Headlines & Storylines from 2021 Ironman

Photo: Marc Anthony McGowan (right) of Blair Academy squared off against Ben Davino of St. Charles East High School and eventually won the 120-pound championship and led his team to a 16th all-time Walsh Jesuit Ironman team title in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, on Dec. 12. Photo by Robert Preston.

By Mike Finn

CUYAHOGA FALLS, OHIO — Just the fact that there was a 2021 Walsh Jesuit Ironman in an on-going pandemic — which cancelled the 2020 event for the first time since it began in 1994 — was significant. But by the time the two-day prestigious high school event ended Dec. 12 in this community just south of Cleveland, there were plenty of storylines that will be featured in the next issue of WIN Magazine.

WIN Magazine will provide an in-depth look at this year’s Ironman in its next issue that will be printed on Dec. 17. Click on image or call 888-305-0606 above to subscribe to WIN Magazine.

The following are few of those headlines:

• Fishback overcomes ankle injury to win 190-pound championship and earn OW honors —There was no doubt that this weight class was the toughest as six of the top-eight ranked wrestlers at this weight by WIN entered the tournament. And Dylan Fishback, the No. 1-ranked senior from Aurora (Ohio) High School overcame a serious ankle injury, which forced him to stop wrestling just moments before the future NC State wrestler scored a late takedown against No. 3-ranked Rylan Rogers, a 2019 Ironman champ, of Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, to win the championship and later earn Outstanding Wrestling honors.
• McGowan repeats and leads Blair Academy to 16^th all-time title — The last time this event took place in 2019, Blair Academy’s Marc Anthony McGowan won the 106-pound championship, but his Buc team failed to win the team title. This year, the original native of Tampa, Fla., won the 120-pound championship and led the New Jersey prep school to an unparalleled 16^th all-time team title as the Bucs scored 176.5 points to out-distance Malvern Prep (146) and 2019 champ Wyoming Seminary (137).
• Stillwater proves it’s more than just a great college wrestling town — Everyone knows that perennial NCAA Division I power Oklahoma State is in Stillwater, Okla. But coach Ethan Kyle — a former OSU wrestler who returned this past year to this community where he went to college — is also helping put Stillwater High School on the high school wrestling map. He saw two of his wrestlers — LaDarion Locket (a No. 18 seed), and Angelo Ferrari (the younger brother of OSU national champ A.J. Ferrari) win the 144- and 157-pound championships and lead Stillwater to a No. 4 team finish.
• Chicago-area friends reunite to see each with Ironman titles — Vincent Robinson of Homewood-Flossmoor (Ill.) High School and Nasir Bailey of Rich Township (Ill.) certainly have traveled different paths since they first started wrestling as members of the Harvey Twisters Club in Chicago. Robinson had transferred to H-F after first wrestling at Marian Catholic and Bailey was forced to leave Illinois (because of the pandemic) and went to Texas, where he won a state championship. When they each won Ironman championships at 132 and 138 pounds, they got to celebrate together.

There were plenty of other storylines, including the fact that the Ironman featured the future NFHS weights adopted by Ohio. Click here or call 888-305-0606 to subscribe to WIN Magazine, which prints its next issue on Dec. 17.

The following were the Top 20 teams from the 2021 Ironman:  1. Blair Academy, 176.5; 2. Malvern Prep, 146; 3. Wyoming Seminary (PA), 137; 4. Stillwater, 107.5; 5. Bethlehem Catholic, 107; 6. Graham, 97; 7. Crescent Valley, 91.5; 8. Waynesburg Central, 85; 9. St. Edward, 83.5; 10. Lake Highland Prep, 82.5; 11. Mt. Carmel, 70.5; 12. Perrysburg, 68.5; 13. Liberty, 66; 14. Dublin Coffman, 65.5; 15. Aurora and Pomona, 62; 17. Legacy Christian Academy, 57.5; 18. Minisink Valley, 53; 19. New Kent,50; 20. Notre Dame, 49.5

The following are results from the Top 8 finishes as well as the semifinals and quarterfinals at all 14 weight classes.

