COLUMBUS — Five Eastern Ohio wrestlers — four male and one female — will compete for state championships Sunday night when the 88th annual boys and third annual girls state tournament comes to a close at Value City Arena inside the Jerome Schottenstein Center on the campus of Ohio State University.

DIVISION II

Steubenville’s dynamic duo of Cooper Smith (144) and Brody Saccoccia (157) are seeking gold.

Smith, a junior who is 43-5, earned his berth with a 7-5 decision over Bellevue’s Ben Jacobs in the semifinals.

His reward is a date with Columbus Bishop Watterson’s undefeated Mitchell Younger (35-0). Younger is a two-time defending state champion at 144 and now a four-time state placer.

Smith finished sixth at 144 last winter.

Saccoccia, a Purdue University signee, is seeking back-to-back state crowns after winning at 150 last year. He is currently 42-1.

He punched his ticket with an 8-7 decision over Cael Gilmore of Marengo Highlands who had entered at 51-0.

In the finals, the Big Red senior will seek to avenge his lone reversal this season when he meets Sheridan’s Coltyn Reed won won the district title last weekend in Steubenville. Reedy is 43-0, but lost to Saccoccia in last year’s district.

DIVISION III

Union Local’s Gunnar Gossett (144) and Barnesville’s Ayden King (165) look to stand atop the podium after semifinal victories.

Gossett, a sophomore who improved to 48-4, won by decision and will meet Lima Central Catholic’s Jordan Neal, 42-5. The two were set to face off last year for fifth-sixth place, but Gossett had to medical default.

King, 54-2 as a senior, has dominated thus far with a 20-3 technical fall, a 41-second pin and a pin in 1:08 in his semifinal bout.

He placed fifth at 157 as a sophomore, third as a junior at 165.

His opponent is Kansas Lakota senior Braxton Quaintance, 45-0. He was second at 165 last year and fourth at the same weight in 2023.

GIRLS

Steubenville’s defending state 110-pound champion Talea Guntrum has bumped up to 120 this year and has showed no signs of slowing down.

She has three pins — 3:38, 0:35 and 0:32 — in her three matches thus far as she improved to 49-4 as a sophomore.

She will meet Olentangy Orange sophomore Mackenzie Carder, 44-1, in the title tilt.

The state championship bouts will begin at 5:15 p.m.