2021 OHSWCA Girls State Tournament Breakdown and Predictions

Photo courtesy of @OHGirlWrestling on Twitter.

AWW freelance collaboration

HILLIARD, OHIO - The 2nd Annual Ohio Girls State Tournament, hosted by the Ohio High School Wrestling Coaches Association (OHSWCA), will take place this Saturday and Sunday at Hilliard Davidson High School. A huge step was taken to grow the sport this year, by adding four District qualifiers that took place last weekend and resulted in a 50% increase in the number of girls participating in the postseason.

Each of the weight classes are loaded with returning state champs and placers, nationally ranked girls and plenty of up and comers who have hit the mat running.

We will try and break down each bracket, make predictions, and spotlight the most intriguing matchups. It should be noted that due to COVID, the lightweights (101-137) will wrestle on Saturday and upperweights (143-235) on Sunday, so the 5 match rule will be in effect. The loser of the semifinals will wrestle for 3rd, while anyone losing prior to the semifinals will battle for 5th.
These predictions are to promote the girls sport and create positive discussion about our growth. There are 16 girls per bracket and anything is possible. Go out, take your shot and leave it all on the mat.

101
Reigning State Champion, #1 Hailey Snyder, leads the pack at the lightest weight after winning her District in dominant fashion. She will most likely face #2 and NE District Champ, Riley Banyas, at the end of the day, for a repeat of last year’s finals. #3 Makayla Young, and #8 Scotlyn Adams also took home District titles and will advance through the first round. #4 Cali Lang fell to Snyder at Districts, but we see her pulling out a win in the quarters over Adams to advance. #5 Isabella Savage has had a breakout season and will look to battle back through the consolations and reach the podium after her quarters match versus Snyder. #7 Addison Rudolph brings a lot of experience to the mat and will fight through the consolations after facing Banyas in the quarters.

Medal Match Predictions:
5th Place Match: Addison Rudolph (Central Crossing) over Isabella Savage (Taylor)
3rd Place Match: Makayla Young (Bellefontaine) over Cali Lang (Big Walnut)
Championship: Hailey Snyder (Warren) over Riley Banyas (Elyria)

106
Nationally ranked freshman Chloe Dearwester finds herself atop the 106 weight class heading into this Saturday, but she will be joined by returning State Champion, #2 Chelsea Horsley, and District Champs #6 Kylee Bentley and #15 Kasey Wells. Wells will have a tough quarterfinals match against #8 Emma Swart, just as Bentley will face a veteran wrestler in #4 Savanna Johnson. #3 Morgan Powell has burst onto the scene this year and will tough it out to reach the podium.

Medal Match Predictions:
5th Place Match: Morgan Powell (Mechanicsburg) over Savanna Johnson (Waverly)
3rd Place Match: Emma Swart (Marysville) over Kylee Bentley (Hubbard)
Championship: Chloe Dearwester (Harrison) over Chelsea Horsley (Bellefontaine)

111
The clear front runner at this weight is nationally ranked #1 and returning State Champion, Olivia Shore. The bracketing draw did no favors for #2 Rachel Elizondo as she was placed in the upper half with Shore. If they were separated, this could have been the final’s matchup. #5 Jada Shafer and #12 Emma Rinehart both brought home District titles and will look to keep their hot streaks alive. #6 Rita Carey fell to Elizondo in the District finals, but we see a tightly contested quarterfinal with Rinehart. There is a first round matchup you won’t to miss between #8 Xnai Hatcher and #4 Gracie Straughter. Straughter only fell to this spot because she had to medical default the finals at Districts, but could be a bracket buster.

Medal Match Predictions:
5th Place Match: Emma Rinehart (Mt Vernon) over Gracie Straughter (Reynoldsburg)
3rd Place Match: Rachel Elizondo (Fairfield) over Rita Carey (Brookville)
Championship: Olivia Shore (Miami East) over Jada Shafer (Minerva)

116
This weight is the battle of two titans. #2 Cali Leng upended State Champion #1 Grace Jones in their District finals, but they will meet again in the State finals. #5 Isabella Dibenedetto, #7 Lexi Beadle, and #15 Cerenit Bergeron all won their respective Districts. The quarterfinal that is the most intriguing will be Dibenedetto facing #4 Lexi Zehe. The consolations will be a slug fest as many of these wrestlers are so evenly skilled and the consolation semifinals will definitely be electric as they tough it out to reach the podium.

