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EspañolSpartans, Blue Streaks wrestlers earn D-II sectional crowns at Kenston
Conneaut coach Keith Sherman said his team wrestled about the way he expected during the Division II district tournament Saturday at Kenston High School.
Six Spartans placed at the tournament, three of which earned a spot in this weekend’s Division III District Tournament, also at Kenston.
Wyatt Distel led the way by taking the 190-pound championship.
Wyant Dobran finished second at 150 and Ben Griswold took third at 285.
The Spartans also received sixth-place finishes from Trea Butler (106), Jacob Wells (120) and Hunter Bilbrey (132).
“I think we got the guys through that we expected to get through,” Sherman said. “We would have liked to have maybe gotten one more, but things didn’t go our way. Other than that, though, I thought we wrestled well.”
Distel won the title by recording two pins, then won a 4-1 decision over Kent Roosevelt’s Nick Kurtz.
In the championship bout, Distel escaped from Madison’s Josh White with 51 seconds remaining in the third period, and was able to stay neutral for a 4-3 win.
“Wyatt has been wrestling with a lot more confidence,” Sherman said. “He’s getting better all the time, and he continues to wrestle well.”
Dobran advanced to the championship mat by pinning Medina Buckeye’s Carter Hershkowitz. He then ran into 2025 state placer Chance Schlauch from Perry, and was pinned.
Against Hershkowitz, Dobran trailed in the match, which Sherman said is not unusual. But it’s also not unusual for him to come back to win.
“That’s just how he wrestles,” the coach said. “He always seems to be behind early. He works his way back into the match and he gets a lot of pins.”
Griswold was denied a trip to the championship mat by Madison’s Cam Mullen, who pulled out a 1-0 win, getting an escape in the second period, for the only point in the bout.
It was the second time Griswold lost to Mullin this season. A slip on the mat at the Chagrin Valley Conference Tournament cost him there.
“That’s a match that could have gone either way,” Sherman said. “He couldn’t get off the bottom, but we have confidence that match could have gone the other way.”
It will be the second time wrestling in a district tournament for Distel and Griswold, except last year, Conneaut was at Independence in Division III .
Dobran advanced, but only as an alternate.
Sherman did not take a wrester to Columbus last year, but had done so the two previous years.
He said his wrestlers will travel across the state line in preparation for what will be the biggest tournament of their wrestling careers.
The Pennsylvania State tournament is this weekend, and Sherman will have his wrestlers at Erie Cathedral Prep, working with wrestlers preparing for the Keystone State’s highest honors.
“We get a good work out with some good Pennsylvania wrestlers,” Sherman said. “Wrestling those kids, that they know are good, that really helps their confidence.”
Also at the Kenston sectional, Madison qualified five wrestlers, including a pair of sectional champions.
Chase White (215), and Jordan McCullough (113) both breezed through their brackets, getting first-period pins in every match.
Mullen recorded a pair of pins before falling to Perry’s Trent Taylor in the 285 championship match, to post second.
Josh White won back-to-back close matches before falling in another close to Distel to place second.
Vicente Navarro placed third at 150.
Dom Gephart was fifth at 144 for Madison.
Like Sherman, Madison coach Andrew Tomaso said his wrestlers did pretty much what he expected of them.
Tomaso said seeing Josh White go out and take second exceeded his expectations a bit.
“That was a nice surprise,” Tomaso said. “I thought he had a chance to go; I just didn’t expect him to be a runner-up and lose a close match at that.
Edgewood, which also copeted at Kenston, received a fourth-place finish from Carter Cline at 106.
Rangers Face Competition For This Emerging Midfielder Available For Free This Summer: What Should Rohl Do?
If a report from journalist Pete O’Rourke is believed to be true, Rangers are keen on securing the services of Cameron Ashia on a Bosman in the summer window. They are ready to offer him a pre-contract deal, but it won’t be a straightforward one, with Old Firm rivals Celtic, as well as several English Championship outfits, keeping close tabs on the Huddersfield Town midfield prospect.
The 20-year-old midfielder progressed through the ranks of Fox Soccer Academy before being snapped up by Derby County for their reserves in July 2022. However, he left the following year upon the expiration of his scholarship and eventually joined the Terriers in April 2024.