106 pounds

1st – Beric Jordan (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) dec. Nate Desmond (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), 6-4 sv; 3rd – Cooper Hilton (Wyoming Seminary, Pa) dec. Anthony Mutarelli (Malvern Prep, Pa.), 3-2; 5th – Seth Mendoza (Mt. Carmel) 5-2, Fr. over Christian Forbes (Broken Arrow), 3-0; 7th – Deion Johnson (Homewood-Flossmoor) dec. Carson Dupill (Greeneville), 5-0

Semifinals — Desmond dec. Hilton, 2-0; Jordan dec. Mutarelli, 6-3

Quarterfinals — Desmond dec. Ayden Smith (Notre Dame), 5-0; Hilton dec. Christian Forbes (Broken Arrow), 5-1; Mutarelli dec. Mendoza, 11-6; Jordan won by TF over Javaan Yarbrough (Copley), 17-2, 3:13.

113 pounds

1st – Marcus Blaze (Perrysburg, Ohio) dec. Luke Lilledahl (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), 3-2 tb; 3rd – Draegen Orine (Seckman, Ohio) dec. Leo DeLuca (Blair Academy, N.J.), 5-2; 5th – Ethan Rivera (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) dec. Billy Smith (Perkins, Ohio), 5-3; 7th – Matthew Botello (Hingham, Mass.) dec. Wyatt Richter (St. Edward, Ohio); 9-2

Semifinals — Lilledahl dec. Orine, 5-4 tb; Blaze dec. DeLuca, 4-1

Quarterfinals — Lilledahl dec. Tommy Link (Malvern Prep), 7-2; Orine pinned Codie Cuerbo (Aurora), 2:41; DeLuca major dec. Botello, 11-1; Blaze dec. Rivera, 3-1 sv

120 pounds

1st -Mark Anthony McGowan (Blair Academy, N.J.) dec. Ben Davino (St. Charles East, Mo.), 5-2; 3rd – Zan Fugitt (Nixa, Mo.) dec. Dillon Campbell (Legacy Christian Academy, Ohio), 3-0; 5th – Brandon Cannon (Ponderosa, Colo.) dec. Peyton Fenton (Elyria, Ohio), 1-0; 7th -Brendan McCrone (Lake Catholic, Ohio) dec. Jack Consiglio (Malvern Prep, Pa), 3-0

Semifinals — Anthony-McGowan dec. Cannon, 8-3; Davino dec. Fugitt, 5-3

Quarterfinals — McGowan major dec. McCrone, 10-1; Cannon dec. Gabe Giampietro (Smyrna), 6-3; Davino dec. Dillon Campbell, 7-2; Fugitt dec. Jack Consiglio, 5-2

126 pounds

1st – Vincent Robinson (Homewood-Flossmoor, Ill.) dec. Kannon Webster (Washington, Ill.), 5-3; 3rd – Sergio Lemley (Mt. Carmel, Ill.) dec. Nick O’Neill (Malvern Prep, Pa.), 8-7; 5th – Gabe Whisenhunt (Crescent Valley, Ore.) pinned Dante Frinzi (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), 3:33; 7th – JJ McComas (Stillwater, Okla.) won by forfeit over Clay Giddens-Buttram (Bixby, Okla.)

Semifinals — Webster dec. Whisenhunt, 9-5; Robinson dec. Lemley, 3-1 sv;

Quarterfinals — Webster dec. Matthew Lopes (Blair Academy), 7-2; Whisenhunt major dec. Joe Fernau (Aurora Christian), 11-3; Lemley major dec. Giddens-Buttram, 18-5; Robinson dec. O’Neill, 3-1

132 pounds

1^st – Nasir Bailey (Rich Township, Ill.) pinned Mac Church (Waynesburg Central), 6:28); 3rd -Braden Basile (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.) dec. Spencer Barnhart (Malvern Prep, Pa.), 5-4; 5th – Ty Wilson (Dublin Scioto, Ohio) dec. Christopher Martino (Bishop Kelly, Idaho), 4-2; 7th – Pablo Castro (Louisville, Ohio) won by injury default over Joshua Neiwert (Gonzaga Preparatory)

