By Cort Reynolds
ADA__Ada High School hosted the Northwest Conference wrestling championships Saturday, February 17, and finished sixth as a team behind a repeat individual champion.
Columbus Grove won the NWC team crown with 286.5 points, followed by Allen East (263). Ada (93 points) finished ahead of Lincolnview and Delphos Jefferson.
Ada senior Clayton McClain won the NWC 150 lbs. division title with a 9-7 decision over Jackson Pinks of AE.
Top seed McClain went 3-0 with three pins in preliminary pool action. In the ensuing 150 lbs. tournament, he won a 9-2 semifinal decision to advance to the championship bout.
In the title match, he beat Mustang junior Pinks 9-7 to claim the conference crown and finish 5-0 on the day. McClain also won the 144 lbs. title last season.
Eight Bulldogs placed in the top six of their weight class at the event.
Ada sophomore Silas Riblet finished third at the 113 lbs. bracket with a 2-2 record and one pin.
Freshman Wyatt Fisher took fourth at the 132 lbs. bracket with a 1-3 record and a pin.
Freshman Kale Pedersen took fourth at the 138 lbs. division with a pin and a 1-3 mark.
Junior Liam Vieira took fifth at 144 lbs. with a pin and a 1-4 record.
Bulldog junior Landon Simon took fifth at 215 lbs. Ada sophomore Payton Karsten was sixth at the 285 lbs. division. Sophomore Zaiden Denslow also finished sixth in the 126 lbs. competition.
McClain looks to repeat as sectional champion in the Div. III sectional tournament at Lima Central Catholic Saturday, February 24.
Ada NWC Placers:
150: 2x4 Placers
1st Clayton McClain 12, Ada, Dec 9-7 SV
113: 1x6 Placers
1st Aizik Myers 12, Allen East
2nd Wyatt Knauss 10, Bluffton
3rd Silas Riblet 10, Ada
132: 1x6 Placers
1st Boat Thompson 11, Columbus Grove
2nd Austin McMichael 10, Spencerville
3rd Tyler Sherard 11, Allen East
4th Wyatt Fisher 9, Ada
138: 1x6 Placers
1st Joey Sawyer 12, Lincolnview
2nd Micah Rehm 10, Bluffton
3rd Collin Sautter 10, Columbus Grove
4th Kale Pedersen 9, Ada
144: 1x6 Placers
1st Jordan Neal 9, Allen East
2nd Cody Ricker 11, Lincolnview
3rd Jett Blackburn 11, Bluffton
4th Levi Schroeder 11, Columbus Grove
5th Liam Vieira 11, Ada
215: 1x6 Placers
1st Brogan Paxson 12, Allen East
2nd Evan Walls 12, Crestview
3rd Ty Meyer 11, Columbus Grove
4th Mason Shank 9, Bluffton
5th Landon Simon 11, Ada
285: 1x6 Placers
1st Kyden Culbertson 11, Allen East
2nd Henry Wiss 9, Spencerville
3rd Brady Fuerst 11, Columbus Grove
4th Braylon Goings 10, Bluffton
5th Nolan Walls 12, Crestview
6th Peyton Karsten 10, Ada
126: 1x6 Placers
1st Gavin Grubb 12, Crestview
2nd Evan Pitts 12, Columbus Grove
3rd Logan Miller 10, Del. Jefferson
4th Zayden Harter 11, Lincolnview
5th Tanner Braun 9, Spencerville
6th Zaiden Denslow 10, Ada
NWC team scores:
1. Columbus Grove 286.5 points
2. Allen East 263
3. Bluffton 212.5
4. Crestview 142
5. Spencerville 138
6. Ada 93
7. Lincolnview 83
8. Delphos Jefferson 34
