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103 articles in this category
2252 4#WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Cascade ready for year two under Harris
By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
The story seems familiar. Big city guy, through fate, ends up in a small town and falls in love with the community. Although Christmas is fast approaching, this isn’t a Hallmark movie script. It’s the real-life journey of Quinn Harris and his Cascade wrestling team.
Harris is a 2015 graduate of Avon High School. Avon’s enrollment is close to 3,000 students. After high school he helped coach at Avon, then coached at Ben Davis, which also has close to 3,000 students. Last year he took the head coaching job at Cascade, a tiny high school in Clayton, IN with an enrollment of under 500.
“There isn’t a whole lot to do here,” Harris said. “It’s a small farm town. 4H and agriculture are huge around here. A lot of kids live and work on the farm. They own pigs. They show pigs. The kids go hunting and fishing. It’s a much different culture than what I’m used to.”
The wrestlers on his Cadet squad like to tease him a little bit about his city-guy life.
“They tease me all the time,” Harris said. “They talk about how my jeans are a little tighter than the other guys.”
The relationship has worked. Last year, in his first season at the helm of the Cadets, Harris led the team to a spot in the team state championship. The Cadets finished sixth at team state, won the Indiana Crossroads Conference for the first time, won a New Castle invitational and had a sectional champion for the first time since 2016.
“All around, I couldn’t have been happier with the year,” Harris said.
Early in the season Harris learned just how close the Cascade wrestling family was.
“Last year, before I accepted the job, they lost a teammate to a disease,” Harris said. “Kadeo Lewis was his name. He would have been a senior last year. It was a big loss for their team. He was a captain as a junior. So, senior night they called it Kadeo Lewis night. We all wore orange in his honor. Orange Cascade shirts when the normal colors are Carolina blue. But the entire crowd was in orange, and it was a big crowd. We sold over 100 shirts that night. It was just a cool thing. Kids that had never went to a wrestling meet before came there. It really showed me that Cascade is a family, for sure.”
Last year Harris was getting to know the team. This year he’s hoping to lead them to the 1A state title. He’s got a nucleus of seven highly talented seniors along with some key underclassmen that could push Cascade to the school’s best season in history.
“This year we have an extremely motivated attitude,” Harris said. “There is a difference in practices. This year they are believing it on their own. They have expectations. Other than cheerleading and cross country, there has never been a team at Cascade that had been to a state championship. The kids are starting to believe it’s possible to win it.”
The Cadets are led by four-ranked seniors. Liam Farmer (182), Michael Hutchison (160) and Dominic McFeeley (126) are all ranked No. 10 in their respective weight classes. Logan Bickel comes in ranked No. 8 at 113 pounds. Walker VanNess isn’t ranked, but he finished the year with a 31-9 record last year at 220 pounds.
“This is a tough senior class,” Harris said. “Five of the seven had over 30 wins last year. Three were semistate guys and one a state qualifier. They are the reason we will have so much success. They are 100 percent leaders. They are our five captains. All five did a lot of off-season wrestling. They went out and competed at Virginia Beach and at Disney.”
Bickel reached the 100-win mark at the end of the season last year. He is a three-time semistate qualifier. He was also the first Fargo All-American from Cascade.
“He’s a big move kind of guy,” Harris said. “He has a lot of fire and passion. He’s a very cool kid and he didn’t even start wrestling until seventh grade. He’s very strong and athletic. I’m looking forward to seeing how far he can go.”
McFeeley was the lone state qualifier from Cascade last year.
“In some people’s eyes that was a big surprise,” Harris said. “He took out a returning 4th place finisher in semistate. He’s one of the hardest workers in our room. He leads day in and day out and he’s very humble. He does things the right way. He really likes working with the younger kids as well.”
Hutchison is another team leader that likes to stay and help the younger kids at practice. He has a brother, Carter, that is the team’s 145 pounder as a sophomore.
Farmer is more of the vocal leader on the team. He was a football phenom this past season as well.
“Liam is a stud on the football field,” Harris said. “He broke our single game rushing record this year. He had a game with seven touchdowns and somewhere around 375 rushing yards. He was in the top 10 in the state for rushing yards.”
Farmer broke his leg in the first round of sectional but is expected to be able to return to the mat sometime in December.
The Cadets expect big contributions this season from Carter Hutchison and fellow sophomore Brayden Burelison as well. Burelison was a conference champion last year and Hutchison was a conference runner-up. Both had over 25 wins as freshmen.
A few other key contributors to this year’s squad will be heavyweight Kyle Sullivan and 106-pound junior Logan Schnarr. Last year Schnarr only had one win going into team state, but he pinned all four of the opponents he faced in the tournament and was named the team MVP.
Harris believes the team state aspect has really helped sell the kids in the sport. It gives them something to be motivated by.
“The kids have really bought into this,” Harris said. “The community really backs the team as well. I think last year we sold around 200 team state T-shirts. When I was at Avon we went to team state, but I didn’t realize how much it meant to the small schools. The fans travel so well in these small communities. It’s extremely cool to see how much this means to them.”
Harris believes because of his young age he has really been able to relate to the kids and help keep them motivated.
“I was just in their shoes not too long ago,” Harris said. “I don’t know exactly what they are going through, but I know what it was like being a kid in high school. I think I’ve built a really good relationship with them on a personal level. Wrestling is about building character for the days after wrestling is over, and I’m glad to be a part of that here.”
