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      581

      Zionsville Sectional Preview

      The usual suspects are the favorites to advance from the Zionsville sectional. #14 Carmel, formerly ranked Westfield, Lebanon and Zionsville are loaded with highly seeded wrestlers. Carmel has 4 #1 seeds, 3 #2 seeds and 11 total Greyhounds seeded 1-4. Westfield has 2 #1 seeds, 3 #2 seeds and 9 total Shamrocks wrestlers seeded 1-4. Lebanon has 2 #1s, and 8 top-4 seeds. Zionsville has 8 top 4 seeds as well. Clinton Prairie, Clinton Central, Western Boone, Frankfort, Fishers, Rossville and Hamilton Southeastern all bring some talented individuals to Saturday's action, but none of those teams will figure in the team competition.  I think it's also safe to say that Sheridan won't be winning this sectional this year.
       
      Carmel looks to be a notch above the rest, although that appeared to be the case last season and Westfield pulled the upset last year. It appears that Westfield is the only team with a strong chance to beat the Greyhounds this time around, but I'll still stick with Carmel to win, followed by Westfield, Lebanon and Zionsville, in that order. Carmel is coming off of a disappointing 2nd place MIC conference finish, finishing behind Lawrence North, a team they beat earlier in the season. I expect them to come out hungry and defend their seeds furiously.
       
      A couple of returning state placers return this year: Carmel's Will Mascaro (7th at 130 last year, qualifier at 125 in '07) and Westfield's RV Peter (8th at 160 last year).
       
      103 Favorite:  Clayton Campbell (Lebanon) 23-4, Probable regional qualifiers: Kaleb Taylor (Clinton Prairie) 27-5, Pat Parham (Carmel) 25-7, Jason Sipher (Fishers) 26-10
       
      **Notes** None of the top seeds at 103 competed in last year's sectional. Look for a Parham/Campbell final. Campbell lost a fairly close regular decision to Cathedral's Brian Harvey, so he's pretty legit. Possible darkhorse: 5th seed Sparky Inman of Westfield--the record (26-15) isn't outstanding, but Westfield wrestles a treacherous schedule and Inman has had some nice wins in the past.
       
      112 Favorite:  Josh Julien (Lebanon) 25-2, Probable regional qualifiers: Mike Devaney (Rossville) 23-2, Joseph Cremer (Carmel) 16-6, Adam Thomas (Clinton Central) 23-10
       
      **Notes** Julien was sectional champ last year at 112 and finished 2nd at regionals. He has pinned Cathedral's Blake Roytek this year. In other words, he's a stud.  Devaney was sectional and regional champ last season at 103. Cremer finished 4th at 103 at last year's sectional. Look for a Julien/Devaney final. Possible darkhorse: 5th seed Ryan Mantel (10-7) of Zionsville--former sectional champ struggled this season, but he has ability and experience to make a postseason run.
       
      119 Favorite:  Ben Sommers(Carmel) 26-8, Brady White (Westfield) 34-6, Probable regional qualifiers:  Brandon Gray(Fishers) 18-13, Brent Roman (Hamilton Southeastern) 14-9
       
      **Notes** White finished 3rd at 112 last season. Roman finished 2nd at 103 last season. Look for Sommers and White to duke it out in the finals--should be a barnburner and either kid can win it.  Possible darkhorse: 4th seed Roman stepped up big last year at Zville, finishing 2nd despite a so-so record.
       
      125 Favorites:  Chris Maxwell (Clinton Prairie) 31-2, Evan Ackerman (Carmel) 24-7, Probable regional qualifiers: Cameron VanCamp (Lebanon) 21-6, Will Mueller (Westfield) 23-9
       
      **Notes** Maxwell has advanced to semi-state the past 2 years, despite finishing 3rd in the sectional both years. According to CP's coach Jeremy Corbin, it's been 12 years since a CP wrestler won a sectional title.  Standing in Maxwell's way is Evan Ackerman. Ackerman advanced to semistate last year and has faced some formidable opponents this season. These two will almost certainly meet in the finals and it should be one of the best matches of the day. Both kids are capable of making a run to Conseco.  Possible darkhorse: 4th seed Mueller has wrestled up a weight for much of the season. I don't see him upsetting Maxwell, but he could be a tough match for a #1 or #2 seed at regionals.
       
      130 Favorites: #12  Nick Beattie (Western Boone) 29-0 Probable regional qualifiers:  Christian Morris (Carmel) 22-9, John Floor (Westfield) 20-5, Stachler (Zionsville) 20-14
       
      **Notes** Beattie is one of the best kept secrets in the state.  A relative newcomer to the sport and a great natural athlete, he turned in a great performance at last year's sectional at 135 lb., finishing 2nd, above Carmel's Dan Frascella and Lebanon's Adam Skelton. Morris also stepped up last year, finishing 2nd at 119 despite a 11-10 record; he followed that up with a 2nd place finish at regionals, advancing to New Castle with a 13-12 record. Another 2nd place finisher last year is Floor, and he's very capable of knocking off Morris, as he also advanced to semi-state last year. Beattie should almost certainly win this weight, but who he faces in the final could be critical in the team race. Floor and Morris are both solid and both battle-tested.  Possible darkhorse: 5th seed sophomore Brayton Young of Lebanon kept pace with Beattie in one of their two matches this season, losing 12-10 in their first meeting.
       
      135 Favorites: #4  Will Mascaro (Carmel) 31-0 Probable regional qualifiers:  Adam Skelton (Lebanon) 19-3, Drew Spriggs (Western Boone) 20-8, Drew Billman (Westfield) 16-24
       
      **Notes** Mascaro should cruise to a sectional title again this year.  He's won it and the regional twice already, and finished 2nd in both as a freshman. Skelton is a 2X semi-state qualifier, despite finishing 4th and 3rd in the sectional the past 2 years, respectively, and will be the runner-up this year unless he can pull the huge upset of Mascaro. These 2 are a cut above the other wrestlers in the weight.  Possible darkhorse: 5th seed Brenton Morgan of Frankfort finished 3rd last year at 130 and could very possibly take out Billman to advance to North Montgomery next weekend.
       
      140 Favorites: Joe Lile (Fishers) 33-3, Dustin Youngs (Zionsville) 24-6 Probable regional qualifiers: Harrison Coleman (Carmel) 11-6, Tyler Smith (Westfield) 21-18
       
      **Notes** This is a very wide open weight. Lile finished 3rd last year at 125.  No one in this weight advanced past regionals last year, although Youngs was a semi-state qualifier the year before. Lile and Youngs should tussle for the title. Possible darkhorse: 3rd seed Coleman of Carmel has wrestled a much tougher schedule than Lile or Youngs, so his record could be misleading and he could be dangerous in this spot.
       
      145 Favorites: Taylor Evans (Clinton Central) 31-2, Patrick Robinson (Hamilton Southeastern) 35-4, Jeff Sease (Zionsville) 22-5  Probable regional qualifiers:  Brandon Davis (Western Boone) 18-5, Curtis Anderson (Carmel) 27-6
       
      **Notes** Interesting seeding here. This is another very wide open weight, and the deepest weight in the sectional. The depth is actually pretty impressive. Robinson and Sease were both semi-state advancers last year; Sease advanced to the semi-state the year before, too.  Any of the 3 favorites could win the sectional and/or the regional; it wouldn't be a shocker to see someone from this group advance to Conseco. The 5th seed Anderson owns a win over Lawrence North's 16th ranked Matt Goodwin. Possible darkhorse: 6th seed Drew Miller of Rossville sports a 20-5 record. Unfortunately for him, he'll have to get through grizzled veteran Sease to advance. This weight is worth the price of admission to Zionsville.
       
      152 Favorites: #12 Drew Brogden (Zionsville) 33-1 Probable regional qualifiers:  Jake Evans (Clinton Central) 27-6, Kameryn Wright (Lebanon) 16-9, Nathan Ziems (Carmel) 10-6
       
      **Notes** Brogden should have little difficulty picking up the 152 lb. championship, although Evans is a legit 2 seed. Evans won his conference this year as well. Possible darkhorses: 3rd seed Wright led Cathedral's Calvin Sullivan 12-8 after 2 periods and lost a close decision. 5th seed Brock Robinson of Westfield (31-8) is probably one of the better 5th seeds in any sectional. Strange seeding here. 6th seed Troy Hollings of Fishers is 24-8. After Brogden, it should be very, very interesting to see who advances. 
       
      160 Favorites: #7 @171 RV Peter (Westfield) 21-2, #5 @160 Brad Farrell (Fishers) 35-2 Probable regional qualifiers:  Max Youngs (Zionsville) 22-11, Kyle VanCamp (Lebanon) 21-6
       
      **Notes** Farrell (145) and Peter (160) were both sectional and regional champs last year and both advanced to semi-state the year before. Peter has wrestled most of the season up at 171 and has wrestled a tougher schedule than Farrell. Although it should be a good match, those 2 factors should put Peter on top when they meet. Youngs advanced to semi-state last year at 130 as a freshman with a 13-16 record. Possible darkhorses: 5th seed Josh Petty of Clinton Central (29-3) is one of only 4 Bulldogs in school history to win conference 4 times. He is very capable of beating VanCamp to advance.
       
