COLUMBUS — Mount Vernon senior Michael Lybarger came one step closer in his quest for a state championship, Friday, at Value City Arena. In the state quarterfinals, Lybarger defeated Zack Goins of Elyria with a 17-3 major decision. During his downtime before the semifinals, Mount Vernon head coach John Brown was presented with the award for 2006 Division I Coach of the Year.

“It is a great thing to come out center mat and get an award that is attributed to the program altogether from the coaches down to the parents to the wrestlers,” said Brown. “I just think it is nice for Mount Vernon to take that home. I don’t see it so much as an award for me, but for what the program has accomplished.”

Brown’s favorite memory during his coaching tenure at Mount Vernon has been witnessing the growth of the program in both its talent and confidence.

“It is just a great feeling. We have came here for a number of years when or wrestlers didn’t believe they could win. Now we are coming and they believe they can win and should be on the podium,” said Brown. “Within the last couple of years we feel like we should be on the top. That is the best memory — just watching it climb.”

Friday evening, Lybarger faced his second opponent of the day, Alex Herrick of Toledo Waite. Lybarger won with an 11-2 major decision.

“Michael has been Michael. He gets in a very good position and is very tenacious when he wrestles. That is what wins for him. He is always the aggressor. He is always in a good position,” said Brown. “We had wrestled the young man from Waite before and majored him and tech falled him. This time, it was a major.”

This evening, Lybarger will be wrestling for the Division I 140-pound state title against Germane Lindsey of Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller. Lindsey defeated Lakewood St. Edward’s Shawn Harris, 12-8, in overtime.

“We wrestled Lindsey once back in December and beat him 13-6. We are hoping that Michael can do the same thing and, hopefully, be Mount Vernon’s first state champ.”

In the Division III 152-pound state semifinals, Loudonville’s Ryan Thatcher lost to Jedd Moore of Marion Pleasant on a 23-8 tech fall. Last season, Moore placed second in the Division I 140-pound state championships for Mount Vernon. The Spartan transfer will take on Robel Campbell of Troy Christian this evening for the state title. Thatcher will wrestle Geary Gallik of Northmor in the consolation bracket. If Thatcher wins, he will compete for third place on the podium.

In the Division II heavyweight consolation bracket Friday afternoon, Clear Fork junior Dalton Britt’s season came to a close. Britt lost to Ohio Cardinal Conference rival Tyler Hawkins of West Holmes, 5-1. In an interview earlier this week, Clear Fork assistant coach Brian Lewis commented that Britt would be sure to make the trip back to state for his senior season.

Requests for interviews from by Loudonville and Marion Pleasant were declined.