WINCHESTER, Ky. – To get a rare four-peat, Cole Thomas had to four-peat against the same opponent.
Thomas, a Ryle senior, put himself in rare company Saturday night in the finals of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association state wrestling championships at George Rogers Clark High School.
Thomas leaves GRC as a four-time state champion after defeating Walton-Verona senior Isaac Thornton 5-3 in the championship match at 132 pounds.
More:'Wrestling...makes you a better person.' Ryle senior Cole Thomas goes for 4th state title
Thomas finished 52-1 for the season and became the third Northern Kentucky wrestler to win four championships, joining Campbell County’s Austin Myers (2012-15) and Conner’s Robby Clarkston (1978-81).
“It just means the world,” Thomas said. “I’ve been training and dreaming for this my whole life. To finally see something like this come true, it’s awesome. It’s for all the help and the coaching, and everyone who has assisted me in my wrestling career.”
Thornton, a returning state champion from last year and previously a state runner-up, gave Thomas all he could handle. After Thomas took an early 2-0 lead, Thornton had a chance to tie the match late in the third period but Thomas held him off.
It is the third time the Northern Kentucky rivals had met in as many weeks and fourth time overall this season. Thomas won by pin in the Region 7 final, then edged Thornton 3-2 in last week’s semi-state final.
“My goal was to get a first-period takedown, which I did, then ride him out,” Thomas said. “He’s pretty good on his feet but I knew he couldn’t hold me on bottom, so I wanted to get a first-period takedown, get off bottom and see where it takes me. Wrestling someone who knows every move you’re going to do is really hard. To be able to beat him four times this year was tough.”
Ryle senior Noah Duke gave the Raiders and Northern Kentucky its second state championship of the day.
Duke beat Trinity’s Lane Kiser, 12-1 at 175 pounds. He handed Kiser his first loss of the year (41-1) and avenged an earlier loss to him this season.
“It all changed on that day I lost to him,” Duke said. “I had to turn stuff on, change stuff around, and I did that and got to work. It’s just as good as the first time. I just had to work a little harder for that one.”
Duke finished the season at 55-2 and won his second state championship.
“I knew he was in a little better shape than me because I started (the season) late, but my technique was definitely further than his. I just wrestled my match and waited for him to mess up. That’s when I took my shot.”
Conner sophomore Sebastian Vega lost 17-1 in the 106-pound final to Union County eighth-grader Jayden Raney, who finished a perfect 40-0 for the season and had won his previous three matches in the tournament by pin in the first minute of action. Vega finished 45-2 for the season.
Walton-Verona freshman T.J. Meyer lost the state final at 120 pounds to Breyden Whorton of LaRue County, who finished 40-1. Meyer lost a tough 4-2 decision. He had control over Whorton the entire third period but could not get the tying takedown. Meyer finished 37-4 for the season.
Ryle senior Joseph Sander lost to Union County senior Trayce Eckman in the 126 final, 12-6. Sander finished 50-16 for the season and Eckman 36-3. Sander had a dramatic finish in the semifinals earlier in the day, winning 2-1 in the ultimate tiebreaker overtime over Miller Brown of North Oldham.
Campbell County senior Jonah Bowers lost 8-4 to Eli Payton of Paducah Tilghman in the final at 138. Bowers finished 55-6 for the season. He had a thrilling comeback in the semifinals, rallying from a 7-3 deficit midway through the third period to win 9-7.
Northern Kentucky had 26 total medalists for wrestlers who scored a top-eight finish.
The region won a state medal in 13 of the 14 weight classes, and had multiple medalists in 10 of the 14, including three apiece at 113 and 132.
Highlands sophomore Rilen Pinkston, already the first state qualifier in the two-year history of the revived varsity program, became the first state medalist by finishing seventh at 144 pounds. He rallied late in his second-round consolation match to win 6-2 and clinch a medal. He finished 38-10 overall.
Covington Catholic had two state medalists: Willie Rodriguez at 190 and Kaleb Kiely at 285.
Ryle had five medalists in addition to its three state finalists and finished third in the overall team standings.
“It’s great team chemistry in the room,” Duke said. “Without them, none of us would be where we are. Every day we get in the room and we push each other to be the best we can. It feels great.”
Campbell County and Walton-Verona finished tied for ninth. The Camels had four medalists including Bowers. Walton-Verona had three total medalists.
Other state medalists
106: Jonah McCloskey (Simon Kenton) 3rd.
113: Mason Orth (Campbell County) 4th, Ethan Davis (Grant County) 7th, Jonny Nance (Ryle) 8th.
120: Rider Trumble (Ryle) 5th.
126: Andrew Lewis (SK) 5th.
132: Jeremiah Thomas (Conner) 8th.
138: Jameson Smith (Ryle) 4th.
144: Mason Schweitzer (WV) 4th, Rilen Pinkston (Highlands) 7th.
150: Micah Bowers (Campbell) 6th, Aiden Zinser (Scott) 8th.
157: Carter Messerly (Ryle) 3rd, Bryce Dennemann (Campbell) 5th.
190: Trey Fleek (Ryle) 5th; Willie Rodriguez (CovCath) 7th.
215: Cooper Elliston (Conner) 7th.
285: Kaleb Kiely (CovCath) 3rd, Dashaun Stevenson (Holmes) 6th.
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