      171 Favorites: Nolan Karkowski (Carmel) 21-9, Spencer Reece (Hamilton Southeastern) 28-5 Probable regional qualifiers:  Jacob Howenstein (Zionsville) 23-7, Kansas Varner (Frankfort) 16-4
       
      **Notes** Not a lot of results from last year with this group. Ferland advanced to regionals at 160 last year with a 12-17 record. Karkowski and Reece should battle it out for a title. My money is on Warren Central transfer Reece; he's had some nice wins this year. Possible darkhorses: 5th seed Kaleb Ferland (Fishers) 24-8 and 6th seed Wes Bankert (Westfield) 10-3 are very capable of advancing.
       
      189 Favorites: #14 Patrick Lux (Fishers) 30-6, Robert Melby (Westfield) 32-5 Probable regional qualifiers:  Jason Pedigo (Zionsville) 24-12, Stephen Showalter (Lebanon) 19-10
       
      **Notes** Melby was a sectional champ last year at 189 and finished 2nd at 189 the year before. Lux finished 2nd at 171. Lux has already beat Melby this year, but Melby seems to peak in the postseason. It won't be an upset if Melby wins. Possible darkhorses: 6th seed Spencer Morris of Carmel has a poor record (14-20), but this could be a situation ripe for an upset.
       
      215  Favorites: #9 Paul Parsley (Westfield) 26-2 Probable regional qualifiers:  Josh Yoder (Carmel) 18-12, Zach Nichols (Frankfort) 25-4, Jesse Boley (Lebanon) 23-5
       
      **Notes** Parsley should be a sectional and regional champ this year, although this weight isn't as clear-cut as it appears. He qualified for semi-state last year. Nichols has a great shot to beat Yoder for the 2nd spot. He finished above Parsley last year at sectionals and also qualified for semi-state. He should be the 2nd seed. Boley beat Cathedral's Jake Buchanan this year and could give Parsley a rough match. Possible darkhorses: 5th seed Andy Jacquet (Clinton Central) is 26-6 and won his conference title. Boley had better be prepared for Jacquet. Unseeded Scott Mason of Zionsville (9-11) has really struggled this year but he was a semi-state qualifier last year at HWT. Interesting. Injuries, maybe? Anyone know?
       
      285  Favorites: Jesse Hollander (Carmel) 20-4 Probable regional qualifiers:  Sean McCarthy (Westfield) 14-13, Mitch Damm (Zionsville) 14-14, Ty Wilson (Frankfort) 13-8
       
      **Notes** This weight looks to be all Hollander. The undersized sophomore Greyhound HWT is someone to look out for in the future. I think he has a great shot at making it to Conseco this year and will be a likely contender the next two years. Possible darkhorses: HSE's 5th seed Trevor Reece (21-15), 6th seed Stephen Killen of Western Boone (20-10) and unseeded Sheldon Paddack of Sheridan (18-11) could steal an advancement in this relatively weak weight class.

      392

      Zionsville Sectional Preview

      Greyhounds, Royals and 'Rocks, oh my....This year will almost certainly be a dogfight for the team title. If seeds hold, Westfield would beat Carmel by one point, but seeds seldom hold in every weight class. As the day progresses, look for Carmel and Westfield to pull away from the pack, which will include HSE, Fishers and Zionsville. I'll take defending champ Carmel by an eyelash.
       
      103
      Predicted order of finish
      1. Inman, Westfield
      2. Snyder, HSE
      3. Miller, Rossville
      4. Garcia, Frankfort
       
      Outlook: 103 can be kind of unpredictable, but seeds should hold here, with returning Regional qualifier Sparky Inman leading the way. Rossville's Kyle Miller was a conference champ and Frankfort's Manuel Garcia was the 5th place finisher at this weight last year. Watch out for Carmel's Chris Simmons and Fisher's Vinny Pavan, as they have average records but wrestle beastly competition.
       
      112
      Predicted order of finish
      1. Ling, Fishers
      2. Parham, Carmel
      3. Campbell, Lebanon
      4. Watson, HSE
       
      Outlook: This is a pretty tough, pretty experienced field. Parham is a returning sectional and regional champ and is very capable of knocking off Ling, a semistate qualifier in '09, for the crown here. Campbell is also a returning semistate qualifier and is capable of winning the weight.
       
      119
      Predicted order of finish
      1. #19 Julien, Lebanon
      2. Ash, HSE
      3. Rokop, Carmel
      4. Leicht, CC
       
      Outlook: This is returning state-placer Julien's weight class to lose, and he won't, barring an injury or similar freak occurrence. A lot of unpredicability after Julien, with regional qualifier Ash getting the nod as runner-up.
       
      125
      Predicted order of finish
      1. #14 Sommer, Carmel
      2. Roman, HSE
      3. Campbell, Lebanon
      4. Cox, Zville
       
      Outlook: Returning semistate qualifier Sommer leads the way here, although he could be surprised by HSE's Roman, a semistate qualifier in '08 and regional qualifier in '09 who spent some time in the state ranking this year as well.
       
      130
      Predicted order of finish
      1. Lawson, Frankfort
      2. Stachler, Zville
      3. Bankert, Westfield
      4. Riley, Fishers
       
      Outlook: Very wide open with a lack of proven wrestlers in this class. Lawson has a sterling record but Frankfort doesn't wrestle as many of the big boys as other teams in this sectional.
       
      135
      Predicted order of finish
      1. Billman, Westfield
      2. Davis, WeBo
      3. Calhoun, HSE
      4. Hume, Sheridan
       
      Outlook: Another wide open weight, with a lot of possible scenarios. Billman has improved tremendously from '09 and is one of a few who can win this weight, including Calhoun, Davis and even Billman's first opponent Simpson, a surprise semistate qualifier a year ago.
       
      140
      Predicted order of finish
      1. #12 White, Westfield
      2. #10 Scurria, Carmel
      3. Irick, HSE
      4. Laughner, Frankfort
       
      Outlook: Probably the toughest weight in Zionsville. White vs. Scurria will be one of a handful of likely matchups that will go a long way in determining the team champ. Irick is a returning regional qualifier, but he has an unfortunate matchup with returning semistate qualifier Cameron Van Camp of Lebanon.
       
      145
      Predicted order of finish
      1. #6 Robinson, HSE
      2. Miller, Rossville
      3. Smith, Westfield
      4. Varner, Frankfort
       
      Outlook: This is clearly Mr. Robinson's neighborhood, but returning semistate qualifier Miller won't roll over for him--it won't matter in the end, as Robinson begins his march to Conseco.
       
      152
      Predicted order of finish
      1. Evans, Clinton Central
      2. #13 Frascell, Carmel
      3. Montes, Fishers
      4. Frauhiger, Zville
       
      Outlook: Pretty tough weight class here. Evans is the one of the best kids you haven't likely seen and Frascella isn't ranked so highly by accident. Should be a great finals matchup, although Montes and Frauhiger could easily throw a monkey-wrench in those plans.
       
      160
      Predicted order of finish
      1. #12 Anderson, Carmel
      2. Evans, CC
      3. Youngs, Zville
      4. Dewhitt, Fishers
       
      Outlook: Another nice finals matchup here, if seeds hold. Youngs is the most likely candidate to spoil the party, as he's a pretty stout #3 seed here.
       
      171
      Predicted order of finish
      1. #19 Howenstein, Zville
      2. Smitley, HSE
      3. Wright, Lebanon
      4. Schaeffer, Westfield
       
      Outlook: '09 Semistate qualifier Howenstein should make hay here. Smitley/Wright should be a good semis match.
       
      189
      Predicted order of finish
      1. #3 Sliga, Fishers
      2. Nichols, Westfield
      3. Morris, Carmel
      4. Bobbitt, Frankfort
       
      Outlook: The beginning of the Sliga Age begins in earnest. The slick freshman should have his way in one of the manliest weight classes. This could be the first of four potential sectional crowns for the all-world frosh. Nichols should provide a good test in the finals.
       
      215
      Predicted order of finish
      1. Jacquet, CC
      2. Carnes, Westfield
      3. Pedigo, Zville
      4. Courter, Carmel
       
      Outlook: I'm going against the grain a little in picking Jacquet, but the '09 Team Indiana member is capable of winning the weight. Pedigo and especially Carnes are certainly capable of blowing this pick to shreds, but I'll take the returning semistate qualifier in Jacquet over regional qualifier Pedigo in the semis, and then Jacquet over Carnes.
       
      HWT
      Predicted order of finish
      1. Hollander, Carmel
      2. Melby, Westfield
      3. Boley, Lebanon
      4. Howard, Frankfort
       
      Outlook: Hollander won this weight at last year's sectional, but not one wrestler from the sectional advanced past regionals. This year's final could very well determine the team title. One thing to watch for is Hollander's likely first match vs. Killen. Killen was a 3rd place finisher last year at this weight. Boley is the only returning semistate qualifier among this year's participants.

