WC wrestling primed for big jump in 2024

The Wilmington College wrestling team begins their season Saturday at the Trine Invitational, hosted by Trine University in Angola, Indiana. The tournament is set to begin at 9:30 a.m.

A Look Back

The Quakers finished their 2023-24 dual season with an overall record of 1-8, while finishing 1-6 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). Their one victory came against Muskingum University, coming down to the fourth criteria point in a 27-26 victory. This was the Quakers’ first dual win since the program came back in 2018 after being disbanded after the 2012 season.

Another highlight of the season came when senior Caleb Tackett finished sixth at the NCAA Central Regionals and had a solid chance to qualify for the national tournament at 197 pounds, before faltering on day two.

Returners

Tackett (Dayton, Ohio/Lebanon HS) is the Quakers’ top returner after finishing last season with a 7-7 overall record, 3-3 OAC record and recorded three falls and two tech. falls. He wrestled at 197 last season, but Quakers head coach Chris Basford plans on having Tackett take on the heavyweight role this season.

Other solid returners for the Quakers that wrestled at regionals last season are senior Garrett Simmons (Frankfort, Ohio/Adena HS), junior Alexander Ruth (Marion, Ohio/Ridgedale HS) and sophomores Cooper Rack (Wilmington, Ohio/East Clinton HS) and Tannar Beermann (Hamilton, Ohio/Fairfield HS).

Simmons won two matches last season, while Ruth and Rack won one. Coach Basford is happy with his group of returners and looks for them to make a solid impact on the incoming class.

Newcomers

The Quakers bring in a ton of new faces to this year’s squad. Freshman Andre Lewis is from Tacoma, Wash. and looks to wrestle at 125 for the Quakers. He was a three-time state qualifier in Washington and a two-time state placer that finished 36-7 overall during his senior season.

Hunter Randall is a freshman from Saint Paris, Ohio and Miami East High School. Randall projects to wrestle at 174 this season, with some time at 165 and 184. Randall was a three-time league champion, two-time sectional champion and one-time district champion, as he qualified for the state championship in 2024. He finished his career at 128-54 and 48-9 as a senior.

Brian Davis is from Broomes Island, Md. and Calvert High School, where he finishes his career at 90-5 and was a three-time Maryland state placer that was the state champion at 138 pounds in 2024. He will be in the mix for the Quakers at 133 and 141 pounds.

Cornell Johnson was Davis’s teammate at Calvert and looks to make a big-time impact for the Quakers. He was a three-time state placer, while also finishing as a runner up. He slots in for Wilmington at 197 pounds and heavyweight.

Farell Hall comes to Wilmington from New Carlisle, Ohio and Tecumseh High School. He was 96-48 in high school and 40-10 during his senior campaign and is scheduled to wrestle at 133 this season for the Quakers.

Cairo Vanterpool is from Columbus, Ohio and Walnut Ridge High School. Vanterpool was 61-23 during the final two years of his high school career and was a district qualifier looking to wrestle at 174 and 184 this season for Wilmington.

Jermiah Jones is also from Columbus and Marion-Franklin High School, where he was the Columbus City League Champion and won 63 matches in high school. He projects to wrestle anywhere from 184 to heavyweight.

Darnell Johnson (Cleveland, Ohio/Benedictine HS), who is an offensive lineman on the Quakers football team, will be wrestling as a heavyweight as well. He was a sectional runner-up in high school and a district qualifier that finished with 48 total wins.

Jackson Collins is a transfer from Kent State University and was a two-time district qualifier in high school at Berea-Midpark and finished with 74 wins there. He looks to wrestle either at 141 or 149 for Wilmington.

Slotting in at 174 or 184 for Wilmington is Aiden Carlisle, who was named the Cleveland Heights High School most valuable wrestler. He had 65 career wins and was a district qualifier and three-sport athlete in high school.

Another member of the football team that will be wrestling is Jelani Hunter at heavyweight. He won 20 matches during his senior season at Wilmington High School and was a sectional tournament placer and district qualifier.

Braxton Ankrom comes in from Granville, Ohio and Northridge High School, where he had over 60 wins in high school and was a three-time district qualifier that plans to wrestle at 133 or 141 for Wilmington.

Quintez Pratt is a freshman from Cleveland Heights who was 38-8 his senior season and undefeated in the conference. He won 75 matches at Cleveland Heights High School and will be wrestling at 157 or 165 for the Quakers.

Transferring from Thomas More University is Ryder Pierce. In high school at Wayne, Pierce was a NHSCA All-American and a two-time team captain that projects to wrestle at 197 for Wilmington this season.

James Rankin transfers to Wilmington from Jamestown Community College, where he was a two-time National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Qualifier and a district champion. He is from Cleveland and will wrestle at 149 and 157 for Wilmington.

Asher LeBeau is a freshman from Washington Court House and Miami Trace High School. He was a state qualifier and district runner-up who won 119 matches in high school and looks to wrestle at 149 and 157 for the Quakers.

Connor Walker comes to Wilmington from Valley View High School, where he placed fifth in the sectional tournament and had over 50 wins in his career. He will be wrestling at 157, 165 and 174 for the Quakers.

Other newcomers for Wilmington are Cailub Solis from Missouri, who is also a member of the football team, and Thane McCoy from Wilmington, who didn’t wrestle last season due to injury.

Coaching Staff

Chris Basford is in his third season with the Quakers and looks to make a jump from his first two seasons. Joining him in his second season as an assistant is Vince Pickett, while Jacob Conners is assisting the Quakers in his third season and DJ Bruce is in his first season.

What to Watch For

The Quakers’ first dual on the schedule is at home against Baldwin Wallace University at Fred Raizk Arena in Hermann Court on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Outside of conference duals this season, the Quakers make trips to Danville, Va. for a trio of duals at Averett University that includes Coker University and Keystone College; and Glenville, W.Va. for a quad dual at Glenville State University that also includes Salem University and Davis & Elkins College.
 
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