The Lakota East boys wrestling team made school history this past weekend by capturing their first-ever GMC team title! The Thunderhawks dominated the mat, scoring bonus points in over 71% of their matches and finishing with a 64.5-point margin of victory. Captains Evan Watterson, Cohen Reip, and Demetrius Stanley led the way with individual championships.

A key match occurred in the 190-pound weight class, where Aaron Gideon avenged an earlier loss to a Lakota West wrestler with a critical semifinal victory. Eleven out of 14 Thunderhawks placed in the top four, showcasing the team’s depth and talent.

Final Team Standings:
Lakota East - 204.5
Hamilton - 139
Lakota West - 138
Oak Hills - 137
Mason - 124.5
Middletown - 120
Fairfield - 79.5
Colerain - 68
Princeton - 49
Sycamore - 34.5

East Individual Placements:

113: Camryn Gresham - 3rd
120: Silas Wood - 4th
126: Kevin Huang - 4th
132: Evan Watterson - 1st
138: Evan Malay - 2nd
150: Sherbek Ruzimurodov - 3rd
165: Brady Dillon - 2nd
175: Matt Malay - 2nd
190: Aaron Gideon - 2nd
215: Cohen Reip - 1st
285: Demetrius Stanley - 1st

GMC "Coach of the Year" honors were awarded to Lakota East's Bryan Pennix by his coaching peers. His GMC Champion East Thunderhawks dominated the competition, outscoring second-place Hamilton 203.5 to 139 points. Coach Pennix's program strength was on full display, with 10 wrestlers finishing in the top four across the 14 weight classes. This marks a historic milestone for the Lakota East wrestling program, as it is the school's first-ever GMC wrestling title.

Cohen Reip earned his 100th career victory at the GMC tournament, adding another milestone to his impressive wrestling career.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WRESTLERS AND COACHES ON THIS MILESTONE ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR THE EAST WRESTLING PROGRAM.

Next up for East Wrestling is the Sectional Tournament this Saturday, 2/22, at Lebanon HS. 

Qualifiers from Sectionals to District Tournaments: Division I Each sectional will qualify the top four (4) wrestlers in each weight class to the district tournament at Kettering Fairmont Trent Arena on Friday/Saturday, 2/28-3/1.

Qualifiers from District to the State Meet at Ohio State will be four (4) in Division I, per weight class.