      926

      Zach Tanelli Added to Purdue Staff

      Aug. 13, 2014
       
      WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue head wrestling coach Tony Ersland has assembled another piece of his staff with the hiring of Zach Tanelli as an assistant coach. Tanelli, who is no stranger to the Big Ten Conference as a 2009 All-American at Wisconsin, joins the Boilermaker wrestling program after a five-year coaching stint at Hofstra.
       
      "I was really impressed with Zach when he talked about the importance of being in a role of mentoring and guiding young men," Ersland said. "He's got the right mindset as a coach and we're very much in line with the school of thought in mentoring. A coaches' role goes beyond wrestling. With him, it's always about the student-athletes first. It's about serving them and I have a sense that is very important to him.
       
      "Zach has had to wear a lot of different hats at Hofstra and has done a lot of different things. He's been put in a lot of different situations and scenarios during his coaching career. That's what I also like about him. His experience is going to be invaluable to us moving forward.
       
      "We now have a staff with goals and expectations for this program to take it to the next level," Ersland said. "There's no doubt that Tyrel [Todd], Zach and I are all on the same page and are going to put in the work necessary to get there. I'm excited to get to work with these guys."
       
       
      During his tenure at Hofstra, Tanelli worked his way up the coaching ranks and most recently served as interim head coach. He was the head assistant coach for the two previous seasons after spending his first three years as an assistant coach with the Pride.
       
      The former Badger made an impact throughout Hofstra's lineup, particularly in the lower weights. Tanelli coached four All-Americans in Steve Bonanno (125), Lou Ruggirello (133), Justin Accordino (149) and P.J. Gillespie (165). The Pride won three-straight Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) team titles (2011-13) before moving to the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) in 2013-14, where they placed fourth with two finalists, including the 165-pound champion, Joseph Booth.
       
      While in the CAA, seven Hofstra grapplers claimed tournament crowns under the guidance of Tanelli, including a pair of two-time champs in Bonanno and 184-pounder Ben Clymer. Jamie Franco (133), Luke Vaith (141), Gillespie (149), Ryan Patrovich (174) and Paul Snyder (HWT) were also titlists for Tanelli.
       
      Tanelli wrestled the first three years of his Badger career at 133 pounds and bumped up to 141 for his senior campaign in 2009. He was a two-time NCAA qualifier at 133 and earned a spot on the 141 podium with a fourth-place finish for All-America accolades. During his senior season, Tanelli went on a blaze, owning a 31-6 record, including a spotless 7-0 mark against Big Ten foes. He was ranked No. 1 at his weight for the second half of the 2008-09 season after winning the 141-pound Midlands Championships title and was bestowed with the Champion of Champions Award.
       
      Tanelli was a three-time Big Ten Championships placewinner and improved upon his finish each year. As a sophomore, he placed eighth at 133, followed by a fifth-place finish as a junior. Tanelli then took second at 141 as a senior.
       
      During his career at Wisconsin, Tanelli compiled an 88-31 record with a blistering .967 winning percentage. He won 44 percent of his matches with bonus points, registering 15 major decisions, 13 falls and 11 technical falls.
       
      A native of Milburn, N.J., Tanelli earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Wisconsin in 2009 and his master's degree in higher educational leadership and policy studies from Hofstra in 2012.

      509

      Youth "Wrestler of the Week" 12-26

      Name: Ryan Patterson
      Age: 14
      Club/Middle School: Lowell Wrestling Club/Lowell Middle School
      Tournament: LMSAC tourney
      Weeks Record: Undefeated
       
      Ryan is an 8th grader this season and finished undefeated by pinning every opponent weighing 161lbs and wrestling in the 170lb weight class for the sake of the team. Ryan didn't win ONE MATCH as a 6th grader in middle school...so as a result, he attended multiple team camps over the summer and practiced month after month with the Lowell Wrestling Club and posted a 16-2 record as a 7th grader! This season, he has been a MAN among boys by absolutely dominating every opponent and posting a 18-0 record and a conference title and one individual tourney title at Crown Point.
      Ryan Patterson was a TEAM CAPTAIN and is a National Honor Society member at Lowell Middle School. He also is a 2-way player on the football team. You simply will not find a better kid with better character than Ryan Patterson. He represents everything that is GOOD about our sport...he went from ZERO to HERO by working hard!!!!! His leadership this season led our middle school team to an undefeated DUALS record. Great job Ryan on a great season and being the IndianaMat.com first Youth WOW.

      416

      Youth "Wrestler of the Week" 02-09-09

      Name: Taylor Reed
      Age: 7th grade (12)
      Club/Middle School: Greensburg Junior High
      Weeks record: 5-0
       
      Taylor wrestled the first tournament of the year in amazing style. He finished the weekend 5-0 pinning tough wrestlers from Center Grove, Beech Grove, Shenandoah, and Triton Central. His only close match was a hard fought overtime victory over Triton Central. Look for big things to come from this little guy! Great start of the season Taylor, keep up the good work. Indianamat.com

      381

      Youth "Wrestler of the Week" 01-25-09

      Name: Isaiah Bradley
      Age: 13 (8th grade)
      Club/Middle School: Wilson Middle School (Muncie, IN)
      Weeks Record: 4-0
       
      Isaiah went 4-0 this week with wins over 4 quality middle school programs: Delta, East Jay, Blackhawk and Bellmont. He had 2 pins and 2 major decisions. Isaiah is currently undefeated on the season.
       
      Isaiah not only wrestled this week, but he aslo served as the manager and score keeper as he helped to train the managers. He did this gladly, and actually caught a scoring error that the head table had made. Great job Isaiah and good luck the rest of the season. indianamat.com

      398

      Youth "Wrestler of the Week" 01-19-09

      Isaiah Kemper
      11 years old
      6th grade Thompkins Middle School/Evansville Central
       
       Isaiah won the Fern Creek Annual Invitation going 4-0 in the 117 lb weight class, 15-2, Fall,7-5 OT and a 4-2 victory in the finals. Isaiah followed that up by placing 1st in the Princeton Folkstyle Open over the weekend going 3-0 with 3 falls. Congratulations from everyone at indianamat.com

      553

      Youth "Wrestler of the Week" 01-03-09

      Name: Austin Neibarger
      Age: 14
      Club: CIA
      Tournament: Border Wars All-Star Christmas Duals in Battle Creek, Michigan
      Tournament Record: 5-0 at 152 lbs.
       
      Austin Neibarger wrestled for the Indiana All-Star Middle School Team at the All-Star Christmas Duals. Austin pinned all of his opponents on all-star teams from other states, including Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio. All of Austin’s pins occurred in the first or second periods of the matches. The Indiana All-Star team finished 3rd overall at the All-Star Christmas Duals and was Coached by Ed Pendoski. Congratulation and good job Austin, keep up the hard work.
       
      *Special "WOW"
       
      Jesse C. Terry
      Age 13
      LC Bears Club
       
      Jesse was a member of Coach Chad Red's LC bears Club until he found out that he had been diagnosed with Leukemia. Jesse lost his hard fought battle on Dec.26th. Our thoughts and Prayers go out to the Terry's.
       
      indianaMat.com Family

      4160

      Wrestling Wednesday: Humphrey Ready for World Title

      Photo by Tony Rotundo/Wrestlers are Warriors
       
      By JEREMY HINES
      jerhines@cinergymetro.net
       
      When Reece Humphrey was in sixth grade he told his dad he wanted to try wrestling. He remembers his dad, Jim, having a big smile on his face when he learned the news.
       
      Soon Jim started showing up to Reece’s practices. Then he started running the practices. Reece thought his dad running practice was a little odd, until he found out that his dad was a World silver medalist and a two time Olympic wrestling coach.
       
      “I didn’t go out for wrestling because of my dad,” Reece said. “I didn’t even know about his career. I went out for wrestling because my friends talked me into it.”
       
      Now, over a decade later, Reece wrestles for a living. He is the United States’ top 61kg freestyle grappler and will represent his country at the World Championships this week in Las Vegas.
       
      Reece grew up in Indiana, where he was a three-time state champion representing Lawrence North High School. He then went to Ohio State where he earned All-American honors twice with the Buckeyes.
       
      “I remember back in high school, a state championship meant everything to me,” Humphrey said. “Then in college I wanted to be an NCAA champion. I ended up finishing second. But now, the ultimate goal is to win the World Championships, and I really feel like this is my year to do it.”
       
      Humphrey advanced to the Worlds by beating Daniel Dennis 12-1, 4-1 in the qualifying round.
       
      Now, at 29, he’s the second oldest member on the US team. Humphrey is joined by Tony Ramos (57kg), Brent Metcalf (65kg), James Green (70kg), Jordan Burroughs (74kg), Jake Herbert (86kg), Kyle Snyder (97kg) and Tervel Diagnev (125kg).
       
      “I’ve been practicing twice a day, 11 times a week all year long for this,” Humphrey said. “I love what I do. Wrestling is 24-7 for me.”
       
      Humphrey has cut nearly 30 pounds to get down to his competition weight.
       
