CHAMP AGAIN — Big Red’s Talea Guntrum has her arm raised after winning her third-straight state championship on Sunday in Columbus. - Kim North

COLUMBUS — A pair of Ohio Valley Athletic Conference female wrestlers brought home gold Sunday night during the fourth annual Ohio High School Athletic Association state tournament inside Value City Arena at the Jerome Schottenstein Center on the campus of Ohio State University.

Steubenville’s Talea Guntrum (135) and Barnesville’s Ladyn Hines (115) won their respective weight classes. Both also won OVAC Ron Mauck titles in January.

Guntrum became only the ninth female in state tournament history to win at least three state titles when she pinned United’s Auston Brown in 2-minutes, 53-seconds. It was the junior’s fourth pin of the tournament (0:54; 1:38; 1:21) and capped a perfect 45-0 season.

“Absolutely this one feels better than the first two. I’m already thinking about next year,” Guntrum said. “You can’t have four without getting three.”

There have been five four-time female winners in the brief history.

Guntrum led 13-2 after one period before recording the pin.

“From last year to this year was a big jump,” Guntrum said of bumping up from 120 from she won last year after winning at 110 as a freshman. “I was thinking I was going to have a different opponent, but Auston won her semifinal.”

Guntrum also pinned Brown in last week’s district tournament at Mentor High School.

“”I was able to settle down a little bit and re-focus,” Guntrum said of all the blood time that Brown needed for her nose. “It really helped me to calm down.”

Steubenville head coach Mike Blackburn, who came out of retirement from being the boys coach, recorded his first-ever state champion.

“Talea deserves everything she gets. She’s a great wrestler and a great girl on and off the mat,” he noted.

Hines had to work a little extra for her first title

The Shamrocks freshman was knotted at 1 with Little Miami’s Kaylee Vera after six minutes of action. However, she was able to pull through for the win, 4-1.

“A lot of emotions, especially being the first girl (from Barnesville) to win a state wrestling championship,” Hines said. “It’s really exciting.”

What was she thinking heading into the extra session?

“Oh my gosh. I need to get this takedown, because, if I don’t, we’re going to go to double overtime,” she recalled. “I just need to get the takedown.”

And she did. With 26 seconds on the clock, Hines slipped behind Vera for the three points and the state title.

“There’s no better feeling in the world. She has worked her tail off and she had the mental fortitude,” Hines father/coach, Buddy Hines, said. “She wants to be good and wants to try and be the best.”

Buddy placed twice at the state tournament during his Barnesville days, while Ladyn’s championship gave her family three place-winners on the weekend.

“I have two cousins – one is a senior (Hines Ford) and the other is a junior (Colt Carpenter) – that placed this weekend, so it’s really exciting.”

Hines finished the season 39-4.

The OVAC recorded a third state crown when Beaver Local sophomore Jake Hughes (157) shocked Columbus Bishop Watterson standout Tommy Rowlands, 2-1, in an overtime tiebreaker in the 89th annual OHSAA Division II state tournament.

“I have enough heart that, in the matches that I lose by a little bit, they stick with me for moments like that,” Hughes said. “Whenever you get to this point, you can’t look at him (Rowlands) as a sophomore. He’s probably one of the best guys in the country because that’s what he is.”

Hughes became a two-time OVAC Ron Mauck champion in January.

He finished the year at 45-4. Rowlands fell to 44-2.

Hughes’ title was the first in Columbiana County and at Beaver Local since Adam Hoppel won at 215 pounds in 2002. Hughes is also the fifth Beaver Local wrestler to win a state title joining Hoppel (2002), Dustin Harris (1993), Van Possage (1991) and Carl Hoppel (1959, 1961, 1962). It was the 16th in Columbiana County history and the second in 32 years.