Rise in League One
Although the youngster was handed his senior debut in an EFL Trophy game four months later, the West Yorkshire side joined Torquay United on loan in March 2025 for a regular first-team experience. But he returned to his parent club last summer without featuring for the Gulls.
Meanwhile, Ashia is enjoying his breakthrough season in League One, having scored and assisted thrice each in 18 appearances. His flair and creative spark as a playmaker have played a part in Huddersfield’s battle for a playoff spot so far this campaign, and the progress he made in the third tier has caught the attention of a host of Championship outfits.
NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 09: Cameron Ashia of Huddersfield Town looks to move with the ball past Nesta Guinness-Walker of Northampton Town during the Sky Bet League One match between Northampton Town and Huddersfield Town at Sixfields on December 09, 2025, in Northampton, England. (Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images)
Besides the EFL Trophy and EFL Cup fixtures, the emerging Englishman has mostly been deployed as a substitute by Lee Grant, followed by Liam Manning. But he has shown enough attributes to make the next career move. Rangers, who have made a stunning resurgence under Danny Rohl, are ready to bring him north of the border, and his versatility in various midfield positions would bolster the German’s flexible team setups.
How He Would Fit In Rohl’s Rangers System
The Light Blues brought in Thelo Aasgaard last summer from Luton Town. The Norwegian was one of their high-profile signings, but the lack of consistency has cost him his starting spot in recent outings. Mohamed Diomande has at times featured as a ‘number 10’ in Rohl’s 4-2-3-1, but the Ivorian is more suited as a ‘number 6’ or a deep-lying playmaker.
Predominantly a wide attacker, Mikey Moore has been effective from the middle, but the Gers might struggle to keep hold of him, as he only joined on a season-long loan from Tottenham Hotspur. The offer to Ibrox should fascinate Ashia, as he could not only showcase his mastery as a ‘number 6′ but also shift on the left, thus allowing Rohl to switch to a more attacking 4-2-2-2 formation. It remains to be seen now whether the Terriers’ talent runs his contract down or pen a new one to continue his development at Kirkless.
England leads tributes to first Lioness Lynda Hale
Lynda Hale, who played and scored in the first-ever official England women's fixture, has passed away, England Football has confirmed.
The team said Hale, who was born in 1954, had made ten appearances for England across her international career, scoring three goals.
At club level, she represented her hometown team, Southampton, with whom she won the Women's FA Cup a remarkable seven times.
FA Chair Debbie Hewitt MBE said Hale would "always be remembered for the part she played in our football history".
In a BBC TV report from the 70s Hale, who was an accounting machine operator playing for Southampton, said: "It's the same as any other sport - it's a hobby that you've got to be really keen to do."
Team England said that at just 18, she had started "the historic game" against Scotland at Ravenscraig Park in November 1972.
She then went on to make the scoresheet in a 3-2 victory for the Lionesses in Greenock.
"Alongside a number of her soon-to-be England teammates, she featured in the first-ever Women's FA Cup Final in 1971, as Southampton were crowned the competition's inaugural winners, beating Stewarton Thistle 4-1," the club's tribute reads.
In November 2022, she was recognised as the seventh player to represent the Lionesses when the FA allocated legacy numbers.
Her final game was against Switzerland, a 9-1 home victory in Hull.
Hewitt said she was "so deeply saddened to learn of Lynda Hale's passing".
"Whenever we talk about the success of our Lionesses in recent years, it is always with rightful recognition of those special players who paved the way," she said.
"Our first ever number No.7 and a goalscorer in the first official match for England women, Lynda will always be remembered for the part she played in our football history.
"On behalf of everyone at The FA and all connected to the Lionesses, our thoughts are with her family and friends."
The England team said it would wear black armbands in Hale's honour at Tuesday evening's FIFA Women's World Cup qualifier against Ukraine in Antalya, Türkiye.
The FA will also work with her family to pay tribute to her historic contribution to women's football at a forthcoming Lionesses' home game.
"Lynda will forever be remembered and celebrated as a trailblazer," the club said.
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