Garfield G-Men senior 190-pounder Keegan Sell has achieved so many milestones during his varsity wrestling career. He will continue to add to his impressive resume after capturing his fourth consecutive state bid when he went 4-0 to become the district champion at the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division III Independence District meet last weekend at Independence High School.
“That’s phenomenal,” said Coach Andel. “He’s a solid wrestler from top to bottom and consistent. Those in the wrestling community know what kind of achievement that is.”
Sell’s first match will be against Pleasant senior Landon O’Donnell at the Division III state meet at The Ohio State University’s Schottenstein Center in Columbus on Friday beginning at 1 p.m.
“I think winning a state title is the ultimate goal, so I think this year he is going there to defend the title and wrestle the way he has been wrestling all season and I think he is going to be a strong force to overcome,” noted the eighth-year coach.
Having made school history along with former teammate Hunter Andel by becoming the first state champions in school history, Sell will battle to etch his name as the only two-time state champion.
On Friday, Sell’s quest to return to the state meet began with a dominant first round bout where pinned senior Garrett Sanders from Tuslaw with 1:29 left in regulation of the first period and advanced to the semifinal when he pinned Elyria Catholic senior Hunter Garcia with only six seconds remaining in the first period.
On Saturday, Sell wrapped up a state bid by overpowering senior Jack Waldron from Dalton and pinning him with 1:12 left in the first period and continued to roll by pinning Salem Southern junior Johnny Bailey with 52 seconds remaining in the first period, clinching his fourth straight district title.
“He pinned the kid in the first period and that is a kid making it to the district final and he had nothing for Keegan,” said Andel.
Sell’s final victory also marked his 50th victory of the season, a rare accomplishment for any wrestler in Garfield history.
Andel lauded Sell’s accomplishment at reaching 50 wins in the regular season especially since the G-Men have been competing with a tougher strength of schedule the last few years.
“That many wins in the type of schedule that we are wrestling like going to Solon, going to Brecksville, and wrestling in the Wadsworth G.I.T., these are not only tough tournaments in Northeastern Ohio but they are some of the top tournaments in high school wrestling and to rack those wins up is quite the accomplishment,” he added.
Sell just recently joined the 150-win club during the Division III Berkshire sectional meet and Andel said that was even more impressive considering that his opportunities were more limited in his first two seasons since the State of Ohio was still dealing with effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in multiple tournaments being cancelled even after the quarantine was lifted.
The Grand Valley State University commit was already on the fast track after qualifying for the state tournament in his first two seasons by competing in the 152-pound bracket in his freshman year and 175-pound weight class in his sophomore campaign but he just kept growing, Once he landed in the 190-pound weight class, Sell started wrestling at a higher level.
“It was just part of growing,” noted Andel. “He was 130 pounds as an eighth grader but just continued to fill out and grow. He started his junior season off wrestling 215 but the demanding conditioning and practice schedule we go to, he leveled out by filling the 190 weight class and that is where he stayed.”
In Sell’s last three state meets, he had the pleasure of wrestling with Hunter, but this time Sell will make the journey to Columbus as the G-Men’s only representative.
Andel said he did not foresee that being an issue because Sell has become quite familiar with wrestling on the biggest stage of high school wrestling.
“I don’t think there will be a difference this year because he will still have everyone else down there supporting him so I think he will go down there he will be familiar with wrestling in the big events so I do not think this venue will be an overwhelming tournament for him,” he added.
