by JOHN HOWLEY / sportingpumpkin.com
WILLIAMSPORT — When Gage Bolt got a look at the Jon Pharr Memorial Trophy, he was a bit taken aback at the piece of local history he now is a part of.
“It honestly gives me chills,” Bolt said. “Previous teammate Chanston Moll, he had won it, and other people I had looked up to when I was younger – Nate Keaton – and a lot of other big, big wrestlers are on that, along with my coach (Tim Geiger).”
Bolt has been selected as this year’s winner of the Pharr Award, which recognizes Pickaway County’s most outstanding wrestler.
“It’s amazing to know that my name will be on there and it will be something that, maybe, my kids will see one day, or they’ll hear about the award,” Bolt said. “It’s awesome to be on there.”
Bolt is only the sixth Westfall wrestler to win the award in its 42-year history and does so after a senior campaign in which he went 37-8 and placed sixth at the state championships for the second year in-a-row — both times competing in the 165-pound weight class.
“I couldn’t have asked for anymore. Maybe things didn’t go the way I would have only dreamed of, but being up there twice and placing twice, I can’t be mad about it because I took advantage of every opportunity I had,” Bolt said. “My family is proud of me, my brother (Hunter) is proud of me, my brother has been by my side this whole time. It’s been a good year.”
Despite the initial disappointment of losing his final match, he understands what he accomplished was something few wrestlers get to experience and he’s only the third Mustang to place twice at the state tournament.
“Even right after the match, I was upset, but it is what it is. On my way home and driving backup to the state tournament to get on the podium to get my medal — I was still happy,” Bolt said. “It was a success and it’s my senior year, so I can’t be upset about it. I had fun.”
His high school career didn’t start off on a positive note as an injury at the beginning of his freshman season resulted in him missing the entire campaign.
As a sophomore, Bolt had a 41-10 record wrestling for Circleville.
He returned to Westfall where he went 38-5 as a junior.
“I’ve had many injuries and many surgeries, so having to come back from lost time and coming back up with these kids that have been wrestling the last four years, or six years, it was difficult,” Bolt said. “But there was never a point where I wasn’t having fun. I enjoyed every day of practice.”
Westfall head coach Will Breyer said Bolt didn’t require a lot of coaching.
“Gage is one of the most educated, high IQ wrestlers that I’ve ever coached,” Breyer said. “I haven’t taught him anything for about a year and a half – it was all strategy.”
Geiger, an assistant coach for the Mustangs, was a two-time state placer for the Mustangs as well and knows what it takes to win the Pharr Award having earned the trophy in 1997 and 1998.
“Gage is special for me, being with him since the seventh grade. I’m just really proud that he was able to accomplish that,” Geiger said. “It’s a big deal – Pickaway County has had a lot of really good wrestlers.
“I got to wrestle with him and Bryce (Wickline) every day. I kind of took a beating as the season went on but I really enjoyed it. It was lot of fun to wrestle with him every day.
“His accomplishments make me proud to have been able to help him along the way.”
Having placed twice at state and earning the Pharr Award, Breyer said Bolt has given Westfall wrestlers a new outlook on what they can accomplish.
“I said it in his senior speech and after his last match at state, he changed Westfall wrestling,” Breyer said. “He gave us a fearlessness and an edge where we were kind of scared of states, where now a lot of our kids are ready to go to states. They’ve seen Gage on the podium, they know that kids from Westfall can do it. It will be felt for years to come.”
Along with placing at state, Breyer said seeing the Pharr Award come back to Westfall means a lot for younger kids.
“Because it doesn’t come back that much, we forget about it. Then when it does come back, it’s a huge deal,” he said. “Now that they actually know it exists, it’s a huge deal in the fact that they’re like “I can win this.’”
As Bolt looks to graduate, he plans to take the classes necessary to become an emergency medical technician with the goal of joining the Columbus Fire Department next year.
John Pharr was a 1964 graduate of Circleville High School who lettered in four sports. He stayed active in sports after graduation, including assisting with athletics programs at CHS, teaching wrestling to students at the YMCA and became a respected official for football and wrestling. Pharr passed away in 1982 from injuries sustained in an automobile accident.
Peter Jonathan Pharr Memorial Award Winners
1983 — Braden Adkinson, Teays Valley
1984 — Braden Adkinson, Teays Valley
1985 — Jeff Moats, Circleville
1986 — Paul Dickey, Logan Elm
1987 — Jerry Harper, Logan Elm
1988 — Mansil Hurlbut, Circleville
1989 — Roger Fitzpatrick, Teays Valley
1990 — Russell Fitzpatrick, Teays Valley
1991 — Tim Lunsford, Circleville
1992 — Nate Greuzke, Logan Elm
1993 — Scott Williams, Teays Valley
1994 — Dustin Arledge, Logan Elm
1995 — J.P. Felty, Teays Valley
1996 — Tracy Miller, Teays Valley
1997 — Tim Geiger, Westfall
1998 — Tim Geiger, Westfall
1999 — Bob Thurston, Teays Valley
2000 — Danny Roberts, Westfall
2001 — Brad Kassner, Circleville
2002 — Tyler Jenkins, Logan Elm
2003 — Ben Carver, Westfall
2004 — Brian Haines, Teays Valley
2005 — David Jones, Westfall
2006 — Russell McFadden, Circleville
2007 — Daniel Gifford, Logan Elm
2008 — Zac Conn, Teays Valley
2009 — Shane Gifford, Logan Elm
2010 — Tyler Luft, Teays Valley
2011 — Travis Luft, Teays Valley
2012 — Brocky Leidecker, Teays Valley
2013 — Luke Nace, Teays Valley
2014 — Dominic Vagnier, Logan Elm
2015 — Nate Keaton, Circleville
2016 — Nate Keaton, Circleville
2017 — Nate Keaton, Circleville
2018 — Nate Keaton, Circleville
2019 — Bowen McConahay, Logan Elm
2020 — Chanston Moll, Westfall
2021 — Camden McDanel, Teays Valley
2022 — Camden McDanel, Teays Valley
2023 — Camden McDanel, Teays Valley
2024 — Gage Bolt, Westfall
