MANSFIELD — This weekend’s 61st annual J.C. Gorman Invitational is the crown jewel of north central Ohio’s regular-season schedule, as usual.
Action begins Friday at 3 p.m. and continues Saturday at 10 a.m. at Mansfield Senior High School. Saturday’s Parade of Champions is slated for 4:20 p.m., with the finals begin at 4:30 p.m.
This year’s event will include 32 teams, 14 of them spanning Richland, Ashland, Crawford, Morrow and Huron counties.
Among the local teams involved are Ashland, Black River, Clear Fork, Crestview, Galion, Lexington, Loudonville, Madison, Mansfield Senior, Mapleton, Northmor, Ontario, Shelby and Willard.
Defending champion Medina Buckeye stopped Ashland’s five-year championship run last winter, and those two schools will no doubt battle for the top spot again this year.
Ontario figures to be a contender too, particularly in the wake of its invitational championships at Galion and Kenston.
Medina Buckeye, coming off a repeat title in the Medina Invitational Tournament, will try be gunning for back-to-back Gorman crowns after ending Ashland’s five-year title run in 2023.
Among the most highly-touted wrestlers who figure to make a strong push to the podium are Ontario’s two-time champion Jacob Ohl and Galion’s Grady Harding. Both grapplers are rated among Ohio’s top three wrestlers at 120 pounds by analyst Billy Schaefer in Ohio’s Division II poll.
Crestview’s Caleb Cunningham is looking to follow up on a superb football season. He’s ranked No. 3 in the Division III 285-pound ratings at https://www.borofanohio.net/d3
Ashland freshman Mason Bauer is a budding star, too. The son of the Arrows coach, Tommy Bauer, Mason is ranked No. 9 in the Division I poll at 106 pounds.
Tickets to this year’s events are adults $8, students $6 per session.
For two sessions, adults are $15, students $10 for two sessions.
For all sessions, adults are $20, students $15.