Winner, Rowles place at Findlay Invitational

FINDLAY, Ohio — A little over a year ago, on Dec. 17, 2022, Mallory Winner won the Findlay Invitational.

Winner repeated as a champion and another Patriot placed as well.

Top-ranked Winner and No. 9 Katie Rowles both made the podium to drive the Jay County High School girls wrestling team to a 20th-place finish at the Findlay Invitational on Friday at the Koehler Fitness and Recreation Complex.

The meet was a national event, including teams from all across the country. Jay County collected 65 points to secure the 20th placement out of 59 teams. Cumberland Valley High School out of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, won the event with 194 points.

Winner pinned her next three consecutive opponents following a first-round bye. In the second round, she only needed 27 seconds to beat Danica Arnett of Liberty (Arizona). She took down Isabella Johnson of Mason (Ohio) 1 minute, 44 seconds, into the third-round match and Paige Ward of Canon-McMillan (Pennsylvania) 23 seconds into the second period of the quarterfinal.

Winner advanced past the semifinal on an injury forfeit. In the championship, she worked a 5-0 decision against Liberty’s Claire Avery, earning her second Findlay Invitational championship.

Rowles won the first two matches of the 100-pound bracket by fall, but lost to Urbana’s Libertie Nigh in 1:03.

Moving to the consolation bracket, Rowles opened with a 7-0 decision victory against Malaya Hughes of Fremont Ross. The JCHS sophomore fell in a 5-0 decision to be put in the seventh-place match, in which she was taken down by Lilly Zwiefel of Gibsonburg in 53 seconds.

Also winning matches were Willow Hardy in the 130-pound bracket (1-2), Lina Lingo at 135 pounds (2-2) and Maleah Parsons in the 145-pound weight class (2-2).