PATASKALA — Mount Vernon won its first team wrestling sectional title in nearly two decades Saturday at Watkins Memorial High School.
Six Yellow Jackets won their weight classes and 11 total qualified for the Division I Central District tournament (two more will serve as alternates). Mount Vernon finished with 256 team points, 62.5 ahead of second-place Westerville North and 66.5 ahead of third-place Olentangy Berlin.
It marked Mount Vernon’s first team wrestling sectional title since 2006. The Yellow Jackets went on to place fourth in the state tournament that year, their highest finish in program history.
Mount Vernon set a school record Saturday with 11 district qualifiers (the previous record was 10, set last year). It tied a school record with six sectional champions (the 2003 and 2004 teams both hit this mark).
Saturday marked Mount Vernon’s second straight team victory, as the Yellow Jackets took home their first Ohio Cardinal Conference tournament title on Feb. 18.
A total of 19 wrestlers from four Knox County high schools qualified for districts at sectionals last weekend. Here’s who’s moving on:
Mount Vernon
Junior Brock Blankenhorn took home gold in the 106-pound weight bracket Saturday, winning his first sectional title after placing second last year. Blankenhorn finished the day 4-0, pinning three opponents and winning his semifinal match via tech fall.
Blankenhorn, who won the 106-pound OCC title on Feb. 18 with a 2-0 showing, will head back to districts for the second straight year. He placed fourth there last year, finishing 4-2 and qualifying for his first state tournament.
Freshman Preston Hempfield won the 113-pound sectional title. He finished 3-0, pinning two opponents and winning his semifinal match via major decision.
Hempfield will make his first district appearance this weekend. The freshman finished second in his weight class at the OCC tournament.
Senior Rylan Firebaugh captured his first sectional title Saturday, taking home gold after finishing fourth his freshman and junior seasons. Firebaugh went 3-0 in the tournament, pinning his first opponent before winning 8-3 and 8-4, respectively.
Firebaugh, who won the 132-pound OCC title with a 3-0 record, will make his third and final district appearance this weekend. He will look to qualify for state for the first time, having finished 1-2 at districts last year and 0-2 at districts his freshman year.
Sophomore Jake Taylor took home gold Saturday in the 150-pound weight bracket, winning his first sectional title after placing second last year. He finished the day 3-0, winning 9-0 and 6-4 before taking the championship match via tech fall.
Taylor, who finished second in the 157-pound weight class at the OCC tournament, will make his second district appearance this weekend. He finished 1-2 there during his freshman campaign.
Freshman Luke Mullins won the 190-pound sectional title. He finished 3-0, pinning all three opponents.
Mullins will make his first district appearance this weekend. The freshman finished third in his weight class at the OCC tournament.
Freshman Alex Taylor took home gold Saturday in the 215-pound weight bracket. He finished 3-0, pinning all three of his opponents.
Taylor will make his first district appearance this weekend. The freshman finished second in his weight class at the OCC tournament.
Sophomore Aden Burdulis placed second in the 120-pound weight class at sectionals Saturday. He will make his first district appearance this weekend, having placed fifth at sectionals last year (and qualifying as an alternate). Burdulis placed third in his weight class at this year’s OCC tournament.
Sophomore Kayden Packard finished second at sectionals in the 165-pound weight bracket. He will make his first district appearance this weekend, having finished 0-2 at sectionals last year. Packard placed second in his weight class at this year’s OCC tournament.
Freshman Mavrik Gregory placed third at sectionals in the 144-pound weight class. He will make his first district appearance this weekend. Gregory won the 150-pound weight class at this year’s OCC tournament.
Junior Kyler Howard finished third in the 175-pound weight bracket at sectionals Saturday. He will head back to districts for the second straight year, having finished 0-2 there last year. Howard placed third in his weight class at this year’s OCC tournament.
Sophomore Mason Mitchell placed fourth at sectionals in the 157-pound weight bracket. He will make his first district appearance this weekend (Mitchell did not compete in last year’s sectional tournament). Mitchell won the 144-pound weight class at this year’s OCC tournament.
Seniors A.J. Fonner (126) and Charlie Bell (138) both placed fifth at sectionals in their respective weight classes, and they will head to this weekend’s district tournament as alternates.
The Division I Central District tournament will take place Friday and Saturday at Hilliard Darby High School. The top four placers in each weight class will qualify for the state tournament March 10-12 at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus.
Centerburg
Four Trojans qualified for districts Saturday at the Division III sectional tournament at Ridgedale High School.
Sophomore Christopher Marshall took home gold in the 126-pound weight class, winning his first sectional title after placing third in the 120-pound weight class last year. Marshall finished the day 3-0, pinning all three of his opponents.
Marshall, who placed second in his weight class at the Knox-Morrow Athletic Conference tournament Feb. 18, will head back to districts for the second straight year. He finished 2-2 there last year.
Junior Caylan LeMaster won the 157-pound weight bracket Saturday, claiming his first sectional title after finishing second in the 150-pound weight class last year. LeMaster finished the day 4-0, pinning his first three opponents before taking the championship match 8-6.
LeMaster, who won the 157-pound KMAC title with a 5-0 showing, will head back to districts for the second straight year. He finished 2-3 there last year in the 150-pound weight class, falling one win short of a trip to state.
Senior Mason Lanthorn took home gold in the 285-pound weight class Saturday, winning his first sectional title after falling in the consolation bracket his first three years. Lanthorn finished the day 3-0, pinning all three of his opponents.
Lanthorn won the 285-pound KMAC title with a 4-0 performance. He will make his first district appearance this weekend.
Junior Charlie Sargent placed fourth in the 215-pound weight class at sectionals Saturday. He will head back to districts for the second straight year, having finished 1-2 there last year. Sargent won his weight class at this year’s KMAC tournament with a 5-0 record.
The Division III Central District tournament will take place Friday and Saturday at Harrison Central High School. The top four placers in each weight class will qualify for the state tournament March 10-12 at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus.
Fredericktown
Three Freddies qualified for districts Saturday at the Division III sectional tournament at Ridgedale High School (with one more set to serve as an alternate).
Sophomore Trent Rooke placed second in the 113-pound weight class. He will make his first district appearance this weekend (Rooke did not compete in last year’s sectional tournament). Rooke placed second in his weight class at this year’s KMAC tournament.
Senior Mason Hoeflich finished second in the 190-pound weight class Saturday at sectionals. He will make his first district appearance this weekend, having fallen in the consolation bracket at sectionals his freshman and junior seasons (he did not compete his sophomore year). Hoeflich placed fourth in his weight class at this year’s KMAC tournament.
Senior Lucas Herbst placed second in the 285-pound weight class at sectionals Saturday. He will make his first district appearance this weekend, having fallen in the consolation bracket his first three years. Herbst placed second in his weight class at this year’s KMAC tournament.
Freshman Nicholas McFerren finished fifth at sectionals in the 150-pound weight class, and he will head to this weekend’s district tournament as an alternate.
East Knox
One Bulldog qualified for districts Saturday at the Division III sectional tournament at Heath High School.
Sophomore Blake Elliott placed second in the 190-pound weight class at sectionals Saturday. Elliott, who won his weight bracket at sectionals last year, will head back to districts for the second straight season. He placed second at districts last year, punching his ticket to the state tournament.
Elliott did not compete in this year’s KMAC tournament due to an injury. He was cleared late last week to compete at sectionals.
