LORAIN — While St. Edward took its usual spot at the top of the leaderboard, Lorain County powers Elyria and Southview were putting on a show just below at the Division I sectional tournament Saturday night.
The Pioneers finished second with a pair of sectional champions and will have nine wrestlers at next weekend’s district tournament, and the Saints finished third with one sectional champ and eight district qualifiers.
“It’s good to see two good programs just down the street from each other getting after it,” Pioneers coach Erik Burnett said. “Southview has a young program and they’re doing a tremendous job over there. I look forward to watching their kids next week and seeing how they do.”
Junior 152-pounder Zack Goins picked up Elyria’s first sectional title when
St. Edward’s Cory Martinson bowed out due to an injury. Junior Ryan Nelisse pinned the Eagles’ Nate Rychlik to capture the 189-pound championship.
“They said (Martinson) had a bad knee, that he tore his ACL two weeks ago,” Goins said. “I know last year at this time I had just come back from a dislocated shoulder and I still wrestled.
“Maybe it’s just a pride thing … I don’t know.”
Nelisse said winning a sectional title was good, beating a St. Edward wrestler to do it was great and pinning said Eagle in under three minutes was fantastic.
“It’s nice because they’re the team usually doing all the winning,” Nelisse said.
Nelisse, who was a sectional runner-up as a freshman, broke his ankle at the St. Ignatius Duals last season and was sidelined for the postseason. The time missed may have cost him in several state rankings lists, and the junior is anxious to show people that he deserves to be considered one of the elite.
“I don’t think they gave me enough respect,” Nelisse said. “I’m just going to keep going out there and proving myself.”
That was also the attitude Southview’s sectional champ, David Gyorfi, had about his showing in the state rankings. The 119-pound Saint is ranked in the mid-20s, yet beat Westlake sophomore Nick Lawrence, who is ranked in the top five and placed sixth in Columbus last year, for the second time this season in the sectional final.
“I went into it knowing it was going to be a close match because we both know how each other wrestles,” Gyorfi said. “So I had to go out there and try different stuff like faking (my shot) and then going straight to the single.”
The Eagles continued to show their Division I dominance, winning their 34th consecutive sectional championship and matching last year’s feat of sending all 14 of their wrestlers to the district tournament. They captured eight individual titles — down from the record-setting 13 from a year ago — and beat the Pioneers by 110.5 points.
Columbia Township resident Collin Palmer captured the 135-pound title — his third straight sectional championship — and area wrestlers Anthony Salupo from Westlake and John Cobos from Avon Lake each earned third-place finishes.
The other three individual championships went to Olmsted Falls senior Mike Varga at 125, Avon Lake senior Mark Tomanek at 160 and North Ridgeville senior Greg Byrd — who pinned his way to the heavyweight title.
“Last year I came in and got pinned in the finals by (St. Edward’s) Andrew Gasber,” Tomanek said. “I wanted to turn it up, and I’m peaking at the right time. I walked into sectionals and got two tech falls, a pin and a major decision.
“What more can I say? It’s a great feeling to come in and dominate your weight class.”
The top four placers in each weight class advance to the Marion Harding district tournament on Friday and Saturday, with the fifth-place finisher being listed as a district alternate.
Contact Shaun Bennett at 329-7137 or sbennett@chroniclet.com.

