Riverdale's Phelps fifth as a freshman

COLUMBUS – Riverdale 132-pound freshman Grady Phelps made quite an impression this weekend at the Division III OHSAA Boys Wrestling Tournament at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus. Phelps started the tournament by losing his first match on Friday. But he fought his way back on to the podium by winning two matches Saturday. On Sunday, Phelps lost his consolation semifinal to Delta's Richard Flores, 7-4.But like he had done all weekend, Phelps bounced back. In his fifth-place bout with another freshman, Lake Catholic's Giovanni Magistrelli, Phelps fought his way to an 8-4 win."Just pushed the pace," Phelps said of the win over Magistrelli. "Don't give him anything. Put the pressure on him."Phelps said he was satisfied – for the most part – with his debut performance at state."I probably could have done better, placed higher," he said, "but still, fifth place is great for a freshman."The other area boys wrestler to reach the podium was Elmwood 144-pounder Peyton Schafer, a senior. Schafer had one match Sunday, and won it.He outlasted Garaway's Mitchell Tetreault, 17-12, to finish in seventh place.On the girls side, Liberty-Benton junior Evie Parmelee became the first female Eagles wrestler to place at state.On Sunday, she went 0-2. She was pinned in the fifth-place match by Olentangy Orange's Jenny Huarcha- Arellanos in 3:41 to settle for sixth.A day earlier, Parmelee had been ecstatic about placing."I'm pretty excited, I'm pretty pumped, just to get up on the podium,," Parmelee said. "First time for a female (wrestler) in Liberty-Benton history to get up on the podium."The final area placer was Arcadia girl Charlize Distel, who found the podium for the first time.The senior finished eighth.Distel took Perry's Abby Cornwell to overtime in the seventh-place match before falling, 8-5. FINDLAY'S STECHSCHULTE 4TH AT INDOOR MEETFindlay High School runner Adrian Stechschulte placed fourth in the 800 at the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches state indoor meet in Geneva.Stechschulte ran the 800 in 1:55.