2026 OHSAA Girls Wrestling State Program Preview
By Jarrod Ullrey
Although the state girls wrestling tournament heads into just its fourth season being sanctioned by the OHSAA, Olentangy Orange has established itself as the state’s premier program, earning a state runner-up finish in 2023 and championships each of the past two seasons.
One thing the Pioneers still lack is a state individual champion, but they’ll enter this year’s event with a plethora of opportunities to reach that goal considering they have a state-best eight qualifiers.
That’s one more than a year ago when Orange wound up with four state placers and scored 111.5 points to win the championship while Marysville took second (80.5).
The Monarchs enter this year’s state event March 13-15 in Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center again as a strong contender after qualifying five from the Central District tournament.
Harrison, which won the 2023 state title and was runner-up in 2024, captured this year’s district title on its home mats and enters state with six qualifiers.
The other district championship teams were Elyria, which qualified five from the Mentor tournament, and Archbold, which advanced three from Findlay.
The Pioneers’ best hopes of winning their first individual title could lay with junior Mackenzie Carder (120 pounds), a two-time state runner-up who won district and is 42-2, and senior Lacie Knick (130), who was runner-up as a freshman and won state as a sophomore while attending Clayton Northmont before finishing fourth last season for Orange at 125.
Steubenville junior Talea Guntrum, who won titles at 120 in each of her first two prep seasons, takes a 41-0 record into this year’s event at 135 after winning the Mentor district title.
Another who will try to win her third state title is Loveland senior Elizabeth Madison, who won championships at 170 as both a freshman and sophomore before settling for runner-up at 170 last season. She remains at the same weight and is 36-0 after winning the Harrison district title.
There are seven others who enter state having previously won one championship.
Massillon Perry sophomore Carolyn Geckler captured the title at 115 last season and is 37-1 at 130 after winning the Mentor district title.
Berea-Midpark senior Deionna Borders will try to become a four-time state placer at 235 after taking seventh as a freshman, third as a sophomore, and first last season. She won this year’s Mentor district title and is 34-0.
Gahanna Lincoln junior Kylee Tibbs competed at 140 the last two seasons, taking second as a freshman and first last season, and is 40-2 at 155 after winning this year’s Big Walnut district title.
Mount Vernon junior Ashlynn Brokaw, who was third at 105 as a freshman and won the title at 110 last season, won this year’s Big Walnut district title at 110 and heads into state at 40-2.
Doylestown Chippewa junior Kayla Moroschan won state as a freshman at 120 and took third at the same weight at 120 last season. She is now at 125 and moved to 47-1 after winning the Mentor district title.
A pair of third-place district finishers from the Harrison district, Liberty Township Lakota East junior Camryn Gresham (115), and West Chester Lakota West senior Kelsey King (130), were state champs a year ago. Gresham, who was fifth at 100 as a freshman and first at 110 a year ago, is 15-3, while King was seventh at 135 as a freshman, won the state title at 125 last winter, and is 16-6 at 130 heading into this year’s event.
100
Jackson’s Makennah Craft graduated after winning state titles each of the last four seasons at 100.
Tinora senior Bella Graziani, who was state runner-up last season, won the Findlay district and looks to be the favorite at 36-0.
Shaw junior Aniya Polk, the Mentor district champ, is 32-0.
The other district champions in the bracket are Blanchester junior Laylla Sears (40-1) from the Harrison district and Marysville freshman Avery Riley (38-8) from the Big Walnut district.
Poland Seminary junior Ella Thomas (38-3) and Avon Lake senior Destiny Cabot (34-7), who finished third and fourth, respectively, last season, are among the other contenders.
105
After losing 7-6 to Brokaw in last year’s title bout, Urbana junior Libertie Nigh (28-2) is again among the favorites at 105 after winning the Harrison district title.
Caledonia River Valley junior Valerie Riegel (47-5), who won the Big Walnut district, is back at state after previously qualifying as a freshman.
The other district champions in the field are freshmen: Elmore Woodmore’s Tinley Thieroff (31-5) from the Findlay district and Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit’s Isabella Thiel (29-3) from the Mentor district.
Northmont sophomore Ja’Leia Mitchell (39-6), who was sixth at 100 last season, and Massillon Perry junior Mia Forberg (37-8), who was seventh at 105 a year ago, are other returning state placers.
110
Brokaw’s toughest competition could come from Harrison senior Leah Willen (36-4), a district champion who was fourth a year ago and is looking to become a four-time state placer.
Elmwood sophomore Triniti Bechstein (41-2), who was a state qualifier at 105 last season, won the Findlay district.
The other district champion was Maysville freshman Presley Sandobal (39-4) from the Mentor district.
Perry junior Abby Cornwell (29-5), who was seventh last season at 110 and was this year’s Mentor district runner-up, New Richmond junior Charley Jones (23-1), who took fourth at 105 a year ago, and Warren sophomore Emma Gorrell (45-4), who was sixth at 115 last year, are other strong candidates.
115
Joining Gresham as a top contender at 115 is Dresden Tri-Valley senior Kandice Spry (48-4), who was state runner-up last season.
Spry lost 4-3 in this year’s district title bout to Barnesville freshman Ladyn Hines (35-4) at Mentor.
Wauseon junior Kaelynn Hartsock (37-10) from the Findlay district, Thomas Worthington junior Reagan Johnson (36-4) from the Big Walnut district, and freshman Kaylee Vera (41-2) from the Harrison district were the other district champions.
Northmont junior Katilyn Tanner (41-8), who was the Harrison district runner-up, took seventh a year ago.
120
Carder has lost just six prep matches over her prep career. She won 4-3 in the district final over Marysville junior Cami Leng (40-5), who was state runner-up at 115 as a freshman and was state runner-up last season at 110 before electing to move to 120 this winter.
