Huntington's Breniser logs 100th win, Westfall advances four to state after Division III district meet
HEATH − Saturday was a very, very successful day for Morgan Breniser.
The Huntington senior can point to three distinct achievements from the Division III district meet that he can add to his already impressive repertoire. To start, he recorded his 100th career win Saturday after pinning Vinson Haines of Liberty Union in the 175-pound consolation semifinals.
After following up with a win over Westfall's Bryce Wickline in the 175-pound consolation finals, Breniser also made school history. His third-place finish was the highest placement at a district meet of any Huntington wrestler, ever.
His third accomplishment came with a bit of a personal touch. His third-place finish qualified him for the state meet outright.
"I feel great," Breniser said. "I couldn't be more excited. I can't wait to go back to school on Monday and tell my teachers. I was an alternate last year, so I didn't get to wrestle. But this year I actually made it, so it's way better."
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The senior climbed far from where he began. Breniser only had four wins in his freshman season. Last year, he qualified for the state meet last year as an alternate, but he never saw a match. Now, he's guaranteed himself a spot inside the Schottenstein Center.
But he won't be alone. Breniser was one of six area wrestlers that placed high enough Saturday to qualify for the state meet. He'll be joined in the 175-pound bracket by Wickline, who he defeated in a 9-4 overtime decision.
Wickline was one of four Westfall wrestlers to place fifth or higher Saturday. Gage Bolt placed the highest of his teammates after taking second in the 165-pound bracket. Bolt won his first three matches in short order, winning by pin, a 10-1 major decision and a 7-3 decision. His only loss, the championship bout against Ayden King of Barnesville, was decided by one point.
The Mustangs' young guns won't be far behind seniors Wickline and Bolt. Brady Speakman and Bryson Campfield, both freshman, placed fourth in the 106-pound bracket and fifth in the 120-pound bracket respectively. Speakman's placement makes him the youngest Westfall wrestler since 1997 to qualify for the state meet.
"It's mind-boggling to think how good these young kids are as they come in," Westfall coach William Breyer said. "Like, they're ready to go. Having two freshmen, one a state qualifier and one a state alternate, I can't complain."
Bolt wasn't the only area wrestler to reach the final round in his respective weight class, however. Zane Trace's Zane Pickerrell also earned a runner-up spot in the podium after reaching the championship match in the 132-pound bracket. Pickerrell's first two wins of the tournament came by pins in the first period, and his semifinal victory came through an 8-0 major decision over Crooksville's Christian Browning.
Second place isn't the exact ending Pickerrell wanted from Saturday, but he's not complaining. He's feeling better than ever, and securing his second state tournament appearance in two years only improves his outlook on Saturday.
"I wish I would've won that final match, but other than that I really couldn't have asked for a better weekend," Pickerrell said. "It went pretty smooth. I felt pretty dominant in the important matchups, and I didn't have too much adversity until then. So, it was a good weekend."
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Six area wrestlers qualify for state at Division III district meet
