HILLIARD — Mount Vernon wrestlers Mavrik Gregory and Luke Mullins accomplished another one of their goals this weekend at the district wrestling tournament, but now they are looking to place as high on the state podium as possible next weekend.
Gregory placed second in the 157-pound weight class, and Mullins third at 190 pounds in Hilliard. The top four in each weight class earned a berth in the state finals next weekend in Columbus.
“I feel good, and I’m ready to go. I try to keep everything the same, every time,” Gregory said.
It’s a tough sport
Anyone who does not believe in the toughness of high school athletes should have watched Mount Vernon’s Trevor Jones on Saturday.
While he finished sixth in the 215-pound division and missed qualifying for the state finals, he completed his final match after dislocating his left shoulder.
“Trevor lost a tough match after dislocating his shoulder,” said Mount Vernon wrestling coach Corey Firebaugh said. “It took some real toughness to finish the match the way he did. He has a bright future ahead of him.”
Jones came to the edge of the mat in obvious, severe pain, and a deformity could be seen in the shoulder. Trainers called on-site medical personnel onto the wrestling surface, and an instant later, the joint was back in place.
Rollercoaster day
As a team, the Yellow Jackets placed eighth.
“We had an up-and-down day, but it’s always nice to finish in the top 10 in the Central District,” Firebaugh said. “The seven kids we took wrestled and competed hard in a very high, intense environment.
“We always want more, but getting four district placers was nice to see.”
Gabe Thomas will also make the trip to Columbus on a provisional basis as he earned alternate status at 144 pounds.
“We will see what Gabe has in store as an alternate,” the coach said. “You never know. Mavrik got in as an alternate his freshman year.”
Initially, the Jackets qualified seven wrestlers for the Central District tournament: Gabriel Kiser at 106 pounds, Ty Thomas at 132 pounds, and Gabe Thomas at 144 pounds. The remainder of the Jackets making the trip were Preston Hempfield at 150 pounds, Mavrik Gregory at 157 pounds, Luke Mullins at 190 pounds and Trevor Jones at 215 pounds.
The state championships will be next weekend in Columbus, March 16 and 17 at the Schottenstein Center at The Ohio State University.
