2023-24 Dispatch All-Metro: Who are the best high school girls wrestlers in central Ohio?
Four members of state champion Olentangy Orange are among the 12 honorees on the 2023-24 Dispatch All-Metro girls wrestling team.
The Athlete of the Year in each sport – 30 in all – will be announced at the Central Ohio High School Sports Awards on June 20 at Mershon Auditorium. Each member of the All-Metro girls wrestling team will receive a free ticket to that live event, where nine premier awards also will be announced, including boys and girls overall athletes of the year, boys and girls overall coaches of the year, boys and girls overall teams of the year, courage award, school spirit award and lifetime achievement award.
All-Metro Coach of the Year: Brian Nicola leads Olentangy Orange to historic season
Ashlynn Brokaw, Mount Vernon
Brokaw capped a strong freshman season by placing third at state at 105 pounds, beating Columbus Academy's Cece Reitter 8-4 in her final match to finish 41-4. She won championships at the regional and pre-regional tournaments.
Mackenzie Carder, Olentangy Orange
This freshman played a key role in the Pioneers’ state title, finishing second at 110. She lost to Steubenville freshman Talea Guntrum 6-2 in the final to finish 37-2. Carder took first at pre-regional and finished second at regional.
Nelease Danzy, Delaware Hayes
The junior led the Pacers at state, finishing fourth at 145. She was pinned by Batavia Clermont Northeastern’s Jesse Foebar in the third-place match (4:47) to finish 37-13. Danzy placed third at regional and pre-regional.
Kascidy Garren, Olentangy Orange
The senior lost only once this season. Garren was pinned by Findlay’s Laney Oliver in 1:28 in a 190-pound state quarterfinal then rebounded to finish third, pinning Carrollton’s Riley Alborn in 2:28 to complete a 26-1 campaign. Garren, a Presbyterian College commit, won regional and pre-regional titles. She finished fifth (170) at state in 2023.
Lydia Heinrich, Olentangy Orange
The junior won pre-regional and regional titles then capped her season by finishing third at state at 170, helping the Pioneers win the team championship. Heinrich pinned Mogadore’s Mia Gaetjens in the third-place match (4:51) to finish 42-5. She finished fifth (155) at state in 2023.
Nina Kim, Columbus Academy
The junior earned a third-place finish at state at 135, pinning Attica Seneca East’s Kiera Depinet in 2:09. Kim, who went 31-6, placed first at pre-regional and second at regional. She went 0-2 at state last season at 130.
Desi Lee, Marysville
The junior finished fourth at state at heavyweight, dropping a 2-1 overtime decision to Berea-Midpark's Deionna Borders in the third-place match to finish 42-8. Lee finished first at pre-regional and second at regional.
Cami Leng, Marysville
The freshman was a major contributor for first-year Marysville girls coach Shawn Andrews, reaching the state final at 115 and helping the Monarchs place fourth as a team. Leng was pinned by Gibsonburg’s Morgan Leonhardt in 5:44 in the final to finish 43-3. She finished first at pre-regional and second at regional.
Surraiya Mahmud, Olentangy Orange
The senior closed her prep career by finishing as state runner-up at 155, losing by pin to Vincent Warren’s Kylee Tait in 3:47 to finish 23-5. Mahmud finished first at pre-regional and third at regional. She was eighth at state last season at 145. Mahmud plans to wrestle and compete in shot put and pole vault at Southern Virginia.
Cece Reitter, Columbus Academy
The junior joined teammate Nina Kim as a state placer, placing fourth at 105. Reitter lost to Mount Vernon’s Ashlynn Brokaw 8-4 in the third-place match to finish 31-6. Reitter finished first at pre-regional and third at regional. She was fourth at state last season at 105.
Sienna Sanborn, Hamilton Township
The senior entered the state tournament as a regional champion but settled for fifth at 130, beating Hubbard’s Emily Flynn 4-2 in her final prep match to finish 45-4. Sanborn also won a pre-regional title. The Tiffin commit finished fifth at state last season at 125.
KyLee Tibbs, Gahanna Lincoln
Tibbs was an integral member of the growing Gahanna program, finishing second at state at 140 as a freshman. She lost to Avon Lake’s Rejan Alhashash 14-10 in the final to complete a 40-4 season. She won regional and pre-regional titles.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 2023-24 Dispatch All-Metro high school girls wrestling team
