By Roger Gordon

Correspondent

Mogadore junior Mackenzie Shellenbarger did something Feb. 15 in the Carrollton Girls Invitational that Duane Funk, also the girls head coach, has never seen in 30 years of coaching wrestling.

“In the 170-pound championship match she got caught off her feet and was on her back for a minute and 50 seconds in the first period,” Funk said. “She held out and did not give up the pin. She was getting beat 7-0 but came back in the second and third periods to tie the score and then got the lead and ended up pinning the girl in the third period. I’ve never seen anybody do that — 1:50 on your back and then coming back to win.”

Overall, the Wildcats finished 10 th overall with 77 points out of 51 teams.

The two other placers were Kai Gaetjens at 130 and Layla Funk at 110.

“Kai wrestled solid all day,” said Funk. “The matches she lost, she could’ve done a couple things different. That’s what these tournaments are for, to learn. She got a couple pins in the consolations and pinned her way to third place. Layla wrestled really tough. She got a little bit outmuscled. She came in as a 12 seed, so I was pretty happy about her getting sixth.”

Two days earlier, on Feb. 13 at home against Rootstown, the younger Funk and Gaetjens both won two matches – Funk by pin at 105 and tech fall at 115 and Gaetjens by pin at both 125 and 135.

“I think Layla wrestled really well,” the coach said. “I was a little concerned because Rootstown’s 115 had been pretty solid throughout the season, but Layla went out there and took it to her while giving up a little bit of weight. Kai was very good on her feet, and she was very tough on the mat. Once she got her opponents to the mat, she was locking them up and getting them on their back.”

     • Next up for Mogadore: Sectional tournament at Canal Fulton Northwest on Feb. 23 at 9 a.m.

KENT ROOSEVELT

Kent Roosevelt freshman Penny Edwards tech falled her way to the championship match in the 100-pound weight class Feb. 15 in the Brunswick Girls Invitational. In the title match, Edwards lost to Lorain’s Cali Otero, the No. 3 ranked wrestler in the state.

“Penny is looking forward to another opportunity to face that girl in the postseason,” head coach Ryan Fankhauser said.

     • Next up for Kent Roosevelt: Sectional tournament at Canal Fulton Northwest on Feb. 23 at 9 a.m.

ROOTSTOWN

Rootstown finished 18th with 41 points out of 51 teams Feb. 15 at the Carrollton Girls Invitational.

“We did well,” head coach Nick Sladky said.

Freshman Morgan Giebel placed third in the 145-pound weight class, and junior Ella Derr was fifth at 135.

“Ella had a couple losses early but fought back,” said Sladky.

Two days earlier on Feb. 13 at Mogadore, Giebel and classmate Sophia Byers both won by pin – Giebel at 145, Byers at 135.

“Morgan wrestled well. She’s tough,” said the coach. “Sophia also wrestled well, wrestled tough.”

     • Next up for Rootstown: Sectional tournament at Canal Fulton Northwest on Feb. 23 at 9 a.m.

FIELD

Head coach Mason Brainard’s Field team is progressing nicely. The latest example was the Falcons tying for 29th place with 24 points out of 51 teams Feb. 15 in the Carrollton Girls Invitational.

“I think, overall, we wrestled pretty well,” said Brainard. “We were battling a couple injuries, but you can see the improvements from previous tournaments, and that’s really all the goal is every tournament we go to, to see the improvement. I think you can see the passion and excitement that the girls are wanting to get better, and they can see that they continue to progress.”

Junior Elizabeth Rock won two matches in the 155-pound weight class.

“There were a couple things we were working on in practice, and I think Elizabeth went out there and continues to get better every time she wrestles,” Brainard said. “She was aggressive and wanted to score points and not wait for the opponents to come to her, and I think she did that well.”

Freshman Thea Rebeck (170) and junior Izzy Dickens (190) each won a match.

“Thea has progressed very well from the beginning of the season,” said the coach. “Two weekends ago and last weekend, you can see the moves coming together. She’s starting to put more than one move together. She’s trying to be more aggressive and starting to take control of the matches instead of letting the matches come to her. Izzy’s first match didn’t go the way she wanted it to. She made one or two mistakes that put her in a bad position. In the next match, she went out there and was the aggressor, trying to score points. You could really see the effort. She wrestled really well all day.”

     • Next up for Field: Sectional tournament at Canal Fulton Northwest on Feb. 23 at 9 a.m.