Medal Match Predictions:
5th Place Match: Lexi Zehe (Madison) over Catie Kerr (Lutheran West)
3rd Place Match: Lexi Beadle (Boardman) over Isabella Dibenedetto (Upper Arlington)
Championship: Cali Leng (Marysville) over Grace Jones (London)

121
There is one name you need to know at 121 pounds and that is nationally ranked and returning State Champ #1 Josie Davis. She straight brings it every time she hits the mat, so don’t blink or you may miss a high flying throw. #2 Grace Hicks got stuck on the same half as Davis and that will benefit #3 Ayla Castin on the top half of the bracket. Castin will have to earn it though as she has to get past #4 Sara Root and #6 Marcellea Hatcher to make the finals. Both of these matches should fire up the crowd. We have a dark horse in this one as we potentially see unranked Rachel Nusky breaking through the consolations and reaching the podium

Medal Match Predictions:
5th Place Match: Sara Root (Miami East) over Rachel Nusky (Badin)
3rd Place Match: Grace Hicks (Lakota West) over Marcellea Hatcher (Cleveland Central Catholic)
Championship: Josie Davis (Sidney) over Ayla Castin (Olentangy Orange)

126
Let’s just start out by saying this is the most wide open weight class in the tournament after there were multiple girls dropping from 131 and coming up from 121. There are probably 8 girls that have the possibility of taking home the crown. #1 Mallory Chunat dropped down from 131 and took the District title, but she will have stiff competition as she tries to reach the finals this year, to improve on her 3rd place finish last year. Chunat will have to face #2 Rylee Gust in the semifinals, who looked equally dominating this season. State Runner-up #3 Carmela Castaneda is on the other half of bracket, along with C/SE District Champ #11 Jaycie Spires who has shown a lot of grit and mental toughness this year. First Round Fireworks matches are #7 Lilly Kinsel vs #9 Michaela Jackson and #3 Alexus Shaneyfelt vs #6 Melania Szawranskyj.

Medal Match Predictions:
5th Place Match: Kelcey Dew (Delaware Hayes) over Jaycie Spires (Amanda Clearcreek)
3rd Place Match: Rylee Gust (Springboro) over Kendra Hiett (Lakota West)
Championship: Mallory Chunat (Alliance) over Carmela Castaneda (Defiance)

131
Returning State Runner Up #1 Cassia Zammit looks to capture the title this year that she narrowly missed out on last season. #2 Natalie Bair, #8 Katie Vogt-Shields , and #9 Macy Carroll each won their respective Districts, but there is work to be done and matches to be won before they reach the finals at State. Standing in Carroll’s way is the winner of the opening round match that has #2 Adrianna Hutson squaring off with #5 Elisa Reese. #4 Sairra Tapp will be waiting for Bair in the quarters.

Medal Match Predictions:
5th Place Match: Sairra Tapp (Wooster) over Emily Segner (Marysville)
3rd Place Match: Katie Vogt Shields (Lakota West) over Adrianna Hutson (Ashtabula Lakeside)
Championship: Cassia Zammit (Miamisburg) over Natalie Bair (Miami East)

137
#1 Allyssa Pirro is a returning State Champ, nationally ranked and finds herself at the top of this weight after dropping down from 143 last year. However, there is a freshman phenom on the other side of the bracket that wants the title herself. #3 Meghan Werbrich won her first District title and has looked excellent all season. #2 Kloe Wulff and #5 Rebekah Oladukin also ended last week with titles. Both semifinals are looking to be solid matches. #4 Lacie Reese and #7 Makenna Helmke will fight through the consolations after tough matches in the quarters.

Medal Match Predictions:
5th Place Match: Makenna Helmke (Tinora) over Lacie Reese (Western Brown)
3rd Place Match: Kloe Wulff (Napoleon) over Rebekah Oladukin (St. Francis Desales)
Championship: Allyssa Pirro (Lutheran West) over Meghan Werbrich (Taylor)

143
#1 Zoe Hussar came up short in last year’s finals, but has had an outstanding season and looks to add a State title to her resume. #10 Marissa Meyer is on the bottom half of the bracket with her, but faces a stiff opening round opponent in #4 Kyleigh Kirby. Another great first round bout is a rematch from last week at districts, where state placer #7 Aida Walters looks to avenge her 5-4 loss to #6 Makina Wood. On the top half, District champs #5 Lily Grahem and NR Karlie Stith will try and battle through the rounds to reach the finals, but may have to face #2 Lizbeth Banderas and #3 Lila Mencer in the quarters to get there.