The city guy in the small town is learning to adapt. In fact, although he’s never been hunting or fishing before, he’s going to give it a try. The team has been wanting to take him out and teach him some of the small-town ways.
“I’m interested in just about anything, and I’m going to give it a try,” Harris said.
But for now, Harris and the Cascade Cadets have goals to meet on the mat.
1194 3#MondayMatness with Steve Krah: Mikey Robles ready to finish strong
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
Sometimes a change of venue is the best thing for a person.
Mikey Robles placed fifth at the Michigan High School Athletic Association State Finals as a Niles High School 103-pound freshman in 2020.
He qualified for the regional stage as a sophomore then had to quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic and saw his season end. His grades began to slip, making him academically ineligible. There were other distractions in his life that caused him to look for a new school.
“It was so I could better my life and move away from all the drama and stuff,” says Robles of his decision to change schools.
The oldest of eight children (four boys and four girls), Robles came to Indiana and Kim Wagley (the grandmother of his girlfriend) became his legal guardian until he turned 18.
“(Wagley) treats him like a son,” says Steven Sandefer, head coach at Mishawaka High School where Robles enrolled after Niles. “She’ll do anything for him. She’s a sweet lady.
“She’s working with us to keep him motivated and on-track and making good decisions. He’s come a long way in the last two years.”
Sandefer, who is in his ninth year as a wrestling coach and sixth leading the Cavemen program, knows what it takes to be successful inside the circle.
“It’s a lot of hard work,” says Sandefer. “You have to have discipline. I say this to my guys weekly: In wrestling and in life you’re going to have to do things you don’t want to do things are not always going to be easy if you want to get where you want to go.
“It reinforces a lot of those bigger life lessons.”
That message has reached Robles.
“Wrestling has helped me be a better person in life,” says Robles. “Since it does come with discipline you show people a lot more respect and it also helps you stay out of trouble.”
Robles was with the Cavemen in 2021-22 but ineligible to compete.
“My grades have gotten back up to where they are pretty good,” says Robles, who counts History as his favorite subject and sees a future as an electrical engineer.
With then-Niles wrestling head coach Todd Hesson bringing his Vikings to Penn’s Henry Wilk Classic, Robles had competed against Mishawaka in the past.
Before joining the team, Mikey was familiar with Cavemen grapplers Christian Chavez, Chris Peacock, Courtney Rider, Gunnar Sandefur and Isaac Valdez.
The 2022-23 season — Robles’ senior campaign — opens with him No. 12 in the Indiana Mat preseason rankings at 138 pounds for a team that is No. 2 in Class 3A.
“When I’m on the mat I just like to get physical,” says Robles, who is 18 now and got started in the sport at 5. “I just love to wrestle. This is my senior year. I want to go as far as I can and leave everything on the mat.”
Sandefer says he saw “flashes of greatness” from Robles last winter and during the off-season, but is not sure he was yet fully in grappling shape.
“He has a lot of room to grow in his wrestling,” says Sandefer.
Many wrestlers progress from the end of one high school season to another.
“When the season gets here you can see the improvements the kids made in the off-season,” says Sandefer. “They get to showcase their talents.
“That’s the real rewarding part.”
Robles’ regular workout partners are 113-pound senior Peacock and 145-pound junior Brabender and — occasionally — 132-pound junior Zar Walker. The coaches he works with most are Sandefer and assistant Fabian Chavez.
“We don’t screw around,” says Robles of their practice room mentality. “We go in their and try to get better.”
The wrestlers teach each other moves and talk about making them more effective.
“Staying in shape and packing on muscle is good,” says Robles, who stands 5-foot-7 1/2. “But it’s really not how strong you are to go out there and win a match.
“I believe technique beats strength any day of the week.”
Four state qualifiers return for Mishawaka — Walker (who placed sixth at 132 in 2021-22 and is ranked No. 2 at 132 in the preseason), seniors Chavez (No. 4 at 195) and Valdez (No. 8 at 170) and Brabender (No. 6 at 145). There’s also senior Xavier Chavez (No. 6 at 106).
They are are part of a large squad of 47 (45 boys and two girls).
“That’s about 10 more than usual,” says Sandefer. “My first year I had 30 kids so it’s come up.
“All 47 kids have shown they’re committed.”
A physical education teacher at Mishawaka, Sandefer leads athletes and others through weight training classes. Most wrestlers are in these classes, learning power movements like the bench press and squat.
“We do pull movements,” says Sandefer. “If you’re on a guy’s leg you want to be able to pull him in.
“We also need that leg strength.”
Practices at Mishawaka began Nov. 1. The first boys meet is slated for Tuesday, Nov. 29 at Northern Lakes Conference foe Warsaw.
Among the other competitions for the Cavemen are the Chris Traicoff Memorial Invitational at Calumet New Tech Dec. 10, a dual against crosstown rival Penn Dec. 21 at Mishawaka (Alumni Night), the 32-team Al Smith Classic at Mishawaka Dec. 29-30, the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association 3A State Duals Jan. 7 at Franklin Community, the NLC Championships Jan. 14 at Wawasee, Mishawaka Sectional Jan. 28, Penn Regional Feb. 4, East Chicago Semistate Feb. 11 and IHSAA State Finals Feb. 17-18 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
It’s not all about wrestling for Robles. He played football at Niles as a sophomore and Mishawaka as a senior. He was a middle linebacker for the 10-2 Cavemen in 2022. A shortstop/left fielder in baseball, he intends to try out for that sport in the spring. He stepped away from the diamond after eighth grade to focus on wrestling.
