PLACEMENT MATCHES: Perkins' Davlin, PC's Cornell finish 4th at state

COLUMBUS — The top eight in each weight class earn All-Ohio honors, and several area athletes competed in placement matches Sunday morning at the state wrestling championships at the Schottenstein Center. Clyde's Mimi Greenslade won her final match of the day to finish in fifth place at 120 pounds in the girls tournament, bouncing back after losing 12-5 in her first match of the day. "After this morning's match, I don't think she was quite ready. Maybe a little too overconfident in her positions," Fliers head coach Adam Greenslade said. "It didn't go how she wanted it to go. I told her, title first. If you can't get that, then third, and if you can't get that, fifth place it is. She didn't like that answer." Mimi went up against senior Emilie Conley from Elyria, who she pinned in the first round Friday. Greenslade pinned her again — in 2:40 — to finish fifth on the podium. "I knew she was broken," Mimi said. "I knew I couldn't break. I just kept going and that I would get it." The sophomore is now a two-time state qualifier for Clyde. "When she ended up on her back, I was a little worried," coach Greenslade said. "Especially since consolation rounds are one minute. She is tough as nails, though, and even with her shoulder in a precarious position, she didn't flinch. She fought back and got on top and I knew that she would win." In the Division II boys consolation bracket, Perkins' Law Davlin fought through illness to finish fourth. "He has been sick," Pirates coach Travis Crabtree said. "But he bounced back from a heartbreaking round last night (lost in overtime in the semifinals), along with some questionable calls this morning, and to go from eighth place this morning to fourth was awesome." Earlier in the day, Davlin had to wrestle West Geauga's Brian Denamen, and won a 7-1 decision. "It's not what I came down here to do, but I am definitely grateful and blessed," Davlin said. "Last night was a hard night, but to come back and showed heart along with who I really am, it's why I got fourth." Crabtree as a coach has brought athletes to the Schottenstein Center for more than two decades, and can tell who can bounce back and who can't. "Something that is hard to teach is believing in yourself," Crabtree said. "He is a young kid and he will have a lot to look forward to in the next two years." After overcoming a rotator cuff tear at the beginning of the season, a medial collateral ligament sprain, to then having an ingrown nail removed Wednesday, it's been quite the fightback season for Port Clinton senior Gavin Cornell. He has been to state three times in his high school career, and won four straight matches in the consolation round to wrestle for third place at 150 pounds in Division III. "My first match of the day, I knew I had to go out there and fight," Cornell said. "Just to be here means a lot to me." His dad and head coach Dustin Cornell couldn't be more proud of his son. It is the first time they have gotten to the placement rounds. "To lose the first match of the tournament and wrestle all the way through consolations is phenomenal," coach Cornell said. "It's tough to do and he has had a great run. As a dad, it was super stressful, but if anyone could do it, it would be him." Cornell won a 2-1 decision to face off against Sulaiman Muhammed for third. Cornell fell 4-3 to finish fourth in the state. "If you would have told me at the beginning of the season that we would be here wrestling for third place, I would have thought you were crazy," coach Cornell said. "We have been up the battle trains, but he is the hardest working kids in our room." Gavin finishes his high school career with more than 150 career wins, and was one of two top takedown wrestlers for the Redskins. "I think I am going to wrestle freestyle with my cousins," said Gavin of his postseason plans. "I am leaning towards wrestling in college and I am trying to get into better shape." Other area wrestlers who competed Sunday morning included Bellevue's Ben Jacobs (fifth at 150 in Div. II), St. Paul's Rafael Gross (fifth at 165 in Div. III), Clyde's Heath Norris (seventh at 120 in Div. II), Perkins' Boden Ballinger (eighth at 190 in Div. II) and Vermilion's Aiden Kyser (eighth at 157 in Div. II).