Graziani takes sixth at wrestling tourney

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Neighbors | Submited.Boardman's Mario Graziani pinned opponent Logan Broskie in 53 seconds during a match at the OAC junior high state tournament last weekend n Youngstown.

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Neighbors | Submitted.Five Valley junior high wrestlers placed at the OAC state tournament last weekend. They are, from left, David Labra (Canfield), Anthony Audi (Poland), CJ Frost (Canfield), Mario Graziani (Boardman) and Alex Mackall (Austintown).

STAFF REPORT

Mario Graziani, who attends Boardman Center Middle School, earned a spot on the awards podium during last weekend’s OAC Junior High State Tournament at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown.

The eighth-grader finished sixth in the state in the 114-pound weight class.

“I’ve been wrestling since I was in kindergarten,” he said. “Wrestling’s been in my blood for generations,” he said, “[because] my father won a state championship and my brother wrestles for [Austintown] Fitch.”

More than 800 junior high students throughout Ohio descended on the Covelli Centre to compete for state titles in 18 weight classes. The top eight finishers in each weight class advanced to Sunday evening’s finals.

The final competitors were introduced in a setting befitting major college championship games as they emerged through a smoke-filled entrance to the song “Final Countdown” and the cheers of families and friends.

Other Valley wrestlers placing at the tournament were Alex Mackall (Austintown), state champion, 108 pounds; Seth Hogue (Brookfield), second, 84; Matt Steer (West Branch), seventh, 120; David Labra (Canfield), fifth, 146; and CJ Frost (Canfield), sixth, 126.

The OAC Junior State Tournament brought 846 wrestlers from all over Ohio to compete on 10 mats over two days. This has become one of the premier wrestling events in the state and country, featuring some of the best wrestlers from Ohio and the United States.

The list of former Junior High state champions reads like the ‘who’s who’ in USA Wrestling, including four-time high school state champions David Taylor (Penn State), Logan and Hunter Steiber (Ohio State) and more.

This weekend, more than 1,200 wrestlers for all over Ohio will come to Youngstown to compete in the OAC Grade School State Tournament. This will be wrestlers sixth grade and under. Wrestling begins at 9 a.m. today and concludes with the finals tomorrow evening.