COLUMBUS — The 81st annual installment of the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s (OHSAA) of the State Wrestling Individual Tournament is set to begin on Thursday, March 3 at 3 p.m.

The Jerome Schottenstein Center will, once again, be the gathering place of the top high school wrestlers throughout the state of Ohio across Divisions I-III.

Action will start on Thursday with the preliminary round of the Division III tournament. This particular session will include four wrestlers from Northmor High School; Gavin Ramos, Aaron Kitts, Conor Becker and Conan Becker.

Listed below is the session schedule for the state tourney:

Thursday, March 8: Session 1 — 3:00 Division III Preliminaries; 4:20 Division II Preliminaries; 5:50 Division I Preliminaries; 7:20 Division III Consolation Round 1; 8:00 Division II Consolation Round 1 and 8:45 Division I Consolation Round 1.

Friday, March 9: Session 2 — 10:00 Division III Quarterfinals; 10:40 Division II Quarterfinals; 11:25 Division I Quarterfinals; 12:15 Division III Consolation Round 2; 1:00 Division II Consolation Round 2; 1:45 Division I Consolation Round 2.

Session 3 — 6:30 All Divisions- Championship Semifinals; 8:50 All Divisions- Consolation Quarterfinals.

Saturday, March 10: Session 4 — 10:00 All Divisions- Consolation Semifinals; 11:00 All Divisions- third, fifth and seventh-place matches.

Session 5 — 5:15 Hall of Fame Ceremonies and Parade of Champions and 5:45 All Divisions- Championship matches.

For more information on the tournament, visit the OHSAA website at: http://www.ohsaa.org/Sports-Tournaments/Wrestling/Wrestling-2017-18/2018-OHSAA-Individual-Wrestling-State-Tournament-Coverage.

Division I

Perennial wrestling powerhouse, Lakewood St. Edward will be represented in 12 of the 14 weight classes at the state meet (no 113 or 182). Brecksville-Broadview Heights and Cincinnati LaSalle are sending 10 wrestlers apiece to the DI portion of the meet.

There are five total wrestlers that are entering the state meet undefeated. The list of those wrestlers is as follows: 106- Maple Heights sophomore Kolin Howard, 34-0; 126- Austintown-Fitch junior Gus Sutton, 44-0; 138- Dublin Scioto sophomore Daniel Segura, 39-0 and 170- Cincinnati Winton Woods senior Cornell Beachem, 50-0.

The fifth undefeated wrestler headed to state is Massillon Perry senior David Carr. Carr wrestles in the 152-pound weight class and enters the tourney at 35-0. Carr is also looking to become a four-time state champion wrestler. In 2015, Carr won the title in the 138-pound class. In 2016, he was the champion in the 145-pound group and last year, he won the 152-pound weight class.

Elyria senior Brendon Fenton will bring a 33-5 record into the state meet but is hoping to become a three-time state champ after winning the 113-pound title in 2016 and the 120-pound title a season ago. Fenton is again wrestling in the 120-pound weight class in 2018.

Division II

Another powerhouse is bringing quite a few representatives to the state tournament. St. Paris Graham Local will have a wrestler at state in all but the 285-pound weight class. That is 13 total wrestlers representing the Falcons down in Columbus.

In the DII portion of the state meet, there are five wrestlers entering without a loss, two wrestlers looking to claim their third title and one wrestler hoping to make it a four-year sweep at state.

Undefeated wrestlers entering the state meet in DII are as follows: 106- Firelands sophomore Payton Burgdorf, 43-0; 113- Beloit West Branch junior Christian Wyat, 38-0; 182- Bexley senior Eliot Clark, 43-0 and Girard junior Jack DelGarbino, 45-0.

The other undefeated wrestler of the four is Graham Local senior Rocky Jordan in the 170-pound weight class. Jordan enters the state tourney at 38-0 and is one of the two wrestlers battling towards a third state title. Jordan was the champion in the 152-pound class a year ago, won the 145-pound class in 2016 and also finished as the runner-up in the 132-pound class in 2015.

Also looking for their third title is Mentor Lake Catholic senior Kevon Freeman. Freeman enters at 44-5 in the 160-pound class and was last year’s champion in the 145-pound class and won the 132-pound group in 2016.

Last but not least is the four-time state champion hopeful, Mitch Moore, also of Graham Local. Moore will be in action in the 145-class and is currently 39-5 overall. Moore won the 132-pound class last season, the 126-pound class in 2016 and the 113-pound class in his freshman season.

Division III

Massillon Tuslaw will be the most represented team in the DIII portion of the state wrestling meet with wrestlers competing in eight of the 14 overall weight classes.

The DIII championship hunt will consist of nine undefeated wrestlers, one wrestler eyeing his third state title and one wrestler hoping for a fourth.

Entering the state tourney Thursday looking to remain unscathed are: 106- Coshocton sophomore Lucian Brink, 43-0; 145- Lima Central Catholic junior Joey Caprella, 40-0; 182- Ottawa-Glandorf senior Daniel Beemer, 37-0; 182- Apple Creek Waynedale senior Logan Stanley, 56-0; 195- Navarre Fairless senior Nick Shephard, 38-0; 220- Andover Pymatuning Valley senior Gaige Willis, 40-0 and 285- Williamsburg senior Brian Stears, 32-0.

The other two undefeated wrestlers are also the grapplers looking for their third and fourth state titles.

Genoa Area junior Dylan D’Emilio enters the state tourney at 48-0 on the season and will be wrestling in the 132-pound bracket. D’Emilio won the 113-pound class a season ago and the 106-pound class in his freshman campaign.

Joining D’Emilio in the quest for yet another state title is Xenia Legacy Christian Academy senior Tommy Hoskins. Hoskins will represent the Knights in the 126-pound weight class in 2018 after winning the 120-pound title last season and the 113-pound weight class title in both 2016 and 2015.