High school wrestling: Southwest Ohio boys wrestlers to watch in 2023-2024

Wrestling in the Ohio High School Athletic Association will begin in early December, but the season will go quickly with the postseason starting in mid-February and state tournaments running from March 8 to 10.

Before the regular season begins, here are some of the top returners to take to Southwest Ohio mats.

Note: Wrestlers are listed alphabetically by weight class. The listed weight class comes from the previous year's postseason and may not be the same class wrestlers will compete in during the current season.

Girls wrestlers: Now sanctioned in both states, these are girls wrestlers to watch in Cincinnati and NKY

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

Who are the boys wrestlers to watch in Southwest Ohio?

106

Adam Gelman, Sycamore – As a junior last season, Gelman was a Greater Miami Conference, sectional and district champion.

Cody Lisle, Clinton-Massie – The 106-pound champion of the Southern Buckeye Conference’s American Division, Lisle was a state qualifier in Division II after winning the sectional tournament at Clinton-Massie and finishing No. 4 in the district meet.

Alijah Mohanna, La Salle – In his freshman season for the Lancers last year, Mohanna was a sectional champion and district runner-up who went on to place seventh in the Division I state tournament.

Blake Opichka, Madeira – As a freshman last season, Opichka was the Cincinnati Hills League champ at 106 pounds and finished as sectional runner-up.

Brody Palm, Harrison – Palm won the Southwest Ohio Conference at the weight class before finishing second at sectional and third at districts to qualify for the state tournament.

113

Logan Dean, Bethel-Tate – Dean was the SBC Wrestler of the Year in the National Division last season before winning a sectional title with a district runner-up finish. At state, Dean finished in third, placing for the second time.

Konner Lambers, Elder – Now a junior, Lambers has been a state placer his first two seasons, finishing in third at 106 pounds as a freshman before moving up to 113 pounds last season where he finished in eighth at state. He also won the sectional and district titles.

Nathan Moser, Monroe – Moser won over 30 matches as a state-qualifying sophomore who had second-place finishes at both the sectional and district tournaments.

Mythias Stuckey, Wilmington – As a sophomore last season, Stuckey was a state qualifier after finishing as sectional runner-up with a third-place finish at districts to follow.

120

Aiden Allen, La Salle – Allen was the third-place finisher at the state tournament in Division I with a sectional and district championship added to his name.

Mason Kelsch, Norwood – While Kelsch was first-team All-Miami Valley Conference at 126 pounds, he finished in third at sectionals 120 pounds with a 17-0 tech fall win in the third-place match.

Gael Ramirez, West Clermont – As a freshman last year, Ramirez won the Eastern Cincinnati Conference and a sectional championship before finishing in third at the district tournament to qualify for the state tournament.

Marsel Sabirdjanov, Mason – Sabirdjanov was the GMC champion for the third time last season before winning the Lakota East sectional and finishing fourth at districts to qualify for state.

Joey Thamann, Elder – As a sophomore, he finished as runner-up in both the sectional and district tourneys, becoming a state qualifier.

126

Jared Johnston, Moeller – Johnston was a sectional champion last season after being the fourth-place finisher at state in 113 pounds as a sophomore in 2022.

Marshall Morency, Anderson – Morency won over 40 matches in his freshman season last year including the ECC championship. He also finished as sectional and district runner-up.

Bryce Sears, Colerain – The Colerain Cardinal was the GMC champion and continued his postseason run by qualifying for state as a sectional runner-up and district fourth-place finisher.

Matthew Wheeler, Middletown Madison – Wheeler was a state qualifier at 126 pounds last season after finishing as runner-up at the Versailles sectional and in fourth place at the district tourney.

132

Wyatt Hinton, Norwood – In Division III, Hinton was both a sectional and district champion before securing a sixth-place finish at the state tournament. Hinton was also the MVC Co-Wrestler of the Year.

Holden Huhn, La Salle – Huhn has been a state placer in both of his varsity seasons, finishing as state runner-up at 113 pounds as a freshman before moving up to 132 pounds where he placed seventh overall.

Braeden Shanklin, Fairfield – Shanklin took home the GMC title at 132 pounds then finished in third at sectionals and fifth at the district tournament.