Medal Match Predictions:
5th Place Match: Katie Palmer (Marysville) over Lizbeth Banderas (Norwood)
3rd Place Match: Lila Mencer (Caledonia River Valley) over Marissa Meyer (Fairfield)
Championship: Zoe Hussar (Rossford) over Lily Grahem (Bishop Watterson)

150
#1 Erin Hamby and returning State runner up #2 Sol Franco are both in the bottom half of the bracket. Hamby has put together an impressive season, while Franco looked dominating at Districts, setting up an exciting semifinal match. NR Erin Martin knocked off two ranked wrestlers in route to her District title, will she keep it rolling at State? District Champ #3 Jayda Patrick will face #4 Noel Frye in a rematch from earlier this season.
Medal Match Predictions:

5th Place Match: Jayde Patrick (Alliance) over Aiyana Tolliver (Waverly)
3rd Place Match: Erin Hamby (Miami East) over Erin Martin (Walnut Hills)
Championship: Sol Franco (New Lexington) over Noel Frye (Olentangy Orange)

160
#1 Maia Crumb looks to get back on track at State after falling in the District finals to #5 Mercedes Motton. She will have to knock off two District champs to get to the championship match; #6 Aubrey Reese in the quarters and #3 Isabell Carrington in the semis. In the bottom half of the bracket, #4 Alayna Lopez will reach the semifinals where she will likely see Motton. If Crumb and Motton make the finals, we are predicting some big moves as both like to go upper body.

Medal Match Predictions:
5th Place Match: Aubrey Reese (Marysville) over Nya Miller (Ridgedale)
3rd Place Match: Isabell Carrington (Chaminade-Julienne) over Alayna Lopez (Lutheran West)
Championship: Maia Crumb (Olentangy Berlin) over Mercedes Motton (Bishop Watterson)

170
Nationally ranked and State Champion #1 Taryn Martin finds herself in the bottom half of the bracket with District champ #4 Abi Miller. These two will meet in the semifinals, but Martin gets the job done to reach the finals. The top half of the bracket is where we will see some intriguing matchups. State Runnerup Bailey Hackett will open the tournament with #7 Gracian Daugherty, before facing #8 Aiden Peoples in the quarters. District Champ #5 Kaylee Griffith has had a great freshman campaign and should reach the semifinals against Hackett.

Medal Match Predictions:
5th Place Match: Savannah Reed (Madison Plains) over Carmen Pape (Delaware Hayes)
3rd Place Match: Kaylee Griffith (Miami East) over Abi Miller (Western Brown)
Championship: Taryn Martin (Olentangy Orange) over Bailey Hackett (Brookfield)

189
This weight is one of those that have a lot of girls that could win it on any given Sunday. The field is led by returning State Champ #1 Ellie Harlow and District Champs # Payton Curley, #8 Talia Mitchell, and #13 Savannah Isaac. In the top half of the bracket, there is #3 Cheyenne Meade #5 Kaylee Ross, and #6 Annika Paton looking to bust the bracket and earn their spot in the medal matches. Down at the bottom #7 Emma Hilliard will face Isaac in the opening round and the winner could find themself in the semis.

Medal Match Predictions:
5th Place Match: Annika Paton (Miami East) over Talia Mitchell (Olentangy Orange)
3rd Place Match: Savannah Isaac (Toledo Whitmer) over Cheyenne Meade (Troy)
Championship: Ellie Harlow (Greenview) over Payton Curley (Dover)

235
State Champion #1 Alaina Jackson hopes to find herself atop the podium for the second straight year, but this year’s field is loaded with talent. #2 Madeleine Wadesisi fell in the District finals to Jackson and will have to overcome a tough #3 Karlie Harlow in the quarters to get that rematch with Jackson in the finals again this year. At the bottom of the bracket, we see a must watch opening match as District Champ #5 Ella Clum faces #8 Rylee Kirkwood. #6 Jessica Edwards and #7 Sydney Preston will battle in the top quarter for the shot at Jackson in the semis.
Medal Match Predictions:

5th Place Match: Celina Nickel (West Union) over Karlie Harlow (Greeneview)
3rd Place Match: Sydney Preston (Miami East) over Ella Clum (Lancaster)
Championship: Alaina Jackson (Minerva) over Madeleine Wadesisi (Cleveland Central Catholic)

The Ohio Girls State Tournament will be held February 20-21 at Hilliard Davidson High School in Hilliard, Ohio. Follow along on TrackWrestling.