2234 9 1Who do you want in your corner at state? 2022 Version
Winning is easy, well not that easy, but winning consistently is much, much harder. One of our more controversial articles of state week is "who do you want in your corner?" This was conjured up when we wanted to know which coaches had the most success on Friday night. After that we moved to the quarter-finals and of course semi-finals and the championship match. With our system of one and done on Friday the data is easy to decipher on which coaches have the most success. The numbers are staggering for certain coaches. We also understand fully that this isn't just a one man show, many of the top head coaches will divide and conquer and have top assistants in the corner for specific individuals.
Take the data as you want, but it is always a great conversation starter during this week.
Click here for all of the data
Current coaches with 10+ state qualifiers from 1992-2019
Coach Qualifiers Placers Friday % Current School Sean McGinley 114 88 77.19% Indianapolis Cathedral Darrick Snyder 97 72 74.23% Brownsburg Chris Cooper 36 26 72.22% Columbus East Maurice Swain 17 12 70.59% Center Grove Branden Lorek 30 21 70.00% Crown Point Joshua Holden 19 13 68.42% Greenfield-Central Matt Schoettle 34 23 67.65% Perry Meridian David Maldonado 84 56 66.67% Merrillville Jim Tonte 111 70 63.06% Franklin Community Greg Schaefer 84 52 61.90% Evansville Mater Dei Frank Bumgardner 12 7 58.33% Wawasee Bill Flatt 23 13 56.52% South Bend Riley Tony Abbott 32 18 56.25% Cowan Dan Briggs 22 12 54.55% Carroll (Fort Wayne) Ed Pendoski 74 40 54.05% Carmel Gabe Cook 10 5 50.00% Terre Haute South Mike Runyon 20 10 50.00% Bloomington South Randy Kearby 34 17 50.00% Wabash Phil Smith 10 5 50.00% Westfield Bob Harmon 57 28 49.12% Castle Chad Shepherd 25 12 48.00% Western Brandon Sisson 17 8 47.06% Floyd Central Jim Pickard 43 20 46.51% Goshen Eric Myers 26 12 46.15% Jay County Lou Silverman 37 17 45.95% North Central Louie Kuzdas 27 12 44.44% LaPorte Clint Gard 16 7 43.75% Rochester Scott Ferguson 38 16 42.11% Evansville Reitz Brad Harper 72 29 40.28% Penn Dan Mikesell 15 6 40.00% Mooresville Danny Struck 20 8 40.00% Jeffersonville James Linn 10 4 40.00% New Haven Larry Mattingly 33 13 39.39% Evansville Memorial Andy Hobbs 41 16 39.02% Peru Tony Currie 13 5 38.46% Adams Central Dean Branstetter 13 5 38.46% Attica Jamie Welliever 13 5 38.46% Southmont Brett Smith 11 4 36.36% Prairie Heights Doug Smoker 20 7 35.00% Eastside Dave Cloud 25 8 32.00% Pendleton Heights Andrew King 26 8 30.77% Oak Hill Tim Alcorn 10 3 30.00% Mount Vernon (Posey) Blane Culp 14 4 28.57% Columbia City Jim Wadkins 21 6 28.57% Calumet Doug Deters 13 3 23.08% Franklin County Steven Sandefer 13 3 23.08% Mishawaka Sam Riesen 10 2 20.00% East Noble Nick Kraus 16 3 18.75% Garrett Tom Miller 18 2 11.11% Lafayette Jefferson
All coaches with 10+ state qualifiers from 1992-2019
Coach Qualifiers Placers Friday % Wiley Craft 11 10 90.91% Todd Kendrick 13 11 84.62% Wade McClurg 17 14 82.35% Travis Walls 26 21 80.77% Dan Gelarden 15 12 80.00% Brett Crousore 39 31 79.49% Nick Petrov 24 19 79.17% Sean McGinley 114 88 77.19% Perry Summitt 13 10 76.92% Brian Weaver 12 9 75.00% Darrick Snyder 97 72 74.23% Justin Smith 11 8 72.73% Rod Wartman 11 8 72.73% Chris Cooper 36 26 72.22% Maurice Swain 17 12 70.59% Keith Grant 10 7 70.00% Branden Lorek 30 21 70.00% Al Smith 20 14 70.00% Alan Goddard 10 7 70.00% Joshua Holden 19 13 68.42% Mike Atwood 19 13 68.42% Paul Nicodemus 19 13 68.42% Mike Goebel 102 69 67.65% Matt Schoettle 34 23 67.65% David Maldonado 84 56 66.67% Paul Voigt 15 10 66.67% Kevin Blundell 12 8 66.67% Robert Emerick 27 18 66.67% Duboris Dickerson 12 8 66.67% Bill Kelly 26 17 65.38% Lance Ellis 17 11 64.71% Zach Errett 28 18 64.29% Lance Rhodes 28 18 64.29% Chad Red 