Prep wrestling: Miami East rallies to win first district title

The Division IIII district wrestling tournament at Hobart Arena on Saturday produced a historic finish.

Miami East rallied from a five-point deficit in the team race to surpass Troy Christian and claim its first district title with 140 points. Troy Christian was second with 135.

The Eagles advanced one more to state than the Vikings (5-4), but Miami East had three titleists among its four qualifiers. Miami East didn’t clinch the title until junior Brenden Dalton scored a 5-4 win in the title match at 220 pounds.

Graham Shore and Alex Isbrandt also won titles for Miami East.

Troy Christian led throughout most of the tournament, but went 2-3 in championship and consolation finals and 0-1 against Miami East.

The four finishers in each weight class advanced to state.

Miami East wasn’t the only one celebrating a school first.

Bethel’s Kellen Callahan put his name in the school record book in style.

Callahan, the only member of the Bees team, became the first state qualifier in school history with a 5-2 win over Ottawa-Glandorf’s Danny Rosales in the title match at 170.

Legacy Christian Academy was also perfect on the weekend.

Paced by a title from Tommy Hoskins at 126, Legacy Christian advanced all three wrestlers from the district to the state tournament.

Freshman Clint Brown made the biggest jump, entering the tournament as the third-place finisher out of the sectional tournament, Brown enters the state tournament as district runner-up after battling to the finals before falling 6-4 to Troy Christian’s Jacob Edwards at 132.

Division II

Graham ran away from the field at the Wilmington district, advancing 13 to state and winning the title by 236.5 points.

The Falcons won nine titles, finished second three times and had one third-place finish.

Graham almost made it a perfect run through the tournament, but 285-pounder Khrizdon Van Hoose dropped a 5-4 decision in his consolation semifinal match.

In the second installment of what should be a trilogy, Graham’s Gage Braun handed Valley View’s Stone Day his first loss of the season, 3-1 in overtime.

Day had defeated Braun 5-4 in the finals at the Valley View Invitational and the final installment could come Saturday night for a state title.

Chaminade Julienne was second in the team race with 104.5 points, advancing four, including state champ Hunter Johns at 182.

Ayyoub Muhammed became Thurgood Marshall’s first state qualifier with a fourth-place finish at 132.

Division I

Butler advanced five to state from the district at Trent Arena and was the highest area finisher with a fourth-place finish .

Butler’s Ronnie Pietro claimed the lone title for the Aviators when he recorded a takedown in sudden victory for a 3-1 win over Moeller’s Jordan Ward at 132.

Beavercreek’s Gavin Bell also advanced after battling through the consolation bracket to finish third at 138.

Bell handed Harrison’s Jacob Barnhardt a 7-0 defeat in the consolation finals after the Wildcat wrestler had defeated Bell 3-1 in overtime in the quarters on day one of the tournament.

Wayne advanced three of its five qualifiers from the district to state with Jordan Hardrick winning the title at 152 and freshman Austin Mullins finishing second at 145. Jacob Padilla finished third at 285.

The state wrestling tournament runs March 8-10 at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus.

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