Kent Roosevelt’s Penny Edwards had a delayed start to the season because of an injury, but has quickly made up for lost time.

By Roger Gordon

Correspondent

Kent Roosevelt’s Penny Edwards has had an impressive start to the season.

The sophomore Rough Rider has a 15-3 record, with all 15 wins by pin.

Edwards’ latest exploits on the mat came Jan. 2 when she finished runner-up at 110 in the Austintown Fitch Tournament in which more than 30 teams participated.

“Penny wrestled very dominant leading up to the finals matches,” head coach Ryan Fankhauser said of his talented athlete who got a late start to the season due to an injury.

Earlier this season, Edwards was runner-up at both the Hubbard Classic Dec. 21 and the Fort Frye High School Boys Invitational Dec. 22 in which she pinned four boys.

She won the championship of the Dec. 28 East Liverpool Queen of the Hill Tournament.

Said Fankhauser, “We have some minor adjustments to make to win the championship matches on a consistent basis, but Penny definitely put in the work during the off-season, winning a couple national tournaments in girls freestyle wrestling and qualifying for the Fargo Championships. There are nothing but great things coming her way.”

MOGADORE

Duane Funk was more than pleased with his Mogadore team’s 14th -place finish out of 48 teams Dec. 27-28 in the Lutheran West Lady Longhorn Girls Invitational at Rocky River.

“I think both days our girls wrestled really well,” he said. “The matches we lost, I think we can win those towards the end of the season.”

M.J. Shellenbarger finished runner-up at 155.

“The girl M.J. lost to in the finals has her number. She’s beaten her twice this season,” said Funk of his senior Wildcat who was pinned in the second period. “M.J. has been wrestling for a long time, so she understands things, but she just gets herself in some crazy situations

where it’s pretty tight and you can’t get out. She has to continue working on her hips. We’re working on fixing that. She’s strong, has good will and keeps going after it. By the end of the season is when it all really matters.”

Other placers were senior Kai Gaetjens at 140 and sophomore Layla Funk at 115.

ROOTSTOWN

For only having five wrestlers available due to sicknesses and vacations, Rootstown didn’t fare too badly at the Dec. 21 Hubbard Classic.

The Rovers finished 20th out of 42 teams.

“Twentieth wasn’t too horrible,” head coach Nick Sladky said.

The lone placer was sophomore Sophia Byers, whose 5-2 record resulted in a fourth-place finish at 140.

“I see lots of improvement,” said Sladky. “Sophia wrestled hard. She’s out there learning every day, getting better and better.”