25 16 64.00% Kevin Troy 30 19 63.33% Matthew Behling 19 12 63.16% Jim Tonte 111 70 63.06% Brian Seltzer 40 25 62.50% Greg Schaefer 84 52 61.90% Jack Grimaldi 13 8 61.54% Russel Feigert 39 24 61.54% Rob Willman 18 11 61.11% Bob Jarrett 10 6 60.00% John Kopnisky 10 6 60.00% Kevin King 15 9 60.00% Brent Faurote 107 64 59.81% Dave Thompson 24 14 58.33% Frank Bumgardner 12 7 58.33% Royce Deckard 64 37 57.81% Steve Balash 47 27 57.45% Bob Read 21 12 57.14% Keith Hoffar 28 16 57.14% Kyle Poyer 28 16 57.14% Trent McCormick 100 57 57.00% Bob Hasseman 67 38 56.72% Bill Flatt 23 13 56.52% Bobby Howard 16 9 56.25% Tony Abbott 32 18 56.25% Lance Beehler 18 10 55.56% Danny Williams 20 11 55.00% Larry Tharp 20 11 55.00% Dan Briggs 22 12 54.55% Jim Nicholson 11 6 54.55% Clarence Warthan 22 12 54.55% John Cook 11 6 54.55% Jamie Wingler 11 6 54.55% Jason Warthan 11 6 54.55% Ed Pendoski 74 40 54.05% Israel Blevins 37 20 54.05% Jake Harreld 13 7 53.85% Mike Ester 26 14 53.85% Chris Joll 60 32 53.33% Bob Brennan 15 8 53.33% Scott Vlink 72 38 52.78% Jared Williams 40 21 52.50% Rex Peckinpaugh 67 35 52.24% Andy Simon 33 17 51.52% Mark Kerrn 35 18 51.43% Leroy Vega 43 22 51.16% Gabe Cook 10 5 50.00% Mark Bruner 12 6 50.00% Mark Kirchgassner 12 6 50.00% Mike Runyon 20 10 50.00% Randy Kearby 34 17 50.00% Phil Smith 10 5 50.00% Jim Ledbetter 28 14 50.00% Todd Sacksteder 20 10 50.00% Scott Dehart 14 7 50.00% Christopher Kern 10 5 50.00% Bob Harmon 57 28 49.12% Henry Wilk 37 18 48.65% Chad Shepherd 25 12 48.00% Dennis Lewis 25 12 48.00% T. Howard Jones Jr. 21 10 47.62% Terry O'Neill 19 9 47.37% Brandon Sisson 17 8 47.06% Ryan Wells 15 7 46.67% Jim Pickard 43 20 46.51% Cale Hoover 26 12 46.15% Chris Campbell 13 6 46.15% Eric Myers 26 12 46.15% Rod Williams 13 6 46.15% Lou Silverman 37 17 45.95% Tony Boley 22 10 45.45% Louie Kuzdas 27 12 44.44% Scott Schwarz 25 11 44.00% Clint Gard 16 7 43.75% Rick Stenftenagel 14 6 42.86% Eric Highley 19 8 42.11% Scott Ferguson 38 16 42.11% Ed Fox 12 5 41.67% David Caple 12 5 41.67% Mark Scott 17 7 41.18% Al Hartman 32 13 40.63% Brad Harper 72 29 40.28% Scott Raypole 15 6 40.00% Dan Mikesell 15 6 40.00% Danny Struck 20 8 40.00% Ryan Landis 10 4 40.00% Mark Line 20 8 40.00% James Binkley 10 4 40.00% James Linn 10 4 40.00% Gene Backes 10 4 40.00% Murray Miller 10 4 40.00% Steve Wewe 10 4 40.00% Kevin Taylor 10 4 40.00% Larry Mattingly 33 13 39.39% Steve Pugliese 23 9 39.13% Andy Hobbs 41 16 39.02% Tony Currie 13 5 38.46% Dean Branstetter 13 5 38.46% Jamie Welliever 13 5 38.46% Greg Gastineau 13 5 38.46% Steve VanderAa 16 6 37.50% Brett Smith 11 4 36.36% Gary Fox 11 4 36.36% Gary Schliessman 11 4 36.36% Tony Grater 11 4 36.36% Tony Starks 11 4 36.36% Derek Bocock 14 5 35.71% Matt Koontz 14 5 35.71% Jim HIttler 14 5 35.71% Doug Smoker 20 7 35.00% Paul Gunsett 20 7 35.00% Barry Humble 18 6 33.33% Josh Dommer 15 5 33.33% Dave Cloud 25 8 32.00% David Errett 16 5 31.25% Robert Freije 16 5 31.25% Andrew King 26 8 30.77% Randy Pursley 13 4 30.77% Chuck Fleshman 10 3 30.00% Tim Alcorn 10 3 30.00% John Bennett 10 3 30.00% Lonnie Chamberlain 10 3 30.00% Blane Culp 14 4 28.57% Jim Wadkins 21 6 28.57% George Gardner 15 4 26.67% Eric Burres 12 3 25.00% Doug Deters 13 3 23.08% Ken Houston 13 3 23.08% Steven Sandefer 13 3 23.08% Nicholas Eckert 13 3 23.08% Kevin Wilkinson 10 2 20.00% Sam Riesen 10 2 20.00% Nick Kraus 16 3 18.75% Denny Schwartz 16 3 18.75% Scott VanDerAa 15 2 13.33% Tom Miller 18 2 11.11% Tim Sloffer 12 1 8.33% Doug Schultz 13 1 7.69%1386 3#WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Buttler looking to sprout under the lights
By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
Whiteland junior Joey Buttler has a knack for gardening. Yes, gardening.
It’s an unusual skill for a teenager in 2022. For Buttler, however, it just makes sense.
