MV wrestler Brokaw reaches 100-win milestone

Mount Vernon wrestler Ashlynn Brokaw just keeps checking off the boxes.

Make the podium at state – check.

Win a state title – check.

Win 100 varsity matches – check.

The 110-pound junior finished off the last one this past weekend at the Watkins Memorial Girls Wrestling tournament. She did it in style, winning her 100th match with a pin of Ellianna Perry of host Watkins in just 1:09.

“It felt good (winning her 100th match). I wanted it my sophomore year, but I was a few matches short,” Brokaw said. “It was good getting it at a tournament that was a little closer to home because there were more people that I knew there.”

“(I was) super excited. It was one of the goals on her list. She’s kind of checking off goals this year. Last was the state championship, obviously, and this year she wanted to win that Findlay Fight. Checked that off her list and then the next one was get her 100th win. That was fun and it was pretty exciting,” said MV girls’ wrestling coach Jay DePolo.

Brokaw became just the second Yellow Jacket female wrestler to accomplish the career feat. Former standout Emma Rinehart picked up her 100th victory just two years ago.

The junior knew she was close after winning the Findlay Fight the week before, but that didn’t change her approach in the tournament at Watkins. She took DePolo’s advice to attack and get it over as soon as possible, getting a quick takedown and then pin in the first match of bracket play.

“I didn’t have very much planned out. I feel like I usually don’t. I kind of just go into my matches getting what they give me and figure out what I can do with it,” Brokaw said. “My dad (DePolo) was just like, ‘take her down and pin her. don’t leave anything to question for the refs.’ So I pretty much picked her up, took her down; had her on her back for a little bit and think I got some back points. Let her up and then took her down again and pinned her.”

Brokaw has been gunning for these goals and more since starting her wrestling career in the fourth grade with the Mount Vernon Killer Bees. She then had a strong couple of seasons with the middle school team before starting her impressive climb in high school. She has placed third and first in the state in her two high school seasons, respectively, racking up a 102-9 record.

A knee injury kept her from going full bore during the summer season, which may have actually been a blessing in disguise for Brokaw. Surgery kept her from wrestling too much, but she was able to come back strong in the fall and have a solid season with the soccer team. Now, she’s rested and ready to attack the rest of the season strong.

“Honestly, I feel like it (an injury) was a good thing. Last year, I placed Ironman, I think I got seventh, and this year I got fifth. I got third at Findlay last year and first this year,” Brokaw said. “I feel like it kind of gave me a time to relax and let my body heal, especially after surgery on my knee. Yes, it does hurt and it set me back a little bit sometimes. At practice, I won’t be able to go as hard on my knee. But I feel like it was a good thing to get a break before junior year.”

Brokaw and the Jackets have plenty left in the season, including the Marysville team duals this weekend. They will also host the first Mount Vernon Girls’ Invitational on Feb. 1 and then host the Licking County League Championships on Feb. 16 before turning their attention to the state tournament where Brokaw will look to repeat as state champ.

“Last year, winning, I feel like there’s a lot of pressure on me, but it’s like, ‘I already did it. Go do it again.’ It’s hard (repeating) but I feel like’s it’s motivation. My freshman year I got third, and I’m like, ‘I want to win.’ That’s my goal and I did. My goal (this year) is to repeat,” Brokaw said.

MV girls' team has three place at Watkins

Mount Vernon’s girls’ wrestling team had three placers in the Watkins Memorial tournament on Dec. 27.

Ashlynn Brokaw won another title at 110 pounds for the Yellow Jackets. The junior won her two pool play matches by pin (0:47 seconds) and by technical fall (18-1). She then rolled through two more pinfall victories before grabbing an impressive 19-2 victory over Molly Crabtree of Licking Heights in the championship match. Brokaw won her 100th career victory during the tournament.

Alivia Zimmerman (145 pounds) and Khadija Ndow (170) both finished with seventh-place showings.

Zimmerman lost her first match by pin but bounced back with two straight pins (0:42 and 2:52) to advance to the bracket play. After suffering an 11-6 loss, she pinned Raelynn Jeffers of Northmont in 2:58 to capture seventh place.

Ndow rolled through the early portion her pool play, winning three straight by pins (1:33, 0:22 and 0:52). She suffered an 8-0 loss in her final pool match before heading to bracket play. After a loss, she then pinned Miley Polter of Miami East in 1:50 to finish seventh.

Luci Parker (100), Jessie Blas-Perez (105) and Joy Morman (170) also wrestled. Mount Vernon finished 18th with 63 points.