COLUMBUS ­– For the first time in three years, wrestlers from across Ohio will converge on the Jerome Schottenstein Center for the state tournament.

The three-day event was canceled in 2020 by the global COVID-19 pandemic, which also forced the 2021 tournament to be held at a trio of Central Ohio high schools ­ one for each division (I, II, III).

When the 85th annual spectacle begins today at 3 p.m. inside Value City Arena on the campus of Ohio State University, nine grapplers from Belmont County and one from Harrison County will be among 672 overall who will be seeking state titles, with 31 from OVAC schools.

Of those 10, all but one are returning state qualifiers and one found his way on the awards podium.

Eight of the aforementioned 10 are in the Buckeye State’s “smallest division” and half of those are from Barnesville, which defended in Southeast/Central/Eastern championship with four individual titlists and a runner up.

Sophomores Dakota King (120) and Skyler King (138), along with junior Logan Tague (150) repeated as district champs. Freshman Ayden King (144) rounds out the titlists.

Dakota King (42-3), who is ranked fourth by Borofan and was an OVAC champion, placed sixth last year at 113 at Marion Harding High School. He meets sixth-ranked Reading senior Ramakrishna Gandhi (41-8) in the first round.

Seventh-ranked Skyler King (44-5) faces Hamler Patrick Henry junior Jeff Camp (39-6) to open things. Camp is 14th.

Ayden King (44-10), who is ranked 10th, tangles with Oak Harbor senior Cade Petersen (36-8) who finished eighth at 145 last winter and brings a 14th-ranking into the match.

Tague (33-11) is matched with Apple Creek Waynedale senior Caleb Zimmerman (34-14). Tague is ranked 21st while Zimmerman is unranked.

Senior Griffen Stephen (132), ranked 15th, earned his fourth trip to the state tournament with a second-place finish. The Shamrocks’ all-time wins leader is the only local wrestler in this division to have competed inside The Schott. He did so as a freshman and is paired with Mechanicsburg senior Trey Allen (45-4) who was a state runnerup at 126 last season. Allen is ranked fourth.

“The only thing I can say about these young men is that they all have put the time and extra work in to get where they are now,” Barnesville head coach Jayson Stephen said. “They will give 100 percent no matter what or who stands in front of them.

“I always tell them they don’t get respect but they sure can earn it,” he added. “Whatever it takes.”

Martins Ferry returns junior Dylan Ward (113) and senior Zak Dobson (215).

Ward (37-4), ranked eighth, meets Tontogany Otsego sophomore Trevor Wilcox (33-7) who was a seventh-place finisher at 106 last year and is ranked fourth this year.

The sixth-ranked Dobson (49-3) is matched against Milan Edison senior Jacob Thompson (45-8), who brings a No. 9 ranking into the tournament.

“I am very proud of what both Zak and Dylan have accomplished this year. However, they both know that they are not finished yet,” Martins Ferry head coach Chad Ware said. “They have both been to the state tournament before and have won a match at that level.

“We all feel that they have the ability to stand on the podium Sunday night,” he added.

Harrison Central junior Lucas Thomas (215) is a first-time qualifier. Thomas (41-5) goes against Lucas senior Zane Finley (35-8). Thomas was also an OVAC titlist and has a No. 5 ranking. Finley is 14th.

“Lucas has put a lot of time in over the years to get where he is at today and my coaching staff and I are very proud of him,” Harrison Central head coach Bill Bryant said. “I’m glad that his hard work and his dedication to the sport of wrestling is starting to pay off for him. Once he realizes his full potential and then can put that potential into competition, the only person that will beat him is himself.”

In Division II, Steubenville leads a group of 21 with five qualifiers, while Beaver Local, Dover and Indian Creek all have four each. St. Clairsville has two. Cambridge and New Philadelphia have one each.

Red Devils qualifiers are seniors Gannon Kazmirski (113) and Caden Stout (150).

“Gannon and Caden are two of the best overall young men around. They both excel in the classroom as well as other sports. Caden was MVP of the soccer team and Gannon MVP of the cross country team,” St. Clairsville head coach Joel Sansone said. “They have two very different styles of wrestling, but one thing in common is both their styles result in wins.

“Gannon was an OVAC champion, sectional champion and district runnerup, as well as a 2021 state qualifier,” Sansone said. “He heads into the state tournament with 135 career wins, which is tied for eighth all time in school history.”

Stout is a four-time qualifier and also competed inside The Schott as a freshman. He was an OVAC runnerup this season.

“Caden is a two-time OVAC runnerup and a four-time placer, a sectional champion, district champion and is now a four-time state qualifier,” Sansone noted. “He heads into the state tournament with 174 career wins which is second all time in school history.”

Kazmirski (44-6) faces off with Sandusky Perkins senior Billy Smith (44-5) who was seventh a year ago at 106 and is ranked No. 2 this season. Stout (45-4) is ranked at No. 5 and meets Streetsboro freshman Cohen Klimak (34-9) in his opening bout.

“Gannon and Caden show up every day eager to compete and improve their skills and conditioning. They both have one last goal left to accomplish in their high school careers, and that’s finishing on the podium at the D-2 state tournament.

“Coaching these two for four years has been an honor and privilege,” Sansone said.

Big Red qualifiers are Brody Saccoccia (120), Cal Beadling (126), Saviar Faulks (150), Brandon Kinney (190) and Peyton Tuttle (285).

Representing the Redskins are C.J. Spencer (144), Dom Paterra (150), Reese Spencer (165) and Austin Starr (190).