Buttler likes to see the literal fruits of his labor. He enjoys knowing the work he puts into something will pay off in the end. He is quite proud of the fact that this year he was able to grow 27 different types of tomatoes. He was able to tend to his apple trees and pear trees, his blueberry, blackberry and honeyberry plants with great success as well. His labor paid off with a bounty of fresh food.
“I really got into gardening a few years ago,” Buttler said. “I was thinking about how people grow their own food and how cool that is. It’s exciting to me to see all the things you can do with your own garden.”
It just makes sense, knowing Buttler’s passion for working hard and seeing that work pay off, that he also gravitated to the sport of wrestling.
Buttler started wrestling a little later than many elite-level grapplers. He got into the sport in seventh grade. He’s felt he was behind other competitors in technique and skill. He decided to work as hard as possible to close that gap.
Saturday Buttler won the Evansville semistate at 126 pounds. He is currently ranked No. 4 in the state and has a 32-1 record.
“I love wrestling,” Buttler said. “I like the fact that you’re going to get what you deserve, whether you agree with it or not. Luck favors the person who works the hardest. It’s a sport where you really work in silence. I like that. And when you achieve your goals, you aren’t happy because of other people’s reactions, you’re happy because you did something for yourself.”
Buttler focused his offseason training on technique. He felt his strength was there with anyone in the weight class, but felt he was lagging behind on the technical side. So, he watched videos, went to different wrestling academies such as Wright Way Wrestling, Outlaws and Contenders.
“I lacked experience compared to a lot of the other guys I go up against,” Buttler said. “I’ve really dialed in on technique. The experience aspect is starting to equalize between me and other kids. I feel a lot more natural now.”
Whiteland coach Anthony Meister says Buttler is the hardest worker in the room.
“He’s always asking questions,” Meister said. “He’s eager to learn. If he could, he would practice seven days a week.”
Another interesting aspect of Buttler’s is that he has an uncanny ability to retain information. That has helped him accumulate a 4.2 GPA and it helps him learn technique quicker than most others on the mat.
“I feel fortunate that I’m naturally gifted in school,” Buttler said. “Information comes into my brain and for some reason I don’t forget it. The ability to not forget things has helped me in wrestling. I can retain knowledge. I watch wrestling content and I don’t ever get tired of it. I keep taking in the information and I am able to retain it.”
Buttler will square off against Adams Central’s Gavin Cook (30-7) on Friday night in the state finals.
Last year Buttler placed eighth at 113 pounds. He’s hoping to improve on that this year.
“My goal is to win state,” he said.
This season Buttler will have a teammate with him at state, something he went at alone in the 2021 campaign. Elijah Brooks qualified at 132 pounds. Brooks and Buttler are practice partners. Last season Brooks got a concussion right before sectional and wasn’t able to compete in the tournament. This year Brooks broke his ankle in December but was able to recover in time to wrestle in sectional.
Brooks is currently 9-6 on the year.
“Eli has made me a better wrestler,” Buttler said. “It’s really cool having him there with me. It was unfortunate he didn’t get the chance last year.”
Meister sees a lot of similarities in the two wrestlers.
“They are both overall good kids and grinders in the room,” Meister said. “I took over the program and this is the first class I’ll have for four years. I put a lot of pressure on them in hopes of turning the program around. I don’t have any seniors on the team, but our club level, middle school and high school numbers are going up and these guys are a big reason why.”
After high school Buttler wants to wrestle in college. His ultimate goal is to win an Olympic medal.
1644 4#MondayMatness with Steve Krah: Traditionally-strong Rochester Zebras blazing new trails in 2021-22
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
Rochester was enjoying a super wrestling season going into the second and third stages of the 2022 IHSAA state tournament series.
The Clint Gard-coached Zebras placed second to Tell City (losing 36-33 in the championship match) in the Class 1A Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association State Duals (Rochester were 2A State Duals qualifiers in 2015 and 2019) and won the sixth team championship at the Three Rivers Conference meet (2000, 2002, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2022).
Rochester reigned at the Peru Sectional, running the program's all-time sectional title total to 12.
Then came the Zebras’ first regional crown, won at Maconaquah.
After that, Rochester (enrolled around 510) finished on top at the Fort Wayne Semistate.
The Zebras edged out Adams Central 82.5 to 80 and clinched the title with a win in the 285-pound championship bout by senior Marshall Fishback.
“I would have loved to have just loved it without the theatrics at the end,” said Gard, who has been coaching wrestling at Rochester for 26 years. “But we’ll take it any way we can get it.
“These don’t come along very often with schools of our size. It’s taken years to build this. A lot of the kids you’re seeing are kids that wrestled for us in our youth club. It takes a lot to get to this point.”
Gard, who counts Derrick Holloway, Bryce Roberts, Damic Beck and Tristan Wilson among his assistant coaches, notes that the last three Fort Wayne Semistate champions — Western in 2020, Oak Hill in 2021 and Rochester in 2022 — have come out of the Peru Sectional.
“That’s big for our area of the state,” says Gard. “It’s big for our sectional. It’s big for our regional. It’s big for our conference.
“It’s a pretty awesome experience. It’s kids have worked really hard to get there. It was a team effort.”
The Zebras brought eight semistate qualifiers to Memorial Coliseum Saturday, Feb. 12 and four walked out as State Finals qualifiers. There was champion Fishback (41-1 at 285) plus three runners-up — freshman Wyatt Davis (27-4 at 113) and sophomores Alex Deming (41-2 at 195) and Brady Beck (40-2 at 220).
