Written by Ryan Lance

Over the weekend over 2,500 wrestlers from across the country competed in the Ohio Tournament of Champions. Dubbed the “Largest One-Day Wrestling Tournament in the Country,” the action was quick and entertaining. 

Leading the way through the tournament were a handful of wrestlers who are ranked on the FloRankings Junior High Big Board. Three wrestlers who are ranked in the Top 50 took home championships while two others walked away with silver medals. 

Taking home the 72-pound championship was Ryan Crookham from Langhorne, Pennsylvania. Crookham is currently ranked on the Jr. High Big Board as the No. 28 wrestler in the country. He took home the title by defeated Hunter Assenmacher of Michigan in the gold medal match. 

Wining the 76-pound championship was Ohio standout Cole Skinner from Middletown, Ohio. Ranked as the No. 50 wrestler in the country, Skinner took on another Jr. High Big Board member in the championship bout. The Tulsa National silver medalist defeated No. 45 ranked wrestler Kurtis Phipps from Pennsylvania in the championship bout to win his first championship of the New Year. 

Manzona Bryant IV from Columbus, Ohio is no stranger to the Ohio Tournament of Champions. A two-time defending champion, Bryant, won his third straight Ohio Tournament of Champions title. The No. 34 wrestler on the Jr. High Big Board defeated Sam Glassco of Mason, Ohio to claim his third straight TOC title. 

Another wrestler who put on a strong performance this past weekend was Jaxon Smith of Rockmart, Georgia. Smith is currently the No. 22 wrestler in the country but fell this past weekend in the finals to New York standout Greg Diakomihalis. Because of his performance, Diakomihalis was named the FloWrestler of the Week. 

For Diakomihalis, who is the brother of Cornell commit Yanni Diakomihalis, this was his second strong performance of the month. Earlier this month he finished second at the FloNationals and could be a name that we eventually see pop up on the next edition of the Flo Junior High Big Board. 

Other wrestlers who put on notable performances were; 68-pound Champion Seveo Poulin who defeated Maryland State Champion Nasir Wilkinson, Pennsylvania State Champion Carter Starocci who won the 140-pound title and 10-time West Virginia State Champion Braxton Amos who won the 175-pound title.