State Wrestling Notes: Columbia comebacks have people buzzing

COLUMBUS — While Sunday was all about the three Columbia state qualifiers figuring out their podium spots, the buzz on social media was about how they got there. The three Raiders had to rally in fantastic fashion Saturday in the matches that made them state placers. "We all talked about it right after my match," said sophomore Cailyn Demagall, who finished sixth in the girls 155 bracket. "We're like, 'Oh, my God, we all did the exact same thing.' It was really cool." Sophomore Michael Frye kicked off the heroics in his Division III 106-pound quarterfinal. Frye found himself in a 5-0 hole after one period when Edison's Mason Hermes scored a takedown and added a five-second nearfall. Frye put on a takedown clinic the rest of the match and came away with an 8-7 decision. Demagall's comeback was even more dramatic. She trailed 6-2 with 10 seconds left in the quarterfinals and scored a five-point move before the final whistle to win 7-6. Moments later sophomore Youstina Hanna was put on her back in each of the first two periods of a girls 140 consolation second-round match and trailed 10-1 to Harrison's Rylee Dearwester when the Raider chose top position to start the third period and pulled off the pinfall victory. The matches were so incredible that Columbia athletic director Jason Ward began a social media campaign to rename the school's city "Comeback Station." "I think that's great," Demagall said. "We all practice the same. We all wrestle the same. So I think it makes sense that we all come back the exact same way. I think it makes sense that we were all able to do it." While Frye advanced to the state final Sunday night, the Raiders girls battled during the morning session for final placement. Hanna lost 4-1 to Marysville's Cara Leng to finish in eighth place, while Demagall lost 6-4 in sudden victory overtime to Ashland Crestview's Naomi Gearheart in her final match. "I feel really good," said Demagall, who became a two-time state placer. "I would have liked to place top five for sure and I probably would have but I wasn't feeling very well last week (at the regional tournament). But it all turned out good. I'm glad I'm still here. I still have my junior and senior years to just keep getting better and coming back." BREAKING THROUGH The state tournament must have felt like kryptonite to Elyria's Connor Holm the last three years, but the senior played the role of Superman this weekend as he finished fifth in the Division I 165 bracket. "It feels amazing," Holm said. "I can't thank my coaches enough, man, because they stuck with me for years and we finally got it done. It's a beautiful moment." The finish was particularly satisfying as Holm avenged a 4-0 quarterfinal defeat by pinning Cincinnati Colerain's Kyser Kostoff in the final match of his high school career. "The first (match) he kind of came out at me, caught me off-guard and had me stepping back a little bit," Holm said. "But this match I knew it had to be different so I went out and got after him and scored first. It was the most important takedown of the entire match, if you ask me, because that's a mental block. So you get that first takedown and you feel like, I did it once, I can get this guy."&emsp; STRONG START Black River freshman Taylor Owen finished on the podium and picked up a pinfall victory in her final match. "It definitely leaves you with some confidence," Owen said. "I'm definitely coming back next year and placing way higher." Owen opened the Saturday morning session by getting pinned by Clermont Northeast's Jesse Foebar — ranked No. 2 in the state — in the girls 145 consolation semifinals, but bounced back to stick Salem's Annika Murray in 2:23 to finish in fifth place. Owen said she hasn't really competed in freestyle in the past, but plans on giving it a go this offseason. She said she also is hoping that the Pirates girls program continues to grow, as she was the lone member this season. "We have a couple of girls in the youth program so we'll have them coming up eventually," Owen said. NOT SATISFIED Lutheran West sophomore and Lorain resident D.J. Otero finished on the podium — placing sixth at 106 in Division II — but is already thinking about how he can improve for his junior season. "I'm going to take about a week off and then we're going to get right into training for the freestyle season," Otero said. "I'm not completely sure about Greco yet, but we're definitely going to get to preparing for next year." Otero was pinned in his consolation semifinal against St. Paris Graham's Jake Landis, then lost an 8-0 major decision to Carrollton's Landon Jenkins in the placement round. "I'll be (focusing) on bottom work for sure," Otero said. "I'll really need to work on all the positions because there's some great top riders out there and there's always going to be someone who can ride you out. I really just need to get healthy and then come back strong next year and get a higher placement." TEAM EFFORT Vermilion sophomore Emily Stiner made it through the bottom of the bracket to finish in sixth place at 140. It was an encouraging finish as she came to Columbus as one of just three unranked wrestlers in her bracket. "I'm really proud because last year I would never think that I would even get here, let alone placing," Stiner said. "So I feel really good about it." Stiner was one of six girls Vermilion sent to the state tournament — both seniors advanced to the finals — and was a big part of why the Sailors finished fourth in the team race. "I don't know a lot about Vermilion's history but this is the first time we've sent so many people (to state)," Stiner said. "It feels good knowing that I helped contribute to (the team's finish)." Stiner lost 12-7 in a consolation semifinal to Sophia Taylor of Centerville, then was pinned by Waverly's Abby Green, who is ranked No. 3, in the placement round. She said the late losses wouldn't dull her enthusiasm for Sunday night's podium ceremony. "I'm really looking forward to it because it's such a big thing," Stiner said. "The whole tournament I've been looking at it and it's so cool. I'm only a sophomore so I have two more years of this." ON TO THE NEXT LEVEL Keystone's Emily Jirousek was ranked No. 12 in the state at the start of the postseason. The senior beat the ranking by finishing eighth at 190 pounds and on the podium. "I'm still happy I placed and that's all that really matters to me," Jirousek said after being pinned in her placement match Sunday morning. "I had a good time like I said I was planning on doing and I placed as well, so that's awesome." She plans to wrestle in college next year and has narrowed her choices to Mount Union and Baldwin Wallace. "I really liked the coaches, especially at Mount Union," she said. "I think he's going to be an awesome coach and I think he could really help me succeed during my college career. Freestyle is my favorite — I'm not a big fan of folkstyle — so I'm really excited to get back to freestyle." TOUGH ENDING Midview senior Austin Dye became a two-time state placer with an eighth-place finish in the Division I 285 bracket, but the heavyweight was hoping to improve the eighth-place finish he had last year. After losing his consolation quarterfinal Saturday night, Dye lost a 5-3 decision to Miamisburg's Abel Ngoh in his placement match. WHIZZER Sandusky Perkins junior Kaiyon McKinney, who finished as the Division I 113 state runner-up for Elyria last year before transferring, won his final two matches Sunday morning to take third in the Division II 165 bracket. Contact Shaun Bennett at (440) 329-7137 or sbennett@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him @ShaunBennettct on X.