Juniors Ethan Holloway (39-1 at 120), Aaron Swango (33-8 at 126) and Greyson Gard (33-8 at 152) lost in the second aka “ticket” round and senior Kaleb Shaffer (19-12 at 182) was beaten in the first round.
Holloway, Swango, Deming, Beck, Fishback all won TRC, sectional and regional championships. Davis and Gard also placed first at conference and sectional.
Gard has carried a roster of 32 boys and five girls this season.
“We focus on specific things that we like to do as a team,” says Gard of his practices. “Two or three days a week we’ll try to do a game. We do a lot of dodgeball and try to keep things light.”
There’s around 40 wrestlers in Rochester’s middle school program and 60 to 70 at the elementary school level.
Wrestling has long been a big deal at the school that had been a regional site when the IHSAA sent the Zebras toward the Merrillville or East Chicago Semistate (prior to 2017-18).
“We like to put (wrestling) at the forefront in our community,” says Gard, a physical education and strength coach at Rochester after 23 years of teaching math.
Gard is a 1991 of Richmond High School, where he was a state qualifier as a senior. He went on to grapple for head coach Tom Jarman and assistant Rick Troxel at what is now Manchester University.
Historically, Cory Fornal (Class of 2006) is Rochester’s all-time victory leader with 154. He was a state runner-up at 140 as a senior.
No. 2 on the victory list — Damon Hummel (Class of 1994) went to the State Finals four times (qualifier at 189 in 1991, second at 189 in 1992, second at heavyweight in 1993 and third at heavyweight in 1994).
1512 1 1#WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Feeler's ready for one last ride
By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
No matter what happens in the next couple of weeks, Brandon and Donnie Feeler are going to end a journey the same way they started it – together.
Donnie Feeler is a senior 106-pounder from Crawford County. Brandon is his father and the only coach he has ever had.
“Our situation is a little unique,” Brandon said. “I’ve coached him since he was five years old. We’ve been on this journey for many, many years. It means a lot to both of us, to say the least.”
Brandon still remembers the day Donnie came home from school, waving a flyer about wrestling around and begging to be able to be part of it.
“Donnie was a big fan of WWF wrestling back then,” Brandon said. “He would constantly watch it on TV. At the time we lived in Scottsburg and he brought home this flyer about wrestling – thinking it was going to be jumping off the ropes like they did in WWF. I explained to him what it was, and he was still really eager to go.”
So, Donnie joined wrestling and Brandon started coaching the sport. Brandon had a background in grappling, but he was learning wrestling at the same time he was teaching it to Donnie.
The two dived headfirst into the sport. Brandon would drive Donnie to tournaments across the country. They would have hours together in the car, in the hotels and in the restaurants. They formed a strong bond through the sport.
“Me and my dad, we’ve had our differences,” Donnie said. “But the sport has really grown us closer. It’s not just me out there. It’s him too. We go through the same emotion and the same stress. It’s not easy being a coach of a son. There are times when I just don’t want to train. But it’s good to have a coach that keeps after me and keeps me going.”
Last year Donnie did something that no other kid in the history of his school has accomplished. He qualified for the state tournament.
“There were a lot of emotions when he won his ticket round match,” Brandon said. “He punched his ticket. That was just a real proud moment.”
Qualifying for state put a new fire in Donnie. He didn’t win his Friday night match, but he started working harder than ever before. He and his dad went to tournament after tournament last summer. They hit the mat hard and pushed like never before. The problem was all that wrestling started to burn Donnie out. He questioned whether he wanted to go on.
“I was just burnt out,” Donnie said. “I was exhausted from the off-season wrestling. I just didn’t want to do it anymore.”
Qualifying for state also came with some high expectations for Donnie. His focus seemed to change, according to his dad.
“To some degree he was wrestling for all the wrong reasons,” Brandon said. “He was trying to be the best wrestler for an audience, not for himself. He contemplated whether he even wanted to wrestle his senior year. He did some soul searching and came back with some confidence. He was ready to unlock his potential.”
Donnie said that renewed vigor came from having some talks with his dad.
“That relationship with my father, and just speaking with him and listening to what he had to say – that really helped me regain my focus,” Donnie said.
This year Donnie is coming off a regional championship. He is Crawford County’s first regional champion, and now he’s a two-time champ. He’s ranked No. 12 at 106 pounds and currently has an unblemished 20-0 record. His goal ultimate goal is to be his school’s first-ever state placer in wrestling.
Crawford County has just a handful of wrestlers on the team. In practice Donnie’s only choice is to go up against guys weighing 120-152. But that’s OK. He embraces the David vs. Goliath philosophy. He likes being the underdog. He likes coming from a small school and wrestling the big programs. He likes being counted out.
“I want to win it all,” Feeler said. “But no matter what happens I’m going to give it my all. If all else fails, we gave it a good run and had a fun four years.”
For Brandon, the next few weeks will mark the end of a journey.
“We started his career together and we’re going to finish it together,” Brandon said. “It’s going to be an emotional time, for sure. But we’ve had a heck of a ride.”
1514 1 2#MondayMatness with Steve Krah: Multiplicity of moves favors East Noble senior grappler Sprague
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
It may not be for everyone, but the way Aidan Sprague approaches wrestling has been good for him.
“I’m pretty funky and I move on my feet,” says Sprague, an East Noble High School senior. “I’m not the strongest one out there, but I can use my technique and that works in my favor.”
During Sprague’s prep career, the Knights’ postseason path has gone through the Westview Sectional (2019, 2020 and 2021) and West Noble Sectional (2022), Goshen Regional and Fort Wayne Semistate.
