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High school wrestling: Northern Kentucky wrestlers to watch in 2023-2024

alex harrison, cincinnati enquirer
·3 min read

The ending of the fall sports season means an overlap with the beginning of winter athletics, including the start of wrestling in Northern Kentucky.

For the first time this winter, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association will adopt girls wrestling as a sport and host a championship tournament.

Before the high school sports scene completely flips its focus to the winter and wrestling tournaments, here are wrestlers to watch for the season in Northern Kentucky. Check back through the beginning of the winter for Ohio wrestlers and girls wrestlers to watch.

More: Here are 2023-2024 All-Enquirer preseason girls basketball teams for Greater Cincinnati

Who are the wrestlers to watch in Northern Kentucky?

Clayton Badida, Conner – The sophomore finished in third place in the Region 5 tournament at 106 pounds last season before finishing with a seventh-place finish at the state meet.

Braydan Blevins of Simon Kenton, center, received his medal for winning the 106-pound weight class in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association state meet Feb. 25, 2023, at George Rogers Clark High School.
Braydan Blevins of Simon Kenton, center, received his medal for winning the 106-pound weight class in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association state meet Feb. 25, 2023, at George Rogers Clark High School.

Braydan Blevins, Simon Kenton – Blevins finished in third in the region at 113 pounds as an eighth grader in 2021-2022 before winning the state championship last season at 106 pounds.

Ethan Davis, Grant County – Before Davis finished as the No. 5 placer in the state at 120 pounds, he finished as the runner-up in the Region 6 tournament.

Bryce Dennemann, Campbell County – Dennemann returns for his senior season after finishing in third at 165 pounds in the Region 5 meet, winning the third-place match with a 14-5 decision.

Caleb Duke, Ryle – Duke was the Region 5 winner of the 175-pound class last season before reaching the state tournament where he finished No. 6 overall.

Brennan East, Walton-Verona – East was an eighth grader last season when he was the Region 5 runner-up at 106 pounds.

Landon Evans, Ryle – Evans dropped just three matches last season as a sophomore as he claimed the state championship in the 113-pound weight class.

Landon Evans of Ryle, center, receives the medal he won as the state champion of the 113-pound weight class in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association state meet Feb. 25, 2023, at George Rogers Clark High School.
Landon Evans of Ryle, center, receives the medal he won as the state champion of the 113-pound weight class in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association state meet Feb. 25, 2023, at George Rogers Clark High School.

Christopher Ferraro, Campbell County – Ferraro returns for his senior campaign as the defending champion in Region 5.

Luke Hyden, Walton-Verona – The junior Hyden looks to be a front-runner in the 215-pound class. Last season, he was the Region 5 champion before finishing fourth in the state behind a trio of seniors.

Walton-Verona's Luke Hyden wrestles in last season's Region 5 championship. He returns as a potential state favorite at 215 pounds.
Walton-Verona's Luke Hyden wrestles in last season's Region 5 championship. He returns as a potential state favorite at 215 pounds.

Jonah McCloskey, Simon Kenton – McCloskey notched over 40 wins last season as a sophomore when he finished as Region 5 runner-up at 120 pounds and sixth-place overall at the state championships.

T.J. Meyer, Walton-Verona – Meyer was a sophomore last season and won the 120-pound bracket in the Region 5 tournament before finishing as state runner-up in the class, dropping a 3-2 decision to the undefeated champion.

Rilen Pinkston, Highlands – Pinkston reached the state semifinal round with an undefeated record and eventually finished in sixth place overall at 150 pounds last season.

Rilen Pinkston with his father after winning Highlands' first ever regional wrestling title.
Rilen Pinkston with his father after winning Highlands' first ever regional wrestling title.

Willie Rodriguez, Covington Catholic – The University of Kentucky-committed tight end was the heavyweight runner-up in Region 5 last season as a junior before securing a fifth-place finish at state.

Rider Trumble, Ryle – Trumble capped his sophomore campaign last season by winning the championship in the Region 5 tournament for 132 pounds.

Travis Steiber, Ryle – Steiber returns as a junior fresh off of winning the Region 5 championship at 190 pounds with an eighth-place finish at the state finals.

Maalik Washington, Conner – Washington was the Region 5 runner-up after falling to Christopher Ferraro of Campbell County, but topped Ferraro in the seventh-place match at 126 pounds in the state final rounds.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Northern Kentucky wrestlers to watch for 2023-2024