MANSFIELD — Mapleton’s Brock Durbin hit the trifecta.
A 144-pound senior, Durbin won his third consecutive J.C. Gorman Invitational championship Saturday evening inside Mansfield Senior’s Pete Henry Gym.
Unofficially, Durbin is one of just 22 wrestlers to three-peat in the 61-year history of the Gorman. He won his first title at 126 pounds as a sophomore in 2022 and followed it up with the 132-pound crown last year.
“I’m grateful to win a third title,” said Durbin, who improved to 20-1. “It’s good to see great competition so I can learn what I need to work on.”
His third championship didn’t come easy. Durbin needed a takedown in overtime for a 3-1 sudden victory win over Sandusky St. Mary’s freshman Ben James.
“I would have liked to open up the game a little more,” said Durbin, who cruised into the finals with a tech fall and three pins. “I kept at my pace and took what he was giving me.”
Durbin was one of seven local champs crowned Saturday night. He was joined atop the podium by Ashland’s Mason Bauer (106) and Guardian Miller (132), Ontario’s Mason Turnbaugh (138) and Landon Campbell (215), Clear Fork’s Blake Schlosser (175) and Crestview’s Caleb Cunningham (285).
A freshman, Bauer beat Ontario’s Aiden Ohl 5-1 in overtime in a matchup of two of the state’s top lightweights.
Bauer (24-0), who won a championship at the Medina Invitational Tournament last week, is ranked ninth at 106 in Division I, while Ohl is the state’s top-ranked 106-pounder in Division II.
Miller, who like Bauer is a freshman, dispatched Massillon Washington’s Marcus Fricke 13-5 to improve to 24-2.
Turnbaugh won his second Gorman title, scoring a late takedown to knock off Northmor’s Cowin Becker 6-4. The junior improved to 16-2.
Campbell, who transferred to Ontario from Galion, beat Massillon Washington’s Cody Fair 7-4 to run his season record to 18-0.
“I’m super-glad to win this, but I have one big goal and that’s to go to state and finish in the top four,” said Campbell, a three-time Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference champ for Galion who battled injuries last year. “I feel back in the groove. I’m putting it all together.”
Schlosser earned his title with a second-period pin of Willard’s Ryan Fox. The junior, who improved to 14-3, had five pins on the weekend.
“I pinned everyone with a cradle. It was the same move every time,” Schlosser said. “I was happy with the way I wrestled, but I know I still need a lot of work.”
Cunningham, the third-ranked heavyweight in Division III, beat Division II No. 2 Alex Griffith of Galion 10-0. The senior, who was a state-placer at 215 last year, improved to 15-3.
“I’m new at heavyweight,” Cunningham said. “I have to use the speed I have against some of these bigger guys.
“I’m not the fastest, but heavyweight is a whole different game.”
As for the team title, Medina Buckeye easily defended its crown with 261.5 points. Sandusky Perkins (184.5) was second and Ontario (177) was third. Ashland (148.5) and Clear Fork (134) rounded out the top five in the 32-team tournament.
Medina Buckeye’s Blake Bartos was selected the tournament’s Most Valuable Wrestler. Bartos beat Ontario’s Jacob Ohl 4-2 to win the 113-pound title.