Semifinals —Bailey major dec. Basile, 10-2; Church dec. Barnhart, 7-4

Quarterfinals — Bailey pinned Neiwert, 1:46; Basile dec. Wilson, 4-3 UTB; Barnhart dec. Logan Rozynski (Wyoming Seminary (PA), 5-0; Church won by TF over Martino), 15-0, 4:54

138 pounds

1st – Tyler Kasak (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) won by injury default over. P.J Duke (Minisink Valley, N.Y.) (4:00); 3rd – Brennan Van Hoecke (Palmetto Ridge, Fla.) dec. Nate Burnett (Elyria Ohio), 3-2; 5th – Paul Ognissanti (Blair Academy, N.J.) dec. Sam Cartella (Western Reserve Academy, Ohio, 4-2; 7th – Tom Crook (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.) dec. Dy`Vaire VanDyke (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio), 3-2

Semifinals — Duke dec. Van Koecke, 7-5 sv; Kasak dec. Burnett, 5-3

Quarterfinals — Duke major dec. Jace Roller (Bixby), 14-3; Van Hoecke dec. Kody Ketchum (Park Hill), 8-1; Kasak major dec. Cartella, 12-2; Burnett dec. Crook, 10-4

144 pounds

1st – LaDarion Lockett (Stillwater, Okla.) dec. Kyle Dutton (Liberty, Mo.), 6-4; 3rd -Danny Nini (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) dec. Kal Miller (Park Hill), 1-0; 5th – Joey Blaze (Perrysburg, Ohio) dec. Ethan Birden (Dublin Coffman, Ohio), 5-1; 7th – Colin Dupill (Greeneville, Tenn.) dec. Weston Dalton (Pueblo East) 4-3, Jr. (Dec 4-3)

Semifinals —Dutton dec. Nini, 5-2; Lockett dec. Miller, 5-3

Quarterfinals — Nini dec. Dalton, 3-1; Dutton pinned William Henckel (Blair Academy), 5:49; Miller dec. Evan Holloway (New Kent), 6-5; Lockett dec. Dupill, 5-3

150 pounds

1st – Daniel Cardenas (Pomona, Colo.) major dec. Richard Fedalen (McDonogh School, Md.), 10-1; 3rd – Derek Raike (Point Pleasant, W. Va.) dec. Kael Voinovich (Stillwater, Okla.), 11-5; 5th – Braden Stauffenberg (Aurora Christian, Ohio) dec. Carson Miller (Palmetto Ridge, Fla.), 3-0; 7th – Christopher Earnest (Wadsworth) dec. Gavin Brown (Legacy Christian Academy, Ohio)

Semifinals — Cardenas major dec. Voinovich, 12-2; Fedalen dec. Raike, 5-3

Quarterfinals — Cardenas won by TF over Earnest, 17-2, 3:47; Voinovich dec. Ethan Mojena (Lake Highland Prep), 6-3; Raike dec. Brown, 5-2); Fedalen dec. Logan Rathjen (Liberty), 4-0

157 pounds

1st – Angelo Ferrari (Stillwater) dec. Logan Ours (Beaver Local, Ohio) 6-5 tb; 3rd – Zackary Ryder (Minisink Valley, NY) dec. Murphy Menke (Ponderosa, Colo.), 3-1; 5th – Connor Euton (Westerville North, Ohio) 4-2, Sr. over Nick Vafiadis (New Kent, Ohio), 6-3; 7th – Brendon Abdon (Lake Gibson, Fla.) dec. Alex Poore (Caravel Academy, Del.), 5-4

Semifinals — Ferrari dec. Euton, 5-3; Ours dec. Vafiadis, 4-3

Quarterfinals — Ferrari dec. Menke, 7-1; Euton dec. Abdon, 5-1; Ours dec. Poore, 10-3; Vafiadis dec. Ryder, 2-1

