Columbus North’s Cohen Long, second from left, Asher Ratliff, center, and Justice Thornton, second from right, qualified for the Wrestling State Finals with top-four finishes in Saturday’s Evansville Semistate at the Ford Center. They are pictured with North assistant coach Adam Wolka, left, and head coach Matt Joyce.
Submitted photo
EVANSVILLE — Three Columbus North and one Columbus East wrestler punched their tickets to next weekend’s Wrestling State Finals after finishing in the top four of their weight classes in Saturday’s Evansville Semistate.
North senior Justice Thornton and junior Asher Ratliff will be making repeat appearances at state, while Bull Dog sophomore Cohen Long and East sophomore Colin McMahon will make their first trips to state.
Long, who lost in the semistate quarterfinals, or “ticket round” last year, finished third at 144 pounds on Saturday.
“It’s a great feeling,” Long said. “I’m still just trying to process everything. It was a relief just to get over that hump. I just know the backside is important, as well. So that third-place match is really big. I felt really good all day wrestling.”
Thornton, who finished seventh at state last year, will make his third trip to the state finals. He finished third Saturday at 138.
Ratliff will make his second state finals appearance, finishing eighth last year. He placed fourth at 157 on Saturday, pulling out a 3-2 decision in the ticket round before falling in overtime in the semifinals.
“I’m excited to make it,” Ratliff said. “I had a good ticket round match. It wasn’t the way you wanted it to turn out, but I get to move on to next week. It’s survive and advance right now.”
McMahon finished fourth at 190.
“I’m pretty happy with the way I wrestled today,” McMahon said. “I gave myself things I need to work on this week for state this weekend.”
Colin McMahon
Although McMahon will be making his first state appearance, it won’t be the first in his family. His sisters Monica and Grace finished first and third in their weight classes last month to lead the Olympians to the first-ever girls wrestling state title.
“It was super exciting,” McMahon said. “It’s been something I’ve been looking to for a long time. Watching my brother (Pat) wrestle, it’s something I wanted to do, then watching my sisters go to state, it’s something I’ve really wanted to do for a long time, and it’s exciting to get it done.”
East’s Gage Rutan (132) and Lincoln Cooper (150), both of which had won regional titles, and Hank Redman (175) all lost in the ticket round Saturday. Caleb Kirkpatrick (138), AIden Miller (157), Clayton Miller (165), James Moss (215) and Dominic Piper (285) all lost in the first round.
North’s Luke Spurgeon (150) and Evan Saevre (190) lost in the ticket round. Liam Curfman (106) and Servando Lozaon (285) lost in the first round.
Jennings County’s Luke Kirchner lost in the ticket round. Gomie Gomez (215) and Xavior Gindhart (285) lost in the first round.
The state finals begin with the first round on Friday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The winners will have a chance to wrestle three more matches on Saturday and are guaranteed a spot in the top eight.
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