STATE TITLE BOUT … Delta’s Marcus Nagel (right) squared off with Kyler Crooks of state power St. Paris Graham in the 175 pound final. Nagel would fall to Crooks 7-5 to finish as runner-up.
STATE RUNNER-UP … Archbold’s Vivi Legato (pink) ended her sophomore season at 38-3 and runner-up at 155 after dropping the title match to KyLee Tibbs of Gahanna Lincoln.
STATE CHAMPION … Delta senior Tyler Barnes reacts after the winning the Division III state title at 126LB after a 5-0 win over Isaak Skelly from Waynedale.
By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
COLUMBUS – It was a perfect finish to an outstanding high school wrestling career for Delta’s Tyler Barnes in the Division III state wrestling tournament at the Schottenstein Center on Friday-Sunday, March 13-15.
BARNES WINS STATE TITLE
Following a runner-up finish in last year’s state tournament, Barnes (43-3) capped it all off by winning the 30th state title in program history, capturing the 126-pound title with a 5-0 decision over Isaak Skelly (55-2) of Applecreek Waynedale.
Both of Skelly’s losses have come against Barnes this year including a 9-6 setback in the Lima Central Catholic Thunderbird Invitational on January 31.
Barnes ended his outstanding high school career with a 143-32 record that included four consecutive Northwest Ohio Athletic League titles and four straight trips to the state tournament, with three placement finishes including his state crown.
The Delta senior dominated his way through the bracket with two pins over Brayden Riffell of Indian Lake (1:10) and Rocco Wrobel of Crestwood (3:27) and an 8-1 decision over Grady Lambdin of Chippewa.
NAGEL TAKES SILVER AT 175
Delta sophomore Marcus Nagel also competed for his first state title but unfortunately came up short in a tough 7-5 decision to Kyler Crooks of Graham Local in the Division III 175-pound final.
The son of Delta head wrestling coach Mark Nagel, the younger Nagel capped off a successful sophomore season with a 36-4 record in his first trip to state.
ARCHBOLD’S LEGATO EARNS RUNNER-UP
In the girls division, Archbold’s Vivienne Legato reached the 155-pound state title bout where she was pinned by Kylee Tibbs of Gahanna Lincoln in 2:42 in the championship final.
The sophomore, whose career record is now 87-8, finished her sophomore season with a 38-2 record.
Legato, who had earlier prevailed with a 5-2 overtime semifinal victory over Maya Keane of Columbus Bishop Hartley, went up against Tibbs, a defending state champion with a 130-6 career record whose only two losses this year came against out-of-state competition.
OREGON EARNS RUNNER-UP AT 235
Archbold senior Gabby Oregon pinned her way through the bracket into the 235-pound state championship match, but her state title bid ended against Deionna Borders of Berea-Midpark, who capped off a perfect 38-0 season with a second-period fall over Oregon in 3:17.
Oregon, who placed third at 235 pounds last year, ends her Lady Streaks wrestling career as state runner-up. She finished her senior season with a 37-3 record.
OTHER AREA PODIUM FINISHERS
Besides the four area state championship finalists, nine other area wrestlers also reached the state awards podium.
In Division III, Gunner Taylor of Delta finished fourth at 165 pounds. The sophomore finished his season with a 43-9 record. He lost to Carson Campbell of Galion Northmor in an 11-0 major decision in the third-place final.
Four area wrestlers earned fifth-place finishes including Brendan Bosco (106) and Isaac Brown (132) of Archbold, Lane Lopez (157) of Delta in Division III, and Wauseon’s Joseph Lugabihl (138) in Division II.
Brendan Bosco posted a 10-0 major decision over Easton Stephen of Barnesville in the fifth-place final. He finished his freshman year with a 51-8 record.
Brown decisioned Chase Milton of Buckeye Local for the second time in the tournament with a 4-0 decision. The freshman finished with a 45-13 record.
Lopez achieved his second consecutive fifth-place finish winning by forfeit over Gunner Gossett of Union Local in the fifth-place final. He finished his junior year with a 39-10 record.
Lugabihl, who was a state placer in 2024, would wrap up his high school wrestling career with a 1-0 decision over Ryder Alberty of Galion to claim fifth place. He finished his senior season with a 42-13 record.
SEVENTH AND EIGHTH PLACE FINISHERS
Archbold freshman Ty Bosco also reached the podium with a seventh-place finish at 120 pounds in Division III.
Ty Bosco decisioned Langston McClain of Allen East, 7-0, in the seventh-place final. He finished his freshman campaign with a 51-11 record.
In his opening match, Bosco defeated Jaxon Vining of Clermont Northeast (21-6 technical fall) before falling to Brock Beckler of Waynedale in the championship quarterfinals (4-1 decision).
Three other area wrestlers also got on the podium finishing eighth including A.J. Gleckler (132) of Evergreen, Chase Godwin (150) of Swanton in Division III, and Carter Stuckey (126) of Wauseon in Division II.
Gleckler was pinned by Kaden Lawson of Tuslaw in 1:54 and became just the 20th state placer in school history and finished with a 45-19 record as a freshman.
Godwin dropped a close 1-0 decision to Cole Winemiller of Graham Local. The Swanton senior also became the 34th state placer in program history. He finished his senior season with a 43-14 record.
Stuckey was defeated by Devion Coffin of Cleveland Benedictine in an 11-3 major decision, thus becoming a three-time state placer for the Indians. He finished his senior year with a 42-12 record.
NON-PLACING AREA WRESTLERS
Other area wrestlers who competed but were unable to place were Lars Soles (126), Kayden Wellman (144), Ethan Bowman (175), and Parker Bixler (285) of Archbold, Brady Smith (285) of Delta and Kahle Albright (175) of Wauseon.
Soles ended his senior season with a 31-16 record. Wellman ended his freshman year at 44-16. Bowman finished his sophomore year with a 36-16 record.
Bixler finished his junior season with a 43-14 record. Smith ended his senior year with a 42-6 record. Albright finished his senior year with a 39-15 record.
GIRLS TOURNAMENT
In the girls state wrestling tournament, four area wrestlers saw their seasons come to an end on Friday night.
Rylie Taylor (135) of Delta, Kate Brenneman (145) of Archbold, Katelynn Hartsock (132) and Amya Hallett (145) of Wauseon competed but were unable to advance in the tournament.
Taylor ended her senior season with a 25-10 record and Brenneman compiled a 30-10 record as a junior. Hallett finished with a 43-7 record as a junior and Hartsock finished with a 38-12 record in her junior season for Wauseon.
PHOTOS BY RACHEL NAGEL / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
BLUESTREAK SENIOR … Gabby Oregon (right) wrapped up her high school career by placing second at 235. VIEW PHOTOS OF THIS CONTEST FOR FREE AT WWW.THEVILLAGEREPORTER.COM
EVERGREEN FRESHMAN … A.J. Gleckler (right) capped off his freshman season by placing eighth at 132 pounds and finished the year with a record of 45-19.