Shannon Eldreth/Special to Portage Sports

By Roger Gordon

Correspondent

ROOTSTOWN

Despite several athletes being out due to sicknesses and injuries, the Rootstown girls wrestling team tied for 12th out of 39 teams with 46 points at the Orrville Invitational on Jan. 19. Parma Normandy won the championship with 242 points.

“We even had a girl break her arm in her match,” head coach Nick Sladky said, “so we did really well.”

Freshman Morgan Giebel finished runner-up in the 145-pound weight division, and her classmate Sophia Byers placed fourth at 140.

“For a freshman, Morgan wrestled really well. I’ve seen a lot of improvement out of her. She wrestled hard and fought through,” Sladky said. “Sophia wrestled real tough, real hard. She lost a couple close matches, but she’s learning, she’s improving.”

     • Next for Rootstown: Tri-meet against host Aurora and Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy on Jan. 23 at 6 p.m.

KENT ROOSEVELT

Kent Roosevelt freshman wrestler Penny Edwards won one match in the 100-pound weight class at the Top Gun Tournament on Jan. 18 at Alliance. Her record is now 17-5 this season.

     • Next for Kent Roosevelt: 4th annual Lady Riders Invitational at Columbia Station on Jan. 25.

FIELD

The Field girls wrestling team had not competed in a while heading into the Top Gun Tournament on Jan. 18 at Alliance, so head coach Mason Brainard told his wrestlers to focus on correcting, learning and improving.

Overall, the Falcons finished 21st out of 31 teams.

With one win apiece were freshman Emma Long in the 115-pound weight class and juniors Elizabeth Rock (155) and Izzy Dickens (190).

“Overall,” said Brainard, “I think we went out there and we did what we wanted to do as far as seeing the growth and improvement in the team. All the girls are fairly new to the sport. I think the biggest thing is just gaining valuable mat time and valuable experience.”

     • Next up for Field: Tri-meet against host Canal Fulton Northwest and Lyndhurst Brush on Jan. 24 at 6 p.m.; Fear the Spear Tournament at Northwest on Jan. 25 at 9 a.m.