165 pounds

1st – Rocco Welsh (Waynesburg Central, Pa.) dec. Lorenzo Norman (Blair Academy, NJ), 1-0; 3rd – Dom Baker (New Kent, Ohio) 6-1, Sr. over Tyer Lillard (Aurora, Ill.), 6-1; 5th – Jonathan Ley (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) dec. Evan Bennett (St. Edward), 6-3; 7th – Dez Gartrell (Dublin Coffman, Ohio) dec. Carter Schubert (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), 2-1 utb

Semifinals —Welsh dec. Lillard, 3-1; Norman dec. Bennett, 6-5

Quarterfinals — Welsh dec. Schubert, 2-1 (Dec 5-4) Lillard dec. Baker, 3-2); Bennett dec. Holden Garcia (Notre Dame), 2-0); Norman dec. Ley, 7-4

175 pounds

1st – Brody Conley (Tiffin Columbian, Ohio) dec. James Rowley (Crescent Valley, Ore.), 4-2; 3rd – Luke Geog (St. Edward, Ohio) dec. Daniel Wask (Blair Academy, NJ), 5-2; 5th – Gage Wright (Parkersburg South, W. Va.) won by med. forfeit over Gabe Arnold (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.); 7th – Braden Welch (Ashland, Ohio) pinned Daniel Williams (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), 4:04

Semifinals — Rowley dec. Wask, 7-6; Conley won by med. forfeit over Arnold

Quarterfinals — Rowley pinned Welch, 2:43; Wask dec. Geog, 4-3 tb; Conley major dec. Frank Solorzano (Lake Gibson), 12-1; Arnold major dec.  Wright, 16-7

190 pounds

1st – Dylan Fishback (Aurora) dec. Rylan Rogers (Coeur D`Alene, Idaho), 3-1; 3rd -Hayden Walters (Crescent Valley, Ore.) dec. Seth Shumate (Dublin Coffman, Ohio), 3-2 utb; 5th – Stephen Little (Union County) dec. Blake Schaffer (Louisville, Ohio), 11-4; 7th – Jude Correa (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) won by injury default over Andrew Donahue (Olentangy Liberty)

Semifinals — Fishback dec. Walters, 6-3; Rogers dec. Shumate, 3-1

Quarterfinals — Fishback major dec. Camden McDanel (Teays Valley), 9-1; Walters dec. Schaffer, 5-3; Shumate dec. Correa, 10-8; Rogers dec. Little, 3-1 sv

215 pounds

1st – Thomas Stewart (Blair Academy, N.J.) dec. Logan Shephard (Massillon Perry, Ohio), 7-3; 3rd – Jack Darrah (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. Max Shulaw (St. Francis Desales) 6-2 sv; 5th – Carter Neves (St. Paris, Graham, Ohio) dec. Kyle Snider (Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, Ohio), 5-2; 7th – Parker Ferrell (Christiansburg, Va.) pinned Luke MacDonald (Bennington, Neb.) 2:01

Semifinals —Stewart dec. Darrah, 7-2; Shephard dec. Neves, 6-3

Quarterfinals — Stewart major dec. Max Shulaw (St. Francis Desales), 15-4; Darrah dec.  Ferrell, 3-1 sv; Shephard pinned Erick Brothers (Wheeling Park, W.Va.), 3:27; Neves dec. Snider, 5-2

285 pounds

1st – Nicholas Feldman (Malvern Prep, Pa.) major dec. Kolby Franklin (Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) 15-6); 3rd – Matthew Moore (Mesa Ridge, Colo.) pinned Nolan Neves (St. Paris, Graham, Ohio), 4:40; 5th – Ryan Boersma (Mt. Carmel, Ill.) major dec. Noah Tustin (Waynesburg Central, Pa.) 5-3, Sr., 13-2) 7th – Aiden Lacoma (Christiansburg, Va.) dec. Aidan Fockler (Massillon Perry, Ohio), 9-2

Semifinals — Feldman won by TF over Neves, 25-10 (5:04); Franklin dec. Moore, 8-6

Quarterfinals — Feldman won by TF over Fockler, 25-10, 4:54; Neves dec. Evan Anderson (Western Reserve Academy), 4-3; Franklin dec. Lacoma, 3-0; Moore dec. Boersma, 4-3