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

TEAM STANDINGS: St. Edward 310, Elyria 199.5, Southview 179, Westlake 110, Olmsted Falls 104, Avon Lake 101, North Ridgeville 101, Amherst 88, Lakewood 84.5, Midview 66.5, North Olmsted 66, Admiral King 26.
103 — CHAMPIONSHIP: Gus Sako (SE) maj. dec. Uland Ralston (S), 16-3; THIRD-PLACE: Evan Potts (AL) maj. dec. Rex Rozar (NR), 15-4; FIFTH-PLACE: Moe Rabah (W) pinned Josh Bozin (NO), 2:29.
112 — CHAMPIONSHIP: Jamie Clark (SE) dec. Steve Mitcheff (E), 3-1; THIRD-PLACE: Narcisco Inchaurregui (S) dec. Blake Jardonek (AL), 6-2; FIFTH-PLACE: Connor Dempsey (W) tech. fall Matt Zepp (NR), 16-1.
119 — CHAMPIONSHIP: David Gyorfi (S) dec. Nick Lawrence (W), 5-4 (OT); THIRD-PLACE: John Cobos (SE) maj. dec. Kodie Egnor (E), 9-0; FIFTH-PLACE: Kevin Brunner (AL) pinned Josh Meade (A), 5:24 (OT).
125 — CHAMPIONSHIP: Mike Varga (OF) dec. Zeno Inchaurregui (S), 7-5; THIRD-PLACE: Anthony Salupo (SE) dec. Danny Urbin (AL), 3-1; FIFTH-PLACE: Austin DeChant (E) dec. John Whipkey (NR), 7-2.
130 — CHAMPIONSHIP: Nick Sulzer (SE) maj. dec. Dalton McHenry (E), 10-2; THIRD-PLACE: Naseem Merhi (W) dec. Brandon Morgan (A), 4-1; FIFTH-PLACE: Nick Ramsey (L) dec. Jared Wise (M), 9-3.
135 — CHAMPIONSHIP: Collin Palmer (SE) maj. dec. Pat Duffy (L), 15-4; THIRD-PLACE: Brandon Perrott (E) dec. Chaz McGrain (OF), 7-1; FIFTH-PLACE: Mike Daniels (AK) pinned Sheldon Stuckart (NO), :49.
140 — CHAMPIONSHIP: Neil Birt (SE) dec. Chase Churchill (E), 12-6; THIRD-PLACE: Tony Sclimenti (L) dec. Tony Martinez (S), 2-1; FIFTH-PLACE: Cody Dieckman (OF) dec. Adam Davis (M), 7-4.
145 — CHAMPIONSHIP: Connor Suba (SE) maj. dec. Phillip Egnor (E), 11-2; THIRD-PLACE: Bobby Cruz (S) pinned Ramon Castoneda (A), 4:34; FIFTH-PLACE: Peti Tapolyai (L) dec. Thaer Zayed (NO), 8-4.
152 — CHAMPIONSHIP: Zack Goins (E) def. Cory Martinson (SE) by default; THIRD-PLACE: Devin Henry (W) maj. dec. Sean Pincura (M), 16-4; FIFTH-PLACE: Alex Feador (NO) dec. James Mees (NR), 7-3.
160 — CHAMPIONSHIP: Mark Tomanek (AL) maj. dec. Chris Kelly (NO), 19-7; THIRD-PLACE: Craig Greene (SE) maj. dec. Vinny Fox (L), 10-1; FIFTH-PLACE: Derek Lozano (NR) dec. Paul Findley (S), 5-2.
171 — CHAMPIONSHIP: Brian Roddy (SE) tech. fall Aaron Winemiller (A), 23-7; THIRD-PLACE: Jose Martinez (S) pinned Mitchell Fadenholz (E), 3:41; FIFTH-PLACE: Shane Friend (NR) dec. Ben Kovach (AL), 6-4.
189 — CHAMPIONSHIP: Ryan Nelisse (E) pinned Nate Rychlik (SE), 2:26; THIRD-PLACE: Justin Stump (A) dec. Joe Goff (OF), 4-0; FIFTH-PLACE: Brandon Dean (M) pinned Dustin English (S), 2:42.
215 — CHAMPIONSHIP: Mike Green (SE) pinned Gahad Suleiman (L), 1:09; THIRD-PLACE: Jerry Knapp (OF) pinned Ryan Smugala (W), 3:45; FIFTH-PLACE: Jack Motyka (NR) dec. Nick Santana (S), 2-0.
HVY — CHAMPIONSHIP: Greg Byrd (NR) pinned Zach Laird (OF), 2:33; THIRD-PLACE: Marlowe Burton (S) dec. Mark Horton (SE), 3-1 (OT); FIFTH-PLACE: Quentin Watson (AK) dec. Andrew Brumenschenkel (A), 1-0.

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