COLUMBUS — Crestview coach Steve Haverdill had only two words for Naomi Gearheart after her dominant 15-1 win in Saturday’s 145-pound state semifinal match.
“One more,” Haverdill said matter-of-factly.
The business-like Gearheart nodded in agreement.
The Cougars’ junior will wrestle for the state championship Sunday evening inside Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center after the resounding victory over Olentangy Orange’s Tara Davis. Her opponent is Jonathan Alder freshman Reese Thomas, who pinned her way into the finals.
Gearheart will try to become Crestview’s fifth state champion and the area’s first-ever girls state champ. She finished third last year.
“I wanted it last year, now I got (a shot at the state title) this year and it feels so good,” Gearheart said. “Last year I was so close and … I wanted it more this year than I did last year.
“I still got one more match.”
Gearheart (46-3) won’t be the only area wrestler vying for a state title Sunday. Ashland’s Guardian Miller will wrestle for the 150-pound crown after a 10-6 win over Lakewood St. Edward’s Yung Driscoll.
“I don’t think it’s really set in,” Miller said of earning a shot to join Wyatt Music (2013) and Josh Beaver (2019) as Ashland’s only state champs. “My freshman year I was 0-2 (at state) and last year I lost in the first round and came back to take fourth.
“If I focus on myself and know I wrestled the best that I can, the outcome is what it is.”
Podium finishers
Ashland will have two other podium finishes in 138-pounder Mason Bauer and 215-pounder Budda Martin.
Bauer (50-3) reached the state semifinals before falling 4-1 to Perrysburg’s Urijah Lopez. It was Bauer’s second loss to Lopez this season. He’ll wrestle Louisville’s Kaiden Barker in the consolation semifinals.
Martin (47-8) will wrestle Normandy’s James Moore in the seventh-place match. Martin dropped a 4-2 decision in the quarterfinals, but earned his spot on the podium with a pin in his first consolation match.
