Miami East’s Kaylee Griffith reacts after winning her fifth place match by pin at the Ohio High School Wrestling Coaches Associaiton girls state tournament Sunday at Hilliard Davidson High School.
Ben Robinson|GoBuccs.com
Miami East’s Annika Patton works against Desi Lee of Marysville in a seventh-place match Sunday.
Ben Robinson|GoBuccs.com
Piqua’s Averi Wiley looks up as she pins Summer Batts of Reynoldsburg in a 100-pound match Sunday.
Ben Robinson|GoBuccs.com
Tippecanoe’s Emma Hanrahan works a move against Symone Morton of Miamisburg in a seventh-place match Sunday.
Ben Robinson|GoBuccs.com
Miami East girls wrestling coach Haley Ouellette reacts during a match Sunday.
Ben Robinson|GoBuccs.com
HILLIARD — In the final Ohio High School Wrestling Coaches Association girls state tournament at Hilliard Davidson High School Saturday and Sunday, it was easy to see the progress the sport has made and why it will be sanctioned by the OHSAA next year.
And four Miami County wrestlers found the podium.
MIAMI EAST
Lady Viking coach Haley Ouellette had five wrestlers make it to the state tournament and two reach the podium.
Kaylee Griffith (235) was the only County wrestler to reach the semifinals and followed up last year’s runnerup finish to nationally ranked Taryn Martin with a fifth-place finish.
“The wrestlers are getting better and stronger ever year,” Griffith said. “Everyone is working harder.”
Griffith opened the tournament with a 13 second pin of Evian Meyers of Columbia and followed it with a 7-5 decision over Kate Fenton of Lakota West, who ended up finishing fourth.
In the semifinals, Griffith lost to eventual state champion Alaina Jackson of Minerva and then lost to eventual third-place finisher Dakota McCracken of United Local.
In the fifth-place match, Griffith controlled the entire match and pinned Ella Chum of Lancaster in 4:43.
“I thought I was just going to go out there in the semifinals (and win),” Griffith said. “That didn’t happen. It was a tough day, but it was a good way to end it.”
Also finding the podium for East was Annika Patton (190).
Patton, who finished sixth a year ago, took eighth place.
To get on the podium, Patton had two win her final two matches to get to Sunday and make the podium.
And she did it with a pair of pins against Audrina Pack of Hamilton Township and Ma’sarrah Robinson of Cleveland Central Catholic before dropping three matches Sunday.
“That was a goal (to get back on the podium),” Patton said. “The girls just keep getting better every year. Definitely (she wants to come back next year and place higher at state).”
Miami East’s Lillyan Bruggeman (110) and Isabelle Lewis (105) both won one match at state and Aliva Wade (135) also competed.
PIQUA
Piqua sophomore Averi Wiley (100) took a step forward, finishing sixth.
Wiley, who had qualified for a state a year ago, recorded two pins on Saturday to reach the podium and advance to Sunday.
She started Sunday with a pin of Summer Batts of Reynoldsburg, before losing her final two matches.
“I feel pretty good about it,” Wiley said. “I didn’t place last year. I want to come back next year and finish higher.
TIPPECANOE
Tippecanoe’s Emma Hanrahan used last year as a losing experience and came with a seventh-place finish.
Hanrahan (125) recorded a major decision and a pin on Saturday to earn a spot on the podium.
On Sunday, she dropped her first match, before decisioning Symone Morton of Miamisburg 8-3 in the seventh-place match.
“I think it is amazing (to be on the podium),” Hanrahan said. “I came over here last year and didn’t do so good. I think I learned a lot from last year. It was (nice to win her final match of the season).”
In the final OHSWCA state tournament, which paved the way to the growth of the sport and sanctioning by the OHSAA.
