The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Madison wrestler has sights on history
Madison wrestler competing at first state girls tournament
Junior Lexi Zehe hopes to make some history at this weekend’s girls state wrestling tournament.
Nary a day goes by when Lexi Zehe doesn’t walk by the athletic wall of fame in Madison High School and consider the possible.
On her right and on her left is a Who’s Who of Madison sports history, but there are noticeable voids.
There are no state champions in wrestling. In fact, there are no female wrestlers on that wall — period.
A junior 121-pounder, Zehe hopes to do something about that this weekend when she takes part in the Ohio’s first girls state wrestling tournament at Hilliard Davidson High School.
Zehe has only been wrestling for a year-and-a-half, but she is already the eighthranked 121-pounder in the state according to americanwomenwrestling.com.
“I’m sure I’ll be a little nervous,” Zehe admitted. “But the tournament is going to be exciting. I’m looking forward to seeing where I stand around the state.”
Zehe didn’t dabble in wrestling until a few years ago, when she went to a wrestling camp at Gannon University, where her brother Bryan — a former multi-sport athlete at Madison — wrestles.
Prior to that camp, all she knew is that basketball wasn’t her thing.
“I played basketball when I was younger. I wasn’t very good at it,” Zehe said with a smile. “I’d always get fouls called on me. I guess I was too physical.”
She had watched her brother wrestle for a number of years, but never considered it a possibility because A) there were no girl wrestling teams around, and B) there were no girl wrestlers at Madison.
But the camp at Gannon changed her mindset, so she went out for the Madison wrestling team last year as a sophomore and went to battle with the boys. Coach Andrew Tomaso said Zehe fit right in with the team, something the wrestlers figured out in a hurry, too.
“I tried a 360 double on her and got thrown right my back,” said Jamie Harrison, his eyes bulging wide open much like they did that day Zehe whipped him to the mat. “I got out, but she was pretty close to sticking me.
“If you treat her different, she’s going to beat you, and she’s going to do it quickly.”
A year ago, all of her matches came against male wrestlers, something which has helped her this season.
“I didn’t wrestle any girls last year — just guys,” she said. “I think that made me stronger and made me better. After wrestling against guys, wrestling against girls is way easier.”
So far this season, Zehe is 10-3 in girls tournaments held at Mentor, Lutheran West and Bellefontaine. She’s anticipating crossing paths with many of those familiar faces again this weekend at the state tournament.
How she fares this weekend is anybody’s guess. It’s the first girls state tournament in Ohio history, so there’s no prior criteria to go with.
But regardless, Zehe is a trend-setter at Madison. Tomaso said eight other girls have already expressed interest in joining the Madison team next year, which could give the Blue Streaks an actual girls “team.”
The possibilities are endless, just like the ones Zehe considers when glancing at her school’s athletic wall of fame. Having her photo on that wall, being her school’s first state champ in wrestling AND being the girl who breathed life into Madison’s girls wrestling program?
Chills and goose-bumps overcome the young wrestler.
“That would mean a lot to me,” she said. “It would show that all my hard work has paid off.”
“I didn’t wrestle any girls last year — just guys. I think that made me stronger and made me better.”
— Madison’s Lexi Zehe