March 7, 2009

OHSAA Wrestling Championships End in Record Fashion

St. Edward wins 13th-straight Div. I title, Div. II Graham sets two records, Division III race comes down to final matches

- Video of all championship matches at OhioHSsports.com

- Complete brackets and team standings

COLUMBUS, Ohio � A pair of four-time state champions was crowned, two team records were set and the closest race in almost 30 years came down the final hour of the championships as the 2009 OHSAA wrestling championships wrapped up Saturday night at the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus.

Of the 14 weight classes, Division II power St. Paris Graham qualified nine wrestlers to title matches, winning a state record seven of them. The Falcons had 13 total Top-8 placers on their way to a state record 282 team points. That total is 53 points better than the previous team total of 229 set by Division I Lakewood St. Edward in 2007, and the seven individual titles breaks the record of six set by Cleveland West in 1951.

Graham�s David Taylor and Lakewood St. Edward�s Collin Palmer became the 17th and 18th four-time state champions in OHSAA history. Taylor won state titles at 103 pounds as a freshman and sophomore, 112 pounds last season and 135 pounds this season. Palmer won titles in four different weight classes, including 112, 125, 135 and 140 this season.

Building on its record for state wrestling titles, Lakewood St. Edward won the Division I championship with 111.5 points. It marks the 25th title for the Eagles and their 13th in a row.

The Division III race was not decided until Troy Christian senior Zach Toal�s major decision victory at 160 pounds clinched the Eagles� third-consecutive championship with 113 points. Challenging Troy Christian for the Division III title was runner-up Monroeville, which finished with 112 points, marking the closest team race since Bluffton won the Class A title by half a point over Summit Station Licking Heights in 1981, 67.5 to 67.0.

Toal�s individual title was his third in a row to go along with his team�s third-straight title.

Also factoring into the Division III race was Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy with 108 points.

Massillon Perry finished second in Division I with 91 points and Uhrichsville Claymont was the Division II runner up with 81 points.

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Contact Tim Stried, contact: [email protected]