COLUMBUS — He took one step down the podium, but that he could take any steps at all is a testament to Aiden Ohl’s grit.
Ontario’s 113-pound junior beat Logan Elm’s Dawsen Hudson 7-0 in the consolation finals to claim third place at the Division II state tournament Sunday inside Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center.
Last year’s runner-up at 106, Ohl suffered a severe high ankle sprain in his quarterfinal loss to Indian Valley’s Bronko Braun. He won four straight consolation matches on one leg.
“I can’t put pressure on it and any time I do, it’s a full shock to my leg,” Ohl said after hopping up the tunnel after his final match. “We’ve been doing everything we can to try to make it feel better, but there’s nothing you can do.”
Considering all he went through the past two days, Ohl wasn’t broken-hearted about finishing third. He was the projeted state champ coming into the tournament.
“I’m not OK with finishing third, but I’m not mad about it because I know I wrestled my butt off with an injury,” he said. “This is one of the toughest tournaments and this is the first time I’ve had a serious injury.
“A lot of people get hurt and opt out. I wasn’t going to do that.”
Fantastic Finish
Crestview’s Naomi Gearheart pulled off one of the biggest stunners of the tournament in her third-place match
The 145-pound sophomore trailed Poland Seminary’s Abigale Torres-Miller 9-1 in the third period before putting Torres-Miller on her back and pinning her at the 4:16 mark.
“She took a bad shot and I just caught here,” said Gearheart, who placed fifth at 155 last year.
“It’s a testament to her and how hard she works,” Crestview coach Nate Godsey said. “Naomi said she caught the girl, but I say she put herself in a position to make that happen.
“That girl may have been winning, but Naomi kept battling and took advantage of her bad shot and that’s what good wrestlers do.”
Colt Stampede
Clear Fork’s Anthony Oscar and Blake Schlosser both capped All-Ohio weekends with pins in their place matches. Oscar finished fifth at 138, while Schlosser was seventh at 175.
“I’m a little let down by finishing fifth, but I’m going to use that as motivation every minute this summer,” said Oscar, a freshman. “I think the pressure got the best of me.
“I finished fifth as a freshman, so I can’t be mad. But I’m a little disappointed.”
A senior, Schlosser avenged an opening-round loss to Joey Pannunzio by pinning the Canfield sophomore in 2:48.
“I feel like I could have placed higher, but I got that kid back,” Schlosser said. “I got to see him again and get some revenge.”
Watch: Video highlights
Familiar Foe
Galion’s 138-pound Ryder Alberty knocked off Ontario’s Gavin Miller 4-2 in the seventh-place match.
“We’ve already wrestled each other twice,” Alberty said. “We knew each other so well. There’s no secrets between us.”
Placers
Ontario’s Landon Sowards (190) and Madison’s Jaxin Stancombe (285) both placed sixth Saturday morning. Madison’s Aiden Proctor (165) was eighth.
The top-eight finishers in each weight class earn state medals and All-Ohio citations.