Top-ranked wrestlers win titles at Edison Invitational

MILAN TWP. — The area's highest-ranked wrestlers at Saturday's Edison Invitational showed why they are so highly regarded at the state level. Three No. 1-ranked wrestlers won in three consecutive finals at 157, 165 and 175 pounds. Starting off the run of 1s was Clyde's Lance Overmyer, who won a 3-0 decision against Edison's Marcus Medina in the 157 final. It was the third time the two athletic wrestlers have met, and Overmyer has yet to allow a point to Medina. At one point, Overmyer, ranked No. 1 in the state at his weight in Division II, prevented an escape by lunging to grab Medina's leg. "I could've definitely wrestled a little better," Overmyer said. "I wasn't feeling the greatest. I could've made the gap wider. There were some things on top I could've done differently. I feel like in the third I could've scored, but it worked." Overmyer said the tourney was a good way to start his senior season. "It took a second to get acclimated," he said. "Everybody gets so sweaty and slippery in the first period. Everything slips." Overmyer and Medina (ranked No. 3 in Division III) could meet one more time in a tuneup before the state tourney series. "He's good in all positions, which is good," Clyde coach Cliff Andres said of Overmyer. "Medina is a very, very good wrestler. "Interesting to see they both came up from 144 to 157 and they're both huge. They both put on some mass. We'll probably see (Medina) one more time at the SBCs." Edison hammers Kohen Horvath and Luke James won titles at 165 and 175, respectively. Horvath decisioned Lakota standout Braxton Quaintance 6-1. Earlier in the day, the Edison senior recorded his 100th career victory. "I did decent but need to be a little more conditioned," Horvath said. "I was feeling tired in the third period. I'll keep getting after it in the practice room." James, a junior who wrestled for Graham the past two years, matched Horvath with four pins heading into the championship round. James capped his night with a 6-0 decision against Tinora's Aiden Helmke. Edison defending state champion Abe Hermes wrestled at 132 Saturday — up three weight classes from March. Hermes went undefeated but had to work for it. He survived an active semifinal bout, winning 14-10 against Port Clinton's Gavin Cornell. In the finals, Hermes scored a takedown midway through the third period to defeat Lakota's Lane Thacker 3-1. Perkins' lone champ was 150-pounder Braxden Martin, who decisioned Buckeye's Nick Brunst 9-4. Martin won one of the day's best matches, 7-5 against Clyde's C.J. Fisher in the semifinals. Martin clinched that win with a last-second takedown. Monroeville bookended the championship round with its two first-place finishers: Owen Patchen at 106 and Brycen Dunlap at 285. Patchen edged Edison's Mason Hermes 5-4 in a battle of standout freshmen. Dunlap won a 7-2 decision against Port Clinton's Bryce Copeland. Port Clinton's Dagan Meyers advanced to the 215 final and was pinned by Medina's Cliff Nicholson in the second period. Clyde had two runner-up finishers: freshman Heath Norris at 113 and sophomore Michael Gessner at 138. Perkins' Sawyer Smith made it to the 120 finals before losing by major decision to Buckeye's Blake Bartos, the No. 1-ranked wrestler at 113 pounds in Division II. Edison finished second behind Medina Buckeye in the team competition. Two Chargers — Xander Gfell-King (106) and Cy Finnen (190) — finished third in their weight classes. Perkins' Marco Muratori (106) and Adam West (215) and Port Clinton's Josh Cornell (120) and Gavin Cornell (132) also finished third, as did Monroeville's Andersen Evans (157) and Clyde's Fisher (150). Team scores 1. Medina Buckeye 249; 2. Edison 194; 3. Monroeville 173; 4. Port Clinton 159; 5. Medina 157.5; 6. Tinora 155.5; 7. Clyde 151; 8. Lakota 131; 9. Perkins 128.5; 10. Firelands 91; 11. Otsego 55; 12. Western Reserve 45; 13. New London 18; 14. Margaretta 4 Championship matches 106: Owen Patchen (Monroeville) dec. Mason Hermes (Edison) 5-4 113: Taegan Gilmore (Medina) pin Heath Norris (Clyde) 1:06 120: Blake Bartos (Buckeye) maj. dec. Sawyer Smith (Perkins) 13-0 126: Trevor Wilcox (Otsego) pin Brody Zoul (Buckeye) 1:35 132: Abe Hermes (Edison) dec. Lane Thacker (Lakota) 3-1 138: Austin McKee (Buckeye) pin Michael Gessner (Clyde) 3:52 144: Danny Beckett (Buckeye) dec. Anden Ankney (Tinora) 11-5 150: Braxden Martin (Perkins) dec. Nick Brunst (Buckeye) 9-4 157: Lance Overmyer (Clyde) dec. Marcus Medina (Edison) 3-0 165: Kohen Horvath (Edison) dec. Braxton Quaintance (Lakota) 6-1 175: Luke James (Edison) dec. Aiden Helmke (Tinora) 6-0 190: Blaine Chrisman (Medina) maj. dec. Gavin Bowers (Tinora) 14-5 215: Cliff Nicholson (Medina) pin Dagan Meyers (Port Clinton) 3:25 285: Brycen Dunlap (Monroeville) dec. Bryce Copeland (Port Clinton) 7-2