Seven Knights compete at USA Wrestling-Ohio state qualifier
Though the regular high school wrestling season is over, that didn’t stop a group of West Holmes wrestlers from competing, and it paid off with six of seven Knights grabbing podium finishes at the USA Wrestling-Ohio freestyle and Greco-Roman state championship qualifier tournament at Lake High School on April 22.
Earning medals in both disciplines were freshman Louden Dixon (16 and under, 152 pounds) and sophomore Cole Porter (195).
Dixon finished 4-0 in G-R to claim the championship with a 3-0 decision win over Luke Kaiser of Athens. He went 3-1 in freestyle, losing the championship match to Kaiser by a 4-3 count and settling for runner-up honors.
Porter took bronze in G-R, finishing 1-2 with one fall at 1:51 over Devin Phillips of Green Machine Wrestling Club. Porter also went 1-2 in freestyle to take fifth place with a medical forfeit win over Jack Waldron of Orrville.
Martin (16U, 120) scored a runner-up finish in Greco-Roman, winning his first two matches by technical fall (9-0 at 1:33 and 8-0 at 1:41) to reach the gold medal match. Martin fought hard but dropped a 13-4 tech fall loss at 4:12 to Kaiden Barker of Samurai Wrestling Club. Martin went 2-2 in freestyle but did not place.
Freshman Camden McCluggage (16U, 160) went 2-2 in G-R to score the bronze medal. Wrestling in a round-robin bracket, McCluggage scored tech fall wins in his first two matches (8-0 at 4:10 and 9-0 at 1:50). After a third-round bye, he dropped his last two matches. McCluggage did not compete in freestyle.
Older brother Hunter McCluggage (junior, 160) pocketed a fifth-place finish in G-R by posting a 2-2 mark. He scored a 14-6 tech fall win at 2:54 and a forfeit win over Evan Rizzo of Seasons Wrestling Club in the fifth-place match. He didn’t fare as well in freestyle, finishing 0-2.
Freshman Royce Milam (16U, 160) only wrestled in freestyle, coming away with a fourth-place finish after a 0-3 record in the round-robin bracket.
Junior Grady Toye (138) had a rough day, finishing 0-4 in G-R and 0-2 in freestyle.
The USA Wrestling-Ohio 16U/Junior Freestyle and Greco-Roman State Championships will take place May 27-28 at Ohio Northern University.