Highland Co-ed Wrestling Heads to Perrysburg with Record State Contingent
Highland’s Co-ed Wrestling program will take the mat at the district tournament in Perrysburg on Saturday with one of its deepest and most decorated groups in recent memory, highlighted by seven automatic state qualifiers and three alternates from the boys team, plus the first girls state qualifier in school history. The stakes are clear: with 12 of 13 district qualifiers placing, Highland enters the next stage not just to compete, but to contend for spots on the podium at the state level.
At the lighter weights, Highland’s lineup is anchored by champions and finalists who have already proved they can navigate high-pressure brackets. Austin Bickerton leads the group after earning a district title at 120 pounds, while Brandon Bickerton at 113 and Kyle Scavuzzo at 132 each finished as district runners-up. Their performances place them squarely among the wrestlers to watch in Perrysburg, where early-round dominance and bonus points could set the tone for the team’s overall showing.
The middle weights provide Highland with significant scoring potential as well. At 150, Brennan Kicker finished third, joined by fellow third-place finishers Nico Giatis at 165 and heavyweight Kody Bendau at 285. All three battled through the consolation side of their brackets to secure their trips to the next level, demonstrating the kind of resilience often needed in a deep district field. At 215, fourth-place finisher Kallen Whitling adds more depth and opportunity for Highland to collect critical advancement and placement points in a range of weight classes.
Highland’s depth is further reflected in its trio of state alternates, each of whom finished on the podium and remains one step away from being called into the bracket. At 144, Leonidas Giatis placed fifth, as did Joey Oriti at 175 and Lukas Grillis at 190. Sixth-place finishers Caleb Berger at 126 and Hoyt Pylypiak at 138 round out the 12 Highland wrestlers who placed at districts, underscoring how consistently the team pushed through to the final rounds across nearly every weight class.
On the girls side, Highland’s trip to Perrysburg carries historic meaning. At 140 pounds, Kelsey Denholm became the first girls state qualifier in school history with a fourth-place district finish, marking a milestone for the emerging girls program. As the boys team looks to convert its qualifiers and alternates into state success, Denholm’s breakthrough adds another storyline to a pivotal weekend for Highland wrestling, with the program poised to build on both its depth and its expanding footprint on the state stage.