As a 106-pound freshmen in 2019, Sprague placed second at sectional and regional, fourth at semistate and was a State Finals qualifier.
As a 113-pound sophomore in 2020, Sprague was a sectional regional champion, semistate runner-up and placed sixth at State.
As a 120-pound junior in 2021, Sprague took sectional, regional and semistate titles and placed sixth at State.
As a 126-pound senior, Sprague heads into the 2022 Fort Wayne Semistate at 35-0 with sectional and regional titles to his credit.
Sam Riesen is in his fourth season as head coach at East Noble after 10 years in charge at Churubusuco High School.
Sprague, a University of Indianapolis commit, tries to follow the coaching staff’s directive during his matches.
“I really cut a lot of people and they just want me to look as sharp as I possibly can on my feet,” says Sprague. “I get most of my tech falls like 20-5.
“They want me to get as many takedowns as I can. I love it because I have a good mindset about it. It gets me in better shape. I’m drilling different types of takedowns almost like it’s like a practice.”
How many takedowns are in Sprague’s bag of tricks?
“I do five or six consistently,” says Sprague. “Then I’ll throw some tricky ones out there every once in a while.
“It’s important to have a lot of stuff. When you only have one or two good things you become one-dimensional. That’s really when people can game plan against you. If everybody knows I have a good dump, they’re not going to let me tie up.
“It’s so much harder to wrestle someone if they have multiple good moves.”
Sprague grew up in Kendallville and began wrestling in the sixth grade. When he did not place in the middle school conference meet as a sixth or seventh grader, he spoke with his father Adam about becoming more serious about the sport and put basketball aside.
As an eighth grader, he was a conference champion and a state qualifier.
“Aidan is just an extremely focused, driven kid,” says Riesen. “He sets his mind to a goal and really gives everything he can to accomplish it.”
Sprague plans to study Social Studies at UIndy with plans on being a teacher and coach.
“It’s awesome to see a young guy going into education at a time where you don’t see colleges filled with people graduating with degrees in teaching,” says Riesen. “It’s exciting to see that.
“He and his brother have super-supportive parents (in Adam and Susan Sprague, who both teach in the West Noble system).”
Aidan Sprague is a three-sport athlete — outside linebacker and team captain in football, wrestling and pole vaulter with a personal best of 12-foot-6 on the track and field team.
Alex Sprague is a 170-pound freshman wrestler and is also in band.
“His parents are running them all over,” says Riesen. “They find the time to get them to wrestling practices all over the area during the off-season.
“They go that extra mile to make sure he gets everything he needs.”
Aidan has traveled to Indianapolis Cathedral to train with the Outlaws.
While Riesen doesn’t name captains, Sprague has essentially filled that role.
“He’s a natural leader,” says Riesen. “The team has followed him in a lot of ways — like in terms of attitude. He’s a light-hearted kid but he gets focused when he needs to. That really rubs off on the team.”
“He’s pretty special in the fact that he doesn’t just have one go-to move. He’s constantly scoring and looking at different techniques and takedowns.
“In practice, he’s just always innovating and trying new things.”
East Noble assistant coach Austin Moore, a State Finals qualifier at Central Noble in 2017 and 2018, is a frequent workout partner for Sprague.
“They do a lot of play wrestling, water wrestling — whatever you want to call it,” said Riesen. “They wrestle through and find different positions.
“There’s really a lot of spots where he’s pretty comfortable.”
Aidan Sprague is a three-sport athlete (outside linebacker and team captain in football, wrestling and pole vaulter with a personal best of 12-foot-6 on the track and field team.
Alex Sprague is a wrestler and is also in the school band.
“His parents are running them all over,” says Riesen. “They find the time to get them to wrestling practices all over the area during the off-season.
“They go that extra mile to make sure he gets everything he needs.”
Aidan has traveled to Indianapolis Cathedral to train with the Outlaws.
While Riesen doesn’t name captains, Sprague has essentially filled that role.
“He’s a natural leader,” says Riesen. “The team has followed him in a lot of ways — like in terms of attitude. He’s a light-hearted kid but he gets focused when he needs to. That really rubs off on the team.”
“He’s pretty special in the fact that he doesn’t just have one go-to move. He’s constantly scoring and looking at different techniques and takedowns.
“In practice, he’s just always innovating and trying new things.”
East Noble assistant Austin Moore, a State Finals qualifier at Central Noble in 2017 and 2018, is a frequent workout partner for Sprague.
“They do a lot of play wrestling, water wrestling — whatever you want to call it,” said Riesen. “They wrestle through and find different positions. There’s really a lot of spots where he’s pretty comfortable.”
“His freshmen year we butted heads a little and had some debates on which way he should go in terms of being more funky or more traditional.”
As Sprague has progressed and enjoyed success, the coaching staff has resisted pigeon-holing the wrestler and let do what feels and works best for him.
Riesen says the first eight minutes of practice are devoted to “roll around” — which allows the athletes to try different positions and finishes and figuring out how to get out of certain spots.
“I think it really has helped a lot of our kids,” says Riesen. “One thing we do really well as a staff is allow kids to explore different wrestling positions and options and figure out what works for them.”
Popular among other wrestlers, Sprague has been called “The People’s Champion.”
“He’s a great kid beyond being an obviously very talented wrestler,” says Riesen. “He’s been an awesome kid to have these last four years.”
