COLUMBUS – No one will ever accuse Naomi Gearheart of psyching herself out.
The Crestview junior entered her state championship match Sunday night at Ohio State’s Jerome Schottenstein Center without even knowing her opponent’s grade or record.
And when she trailed Jonathan Alder freshman Reese Thomas by an 11-6 score with less than a minute to go, it was almost as if Gearheart shrugged her shoulders at the situation.
The junior gathered herself and hit a six-point move to come away with a 12-11 victory, giving the Ashland area its first-ever girls wrestling state champion.
“I didn’t know anything about this girl. I didn’t know what grade or what her record was; I hadn’t even seen her until just now,” Gearheart said of Thomas. “It shouldn’t really matter who it is. I’m wrestling a match (and) if anything it’s just a match against myself.
“I was really tired, but I was like, ‘Uh uh, I want it bad, I want it much more than she does.’ This is my third time wrestling here and you’ve gotta know how bad I want it. … I’m usually good at that last-second burst.”
It capped a third consecutive dominant season for Gearheart (47-3), who already had nabbed fifth and third place in Columbus during her first two state stops.
“I thought she had a very businesslike weekend and she handled the adversity in the finals,” Crestview coach Steve Haverdill said. “(Thomas) wrestled very well against us and put us in some situations that we had to battle back through.”
Gearheart opened the tournament with two pins, giving her 22 in a row and 40 for the season. She had no trouble Saturday night in a 15-1 major decision over Olentangy Orange freshman Tara Davis.
But Sunday night’s championship bout was the first challenge she’d had in roughly two months.
Thomas (43-5), projected to place fifth coming into the tournament, had pinned her way to the finals and had leads on Gearheart of 4-3 and 7-4 in the second period before a takedown bumped that to 11-6 in the third.
Below are photos from Gearheart’s championship match Sunday evening. (Credit: Curt Conrad) The story continues below.
Gearheart never wavered
But Crestview’s star junior never wavered, keeping her eyes on Haverdill in her corner.
She said her work with him and Nate Godsey – both former Crestview boys wrestling head coaches – helped her turn the tide.
“I knew I was running out of time, but that’s not something for me to worry about,” Gearheart said. “I trust (Haverdill and Godsey) and they’ll do whatever they need to get me there.
“They’ve been great all season and there’s not a point in my life where I wouldn’t trust them.”
Not only did Gearheart put her stamp on Ashland-area history among girls wrestlers, but she added to Crestview’s bragging rights as well.
Sunday’s championship match was the ninth all-time for the Cougars, giving them their fifth state gold. The other CHS champs include Reggie Johnson (1976 and 1977), Hunter Reed (2007) and Caleb Cunningham (2024).
She’s also just the second Crestview wrestler to place three times at state, joining Hayden Kuhn.
“It’s just a tribute to the program,” Haverdill said. “The kids that have come through have worked extremely hard and they know if you come into this program and you’re willing to put in the time and sacrifice, you can be on top of the podium.”
When Gearheart hits her senior year, she’ll have a 112-13 career record and 96 pins to her name – totals that will put her among Ohio’s best to do it since the OHSAA first sanctioned the sport for girls.
“It’s exciting, but I’m only a junior so there’s still next year. I’m not celebrating until it’s over and it’s not over.”