      “That’s all I’m thinking about every second,” Humphrey said. “I’m on a strict diet. Making this weight is very tough for me. I’m pretty lean around 160 pounds.”
       
      His class, 61kg, is 134 pounds.
       
      This time at the World Championships Humphrey feels it is his time to take gold.
       
      “The first time I competed at World I didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “The second time I lost a close one to a two-time medalist. Now I know how to train, how to prepare. The competition is on home soil and I’m so ready to go out and do this.”
      Humphrey feels this is his last chance to win a World medal.
       
      “I’m anxious, nervous and excited,” he said. “I feel the pressure, but I love it. You don’t get that many shots at winning a world title. You have to take each one seriously. This really could be my last chance. I want to go out on top.”
       
      Reece is proud of the fact he grew up in Indiana.
       
      “Indiana isn’t known as one of the best wrestling states,” he said. “But when I was wrestling we had about 10 really tough kids that did really well at nationals. Angel Escobedo is my training partner. He was a four-time champ from Indiana.”
       
      Humphrey teaches at a lot of camps throughout the state as a way of giving back.
       
      “I do a lot of camps,” he said. “I plan on opening a club (in Ohio, where he currently resides) when I’m done with the Olympics in Rio. I’m all around the country doing camps. I have no weekends, ever. But I love working with the kids and spreading my knowledge. It’s my way of giving back to the sport that has given me so many opportunities.”
       
      Wrestling allows Reece to be able to spend a lot of time with his family. He and his wife Meredith have two children – Parker, 4 and Reace, 3.
       
      “I am fortunate to be able to spend a lot of time at home with the kids,” Reace said. “And when they start school I’ll be retired. I get to be a huge part of their life.”
       
      This has been one of Humphrey’s most successful wrestling years so far. He won the US Open, made the world team and is now competing for a title.
       
      “Aleksander Bogomoev (Russia) is very tough,” Humphrey said of the top ranked 61kg grappler. “But I feel like I can go out and compete with anyone right now. I’m at the top of my game.”

      732

      Wrestling Philosophy Show with Joe Caprino

      Recently the #800lbGorilla himself was on the Wrestling Philosophy show with Jared Opfer. 
      You can find other links to the podcast here.
      https://linktr.ee/wrestlingphilosophy?fbclid=IwAR2MNIw5hg4TddAIg5mdIhTzVruPvfAE8ymrroLdo10AFw53jFcI-cmkWQI
       
       
       

      568

      Wrestler of the Week or Maybe Year?

      This weekend dreams came true for 224 athletes in the state of Indiana.  For some it seems as routine as the sun coming up, for others it is something they have worked long and hard for.  This is just one of many great stories about a state qualifier this year.  As a coach, fan, parent or athlete, you can't help, but to cheer on kids like this.  Good luck to all the athletes at the state finals this Friday and Saturday.
       
      By Phil Arnold


       

       
      [caption id=attachment_741" align="alignleft" width="125" caption="Jared Schwartz, Adams Central 130 lbs.][/caption]
       
      Normally, you wouldn't think a 4th place finish at Semi-State as qualifying a wrestler for a wrestler of the week honor.  After all, there were 56 Semi-State champions in the state and three wrestlers finished higher just in his weight class alone.  But, as Paul Harvey is famous for saying, sometimes you need to know "the rest of the story."
       
      Jared Schwartz reported for wrestling last year as a soft, somewhat pudgy freshman.  His Middle School career was just average, winning some and losing some.  He wasn't one of those freshmen expected to make a difference on the varsity and, to be honest, he didn't.  He wrestled the year as the varsity 125lber mostly because Adams Central didn't have anyone else.  Jared improved as the year went on, but still finished the year with only 3 wins against 22 losses.  The biggest improvement, though, was in his attitude.  His statement to the coaches at the end of the season was "I'm sick of losing."
       
      So, Jared took the off-season more seriously than before.  He was a regular at club practices and participated in more tournaments than ever.  The Jets expected him to be improved in 2009 and he was.  He won 2/3 of his matches, but met strong competition in the conference and area.  Then, the tournament season started.  Jared wasn't seeded for conference and lost his first match, but he defeated the number 2 and 4 seeds in the wrestle-backs to take third.  The sectional saw him seeded sixth, but he avenged earlier losses to upset the number 3 and 2 seeds and finish as the runner-up.  He repeated that finish as regional runner-up to advance to semi-state.  Still, no one took him seriously.  A quick review of the FW Semi-State Pick contest showed no one picked him to beat Jimmy Larowe of East Noble.
       
      But he did.  Using good form and balance Jared scored three takedowns and won 6-4.  From 3-22 to state qualifier in one year!  Sounds like a good candidate for Wrestler of the Week to me.

      436

      Wrestler of the Week for November 20th

      [caption id=attachment_2221" align="alignleft" width="265" caption="Michael Cheh on left of Franklin Central][/caption]
       
      Michael Cheh of Franklin Central earns the first wrestler of the week for the 2010/2011 season.  Cheh had an awesome day winning the Capital City Classic.  He defeated three ranked opponents all in overtime to capture the title.  In his first match he defeated #5 Jordan Naughton of Perry Meridian, his second victory was over #11 Adam Decker of Beech Grove and his final win was over #10 Kyle White of Warren Central.

      433

      Wrestler of the Week for December 2nd

      IndianaMat

      Wrestler of the Week 11/20 – 11/28/2009




      Photo by Paul Tincher

      Yorktown Junior

      Andrew Hiestand


      Hiestand was undefeated at the Yorktown Super 8 while wresting up in weight.  Hiestand, currently ranked #2 at 135 by IndianaMat, defeated #16 at 140 Brooks Faurote of Bellmont and #4 at 145 Bryce Schendel of Garrett.
      Honorable Mention:


      New Castle SS – 189 pound senior Michael Johnson-Jones of Warren Central.  Johnson-Jones won the Capitol City Classic With a victory over #11 Andre Richards of Perry Meridian.

      Evansville SS –  171 pound senior Caleb Browner of Jeffersonville.  Browner won the Capitol City Classic and defeated #16 Garrett Goldman of Bloomington North.

      Merrillville SS – 152 pound senior Alex Surma of Munster.  Surma was the 160 weight class champion at the Chesterton Super Duals and defeated #6 Zach Corpe of Elkhart Memorial.

      694

      Wrestler of the Week 12/8 - 12/13/2008

      Lawrence North Senior

      Cashe' Quiroga


       
      During the Chris Traicoff Memorial Tournament, Quiroga was 5-0 including victories over defending state champion and national cadet champion Brandon Wright of Cathedral and now #2 ranked freshman Jason Tsirtsis from Crown Point.  Quiroga, defending 119 state champion, is currently ranked 1st at 125 by IndianaMat and is nationally ranked 22nd by Wrestling USA Magazine.  Quiroga has logged wins this season against 3 time state placer Camden Eppert of Anderson Highland and 2 time state qualifier D'Marcus Spencer from Pike and will attend Purdue University next year.

      Honorable Mention:
       
      Fort Wayne SS -  140 pound junior Ryan Stahl from Elkhart Memorial.  Stahl was 5-0 at the Jim Nicholson Invitational defeating state placer Trace Hall of South Bend Riley.
       
      Evansville SS -  103 pound freshman Alonzo Shepherd from Jeffersonville.  Shepherd was 5-0 at Castle while beating ranked wrestlers from Evansville Mater Dei and Bloomington South.
       
      Merrillville SS - 112 pound junior Anthony Hawkins from Crown Point was undefeated at the Chris Traicoff Memorial including victories over state placers Brandon Nelson of Lawrence North and Paul Beck of Mishawaka

      499

      Wrestler of the Week 12/21 - 1/3/2009

      IndianaMat.com's

      Wrestler of the Week 12/21 – 1/3/2009
      [caption id=attachment_218" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Evansville Mater Dei's Jon Sims][/caption]

      Evansville Mater Dei Sophomore
      John Sims
      Sims was 5-0 at the Evansville Mater Dei Holliday Classic including a win over defending Kentucky State Champion Luke Ervin of Union County, Kentucky.  Sims is 22-1 on the season with his lone loss coming at the Glenn Sample Classic in Cincinnati, Ohio to Tommy Sasfy of Reynoldsburg, OH.  Sims has a 2.96 GPA and has defeated state qualifier and #12 ranked Chad Welch of Castle on the season.

      Honorable Mention:
      New Castle SS– 103 pound freshman Cody Phillips from Union County won the Connersville Spartan Classic  and was named MOW by defeating then #1 Brian Kuhn from Evansville Reitz, # 11 Brian Harvey of Cathedral and # 13 Mason Todd of Pendleton Heights.
      Fort Wayne SS– 215 pound senior Billy Baker from Bellmont won the Al Smith by beating then #3 Christian Lentz of Mishawaka and #2 Nathan Cleveland of Lowell.
      Merrillville SS– 135 pound senior Johnny Dillon from Hobart won the Al Smith by defeating 3 time state placer and then #2 ranked Taylor March of East Noble.