Miamisburg junior Lila Krull (39-1) took eighth as a freshman and was runner-up last season while competing at 125 but has moved to 120 and won the Harrison district title.
Clyde sophomore Meredith Greenslade (45-2), who was eighth at 115 a year ago, enters as the Findlay district champion.
Maysville sophomore Audrey Crooks (47-5) won the district title at Mentor.
125
Among those joining Moroschan at 125 is Clermont Northeastern senior Liberty Johnson (44-6), who won the Harrison district after taking fifth at state at 130 last season.
Brecksville senior Anna Madi (22-2), who won the Findlay district title, was seventh at 125 last season.
Grove City freshman Kendleigh Dowalter (38-3) was the Big Walnut district champion.
Also at this weight are East Liverpool junior Paige Cowan (39-4), who was sixth at 125 last season, and Hilliard Bradley junior Kelly Lemons (24-6), who took sixth at 120 a year ago.
130
All of last year’s state placers at 130 have either moved to a different weight or graduated.
Joining Geckler and Knick as district champions heading into state are Brunswick senior Marisa Martin (37-3), who was eighth last season at 125, and Oak Hills freshman Eleanor Polking (48-1).
While King is hoping to win another state title, she enters state as a third seed after losing in a Harrison district semifinal to Benjamin Logan sophomore and eventual district runner-up Bella Hughes (33-11).
135
While Guntrum has lost just four prep matches and looks to be the favorite at 135, Orange senior Chloe Tompkins (19-2) was runner-up at this year’s Big Walnut district and was fourth at state a year ago at 135.
Kettering Alter senior Alora Strauser (39-5), who was state runner-up at 130 last season, won the Harrison district title.
Another strong candidate is United senior Auston Brown (41-5), who was fourth as a freshman and third each of the last two seasons while competing at 125.
The Big Walnut district champion was Licking Valley senior Adison Justice (42-3), a two-time state placer.
Lakewood junior El Tha (42-5) won the Findlay district title.
Harrison sophomore Haylynn Littleton (30-9) also is in the bracket after taking eighth a year ago.
140
Logan sophomore Brooklyn Whited (48-1) was runner-up at 135 and will look to move up one spot higher on the podium at the larger weight after winning the Big Walnut district title.
Attica Seneca East junior Kiera Depinet (27-2), who lost to Whited in a state semifinal and went on to finish fifth at state last season, also is at 140 after winning the Findlay district title.
Columbia senior Youstina Hanna (40-1) from the Mentor district and Fairborn junior Serenity Ulmer-Earnest (44-3) from the Harrison district are the other district champions.
Lebanon senior Chanelle Trammell (45-6) took sixth at 140 a year ago.
Also in the mix are Massillon Perry junior Emma Shephard (38-5), who was fourth at 130 last season, and Cincinnati Princeton senior Kimora Carpenter (40-7), who took eighth at 145 a year ago.
145
Ashland Crestview junior Naomi Gearheart (43-3), the Findlay district champion, was third at 145 a year ago.
She should be challenged by Jamestown Greeneview junior Lily Hendricks (42-3), the Harrison district champion who was state runner-up last winter at 140.
The other No. 1 seeds are Tuscarawas Valley senior Tori Wilson (31-6) from the Mentor district and Jonathan Alder freshman Reese Thomas (40-4) from the Big Walnut district.
New Middletown Springfield sophomore Abigale Miller (37-4), who was third at the Mentor district, took fourth last season at 145 while competing for Poland Seminary.
155
Tibbs’ top competition at 155 could come from Lebanon senior Natalie Carlisle (48-5), who was state runner-up at 155 last season and won this year’s Harrison district title.
Archbold sophomore Vivi Legato (35-2), who won the Findlay district, lost to Carlisle in a state semifinal last season and went on to finish third.
Lyndhurst Brush senior Brooklyn Baskin (40-4) won the Mentor district championship.
Black River junior Taylor Owen (38-6) is another who has reached previously reached the podium after taking seventh at 145 a year ago.
170
Madison has lost just two prep matches, with one coming in last year’s state final.
Austintown-Fitch sophomore Reghan Koch, who won the Mentor district, takes a 51-0 record into state. She was seventh at 155 a year ago.
Canal Winchester senior Razilee Wisseh (39-3) won the Big Walnut district title over Gahanna senior Jordan Mills (38-3), who was sixth at 170 last season.
Napolen sophomore Martina Ebaugh (37-6) won the Findlay district championship.
Tinora senior Paige Gamby (39-7) was eighth at 170 last winter.
Harrison junior Rylee Dearwester (17-2), who was district runner-up on her home mats, was a state qualifier at 140 last season.
190
Carrollton junior Riley Alborn (41-4), who took third at 190 a year ago and won this year’s Mentor district, enters as a strong contender.
Findlay Liberty-Benton senior Evie Parmelee (40-1) finished sixth at 235 a year ago and was first at this year’s Findlay district tournament.
Gahanna junior Mykah Bailey (45-2) won the district title at Big Walnut and Huber Heights Wayne freshman Amiyah Murray (23-6) took first at Harrison.
New Philadelphia junior Isabelle Ramirez (41-9) was eighth last season at 190.
235
Borders enters state as the favorite after pinning her way to a district title.
Among those challenging her will be Archbold senior Gabby Oregon (34-2), a four-time state qualifier who won this year’s Findlay district title and placed third at state last season.
Beavercreek senior Aaliyah Crawford (15-2) won the Harrison district title and Madison Plains senior Tara Nagel (39-1) was first at the Big Walnut district tournament.
Valley Forge senior Hadeel Abuqbitta (20-4) took eighth a year ago.