COLUMBUS — It wasn’t what Mason Bauer wanted, but it was historic nonetheless.

Bauer, Ashland’s 106-pounder, became the program’s first-ever freshman state placer when he finished fifth Sunday morning at Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center.

Bauer cruised to an 8-0 win over Cincinnati Elder’s Colin Broxterman in his Division I place match.

He already had secured a podium finish and a place in Ashland history when he reached the state semifinals Saturday afternoon. He was guaranteed of no worse than a sixth-place finish.

“I told him that when he got knocked out of his first state tournament that he was my favorite wrestler to watch,” said Bauer’s father and first-year Ashland coach Tommy Bauer.

“It’s definitely different (coaching a son). I get a front-row seat and I have to keep myself in check sometimes.”

The younger Bauer finished the weekend with three wins. He was 47-5 in his rookie season.

“It’s neat. I’ve wrestled in big arenas but nothing can really prepare you to walk through the tunnel and see all those state champions on the wall,” Mason Bauer said. “It was tough losing that (semifinal) match because the goal was to be on the top of the podium. 

“I had to re-focus quick.”

Another area freshman, Crestview’s Naomi Gearheart, matched Bauer with a fifth-place finish. The 155-pounder’s roller-coaster ride of a weekend culminated with a 6-4 sudden victory win over Columbia’s Cailyn Demagall in the fifth-place match.

Gearheart was the only freshman in her 16-person bracket.

“I actually found out about it when I got here,” Gearheart said. “I definitely feel like I fit in with (the older wrestlers).

“It doesn’t really bother me all that much. I never really pay attention to what grade they are in.”

The win over Demagall was sweet revenge for Gearheart. The two met in the quarterfinals and Gearheart was ahead late in the match when Demagall scored a takedown and three back points for a 7-6 lead.

“I’m just proud of the way she wrestled this whole weekend. She battled through some adversity getting to where she got,” Crestview coach Nate Godsey said. “To battle her way back through to get onto the podium and then to win a match … there’s only four people on the bracket who get to end on a win. That is your goal, to end your season with a win.

“I’m just proud of what she’s done.”