Carrollton’s Alborn places second at state wrestling championships

In 2025, Carrollton’s Riley Alborn placed third at the OHSAA state wrestling championships. Fast forward a year, and Alborn, wrestling at 190 pounds, placed second.

Following that progression, one can reasonably assume Alborn will be standing atop the podium in 2027.

Alborn, the lone representative at the girls tournament, accounted for 20.5 points, powering Carrollton to a 33rd-place finish in the team standings. Massillon Perry (83.0) claimed the team title, defeating Harrison (71.5) and Olentangy Orange (70.5).

Alborn, a junior, cruised through her first rounds of the tournament, which was held March 13-15 at The Ohio State University’s Schottenstein Center. Her first victory was a 13-4 major decision over Tamiya Whittsette of Cleveland John Adams.

That win propelled Alborn into the quarterfinal round, where she shut out Carroll’s Brooklynn Newton by a score of 6-0. The victory was significant because the two had met on previous occasions, and this was Alborn’s first victory over Newton (33-3).

In the semifinals, Alborn faced New Philadelphia’s Isabelle Ramirez (41-9), and Alborn again held her opponent scoreless in a 16-0 technical fall, sending her into the championship match versus Port Clinton’s Michaela Stork.

Alborn’s run ended against Stork (35-4), a senior, as she was pinned at 1:54. Even with the bittersweet ending, that cannot detract from Alborn’s accomplishments on the year as she finished with a 44-5 mark.

Alborn wasn’t the only Warrior competing at state as the boys team sent two wrestlers to Columbus, Sawyer Broadwater at 113 pounds and Cael Lowdermilk at 138.

Unfortunately, the tournament did not go as well for the boys as it did for Alborn. Broadwater was defeated 9-3 by Hartley’s Vincent Martiah, sending him into the consolation rounds.

There, Broadwater earned an 8-1 decision over Roger Bacon’s Ethan Lewis. However, in his next round, Broadwater, a junior, was on the short end of a 12-0 major decision by Clear Fork’s Caleb Snyder. Broadwater finished the season with a 39-10 record.

Things were not any better for Lowdermilk, as he lost a close opening match to Copley’s Desmond Childers Jr., as Childers escaped with a 4-1 sudden victory. Lowdermilk then moved to the consolation bracket and lost his first bout against Wauseon’s Joseph Lugabihl, who ended up placing fifth. The loss sent Lowdermilk (29-8) out of the tournament.

Minerva

Like Carrollton, Minerva also sent two boys to Columbus: Jason Sivy at 150 pounds and Ethan Weaver at 165. Both Sivy and Weaver went 0-2 in the tournament.

Sivy lost his first bout to Ben Jacobs of Bellevue in a 10-4 decision. Sivy (37-14) then moved to the consolation bracket, where he dropped a 4-1 decision to Xavier Hummel of Brookville.

Franklin’s Jack Berry defeated Weaver (31-16) in an 11-2 major decision. Weaver then lost his second bout to Isaac Coup of Lakeside, sending him out of the tournament.