SUNBURY — Seven local wrestlers started Sunday morning looking for a spot in the state championships and Westfall junior Savannah Holderby did just that in placing fourth at 145 pounds.
Teays Valley had the other six wrestlers competing and Ayla Kennedy led the Vikings contingent as she placed sixth in the district.
Holderby started her day by pinning Ebonie Harding of Marion Harding in 1:49. She advanced out of the 145-pound quarterfinals with a 5-1 decision over Marysville’s Andrea Mendez.
Holderby went up against Reagan Knapp from Pickerington North in the semifinals where she was pinned late in the match. (Knapp won her next match to win the district title.)
Dropping into the consolation bracket, the junior matched up against Westerville Central’s Crystal Montoya in the semifinals and guaranteed her spot in the state tournament by pinning Montoya in 1:42.
She took fourth after forfeiting her finals match to Madi Smith from Hilliard Bradley.
Holderby (22-2) will open her state tournament Friday against Poland Seminary freshman Abigale Torres-Miller (28-4).
Kennedy (30-17) won her opening match at 110 pounds by pinning Warren’s Emma Grosselin in 2:38. She was pinned by Scout Phillips of Mechanicsburg in the quarterfinals to drop into the consolation bracket. The freshman kept her tournament going when she pinned Olentangy Orange’s Jeysa Estafani Felix in 32 seconds.
Kennedy advanced to the semifinals with a 9-4 decision over Hali Rayburn from Hilliard Bradley but lost the semifinal as she was pinned by Adena’s Kayla Grooms. In the fifth-place finals, she lost by technical fall to Andrea Acheampong from St. Francis DeSales.
TV’s Rayne Dowdy (18-23) opened her 145-pound tournament by pinning Mount Vernon’s Zara Schoonover in 3:34 but fell into the consolation bracket after losing by technical fall to Canal Winchester’s Amelia Medek. The freshman next faced Westerville Central’s Crystal Montoya and had her season wrap up when she was pinned in 1:49.
Teays Valley sophomore Sky Zoellick (26-12) lost her 135-pound opener in a 10-2 major decision to River Valley’s Havyn Rodgers. She kept her tournament alive pinning Licking Valley’s Autumn Justices in 23 seconds in the first round of consolation matches, but had her season come to end losing a 16-13 decision to Adah Darst from Big Walnut in the second round of consolation matches.
TV freshman Brooklyn Gildner (8-9) completed her season Sunday as she lost by pin in the opening round of the 100-pound weight class and was pinned in her first consolation match.
Josephine Bowerman (5-12) completed her season losing two matches at 115 pounds. The TV junior lost by a second-round pin in her opening match and was pinned at the 5:07 mark of her first consolation match.
TV junior Brianna Grambo (23-22) lost her opening round match at 120 pounds by technical fall and was pinned in her consolation match.
