Valley wrestlers begin state tournament competition today

STAFF REPORT

Columbus

The Ohio High School Athletic Association’s wrestling championships begin today at the Schottenstein Center on the Ohio State campus.

There are 224 athletes in each division with Division III having the largest representation of 111 schools.

In Division II, 107 schools are represented and, in Division I, there are 90 school represented.

Of area wrestlers, Div. II has the biggest contingent of nine with four apiece from Beaver Local and West Branch.

West Branch’s state-bound athletes including junior Dustin Graham (112, 32-11) and seniors Jake Mellinger (130, 36-7), J.P. Hoopes (135, 34-8) and Tyler Strawser, (145, 33-8).

Beaver Local has two No. 1-seeded qualifiers in Arizona Miller at 125 and Mike Nentwick at 171.

Miller is 39-8, while Nentwick is 39-7. Miller was sixth at state in 2009 at 112. Both are seniors.

Other Beavers qualifying are senior Dylan Ice (145, 44-2) and 189-pounder Jake Henderson, a senior with a 46-3 record.

Ice was third last year at 140 and fifth as a sophomore.

Hubbard’s Anthony Nadeja takes a 23-3 record to Columbus in the 160-pound class.

Nadeja, a senior, also reached state as a junior.

Beaver Local came out of the Claymont district, while West Branch and Hubbard advanced from the Akron Manchester district.

In Div. III, Girard sophomore Jacob Carpenter is third-seeded at 125. Carpenter carries a 32-9 record.

Brookfield senior Tyler Thompson is seventh-seeded at 119 with a 31-9 record. In 2008, Thompson was Div. III’s seventh-best wrestler at 103.

Jackson-Milton’s Vinnie Pizzuto (16-4 at 112). Pizzuto, a junior, was sixth at state at 103 last year.

Brookfield, Jackson-Milton and Girard advanced out of the Maple Heights district.

In Div. I, Fitch’s Shawn Ague is second-seeded at 112. The senior with a 44-4 record was fifth at state in 2009 at the same weight.

Boardman sophomore John Dillon is a No. 5 seed at 125. Dillon is hoping his 26-3 record will propel him higher than his third-place standing at state at 103 pounds in 2009.

Spartan teammate Jerry Pasquale is headed to Columbus in the 119 class. The senior who is 38-3 placed eighth at state as a freshman at 103.

Howland sophomore J.R. Perry is armed with a 27-8 record at 103.

All of the area’s Div. I teams came out of the Mentor district.