As central Ohio girls wrestling teams gear up for the postseason, established athletes have their sights set on the state tournament March 13-15 at the Schottenstein Center.

Other competitors are out to erase memories of a disappointing finish last winter, while some excelling on varsity for the first time hope their regular-season success carries over to the postseason, which begins March 1 with sectional.

Here are six Columbus-area girls wrestlers who are delivering breakout performances this season. Watch for a story on breakout boys wrestlers Feb. 4.

Mykah Bailey, Gahanna Lincoln

After falling one place shy of qualifying for state last season, the junior aims to take the next step and is 35-2 at 190 pounds with several strong performances, including a first-place finish Jan. 11 in the Pioneer Classic at Olentangy Orange.

Bailey has five wins against competitors ranked in the top 20 statewide. Both losses came in the Women of Ironman Tournament in mid-December at Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit, where she placed fourth.

“Since the early season losses, Mykah has been improving every week,” coach Jamie Leeseberg said.

Bailey went 32-10 last year and placed fifth at district at 175, making her a state alternate.

Kendleigh Dowalter, Grove City

The freshman has made an immediate impact for the Greyhounds. Competing at 125, she is 26-3 with 19 pins and five wins by technical fall.

Season highlights for Dowalter include beating Miamisburg’s Lila Krull by technical fall (18-0) on her way to winning the title at the Heart of Ohio Tournament on Jan. 17 at Mechanicsburg. Krull finished second at state last season at 125.

“Kendleigh is coming into her own so far this season,” coach Mitch Slyman said. “She’s been putting in the work, and it shows. Sometimes you get freshmen that have had a lot of success growing up, get to high school and think they can coast through, (but) not her. She has doubled down on her effort, and it translates to her success on the mat.”

Izzy Farrow, Westerville North

After missing the 2025 postseason because of a dislocated left elbow, Farrow appears ready to challenge for her first state berth.

The senior is 22-8 at 135, including a first-place finish in the Lady Braves Invitational on Jan. 17 at Whetstone.

“She was disappointed (last season), but she handled it well,” said coach Kenny Farrow, her dad. “She went through the healing process and immediately continued with her training throughout the summer and kept working hard at the weights and wrestling. She’s surpassed where she would have been had she not had the injury. She’s wrestling well, so we’re optimistic.”

Abi Forsythe, Delaware Hayes

The 100-pound junior has sparked the Pacers from the beginning of the lineup, going 23-4 with titles at the Mount Orab Western Brown Hammer and Anvil Invitational and the DeSales Classic.

Coach Kevin Rieman has been impressed with Forsythe’s progress after she came up one spot short of state last season, placing fifth at district at 105.

“She competes aggressively and strives for perfection,” Rieman said. “The biggest area of growth this season has come with the mental and emotional aspect of the sport. Wrestling can be extremely tough emotionally and Abi continues to grow in this area, and the results are showing.”

Alanna Smith, Olentangy Orange

After failing to qualify for state a year ago and supporting the Pioneers from the bench during their second consecutive OHSAA title, the junior entered this season with added motivation and is 21-6 at 140 with 11 pins.

“I was proud of everyone on my team (last season),” Smith said. “It was tougher watching people I beat place at state because my district (tournament) was so hard. I was really upset about that.”

Smith placed sixth at district at 140 last year, finishing the season 33-12.

“She wrestled really hard last season,” coach Brian Nicola said. “We moved her up (in weight) last minute and (she was) a little bit small for 140, so in the offseason she made a big commitment to (adding) strength. She’s probably one of the strongest girls on our team, if not the strongest. She’s done a really nice job at 140.”

As a freshman, Smith finished 30-15 after going 0-2 at state at 115.

Delaney Tackett, Olentangy Orange

The freshman has added to the program’s depth, going 20-5 with 15 pins at 110.

“Delaney is awesome,” Nicola said. “She’s wrestled for us since the youth program and she’s always been a very competitive wrestler and always very talented. We were excited to get her in the lineup this year as a freshman.”

Tackett earned three consecutive runner-up finishes in the junior high state tournament.

“Since this is my first year in high school, it’s crazy to see how the team has responded and how we have a good team dynamic,” Tackett said. “Everyone is friendly with each other.”

High school sports reporter Frank DiRenna can be reached at fdirenna@dispatch.com and at @DispatchFrank on X.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Future Ohio State football schedules are stacked with enticing nonconference matchups.

In September, OSU will play the return game of a home-and-home with Texas. The Buckeyes will then open a two-game series with Alabama in 2027 before doing the same with Georgia in 2030.

However, the premier matchups beyond this year carry with them a pressing question: will the games be cancelled?

Ohio State athletics director Ross Bjork, during an appearance on Buckeye Talk, expressed little concern about the Buckeyes going forward with those matchups as scheduled.

“I have not heard from my colleagues at those schools that they’re interested in not playing those games, even though they’re going to nine (SEC) games,” Bjork said. “I think they view those high-power matchups – if anything, right now you play them and you win, and then you’re in a great spot.”

FISHERS, Indiana — The search for a missing Indiana teenager has taken a tragic turn, with investigators announcing Sunday that a suspect connected to the case is currently in custody in Ohio.

During a press conference Sunday, the Fishers Police Department announced they believe 17-year-old Hailey Buzbee is deceased.

According to police reports, a 39-year-old male suspect named Tyler Thomas has been detained in Ohio in connection with the investigation.

Key Details

• Last Seen: Buzbee was last seen on January 5 in Hamilton County, Indiana.
• Disappearance: Investigators previously stated she likely left her home late on the night of January 5 or the early morning of January 6.
• Initial Status: Early reports indicated police believed she left willingly with a plan, originally categorizing her as a runaway.

Detectives tracked a vehicle seen in Buzbee’s neighborhood to Thomas, who allegedly admitted to picking her up. The investigation, which spans multiple jurisdictions and includes the FBI, suggests Hailey was with Thomas at a residence in Columbus and a short-term rental in Hocking County. While authorities believe Hailey died just days after her disappearance, a massive search involving drones and K9 units in Hocking County has so far failed to locate her body.

Summary of Charges

The defendant faces the following felony charges under the Ohio Revised Code (O.R.C.):

• Pandering Obscenity Involving a Minor (Creation of Material): A second-degree felony. The complaint alleges the defendant recorded or created material showing a minor engaging in sexual acts at a location on Hunter Ave.
• Tampering with Evidence: A third-degree felony. The complaint alleges the defendant altered or removed video evidence from a “deleted file” in the form of cache photos to impair an official investigation.
• Pandering Obscenity Involving a Minor (Possession)

Thomas was booked into the Franklin County Jail on January 31 and currently faces charges of pandering obscenity and tampering with evidence, though murder charges have not yet been filed. Police said the two met initially through online gaming.

Thomas is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, with his attorney,

Allegations

• The Incident: Police say the defendant “picked up” Buzbee from out of state. A video was created of the minor performing sexual acts, according to court documents.
• The Evidence: Police discovered “cache photos” on the defendant’s cellular phone that depicted the minor. These photos served as evidence of the original video, according to the documents.
• The Investigation: The actions occurred while an official missing person investigation for the juvenile was either in progress or about to be instituted.

This story was originally reported by WRTV in Indianapolis.