L-B's Parmelee among five area girls in Columbus for state wrestling

Liberty-Benton's Evie Parmelee will be returning to the state tournament in Columbus on Friday, a year after a sixth-place finish in the 235-pound weight class.This year, Parmelee is wrestling at 190 pounds, and is coming off a dominant season.The senior, who has a 40-1 record this season, collected sectional and district championships.She'll be entering as one of the contenders to win the 190-pound crown. Her first test will be a match with Isabelle Ramirez of New Philadelphia. Ramirez enters with a 40-9 mark.Parmelee is one of five area wrestlers who will be competing this weekend in the girls state wrestling tournament at the Schottenstein Center, and one of two district champions from the area.The other is 110-pound Triniti Bechstein from Elmwood. Bechstein made her state debut last year as a freshman. She wrestled two matches in Columbus, losing both. She finished with a 21-5 record in '24-25.This year, Bechstein comes in with a 41-2 record, and is coming off a district title she won last week.Bechstein will open the tournament against Lilliana Wilson of Brookville, who enters with a 26-7 record.Like Bechstein and Parmelee, Fostoria's Ariana Espinosa-Snowden is a returning state qualifier; she reached Columbus as a freshman and a sophomore, placing sixth in her freshman campaign.Espinosa-Snowden missed out on state last year, and was very motivated to return for her senior season.She has returned after her runner-up finish at 170-pounds at the district in Findlay last week. She comes into the tournament with a 34-9 record and will take on Fairfield's Lillian Grogan (16-3) in the opening round.Libbie Tyson, a 135-pound sophomore from Elmwood with a 35-5 record, will be making her state debut this weekend. She will take on Little Miami's Jocelyn Simmerman (41-4) in her first match. Joining Tyson in the 135-pound class will be another wrestler making her first state appearance, Findlay junior Audrey Whitener.Whitener, who finished fourth last week at the district meet, enters with a 25-14 mark.She will take on Alora Strauser of Alter in the first round. Strauser is 39-5.The girls are scheduled to begin competing in the championship preliminaries at 6:20 p.m.