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Runner-up finish in state meet puts Franklin's Kief in spotlight


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http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200912030245/SPORTS0212/912030368

 

 

By Steve Brooks / Star correspondent

Posted: December 3, 2009

 

As a sophomore last season, Franklin High School's Dusty Kief was able to sneak up on people.

 

Early in the year he was highly ranked, but some losses dropped him out of the state rankings heading into the state tournament.

 

And despite winning sectional and regional titles, he wasn't favored to get out of the first round of the state meet at Conseco Fieldhouse.

 

But Kief dominated Perry Meridian's Jared McKinley, ranked third in the state, 9-2 in the opening round.

 

He followed that up by knocking off Crown Point's 11th-ranked Cameron Halsted in the quarterfinals and Lake Central's fourth-ranked Kyle Ayersman in the semis.

 

Kief's run came to an end in the finals when he was pinned by Union County's Cody Phillips 54 seconds into the second period, but the chance of Kief carrying any anonymity into this season was gone.

 

Now wrestling at 112 pounds, he is ranked fourth in the state, and he's considered one of the top contenders for an individual state title.

 

That fanfare doesn't really affect Kief much anymore.

 

After spending his freshman year moving between 103 and 112 pounds while wrestling varsity "on and off," he quickly rose to the No. 2 ranking in the state at 103 pounds during his sophomore season.

 

Kief then lost to Columbus East's Steven Reiker, and three more regular-season losses followed.

 

The losses dropped Kief out of the rankings, despite a 31-4 record heading into the postseason.

 

So this season's state rankings don't matter much. Or even less than that.

 

"I just had a few bad matches last year, and that caused me to get unranked. They don't really matter," Kief said.

 

What does matter to him is following up on last year's success.

 

"My goal is to win state, obviously," he said. "But I just want to do the best I can."

 

Kief believes that last year's state championship match, though it ended in defeat, will benefit him this season.

 

"I was pretty nervous last year, and there were some shadows on the mat, which made it kind of hard to wrestle," he said. "If I get back to the state finals this year, I will know what to expect. I won't be as nervous this time."

 

Kief, who says that he doesn't have to cut any more weight wrestling at 112 this year than he did at 103 as a sophomore, spent the offseason in club wrestling and in state tournaments. The experience and work have led to a key improvement.

 

"I'm definitely a lot better on my feet," he said. "I've learned to defend shots a lot better. My defense is definitely a lot better."

 

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