Carrollton sophomore Riley Alborn capped an impressive run at the OHSAA girls state wrestling tournament with a third-place finish, proving her resilience on one of the biggest stages in Ohio high school wrestling.
Alborn, the lone female wrestler representing Carrollton, navigated a tough bracket in the 190-pound division, finishing the tournament with a decisive 14-13 victory over Lakota East’s Sydney Hall in the third-place match.
“It means a lot to be able to represent Carrollton and show that girls can compete at this level,” Alborn said. “I wanted to leave it all on the mat, and I’m proud of what I was able to accomplish.”
Alborn opened the tournament in dominant fashion, pinning Marion Highland’s Emma Bolton in 2:39. She continued her strong performance in the quarterfinals, securing another pin over Port Clinton’s Michaela Stork in just 1:30.
Her championship run was halted in the semifinals by Lakewood’s Zayna Muntaser, who won by major decision, 13-3. Despite the setback, Alborn bounced back in the consolation bracket, pinning Chippewa’s Isabella Adams in 1:58 to advance to the third-place match.
In a back-and-forth battle for third, Alborn edged Hall in a thrilling 14-13 decision, securing her spot on the podium.
“Coming back from a tough loss isn’t easy, but I knew I had to stay focused,” she said. “I just kept pushing and believing in myself.”
As a sophomore, Alborn’s podium finish signals a bright future for Carrollton wrestling. With two more seasons ahead of her, she hopes to build on this success and make another deep run at the state tournament.
“This is just the beginning,” she said. “I want to keep improving, keep competing, and hopefully come back even stronger next year.”
With her historic finish, Alborn continues to pave the way for girls wrestling at Carrollton, inspiring future athletes to follow in her footsteps.