Wrestler advances to March 3-4 districts with 37-8 record
By Cort Reynolds
LIMA–Ada High School junior Clayton McClain won the 144 lbs. division title in the Div. III northwest sectional tournament Saturday, February 25, at Lima Central Catholic.
His championship effort led the Bulldog wrestling team to ninth place out of 13 teams.
Seeded second out of nine wrestlers at 144 lbs., McClain received a first round bye and then advanced to the finals with consecutive pins. He pinned Coldwater sophomore Jordan Houser of Coldwater in 3:40, then pinned third-seeded Crestview junior Levi Grace at 4:28.
In the 144 lbs. title round bout, he decisioned top seed Hutch Ridenour of Parkway by a 9-1 count.
McClain advances to districts with a sparkling season record of 37-8.
Seeded second, Ada freshman Silas Riblet finished second in the four-man 106 lbs. division. He had a double bye into the semifinals. In the semis, he pinned sophomore Brayden Thompson of Delphos Jefferson at 3:56.
In the championship bout, Riblet fell to junior Aizik Myers of Allen East by decision, 8-0. His record heading to districts is 27-12.
At the seven-man 132 lbs. bracket, Ada sophomore Liam Vieira finished fifth. He had a first round bye, then lost in the quarterfinals by decision. After two byes in the consolation bracket, he was then pinned in the semifinals.
In the fifth-place match, Vieira defeated Parkway freshman Maddox Houts by pin in 34 seconds. He finishes his season 25-15.
In the 10-wrestler 138 lbs. bracket, sophomore Logan Jolliff (9-22) went 1-2 with an 18-5 decision win in the first round.
Bulldog junior Owen Arnett went 0-2 at 165 lbs. to end his season 13-27.
Ada sophomore Landon Simon posted a 2-3 record at 175 lbs. with a pin and a decision win in the consolation bracket.
Simon lost the fifth-place match to Allen East junior Nick Zellman by pin to end up sixth in the nine-wrestler 175 bracket. He ends the season 23-24.
McClain and Riblet compete in district competition March 3-4 at Troy’s Hobart Arena.
Columbus Grove won the sectional team crown with 200 points, followed by Coldwater (183) and Allen East (159).
Ada tallied 60 points to beat out Ottawa-Glandorf, Delphos Jefferson and LCC.
Ada sectional placers by weight class:
Weight: 106
Place - Name - School - Year (Record)
1 Aizik Myers - Allen East - 11 (27-11), md8-0
2 Silas Riblet - Ada - 9 (27-12)
3 Brayden Thompson - Del. Jefferson - 10 (22-15), Default
4 Grady Holdgreve - Del. St. John's - 9 (13-28)
Weight: 132
1 Edward Kessen - Del. St. John's - 9 (33-7), Dec 8-7
2 Carder Miller - Spencerville - 12 (40-3)
3 Austin Hamilton - Coldwater - 11 (27-16), Dec 6-3
4 Levi Schroeder - Columbus Grove - 10 (19-19)
5 Liam Vieira - Ada -10 (25-15), Fall 0:35
6 Maddox Houts - Parkway - 9 (16-11)
Weight: 144
1 Clayton McClain - Ada 11 (37-8), md9-1
2 Hutch Ridenour - Parkway - 12 (31-6)
3 Levi Grace - Con. Crestview - 11 (27-8), Fall 4:30
4 Zane Stechschulte - Columbus Grove - 11 (17-19)
5 Jordan Houser - Coldwater - 10 (15-19), Fall 0:57
6 Royce Kill - Spencerville - 9 (8-15)
Weight: 175
1 Kyle Lathrop - Columbus Grove - 11 (33-12), Dec 7-2
2 Nathan Osborn - Wayne Trace - 11 (28-14)
3 Landon Younker - Parkway - 10 (25-6), Fall 4:15
4 Dylan Bowyer - Lincolnview - 12 (25-11)
5 Nick Zellmann - Allen East -11 (14-17), Fall 1:21
6 Landon Simon - Ada - 10 (23-24)
Team Div. III sectional scores:
1 Columbus Grove - 200.0
2 Coldwater- 183.0
3 Allen East - 159.0
4 Spencerville - 123.0
5 Wayne Trace - 98.0
6 Parkway - 89.5
7 Del. St. John's - 87.5
8 Con. Crestview - 76.0
9 Ada - 60.0
10 Lincolnview - 56.0
11 Ottawa-Glandorf - 42.0
12 Del. Jefferson - 28.0
13 Lima C.C.- 7