138

Wyatt Brock, Harrison – Brock was a sophomore last season when he won his sectional and district titles on the way to placing at the state tournament, finishing in seventh.

Micah Cottrell, Princeton – Cottrell was a second-team All-GMC placer last season who finished in third place at both sectionals and districts before finishing in eighth at state.

Mark Ellis, Waynesville – The senior reached the state tournament after a sectional championship followed by a district runner-up finish.

Gage Murphy, Reading – Murphy’s sophomore campaign saw him claim a CHL and sectional championship before placing third in the district tournament to become a state qualifier.

Londen Murphy, Moeller – Murphy was the sectional champion and runner-up at districts to qualify for state. In 2022, Murphy was a state placer at 126 pounds, finishing in fifth.

144

Stone Busler, Moeller – Busler was a state qualifier for Moeller, reaching the tournament after a runner-up finish at sectionals leading to a third-place finish at the district meet.

Cohl Wandsnider, Harrison – The Harrison senior was an All-SWOC first-teamer before winning his sectional last season with a runner-up placing at districts to qualify for state.

150

Eugene Harney, Sycamore – Harney was a runner-up at both sectionals and districts before running through the 150-pound state bracket to win the Division I championship.

Kyle Langdon, Deer Park – Langdon was second-team All-CHL before winning the sectional championship at 150 pounds with a pinfall. Langdon followed with a runner-up district finish to be a state qualifier.

P.J. Murphy, Reading – Murphy finished his junior year with a sectional championship before finishing as district runner-up and in third place at the Division II state tournament.

157

Kyser Kostoff, Colerain – The GMC champ at 157 pounds, Kostoff followed with a third-place finish at the Middletown sectional with a fifth-place match victory at the districts.

Jack Willen, La Salle – One of many La Salle state qualifiers, Willen made his way to the final tournament by winning his sectional with a runner-up finish at the district tournament.

165

Brycen Alley, Lebanon – Alley took the first-team honors in the ECC for 165 pounds and added a sectional runner-up and sixth-place district finish to cap his junior season.

Jack Hoffman, Springboro – The Springboro Panther was special mention in the Greater Western Ohio Conference before he became a state placer, finishing in eighth place in Division I.

Carson Thomas, La Salle – Thomas was a sophomore last season when he cruised through the sectional and district tournaments to reach state. At the Division I state tournament, Thomas had a 12-2 decision and two pins to reach the championship round, finishing as state runner-up.

175

Dickie Engel, Harrison – Engel is at Harrison after placing at state twice for Reading. As a sophomore last season, Engel finished in fifth place, improving on his seventh-place finish at state the season before.

Devin Isaac, Norwood – The senior was the MVC champion at 175 pounds, then won the sectional championship at Blanchester with pins in all four matches.

Matt Kowalski, Springboro – As a sophomore, Kowalski placed sixth at state in Division I, adding to his sectional runner-up and district championship.

Zach Yordy, Badin – As a junior last season, Yordy was a state qualifier in Division II after finishing as sectional runner-up and with a fourth-place finish at districts.

215

Will Adkins, Moeller – Adkins was a sophomore last season when he turned a sectional runner-up into a district title before placing sixth overall in Division I.

Jaden Owens, Goshen – Owens reached the state tournament after clinching a sectional championship followed by a fourth-place finish at districts.

Paul McKnight, Wilmington – At 215 pounds, McKnight was the SBC champion before finishing as runner-up at the Clinton-Massie sectional and the fifth-place match winner at the district tournament.

Wyatt Walker, Edgewood – Walker, a seventh-place finisher at state as a sophomore in 2022, finished last season as the SWOC Wrestler of the Year and a state qualifier.

Aidan Weimer, Springboro – Weimer was the sectional champion and a district runner-up before placing eighth at state as a sophomore.

285

Lucas Stuerenberg, Moeller – As a sophomore, the heavyweight won his sectional and was the second-place finisher in the district tournament before placing fourth in the Division I state tournament.

Richard Thornton, Springboro – The Springboro senior was the sectional runner-up to Stuerenberg and finished third at districts to be a state qualifier.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Southwest Ohio high school wrestlers to watch in 2023-2024