      539

      Wrestler of the Week 12/15 - 12/20/2008

      Wrestler of the Week


      Muncie Southside Senior

      Bryant Whitaker

      At the Jeff Classic held this past Saturday, Whitaker was the 152 pound champion beating Alex Bailey of Jeffersonville 16-7 in the final.  Whitaker was also named Most Outstanding Wrestler during the tournament for his dominant performance.  An Honor Roll student, the 2 time state qualifier is 15-1 on the season and was also the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Charger Invitational.
      Honorable Mention:


      New Castle SS -  103 pound junior Dominique Price from Arsenal Tech was the Indianapolis City Champion beating 10th ranked Brian Harvey from Cathedral.

      Evansville SS -  160 pound senior Briar Runyan from Martinsville won the Bo Henry Classic held at Bloomington North and was awarded the Gene Brewer III Memorial award and voted Most Outstanding Wrestler.

      Merrillville SS - 119 pound junior Danny Bradley from Knox won the Carnahan Tournament beating 13th ranked John Petrov from Hanover Central and 14th ranked Josh Manes from Crown Point.

      Next WOW will be named on 1/6/09 after all holiday tournaments.

      468

      Wrestler of the Week 1/5 - 1/10/2009

      IndianaMat.com

      Wrestler of the Week 1/5 - 1/10/2009


       
       
      [caption id=attachment_273" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Perry Meridian's Sampson Cook][/caption]
       


      Perry Meridian Senior
      Sampson Cook
      Cook was undefeated at the Bellmont Super Duals including a win by fall over then #1 ranked and 3 time state champion Josh Harper from Mishawaka.  Cook, a state qualifier last season, is currently 16-1 on the season and has moved to #2 in the rankings after his performance this past week.  Cook's lone loss came to the hands of IndianaMat Pound for Pound #1 Cashe Quiroga at the Marion County Tournament.  Cook's future plans include joining the United States Marine Corps.


       

      Honorable Mention:
      Fort Wayne SS -  145 pound senior Jordan Dulaney from Yorktown.  Dulaney was undefeated at the Franklin Super 6 this past Saturday including a win over Seyka of Holt, Michigan.
       
      Evansville SS -  119 pound senior Alex Johns from Evansville Reitz.  Johns won the Lafayette 5 Star Classic in Lexington, KY and was named most outstanding wrestler while defeating 2 time Kentucky State Champion Matt Zarth of Lexington Henry Clay.
       
      Merrillville SS - 119 pound junior John Petrov from Hanover Central won the Lake County Tournament while beating Al Smith champion and now #11 Jake Lamb of Lowell in the championship match.

      620

      Wrestler of the Week 1/19 – 1/24/2009

      Co-Wrestlers of the Week 1/19 - 1/24/2009


       
       
      [caption id=attachment_436" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Crown Point's Eric Roach][/caption]

      Crown Point Sophomore
       

      Eric Roach
      Roach ranked #1 at 135 by IndianaMat, defeated Illinois 135 pound senior Matt Holmes of Lakes High School ranked #1 in Illinois AA 5-4. Roach went 3-0 against Illinois competition this past Saturday at Lake Forest High School of Illinois.  Roach  is 25-0 on the season and has quality wins against #5 Julian Brooks of Romeoville Illinois AAA, honorable mention Mike Murphy of Lincoln Way East High School Illinois and #13 Dominic Corsaro of Indianapolis Cathedral.  Eric is a Stagg High School champion, a Carnahan champion, went 5-0 at the Traicoff and a DAC champion.  Roach is also a USA Preseason National Champion  and and the High School Coaches Association 2008 Freshman National Champion and a 2008 Indiana State Runner-up at 130lbs.
       
      [caption id=attachment_437" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Roncalli's Hunter Bartley][/caption]

      Roncalli Freshman
      Hunter Bartley
      Hunter defeated 140 pound #2 ranked by IndianaMat Tony McGinley from Indianapolis Cathedral by fall.   He has Down Syndrome and is in the special needs program at school. He is the youngest of five children. He has two sisters, Meagan and Rachel, and two brothers, Tyler and Jake. He has been going to wrestling meets since he was three years old and he loves the sport. Since Hunter suffers from a heart condition and has a pacemaker, he is unable to compete in sports, but that didn't stop him from wearing a singlet, wrestling shoes, and head gear to every tournament. After watching Hunter, the wrestling communities at St. Jude (CYO), Roncalli, and Indy Southside Rebels decided to include Hunter in exhibition matches. He is undefeated, winning all his matches be fall (thanks to all of his gracious opponents)!! He has several tournament boards and a 1st place medal from the ISWA State Wrestling Tournament. Hunter can now add pinning second ranked Tony McGinley to his accomplishments (Thank You, Tony)! The coaches and Tony made Hunter's dream come true. If Roncalli or Indy Rebel's are wrestling, you will see Hunter sitting right there with his coaches and teammates.

      Honorable Mention:
      Fort Wayne SS -  135 pound senior Matt Gerber of Bluffton.  Gerber defeated #11 Bryce Schendel of Garrett 12-1 in the final of the ACAC tournament.
       
      New Castle SS -  119 pound senior Camden Eppert of Anderson Highland.  Eppert won the Olympic Conference tournament with a 12-4 victory over #8 Casey Kenney of Jay County.
       
      Evansville SS - 160 pound senior Dalton Jones of Avon.  Jones won the Hoosier Crossroads Conference tournament with wins over #5 Brad Farrell of Fishers and #7 at 171 RV Peter of Westfield.

      539

      Wrestler of the Week 1/12 – 1/17/2009

      IndianaMat

      Wrestler of the Week 1/12 - 1/17/2009
      [caption id=attachment_328" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Bloomington South's Brannigan Barlow][/caption]

      Bloomington South Junior
      Brannigan Barlow
      Barlow won the Conference Indiana Tournament at 130 pounds.  Barlow beat then #2 Sampson Cook of Perry Meridian, who was named IndianaMat WOW last week, in the semi final 10-4.  Barlow then defeated #1 ranked D'Marcus Spencer of Pike 6-3 in the final.  Barlow is 27-4 on the season and has also logged wins against #9 Nick Odom of Warren Central, #15 Logan McWhorter of Columbus North and #4 at 125 Will Sheets of Bellmont.

      Honorable Mention:
      Fort Wayne SS -  215 pound senior Aris Allen of Fort Wayne North Side. Allen won the Goshen Invitational including defeating #3 ranked in Michigan D4 Travis Gump of Bronson, MI.
       
      New Castle SS -  135 pound senior Chris Goodwin of Perry Meridian.  Goodwin was undefeated for the week while beating #13 Dominic Corsaro of Cathedral and then cruising through the Conference Indiana Tournament winning by tech fall in the final.
       
      Merrillville SS - 125 freshman Jason Tsirtsis of Crown Point.  #2 Tsirtsis won the Duneland Conference Tournament defeating #3 Anthony Napules from Merrillville and #14 Luis Acuna from Portage.

      835

      World Team Trials preview in men

      By Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
       
      2012 Olympian Sam Hazewinkel turned in a strong performance at the U.S. Open in the new freestyle weight class of 57 kg/125.5 lbs.
       
      Hazewinkel won the U.S. Open to clinch a spot in the final-round series for the U.S. World Team Trials, set for May 31-June 1 in Madison, Wis. He will face the winner of the Challenge Tournament in the best-of-3 match finals.
       
      Champions at the Trials advance to September’s World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
       
      Hazewinkel defeated Andrew Hochstrasser by technical fall in April’s U.S. Open finals in Las Vegas.
       
      Veteran Danny Mitcheff was third at the Open after downing NCAA runner-up Tyler Graff. Past University World silver medalist Zach Sanders was fifth in the Open.
       
      Ryan Mango, second in the 2013 World Team Trials in Greco-Roman, is expected to compete in freestyle in this class. He was sixth at the 2014 Open. Mark McKnight placed seventh at the Open.
       
      Angel Escobedo, fifth in the World in 2013, could be in the mix if he is able to return to competition. Escobedo suffered a leg injury at the Open.
       
      Continue reading on TheMat.com: World Team Trials preview in men's freestyle at 57 kg

      2827

      World Team Trials preview in freestyle at 74 kg

      By Craig Sesker
       
      Jordan Burroughs has been the king of the wrestling world at 74 kg/163 lbs. over the past three seasons.
       
      Burroughs has won an Olympic gold medal and two World titles in that span, but just making another American freestyle team will be a challenge again this year.
       
      Burroughs rallied for a wild 7-6 win over two-time Hodge Trophy winner David Taylor in an epic U.S. Open final in April in Las Vegas. Burroughs scored two takedowns in the last 30 seconds to prevail.
       
      Burroughs’ U.S. Open victory clinched him a spot in the final-round series for the U.S. World Team Trials, set for May 31-June 1 in Madison, Wis. He will face the winner of the Challenge Tournament in the best-of-3 match finals.
       
      The champion at the Trials will advance to September’s World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
       
      Burroughs, now 82-1 in his remarkable career, is coming off an impressive pin over Russia’s Atsamaz Sanakoev in the Beat the Streets Dual in New York City.
       
