There hasn’t been a better high school factory for City League wrestlers in the lower weights the last few years than Whetstone.

In the league tournament Feb. 11 at Centennial, junior Anthony Lehnen captured the championship at 106 pounds and Mac Conkling pinned his way to three victories and the title at 113.

Combined with the championship that 2010 graduate Spencer Tuttle won at 103 in 2009 and the title that Lehnen earned at 103 a year ago, and there’s no disputing that the Braves’ success starts in the lighter weight classes.

Whetstone scored 135 points in the league tournament to finish fourth behind Marion-Franklin (227), Centennial (198.5) and Columbus West (195), marking the Braves’ best finish since they were City runners-up in 2007. Marion-Franklin has won five consecutive league titles.

The league tournament represented what Lehnen considers a bounce-back performance.

“It feels good to be a two-time City champion,” he said. “I’ve been practicing harder with Mac and working on live situations with him to help me get better. I think we’ve been doing great.

“I’ve been slipping up the last two weeks, but I brought it back for the City championships. My wrestling had just been a little sloppy and tired and I wasn’t very focused, but I put my head together.”

Lehnen takes a 29-4 record into a Division I sectional tournament Saturday, Feb. 18, at Watkins Memorial. The top four finishers in each weight class advance to the district tournament Feb. 24 and 25 at Hilliard Darby.

Lehnen went 2-2 and placed fifth at 103 in the Marysville sectional last season to finish with a 31-6 record. Conkling followed a runner-up finish in the league tournament last season at 112 by going 0-2 at sectional to finish 25-6.

In City championship matches, Lehnen beat Marion-Franklin’s Jordan Wilson 20-5 and Conkling pinned West’s Thomas Johnson in 3 minutes, 34 seconds.

Also placing for the Braves were David Lipscomb (second at heavyweight), Cameron Au (fourth at 152), Nathan Armstrong (fifth at 138), Kevin Ellison (fifth at 220), N.D. Norvell (sixth at 195) and Daylon Smoothers (sixth at 132).

Conkling improved to 32-4 with his three wins in the City tournament.

“It’s kind of bittersweet because it’s taken me so long to get this,” he said. “Knowing that it finally happened means that all the hard work paid off.

“I’ve never made it out (of the sectional) before, so I’ve really got nothing to lose. It’s my senior year, so I want to go as far as I can. Every match could be my last.”

•The swimming and diving program advanced all three of its boys relays, two of its girls relays and had senior Olivia Degitz move on in two individual events to the Division I district meet, which will be held Friday, Feb. 17, and Saturday, Feb. 18, at Ohio State.

Degitz swam 1:03.5 in the 100-yard backstroke in a sectional meet Feb. 11 at Upper Arlington to break a program record set in 1999. She also qualified for district in the 100 freestyle (57.56), teamed with Alana Bruzzese, Audrey Bollas and Christie Norris to advance in the 200 medley relay (2:05.35) and teamed with Bruzzese, Karina Spulgis and Ellie Downie to advance in the 200 free relay (1:56.88).

The girls 200 medley relay and the girls 400 free relay (4:26.59) both swam season-best times, while Downie set personal-bests in the 100 free (1:00.27) and 100 back (1:20.28).

The winner of each swimming event at sectional automatically qualified for district. In addition, 27 at-large district berths were awarded for each swimming event based on times in the Central, East and Southeast sectionals.

Unannounced combinations of Albert Pajor, Alex Nottage, Nick Nottage, Ben Alexander and Suding Seiter will comprise the boys team’s three district relays.

Setting personal bests for the boys team at sectional were Ray Zeliadt in the 50 free (32.81), Seiter in the 100 free (1:01.72), Evan Myers in the 100 back (1:23.05) and Alexander in the 100 back (1:19.1).

The top two finishers in each swimming event at district automatically qualify for the state meet Feb. 24 and 25 at Branin Natatorium in Canton. In addition, 16 at-large state berths will be awarded for each swimming event based on times statewide.

“We had a week of illness and injuries, which didn’t help,” coach John DeRing said. “I felt bad for the kids because they had done so well (Feb. 4) at the City meet, and we expected them to build on that, but it didn’t happen. We had a good week of practice, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”