[Stardust]

LEXINGTON – Garth Yenter walked off the wrestling mat Saturday night at Alltech Arena as a state champion for the second time.

By winning the 120-pound final, the Campbell County senior also assured the Camels of their fourth-ever team title in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association wrestling championships.


Campbell County finished 20 points ahead of defending state champion Union County. Trinity finished third followed by LaRue County and Simon Kenton.

"Our team has worked so hard this year," Yenter said. "Every single day we come in, practice two to two-and-a-half hours, just busting our butts for this moment. And we finally did it."

Campbell County had five wrestlers compete in finals matches. Four earned victories.

In addition to Yenter, the state's top-rated wrestler in his weight class according to the KentuckyWrestling.com rankings, junior Stephen Myers won the 152-pound title, freshman Austin Meyers won at 220 pounds and senior Mason Franck finished the night with a victory in the heavyweight final.

"It feels awesome," Franck said. "The last time we won a state championship was 2004, so it really shows that we're building back, we're coming back."

The Camels also won the team championship in 1990 and 1991. Mike Bankemper has led the program to each of its state titles as the head coach.

"It was a little bit of a stressful year, a long year, but it feels as exciting as the first one," he said.

Campbell County wasn't the only team from Northern Kentucky with an individual state champion on Saturday.

Simon Kenton junior Kevin Cooper, who won at 135 pounds last year, pinned Walton Verona sophomore Logan Jones in the 145-pound final. Cooper finished the season 68-0.

Yenter also finished undefeated (65-0) by defeating LaRue County senior Nick Paden.

A year after finishing third in the 130-pound state final, junior Paul Hamilton lost to Trinity's John Fahy in the 138-pound final. Fahy won a state championship at 103 pounds as a freshman, 112 pounds as a sophomore and 125 pounds as a junior. He was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of this year's state meet.

The Myers brothers figured prominently in the outcome. The duo transferred to Campbell County from Grant County earlier this year and carried 18-0 records into their championship matches Saturday.

Stephen Myers won the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II state title at 125 pounds as a sophomore at Reading, and finished third in the OHSAA Division I state meet at 112 pounds as a freshman.

Wrestling at 152 pounds, and No. 1 in his weight class, he defeated Walton Verona junior Lane Jones in a dominating finals performance. Austin Myers defeated Larue County senior Drew Newberry by a 4-0 decision.

Franck won a 1-0 decision against Tates Creek senior Terrell Moore in the 285-pound final.

"It still hasn't really hit me all the way yet," Franck said. "But I'm sure later tonight I won't be able to sleep because I'm so excited about it."