      Taylor will have to win the Challenge Tournament to earn another shot at Burroughs in the final-round series. Taylor won a bronze medal at the 2013 World University Games. Taylor looked strong in defeating two-time World bronze medalist Yabrail Hasanov of Azerbaijan 6-0 in New York.
       
      Tyler Caldwell, second to Taylor at the 2014 NCAAs, is another top wrestler in this class. Caldwell finished third at the U.S. Open.
       
      Quinton Godley turned in a strong showing at the Open, placing fourth in Vegas.
       
      Top young college star Taylor Massa, a dominant performer coming up through the USA Wrestling age-group ranks, placed fifth at the Open.
       
      Thomas Gantt was sixth and Jesse Stafford seventh in Las Vegas.
       
      Past NCAA champion Andrew Howe also has excelled in this division, but he may bump up a class for the Trials. Howe was second at the 2012
       
      Read more on TheMat.com World Team Trials preview in freestyle at 74 kg

      1897

      World Team Trials preview in freestyle at 65 kg

      By Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
       
      Brent Metcalf is ready for a breakthrough.
       
      The two-time World Team member is ready to win a World medal this season for the United States.
       
      Metcalf looks well on his way after shutting out all four of his opponents en route to winning the U.S. Open freestyle title at 65 kg/143 lbs. He outscored his four Open foes a combined 39-0.
       
      Metcalf’s U.S. Open victory clinched him a spot in the final-round series for the U.S. World Team Trials, set for May 31-June 1 in Madison, Wis. He will face the winner of the Challenge Tournament in the best-of-3 match finals.
       
      Champions at the Trials advance to September’s World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
       
      Metcalf also went 5-0 at the World Cup this year and is coming off an 11-8 win over World No. 1 Magomed Kurbanaliev of Russia at the Beat the Streets Dual in New York City.
       
      Metcalf is in a strong weight class with plenty of firepower.
       
      Two-time NCAA champion Kellen Russell was second to Metcalf at the 2013 Trials and 2014 Open.
       
      Past Junior World medalists Logan Stieber and Jordan Oliver also can’t be counted out. Stieber will look to win his fourth NCAA title next season and Oliver has beaten a number of top foreign opponents, including Kubanaliev.
       
      Past NCAA champion Frank Molinaro has turned in a strong season. He was fourth at the Open.
       
      Two-time World Team member Reece Humphrey took fifth at the Open while wrestling up a weight class.
       
      Continue reading on TheMat.com World Team Trials preview in freestyle at 65 kg

      1000

      Woodlan(Fort Wayne) Semi-State Preview

      There is no better place to spend Valentine's Day than the War Memorial Coliseum for semi-state wrestling action. This year an extra 56 wrestlers get to wrestle in the friendly confines of the Coliseum as the fourth place finisher from regional now advances to semi-state. The teams with the most representatives are Yorktown with 10, Bellmont and Peru with 9, and Carroll, South Adams and Elkhart Central with 7. The action will be hot and heavy this year as there are numerous great match-ups in the ticket round and before.
       
      103
       
      Bishop Dwenger's Austen Vore comes in undefeated and is the favorite here. Travis Bryant of Muncie Central will try to knock off the senior as he is currently wrestling really well at the right time. This weight class will be a dogfight from the beginning with great matches from the first round onward.  Vore will be tested early with Elkhart Central's Abraham Que in a potential ticket round match.
       

       

       


       
      The Big Enchilada: Austen Vore- Bishop Dwenger
      Other State Streeters
      Travis Bryant- Muncie Central
      Todd Batt- South Adams
      Shannon Garrettson- Peru
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      Austen Vore vs. Abraham Que- Elkhart Central
      Todd Batt vs. Trenton Gremmil- Central Noble
       
      112
      Many of the 112lbers and their coaches in the Fort Wayne Semi-State were very anxious to see where the draws played out here. There are five returning state qualifiers in this weight class and add to that freshman phenom Devon Jackson. Jackson is the favorite here, but he will have to fend off stiff challengers from the beginning to the end.  The five returning state qualifiers that will be going at it for the four spots at state include Prairie Heights' Travis Barroquillo, Steven Ross of Concord, Northwestern's Matt Miller, Steve Gonzales of Delta and Muncie South's Jacob Armantrout.  Armantrout and Miller will be squaring off in the first round with the winner getting the priviledge of wrestling Barrquillo in the ticket round.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #6 Devon Jackson- Yorktown
      Other State Streeters
      #7 Travis Barroquillo- Prairie Heights
      #9 Steven Ross- Concord
      #11 Steve Gonzales- Delta
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      #7 Travis Barroquillo vs. Matt Miller- Northwestern
      #9 Steven Ross vs. Logan Randle-Huntington North
       
      119
      Returning state runner-up, Casey Kenney of Jay County, is the headliner in this weight class. He survived round #1 with Yorktown's Derek Bevans and would like nothing more than to leave Fort Wayne with his second semi-state championship. Bevans was the 112lb semi-state champion last year.  Others to watch include Bellmont's Brooks Faurote who has quite the family lineage and Alex Filer of Elkhart Central.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #8 Casey Kenney- Jay County
      Other State Streeters
      #7 Derek Bevans- Yorktown
      Alex Filer- Elkhart Central
      Brooks Faurote- Bellmont
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      Alex Filer vs. Bobby Perry- Bluffton
      Brooks Faurote vs. Marquis Williams- Snider
       
      125
      Two returning state placers headline this weight class in Tony Lovejoy and Will Sheets. Sheets comes in with 10 losses on the season, but most were while wrestling up at 130lbs for the team during the regular season. One wrestler to keep your eye on is Angola's undefeated Ricky Furar. He could possibly see Sheets in the ticket round if they both win their first round matches. Another great potential ticket round match will be between Troy Fiechter of Southern Wells and returning state qualifier Aaron Garrettson of Peru.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #6 Tony Lovejoy- Bishop Luers
      Other State Streeters
      #15 Andrew Heistand- Yorktown
      Troy Fiechter- Southern Wells
      #4 Will Sheets- Bellmont
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      Troy Fiechter vs. Aaron Garrettson- Peru
      #4 Will Sheets vs. Ricky Furar- Angola
       
      130
      The top quarter-bracket in this weight class is absolutely LOADED. All of the wrestlers have four or less losses on the season and two were state qualifiers last year. Unfortunately only one of these wrestlers will get in free to Conseco next week. Columbia City's Austin Egolf leads the way in this quarter-bracket as he was a state qualifier last year at this weight. Austin Shepherd was a state qualifier at 112lbs last year and is the latest in a long line of Shepherds to come through the Western program. The other wrestlers are Southern Wells' Darin Fiechter and West Noble's Ty Alles. Both have experience at the Coliseum, but have yet to wrestle at Conseco.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #8 Brock Norton- Carroll
      Other State Streeters
      Jimmy LaRowe- East Noble
      Josh Ehr- South Adams
      #11 Austin Egolf- Columbia City
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      Austin Shepherd- Western vs. Darin Fiechter- Southern Wells
      #11 Austin Egolf vs. Tyler Alles- West Noble
       
      135
      The headliner in this weight class is East Noble's Taylor March. He is looking to come home with a gold medal this year after taking silver as a freshman and sophomore and the bronze last year. March only has one loss on the season and that is to Johnny Dillon at the Al Smith. Another wrestler to watch in this weight class is #11 Matt Gerber of Bluffton who has dominated the competition for the past three weeks. Gerber will be tested in the ticket round by Jimtown's Jeremy Hill. Another ticket round match to watch is Jace German of Garrett against Steve Farrah of Elkhart Central.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #3 Taylor March- East Noble
      Other State Streeters
      #11 Matt Gerber- Bluffton
      Austin Waite- Maconaquah
      Jace German- Garrett
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      Jace German vs. Steven Farrah- Elkhart Central
      #11 Matt Gerber vs. #16 Jeremy Hill- Jimtown
       
      140
      This weight class sports three ranked wrestlers and the bracket and the wrestling bracket gods at the IHSAA separated all three into separate quarter brackets. The one to watch is #5 Ryan Stahl of Elkhart Memorial. He was a qualifier in 2007 at 112lbs, but was knocked out of the tournament by Will Sheets at 125lbs last year. Stahl would love nothing more than to bring home another state title to hang beside the one his brother won last year. The other challengers to watch are Eastern's Chad Barrett who placed 6th last year and Garrett's Bryce Schendel. Schendel will have to knock off undefeated Josh Martin of Randolph Southern in the ticket round to make it to state for a second year in a row.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #5 Ryan Stahl- Elkhart Memorial
      Other State Streeters
      #8 Chad Barrett- Eastern
      Justin Beck- Leo
      #13 Bryce Schendel- Garrett
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      #5 Ryan Stahl vs. Jeremy Sisk- North Miami
      #11 Bryce Schendel vs. Josh Martin- Randolph Southern
       
