COLUMBUS – Davey Tunon heads into Friday’s second round of the 79th annual Ohio State Wrestling Championships at the Schottenstein Center on the campus of the Ohio State University.
Tunon was a 12-4 winner over Nick Vespucci of Mantua Crestwood in his opening match Thursday afternoon.
“I got off kinda slow,” Tunon admitted. “I guess it comes with the nerves.”
Despite finishing third last year, Tunon said he gets butterflies walking out of the tunnel at the Schottenstein Center.
“Wrestling is an amazing sport and anything can happen at any moment,” he said.
Tunon (42-1) will face Seth Boggs (47-3) of Sandusky Perkins Friday.
“Once you get up here, it’s advance; it doesn’t matter how,” he said.
Matt Asher of Clinton-Massie and Jacob Boldman of Wilmington both lost their first round matches Thursday afternoon then continued with a match Thursday night.
Asher bounced back with a pin in 3:25 in his second match against Louie LaChapelle of Maumee.
“I just wanted to go out there and give him a good match,” Asher said of his strategy going into the bout.
However, he fell behind 5-0 through two periods.
“I knew when I was down I was going to have to pull off something (big),” the CM sophomore said.
That something big came just after LaChapelle had Asher in what might have been a season-ending cradle. However, Asher said LaChapelle got out of position and he took advantage.
“I hit him with a head and arm,” said Asher, who immediately put LaChapelle on his back. “I was confident I was going to finish it off.”
Asher (26-14) was defeated 19-4 by Ana Abduljelili of Columbus Whitehall-Yearling.
“Right off the bat, he was wrestling right with him; I was pretty excited,” said CM coach Spencer Running.
But midway through the second period, Abduljelili took control. A 4-1 first period difference became 12-4 after two.
“That kid is a senior,” Running said. “He’s been through this whole deal. He’s a two-time state placer. This is the first time Matt’s been in this setting. You go out of that tunnel and look up at the lights and it’s a whole other experience.”
Boldman (34-5) was decisioned by Cory Simpson of Mogadore Field 5-2 on Thursday in the opening round.
“It’s a good experience and I’m glad I’m here,” Boldman said following his match.
However, the WHS senior didn’t want this to be a courtesy visit.
“I definitely need to make my mark on this tournament and to do that I have to step it up,” he said. “I didn’t come up here to go two and out,” he said.
Boldman struggled on offense, scoring only on an escape and a penalty point. Simpson had a low stance and Boldman was never able to get to his legs.
“I couldn’t get to his legs and in a position to score,” said Boldman.
In his second match, Boldman was defeated 5-1 by Angel Granados of Napoleon.
“This year was stellar for Jacob,” said WHS head coach Kelly Tolliver. “He was a great leader in the (practice) room. That’s where we’re going to miss him the most. He was an intense kid in the room.”
Tolliver said Boldman volunteered his time to help with the junior high program as well as the kids club team.
“He was stern with the kids but he taught them a lot,” Tolliver said. “He would stop to show the underclassmen what they were doing wrong. He passed on a lot of knowledge.”
