason, freestyle and stuff – stuff I’ve never done before – and I think it helped me with my scrambling and stuff.
“I’m just so happy right now. I don’t know what to say.”
Stradley knocked off Westerville South senior Tyler O`Reilly on Saturday afternoon to claim third place in the district tournament. He is Mount Vernon’s first heavyweight state qualifier since Tyler Bevington made it in 2001.
Jackets finish strong
Seven other Jackets competed at districts last weekend.
Hartman placed fifth in the 113-pound weight class, finishing with a 4-2 record. He won two straight consolation matches on Saturday before falling to Upper Arlington sophomore Andrew Myers in the semifinals, 4-0, and ultimately winning the fifth-place match over Olentangy freshman Nick Piontkowski.
Junior Rylan Firebaugh (132), senior Logan Moore (144), freshman Jake Taylor (150) and senior Zach Thomas (175) all finished 1-2 at districts, with victories Saturday morning in the consolation bracket. Freshman Karter Harris (157) and sophomore Kyler Howard (165) both went 0-2.
The state wrestling tournament will take place March 11-13 in Columbus. Mount Vernon’s trio of Blankenhorn, Spurgeon and Stradley will join East Knox freshman Blake Elliott in representing Knox County on the big stage.
