BARNESVILLE’S DUO of Dakota King, left, and Skyler King display their medal and bracket after winning the Ohio Athletic Committee Freshman ‘A’ state champions. The event was held at the Covelli Center in Youngstown. Dakota won at 120 and Skyler at 126.

BARNESVILLE — Although Dakota King and Skyler King came up short in their bids for Ohio Division III state wrestling championships in early March, the talented Barnesville freshmen duo redeemed themselves not long after.

The Kings (no relation) were part of the Shamrocks dominant Eastern District championship squad at Coshocton High School. They were two of five state tournament qualifiers as Eastern District championships.

Dakota placed sixth a week later at Marion Harding High School at 113 pounds, while Skyler came up short in his bid at 126.

Fast forward to the weekend after that as both stood high stood high atop the awards podium as Ohio Athletic Committee Freshman ‘A’ state champions. The dynamic duo each won four matches inside the Covelli Center on the campus of Youngstown State University to earn their titles.

Both admitted that competing at the high school tournament really gave them an advantage at the freshman state.

“It definitely prepared me for the freshman state,” Dakota, who won at 120, said. “It wasn’t nearly as hard as the high school tournament.”

Dakota, who went 46-5 during his stellar freshman campaign at Barnesville, won his first match by an 18-2 technical fall and then received a bye when his next opponent failed to make weight. A 16-1 technical fall in the semifinals preceded a 10-4 decision over Lance Overmeyer, of Lindsey, Oh., in the finals.

“I had a good match in the finals, but I came out on top,” he recalled.

“It helped me a good bit,” Skyler said of competing at the high school state tournament first. “It helped me go over a lot of stuff.”

Skyler, who was 33-10 in his first year of varsity competition, had a 18-3 technical fall in his first match. He then recorded a 61-second pin and 18-1 technical fall to reach the finals where he nipped Mentor’s Antonio Shelley, 7-6. Shelley was a Division I state qualifier at 126 where he went 0-2.

His pin came against John Glenn’s Cohen Bunting who was a Division II state qualifier at 126.