one of four Chieftain female wrestlers competing at the Iron Maiden tourney on Saturday at
Bellefontaine High School. (EXAMINER FILE PHOTO)
After a year layoff because of COVID- 19, the Iron Maiden girls wrestling tournament returns to Bellefontaine High School on Saturday.
This year’s tournament will feature 40 teams and nearly 140 female wrestlers.
With girls wrestling continuing to gain popularity, and the Ohio High School Athletic Association recently deciding to sanction the sport beginning next year, Bellefontaine’s program is thrilled to be in the position to provide more exposure for girls wrestling.
“We are really excited to host this tournament again this year,” said Bellefontaine head wrestling coach Brady Hiatt. “We are also very excited that the OHSAA has finally sanctioned girls wrestling.”
Bellefontaine will have four wrestlers in this year’s field, including senior standouts Makayla Young and Chelsea Horsley.
Both Young and Horsley are extremely accomplished on the girls wrestling scene.
Horsley was a state champion at the girls tournament (which has been sponsored by the state wrestling coaches association) in 2020 and was a state runner- up last year.
Young took third at both the 2020 and 2021 state tournaments.
The top teams in this year’s Iron Maiden are expected to be Marysville (the defending state tournament champions and recent runner-up at the first ever girls state duals tourney), Delaware Hayes (fourth at the girls state duals) and Miami East (2020 team state champs and qualifier for the state duals).
In addition, Bellmont High School will make the 3 1/2 hour drive from Decatur, Ind., to take part, and teams from Mentor, Pt. Clinton and Warren will also be in attendance.
There will be some big-time individual talent on display Saturday, including Marysville 120-pounder Cali Leng, who is ranked first in the state at her weight class and 17th nationally at 122 pounds.
Also slated to be in action: Warren’s Hayley Snyder (ranked 21st nationally at 100 pounds) and Greeneview’s Ellie Harlow (ranked 21st nationally at 200 pounds) and Karlie Harlow (ranked second in Ohio at 235 and 11th nationally at 225).
Wrestling begins at 9 a.m. Saturday at BHS, with the finals being waged at around 4:30 p.m. There will be action on five mats in the main gymnasium.
In addition to the high school tournament, there will be a middle school version, the Jr. Iron Maiden, on Friday.
Action starts at 4 p.m. with a pool format.