by JOHN HOWLEY / sportingpumpkin.com
COLUMBUS — Amanda-Clearcreek’s Bodie Martin and Westfall’s Gage Bolt fought back in the consolation bracket to advance to Day 2 of the Division III state wrestling championships.
Bolt (35-6) opened the 165-pound tournament losing a 12-2 major decision to Braxton Quaintance (45-3) from Lakota.
The senior came back to pin Paul Hostetler (29-12) in 4:38 to move on to Saturday.
“I think in the end, he finally got back to what he does best, which is takedown then turn and turn and turn,” Westfall coach Will Breyer said of Bolt getting the pin toward the end of his match. “That first guy was tough. Sometimes you get tough draws, and you get two shots here and you hope you don’t get two bad draws.”
Martin (38-8) began the 144-pound tournament against Archbold’ Brodie Dominique (53-1) and came out on the wrong end of a 14-3 major decision.
Dropping into the consolation bracket, he pinned Berkshire’s Alex Munn (20-6) in the third round to stay alive.
For their teammates at the tournament, things didn’t go as well.
D3 165 – Braxton Quaintance (Lakota) maj. dec. Gage Bolt (Westfall) md12-2 
D3 120 – Parker Pikor (Lake Cath.) maj. dec. Jacob Durr (Amanda-Clearcreek) md11-0 
D3 – 120 Ethan Cantrell (West Union) pin Jacob Durr (Amanda-Clearcreek) 5:19 
D3 144 – Brodie Dominique (Archbold) maj. dec. Bodie Martin (Amanda-Clearcreek) md14-3 
D3 – 144 Bodie Martin (Amanda-Clearcreek) pin Alex Munn (Berkshire) 4:18 
D3 106 – Braedyn Tammarine (Liberty Center) pin Brady Speakman (Westfall) 3:24 
D3 – 106 Blake Opichka (Madeira) dec. Brady Speakman (Westfall) 6-5 
D3 175 – Awsom Mitchell (Triad) pin Bryce Wickline (Westfall) 5:05 
D3 – 175 Kasen Wellman (Ayersville) maj. dec. Bryce Wickline (Westfall) md10-0
AC senior Jacob Durr (27-18) lost his opening match at 120 pounds by an 11-0 major decision to Lake Catholic’s Parker Pikor (38-3) and was pinned in overtime of his consolation match by Ethan Cantrell (41-4) from West Union.
Westfall freshman Brady Speakman (28-13) was pinned in the second round of his opener at 106 pounds by Liberty Center’s Braedyn Tammarine (33-9). Speakman lost his consolation match 6-5 to Madeira’s Blake Opicha.
Westfall’s Bryce Wickline saw his season come to an end after getting pinned in the third round of his opening match at 175 pounds by Triad’s Awsom Mitchell (52-1). He came out on the wrong end of a 10-0 major decision in the consolation round to Kasen Wellman (53-4).
“It’s tough because they’re fourth seeds. We expected the most and thought they could pull off some upsets, but it is what it is,” Breyer said.
A senior and past state qualifier, Wickline wraps up his season with a 30-9 record.
“He’s meant so much to Westfall High School,” Breyer said. “He’s an all-state football player, baseball player, two-time state qualifier in wrestling. He’s been a great leader, and he embodies what it means to be a Westfall Mustang.”
Bolt and Martin return to Ohio State’s Jerome Schottenstein Center Saturday for the second round of Division III consolation matches slated to begin around noon.
