River Valley wrestlers new to state tournament weekend; Pleasant's Chase an old hand
CALEDONIA — One's a freshman, and the other is a senior. Both are rookies this weekend.
River Valley's tandem of 106-pounder Karson Jenkins and 190-pounder Porter Rick will be making their Division II state wrestling tournament debuts at Ohio State's Schottenstein Center on Friday.
Luckily, they have the most experienced head coach in the game with Mark McGuire having led the Vikings for the last 42 years, plus assistant coaches Jonathan Edwards and Cooper Graham have state meet experience as competitors, so they know what Jenkins and Rick are going through this week.
More grappling: State wrestling preview: Elgin sending four led by returnees Winslow and Luikart
Still more grappling: State wrestling: Experience helps Northmor's Cowin Becker deal with big-meet pressure
"It will be big, don’t get me wrong," McGuire said. "We’ll take them out on the floor ahead of time and try to let them walk around and see it’s just another gym. It’s big, and it’s the goal of all high schoolers to get to that point. It helps to walk the floor."
It's McGuire's philosophy to get as many high-quality matches as possible during the year, but there's also something else he believes in that helps his kids get in the right mindset for the rhythms of the last weekend of the season.
"We travel a lot throughout the season, and we do that to get them ready to wrestle on the road," McGuire said. "We had to go to Wilmington (for the district tournament), which was a couple hour ride on the bus, and then perform and sleep overnight and get up and perform the next day. Our trips to Nelsonville and up to Archbold and Western Brown, those are long rides and overnighters to get them ready for that venue (at Ohio State)."
It might be a first-time experience for the Vikings, but it shouldn't be an overwhelming one for either one.
Riegel also debuting at state for RV
Like her teammates, Valerie Riegel will also be a first timer in the Schott. The freshman will compete in the girls 110-pound class after finishing fourth at the Marysville regional on Sunday.
RV girls coach Jason Nutbrown — like McGuire, Edwards and Graham — will do his best to get her ready for the new experience.
"It’s going to be nice," he said. "She’s going to get all the attention. The girls are going to have to go practice with her. What a week!"
Pleasant sending three to state
While it's a new experience for the three River Valley wrestlers as well as for two of his teammates, Pleasant senior Daxton Chase will feel at home this weekend.
Not only is he a three-time state placer in Division III, but he's also an Ohio State signee with older brother Carter Chase on the Buckeyes wrestling roster. This weekend he'll try to match Carter's senior season capper by winning a state championship, too.
If he does win that title, he'll have earned it. The only loss Chase has suffered this year came Saturday at Heath in the 150-pound district championship bout with Barnesville's Reese Stephen, the No. 1 ranked D-III wrestler in the class and the defending state champ. Chase fell short 3-2 in the district finale despite a late flurry of moves that nearly beat his opponent.
"Dax is OK," Pleasant coach Joe Robinson said Saturday night after the loss. "We got beat, and you’re right, he’s not used to that. I told him we’re going to win or learn. We learned. There are some things where right away he ran off the mat and said this is what I’ve got to do in the room. We’ll get back to the lab and get after it."
Also wrestling this weekend for the Spartans will be junior Sam Mentzer at 165 and senior Landon O'Donnell at 190. Both are first-time state qualifiers.
"For Sam especially, it’s just continuing the process. He’s really matured tremendously well this season and won some super big matches this year. He’s poised to do some more," Robinson said Saturday. "Landon O’Donnell is just gritty and gutsy all weekend (at the district) and a cardio machine. All year he’s been dependable and trustworthy, and he has a great work ethic, and it showed today."
rmccurdy@gannett.com
419-610-0998
X @McMotorsport
Instagram @rob_mccurdy_star
Area State Wrestling Qualifiers
Boys Division II
● River Valley: Freshman Karson Jenkins (42-8) 106 pounds; senior Porter Rick (47-5) 190.
● Highland: Junior Konner Blaney (43-9) 106; freshman Kasey Clark (42-8) 126; sophomore Cael Gilmore (45-4) 144.
Boys Division III
● Elgin: Senior Kaiden Luikart (40-13) 150; junior Quinten Harrison (36-7) 157; junior Tyler Pasma (46-7) 215.
● Pleasant: Senior Daxton Chase (45-1) 150; junior Sam Mentzer (44-8) 165; senior Landon O'Donnell (34-20) 190.
● Northmor: Freshman Carter Thomas (31-17) 106; sophomore Brady Carr (37-8) 113; sophomore Ethan Amens (38-9) 120; junior Cowin Becker (49-1) 132; Carson Campbell (45-7) 157.
Girls
● River Valley: Freshman Valerie Riegel (36-15) 110.
● Elgin: Sophomore Hallie Winslow (25-3) 120.
● Cardington: Junior Cameron Sherman (23-5) 170.
● Highland: Sophomore Emma Bolton (29-12) 190.
Weekend Schedule
Site: Ohio State's Schottenstein Center.
Friday: Session 1, 1-9:30 p.m.
Saturday: Session 2, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.; Session 3, 5-9:30 p.m.
Sunday: Session 4, 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Championship finals, 5-8 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: State wrestling preview: Newcomers from Marion will shoot their Schott
