Spartans’ Graziani wins district crown

Staff report

MENTOR

Boardman High senior Nico Graziani defeated Justin Kresevic of Solon, 5-3, to win the 160-pound championship at the Division I district wrestling tournament on Saturday.

Graziani (40-2) was the only district champion from the area on Saturday at Mentor.

He didn’t record any pins on the weekend, but faced strong competition in what the prestigious Brakeman report said was the toughest 160-pound district in the state.

Graziani defeated Tyler Maloy of Hoover, 15-5, in the first round, then decisioned Jake Toth of Parma 9-2 in the quarterfinals.

In the semifinals, Graziani, rated sixth by the Brakeman Report, beat Massillon Perry’s Josh Arrendale (ranked No. 11), 4-3.

Kresevic was ranked No. 16 by Brakeman.

Graziani’s teammate, Nick Mancini, was runner-up at 106 pounds and was the other area Div. I wrestler to advance to Columbus.

Mancini (35-7), a junior, defeated Colin Kramer of Mentor 12-0 in the semifinals before losing to David Bavery of Massillon Perry 10-0 in the finals.

Bavery is the projected state champion by Brakeman.

DIVISION III

GARFIELD HEIGHTS

South Range’s Max Brookes finished fourth at 160 pounds to qualify for next week’s championships.

Brookes, a senior, went 4-2 over the weekend, winning two matches by pin, one by technical fall and one by major decision.

He lost to eventual champion Zebulun Beam of Wayndeale, 14-6, in the quarterfinals, then won three straight matches before losing to David Shapiro of Beachwood 13-5 in the consolation finals.

Waynedale won the team championship with 161 points, advancing six wrestlers to the state tournament, including four champions. Beachwood was second with 91 and Garrettsville was third with 88.5.

In other finals matches, Daniel Johntony of Girard lost to Nick Chuja of Cuyahoga Heights, 18-2, at 132, and Liberty’s Fred Clark lost to Erick Zuberer of Kirtland, 3-2, at 285. Both of those matches were for fifth place.