      145
      Along with 140lbs, this is another weight class with three ranked wrestlers. Any of these three wrestlers could take home the blue ribbon on any given day. The favorite is returning champion Jordan Dulaney of Yorktown. Dulaney took home a championship last year, but was upended at state in the first round. Others to watch are Elkhart Memorial's pinning machine Zach Corpe and Leo's Cam Friend. Friend and Corpe both have older brothers that wrestled under the spotlight and would love to duplicate those feats. The match to watch early on is Corpe vs. returning state qualifier Corey Richards of Churubusco.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #10 Jordan Dulaney- Yorktown
      Other State Streeters
      #12 Cam Friend- Leo
      Dalton Sparks- Peru
      #4 Zach Corpe- Elkhart Memorial
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      #12 Cam Friend vs. Ryley Hankenson- Bellmont
      #4 Zach Corpe vs. Corey Richards- Churubusco
      #10 Jordan Dulaney vs. Chandler Pogue- Mississinewa
       
      152
      When you talk about pinning this year you cannot leave out Kyle Mosier of Yorktown who is coming to the Coliseum with pins in 36 out of 38 matches. He has pinned at least four of the top competitors in this bracket and would love nothing more than to pin his way to a title. Mosier is a two-time state placer, placing 4th in 2007 and 2008. Tyler Baker of Bellmont who placed 6th last year will look to knock off Mosier along with two time state qualifier Bryant Whitaker of Muncie South. Both Baker and Whitaker cannot overlook their early round matches as they will both have to battle to punch another free ride to Conseco.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #2 Kyle Mosier- Yorktown
      Other State Streeters
      #10 Tyler Baker- Bellmont
      #6 Bryant Whitaker- Muncie South
      Matt Davenport- Oak Hill
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      #10 Tyler Baker vs. Quinn Kurtz- Prairie Heights
      #6 Bryant Whitaker vs. Zac McCray- Garrett
       
      160
      Returning state qualifier Ross Powell is the headliner in this group. He comes in undefeated this year and relatively untested. Another top contender at this weight is Eastbrook's Jackson Bratcher. He will look to reverse his fortunes of last year as he came in undefeated only to get upset in the ticket round. Bellmont's Trent Busse is riding a big winning streak after missing a couple weeks late in the season due to injury. Drew Walters of Elkhart Central is a returning state qualifier, but will have to avenge an early season loss to Jordan Hamilton of Churubusco to qualify for state again.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #4 Ross Powell- Northridge
      Other State Streeters
      Jordan Hamilton- Churubusco
      Trent Busse- Bellmont
      #13 Jackson Bratcher- Eastbrook
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      Jordan Hamilton vs. Drew Walters- Elkhart Central
      #13 Jackson Bratcher vs. Trent Castner- Yorktown
       
      171
      Don't worry everyone, the George Lopez at this weight class was not the star of Beverly Hill Chihuahua so don't go asking for autographs! Ok, sorry for the lame attempt at humor, but the George Lopez from Napanee is as talented a wrestler as George Lopez is a comedian.....minus Beverly Hills Chihuahua! He was a state qualifier last year and an Al Smith runner-up this year. Lopez will be tested by the likes of Trey Shultz of Adams Central and Marqueen Suel of Harding. Suel had Lopez on the ropes last year in the ticket round in a great match that he pulled out late in the third period. Returning state qualifier Martin Lantz of Fairfield dropped down a weight this year and will have to go through Shultz to qualify again for state.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #6 George Lopez- Northwood
      Other State Streeters
      Spencer Fenner- Eastbrook
      Marqueen Suel- Harding
      #8 Trey Shultz- Adams Central
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      Marqueen Suel vs. Grant Melcher- Bellmont
      #8 Trey Shultz vs. Martin Lantz- Fairfield
       
      189
      Drew Graber came out of nowhere to place second in the state at 171lbs last year. This year people know who he is and he is still dominating them. Graber is looking to finish one notch higher on the podium at Conseco, but will have to navigate through a tough field at the Coliseum first. The first test could be in the semi-finals with Huntington North's Zach Abbott. Graber only beat Abbott by one point last year. Others to watch for are Peru's Brett Worden and #15 Darryn Scott of Marion.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #3 Drew Graber- Northridge
      Other State Streeters
      #4 Zach Abbott- Huntington North
      Brett Worden- Peru
      #15 Darryn Scott- Marion
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      Brett Worden vs. Travis Thatcher- Bellmont
      #15 Darryn Scott vs. Josh Grider- South Side
       
      215
      When was the last time there wasn't a Baker wrestling for Bellmont? Maybe the 1800's? As usual, there are some Bakers in the Bellmont lineup and they are all STUDS! Billy Baker however had to watch the state finals last year from the stands as he was eliminated in the ticket round by the eventual state champion Steve Stahl. Baker has come back bigger and meaner after leading the Braves football team to a state championship in the fall. The undefeated Baker will definitely be tested this week by an equally accomplished wrestler in North Side's Aris Allen. Allen also comes in undefeated and he has passed the "look test" since his sophomore year. The Allen vs. Baker match is one to watch for on Saturday, but they will have to get through the likes of Jimmie King of Muncie South and Austin Phillips of Elkhart Central to make this match happen.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #1 Billy Baker- Bellmont
      Other State Streeters
      #12 Aris Allen- North Side
      Austin Phillips- Elkhart Central
      Jimmie King- Muncie South
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      Jimmie King vs. Dylan Green- Kokomo
      Austin Phillps vs. Anthony Fondrea- Winchester
       
      285
      Last year's state runner-up didn't even win the semi-state! Chalfant lost a close match to New Haven's Matt Cheviron due to penalty points and had to settle for 3rd place. This year Chalfant again brings an undefeated record to the Coliseum, but he plans on keeping the zero at the end. He will be challenged however by relative unknown Evan Floyd of Northwestern who comes in with only one loss on the season. The other closest competitors in Ross Janey of Yorktown and Jim West of South Adams have both been caught counting the lights when they wrestled Chalfant.
       


      The Big Enchilada: #1 Adam Chalfant- Winchester
      Other State Streeters
      Evan Floyd- Northwestern
      #11 Ross Janney- Yorktown
      Jim West- South Adams
       
      Early Matches to Watch
      Evan Floyd vs. Daniel Meyer- Bellmont
      Evan Floyd vs. #15 Zack Stone- Jimtown

      793

      Woodlan(Fort Wayne) Semi-State Preview

      103lbs
      Two of the top wrestlers from last year return to this weight class, lead by defending semi-state champion Danny “the hamminator” Hamm of Prairie Heights. His main foe will be Brock Bevans of Yorktown who defeated him earlier this season. Also in the bracket is an undefeated wrestler from Garrett that has flown under the radar for most of the season. Look for many great match-ups in this weight.
       
      Early Round Bracket Buster Matches
      Hayden Lee- Garrett vs. Zach Krumlauf- Dekalb
      Brock Bevans- Yorktown vs. Forrest Glogouski- Fairfield
       

       
      King of the Hill
      Brock Bevans- Yorktown
      Other State Streeters
      Danny Hamm- Prairie Heights
      Zach Krumlauf- Dekalb
      Andrew Bowman- Homestead
       
      112
      Abraham Que of Elkhart Central looks to be the favorite here, but there are numerous landmines in the bracket that could trip up the undefeated senior. There are numerous early matches that are going to be close and hotly contested.
       
      Early Round Bracket Buster Matches
      Matt Frane- Dekalb vs. Tommie Lockett- Harding
      Frane/Lockett vs. Kyle Jolas- Huntington North
      Benjamin Fiechter- Southern Wells vs. Abraham Que- Elkhart Central
      Erique Early- Snider vs. Cody Walburn- Adams Central
       

      King of the Hill
      Abraham Que- Elkhart Central
      Other State Streeters
      Kyle Jolas- Huntington North
      Schuyler Phillips- Yorktown
      Cody Walburn- Adams Central
       
      119
      This weight class will be one featuring many young wrestlers with only two seniors represented this year. There is no clear cut favorite this year and the only two returning state qualifiers will most likely meet in the ticket round.
       
      Early Round Bracket Buster Matches
      Chas Busz- Whitko vs. Willie Nelson- West Noble
      Evan Loe- Peru vs. Chandler Carroll- Yorktown
       

      King of the Hill
      Kody George- Homestead
      Other State Streeters
      Derek Roe- Adams Central
      Chandler Carroll- Yorktown
      Willie Nelson- West Noble
       
      125
      Four former state qualifiers highlight this weight class, but just because they have been to state before does not mean they will make it again as all of them have tough ticket round matches. Jordan Gilbert of Whitko and Nick Crume of Jimtown were both state qualifiers at 112lbs last year, but will most likely meet in the ticket round.
       
