Vaughn and Mathie runners-up at youth wrestling tourney
The Holmes Area Wrestling Club Elementary Attack Team placed eight wrestlers in the top four of the Ohio Youth Wrestling Association Mid-Ohio Division Varsity Tournament on Sunday, Feb. 6 in The Dungeon at West Holmes High School.
“With sectionals two weeks away, this was a good measuring stick for our young squad,” Attack Team volunteer head coach Jarret Mathie said following the tournament. “The gym was packed, as over the last four to five years we have added teams like Black River, Galion, New London, Hillsdale, et cetera. We are now up to 18 teams in the OYWA Mid-Ohio League, taking what was already a very competitive tournament and making it even more of a challenge.”
Leading the way for the Attack Team were runners-up Jackson Vaughn (64) and Rowand Mathie (67). Vaughn, a third-grader, finished his day 2-1 with a fall while Mathie, a fourth-grader, also finished 2-1 but with two falls.
“I would like to award Jackson Vaughn and Rowand Mathie as our Co-Wrestlers of the Week,” Jarret Mathie said. “Both wrestlers were able to reach the championship match and eventually fell to some tough competition. However, their overall tournament performances are deserving of this award.”
Snaring third-place finishes were second-grader Dawson Miller (56, 3-1, two falls); Colt Garver (70), a fifth-grader who finished 3-1 with a fall; and sixth-grader Easton Ross (175), who ended his day 2-1 with a fall.
Pocketing fourth-place honors were sixth-grader Noah Workman (100, 2-2) and fifth-graders Lane Burgett (105, 0-2) and Finn McClintock (132, 2-2, two falls).
“As a team I thought we performed very well. For the majority of our team, this was their first time competing in a tournament such as this,” Jarret Mathie said. “It can be a shocker to the system with all the people and all the mats under a big stage. I felt we put everything aside and focused on the task at hand. The team has practiced well over the past few weeks, so I was not surprised by our performance. Every Attack Team wrestler came out and got after it. It was fun to watch.”
Jarret Mathie was thankful for the huge amount of volunteer help in conducting the tournament. “I would like to thank all of the high school wrestlers for helping run the tournament, as well as my wife Tricia Mathie and Ashley Vaughn for all their work running the concession stand and setting up the hospitality room for the coaches and officials.