      Early Round Bracket Buster Matches
      Nick Crume- Jimtown vs. Jordan Gilbert- Whitko
      Kalib Jackson- East Noble vs. Philip Gerber- Bluffton
      Jackson/Gerber vs. Kris Workman- Taylor
      Keelan Rushing- Homestead vs. Tommy Poynter- Dekalb
       

      King of the Hill
      Nick Crume- Jimtown
      Other State Streeters
      Todd Batt- South Adams
      Tommy Poynter- Dekalb
      Kris Workman- Taylor
       
      130
      This weight will feature some very good wrestling led by the Philippine Phenom Travis Barroquillo of Prairie Heights who comes in undefeated on the year. Another wrestler to watch is Garrett’s Brayden Moreau who comes in with only one blemish on his record and that was at a weight class 10lbs higher. The bottom half of the bracket will be very interesting to watch with the first round match-up of Tony Elkins of Snider and Trevor Enchartea of Elkhart Central. In the same quarter-final the 1 vs. 4 match has some intrigue when Bo Ketring of Oak Hill takes on Dalton Baysinger of Yorktown. The ticket round match of Collin Crume of Jimtown and Sebastian Eckert of Huntington North will be a fun one to watch.
       
      Early Round Bracket Buster Matches
      Collin Crume- Jimtown vs. Sebastian Eckert- Huntington North
      Bo Ketring- Oak Hill vs. Dalton Baysinger- Yorktown
      Trevor Echartea- Elkhart Central vs. Tony Elkins- Snider
       

      King of the Hill
      Travis Barroquillo- Prairie Heights
      Other State Streeters
      Brayden Moreau- Garrett
      Collin Crume- Jimtown
      Tony Elkins- Snider
       
      135
      Not much to say here other than Devon Jackson is the head of the class coming in with a perfect record and relatively untested this season. The bottom quarter bracket will have many interesting matches with Gabe Sprunger of South Adams going up against ACAC rival Corey Botts of Leo in the first round and the winner getting to face off with Colin Downey of Huntington North to punch their ticket to state.
       
      Early Round Bracket Buster Matches
      Gabe Sprunger- South Adams vs. Corey Botts- Leo
      Sprunger/Botts vs. Colin Downey- Huntington North
       

      King of the Hill
      Devon Jackson- Yorktown
      Other State Streeters
      Michael Nix- Bishop Dwenger
      Isaiah Bradley- Muncie South
      Colin Downey- Huntington North
       
      140
      The 140lbs weight class is a complete toss-up with many wrestlers having a shot at the championship and qualifying for state. Recent move-in Cole VanHorn of Yorktown is the class of the field right now, but he could be challenged by numerous wrestlers in this bracket.
       
      Early Round Bracket Buster Matches
      Kevin Marsh- West Noble vs. Zach Armstead- Churubusco
      Cody Zink- Woodlan vs. Drake Meska- Jay County
       

      King of the Hill
      Cole VanHorn- Yorktown
      Other State Streeters
      Kevin Marsh- West Noble
      Drake Meska- Jay County
      Brooks Faurote- Bellmont
       
      145
      As with last year, this weight class looks to be a barnburner from beginning to the end. All but one ticket-round match will pit wrestlers with four or less losses against each other, which will make for some exciting and heartbreaking wrestling. Add to that the intrigue of some under the radar wrestlers such as Jesse Goodnight of Kokomo and Josh Seldenright of the Howe School, this weight will be full of surprises all day long.
       
      Early Round Bracket Buster Matches
      Josh Seldenright- The Howe School vs. Zeke Schultz- Adams Central
      Seldenright/Schultz vs. Jesse Goodnight- Kokomo
      Jon Timmerman- Carroll vs. TJ Burnfield- South Adams
       

      King of the Hill
      Andrew Hiestand- Yorktown
      Other State Streeters
      Cam Matteson- Elkhart Memorial
      Jon Timmerman- Carroll
      Zeke Schultz- Adams Central
       
      152
      Two undefeated wrestlers highlight the field here, with both Carroll’s Reece Lefever and Josh Ehr of South Adams coming in without a loss. Unfortunately the bracket gods did not help out and these two will potentially wrestle in the semi-finals instead of the finals. Adding even more drama to the potential match is that both will be teammates next year at Indiana Tech. On the other half of the bracket there will be many great matches just to get to the semi-finals. The best match of the first round at this weight class and probably any weight class will be the battle of state qualifiers when Zack Zurbrugg of New Haven faces off against Jarod Schwartz of Adams Central. Adding icing to the cake in this match is coach Barry Humble of New Haven will be facing off against Adams Central and former protégé Doug Schultz.
       
      Early Round Bracket Buster Matches
      Jarod Schwartz- Adams Central vs. Zack Zurbrugg- New Haven
      Dantrell Goodman- Elkhart Memorial vs. Reece LeFever- Carroll
       

      King of the Hill
      Reece LeFever- Carroll
      Other State Streeters
      Jarod Schwartz- Adams Central
      Will Busse- Bellmont
      Josh Ehr- South Adams
       
      160
      The other half of the LeFevers highlights this weight class. Conner LeFever of Carroll leads the way with a perfect record here, but will be challenged early and often. His first round match is not easy with the giant killer Chantz Luginbill of Adams Central in the way. After C-Lef, the rest of the state qualifiers is a toss-up. In the top quarter bracket you have three wrestlers battling it out that have three or less losses. In the second quarter bracket you will have state qualifier Garrett Weber of Leo and two wrestlers with only two losses each. Finally in the lower quarter bracket you have all the wrestlers with seven or more losses. Needless to say picking the winners here will require great skill in drawing names out of a hat.
       
      Early Round Bracket Buster Matches
      Christian Harvey- Taylor vs. Cody Conrad- Heritage
      Garrett Weber- Leo vs. Jordan Simmons- Winchester
      Weber/Simmons vs. Tyler Rimmel- Central Noble
       

      King of the Hill
      Conner Lefever- Carroll
      Other State Streeters
      Cody Conrad- Heritage
      Garrett Weber- Leo
      John Mahlan- Bellmont
       
      171
      Thank you to the bracket gods for separating the best wrestlers in this weight class. Ryley Hankenson of Bellmont and undefeated Jackson Bratcher of Eastbrook lead the way in this weight class. Look for their finals match to be a great one.
       
      Early Round Bracket Buster Matches
      Jeff Enrietto- Carroll vs. Brandon Weinkauf- Jimtown
      Alex Hostetler- Fairfield vs. Spencer Cooper- Leo
       

      King of the Hill
      Jackson Bratcher- Eastbrook
      Other State Streeters
      Ryley Hankenson- Bellmont
      Jeff Enrietto- Carroll
      Alex Hostetler- Fairfield
       
      189
      This is the most wide open weight class at the Fort Wayne Semi-State. Eleven wrestlers come in with seven losses or less and many of those losses are to others in this same bracket. There are numerous match-ups in the first round that are toss-ups and no clear cut favorite. State qualifiers Brandon Dillenbeck of Goshen and Scott Neff of Yorktown are probably the slight favorites. Dillenbeck has a very dangerous Austin Striggle of Whitko in the first round. One of the best quarter brackets will be the one headlined by Alex Evans of Huntington North. Evans has had a fine season this year, but will be tested by Ben Baker of Bellmont in the first match and then with the winner of the Redrecus McCurrie of Wayne and Tanner Adams of Jimtown match.
       
      Early Round Bracket Buster Matches
      Brandon Dillonbeck- Goshen vs. Austin Striggle- Whitko
      Spencer Raypole- Carroll vs. Clayton Smith- Eastern
      Alex Evans- Huntington North vs. Ben Baker- Bellmont
      Redrecus McCurrie- Wayne vs. Tanner Adams- Jimtown
      Scott Neff- Yorktown vs. Braxton Siddons- Churubusco
       

      King of the Hill
      Alex Evans- Huntington North
      Other State Streeters
      Brandon Dillenbeck- Goshen
      Spencer Raypole- Carroll
      Scott Neff- Yorktown
       
      215
      State placers Taylor Grubb of Prairie Heights and Travis Thatcher of Bellmont are the headliners at 215lbs. Grubb got the better of Thatcher at the Al Smith, but never count out a Bellmont Brave during the tournament series. Unfortunately this match will occur in the semi-finals and the other half of the bracket is a toss-up.
       
      Early Round Bracket Buster Matches
      Alex Jakacki- Leo vs. Chase Spears- Elkhart Memorial
       

      King of the Hill
      Taylor Grubb- Prairie Heights
      Other State Streeters
      Travis Thatcher- Bellmont
      Alex Jakacki- Leo
      Andrew Chalfant- Winchester
       
      285
      Bellmont’s mighty mouse Daniel Meyer comes into Saturday without a blemish on his record and the state’s #1 ranking. He definitely makes the big guys fun to watch as he is very active on his feet and extremely athletic. After him though, there are about 10 wrestlers that could punch their ticket to Conseco.
       
      Early Round Bracket Buster Matches
      Daniel Meyer- Bellmont vs. Dominique Stauffer- Elkhart Central
      Clay Selman- Angola vs. Josh Mitchell- Heritage
      Andrew Mason- Huntington North vs. Selman/Mitchel
       

      King of the Hill
      Daniel Meyer- Bellmont
      Other State Streeters
      Andrew Mason- Huntington North
      Ta’Quan Walker- North Side
      Eric Forrest- Jimtown

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