2033 2 2#WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Hot Diggity Dog Elijah Anthony focused on a state medal
By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
Elijah Anthony is hoping the fourth time is the charm.
Anthony, a senior wrestler at Frankfort High School, has qualified for state three years in a row. Each time, he’s fallen just short in his Friday night round. He has not placed yet at the state meet.
“He has got to be one of the best state qualifiers that has never placed,” Frankfort coach Steve Cook said. “He has probably had the toughest draw on Friday night, three years in a row. He’s wrestled someone that has placed in the top three of the finals every single year.”
Anthony didn’t have high expectations during his freshman campaign at state. He was wrestling with a broken hand. He drew Mater Dei’s Alec Freeman in the Friday night match. Freeman won 9-1 and went on to place third in the weight class.
“From the get-go I’ve expected to place every year at state,” Anthony said. “My freshman year I had a broken hand, and I knew it would be really tough to place. But my sophomore and junior years I really felt like my coaches took me to a different level, and when I didn’t place it really got in my mind.”
Anthony drew Avon’s Cheaney Schoeff for the Friday night round of state in 2020. It was a close match, with Schoeff escaping with a 7-5 victory. Schoeff then went on to finish second in the weight class.
Last season Anthony drew Brownsburg’s Brady Isom on Friday night. The two battled for six minutes, with Isom emerging with a 1-point victory, 3-2. Isom ended up placing third, and yet again, Anthony went home without placing.
This season Anthony is hoping his fortune starts to change.
“I’ve really tried to focus on all the little things this year,” Anthony said. “I focus on every single match. I work hard in every single practice. I’m just ultra-focused right now.”
Cook can see that focus every day in the Frankfort wrestling room.
“I’ve never met anyone like Elijah,” Cook said. “When he sets his mind to something, he’s going after it. Wrestling is his life.”
Anthony says he’s consumed with wrestling these days.
“All of my time is devoted to wrestling,” he said. “After practice I go help with the middle school team. When I get home, I study film. My whole life is wrestling right now.”
A month ago, Anthony got a scare that he thought might end his wrestling season. He was driving and he lost control of his vehicle. He ended up jumping a curb, knocking down a few trees and coming very close to hitting a telephone pole.
“I seriously had no idea if I was going to wrestle again after that,” Anthony said. “I remember just thinking what if this is the end of my season. I was super nervous about that.”
As it turned out, Anthony did not have any serious injuries from the wreck. He was hoping to wrestle that same weekend, but due to the circumstances he didn’t make weight for that meet. He was back on the mat the next week.
Currently Anthony is 30-0 on the season and ranked No. 6 in the 132-pound class.
Anthony wrestles at the Central Indiana Academy of Wrestling. There, his usual practice partner is the No. 1-ranked grappler in the 132-pound class – Zeke Seltzer.
“I might have to wrestle Zeke in semistate. I really can’t wait to wrestle him.”
Anthony’s wrestling style is like a pit bull that just never stops attacking. He’s aggressive, takes lots of shots and keeps his foot on the gas the entire match. He has learned to stay in better position when attacking as well.
“He’s very aggressive,” Cook said. “He’s non-stop from the whistle. He’s always on the attack, for sure.”
After high school Anthony would like to wrestle in college. He wants to study education and become a high school math teacher. He said his ultimate goal is to coach wrestling.
Anthony started wrestling when he was four but didn’t like it at first. He ended up quitting for a while. He took the sport back up in fourth grade and has been hooked ever since.
“I was in fourth grade and I started going to watch the state finals matches every year,” he said. “I watched Chad Red and Nick Lee, and all those big matches. When I made it there myself, I thought that was the coolest thing. Now, it’s all about business. If I get back to state, I’m there to win it. That’s my mentality.
“I really love wrestling. In this sport there is always something more. You accomplish one goal, and there is another one that comes up. I love that challenge.”
1226#MondayMatness with Steve Krah: Jimtown’s Buchanan focuses on mental game, stays positive for teammates
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
Landon Buchanan landed back on top at the Elkhart Sectional after being forced to injury default in the finals in 2021.
Buchanan, a Jimtown High School senior, moved to 33-2 on the 2021-22 season with a second-period pin victory in Saturday’s finals.
A sectional runner-up at 160 a year ago, he was first at 145 in 2020 and second at 145 in 2019.
A Fort Wayne Semistate champion and eighth-place finisher at the State Finals in 2021, he lost in the second round at semistate in 2020 and the first round at semistate in 2019.
Buchanan talks about his senior season.
“I haven’t worked too much on technique,” says Buchanan. “I think I have the technique. It’s just more mental for me. It’s knowing what I need to get to and pushing myself.”
Like many successful grapplers, Buchanan started focusing on the sport before high school.
“It all kind of changed in middle school,” says Buchanan. “I started coming in with the high school (team) and see how they practice. I really made a jump there. I learned how to practice with (Martin Moyer).”
Buchanan was a standout for Jimtown’s 9-3 football team in the fall.
“It took awhile to get into the rhythm of things,” says Buchanan of the transition from gridiron to mat in the fall. “The conditioning is a lot different.”
While he is not sure where, Buchanan does plan to wrestle in college and will likely study business.
“I’m trying to find the best fit for me,” said Buchanan. “
While he likes to do well as an individual, he also cares about being part of a team which had six weight class winners (himself plus junior Alex Moyer at 106, senior Aaron DeLaLuz at 120, junior Mikey Kallimani at 126, senior Noah Eberhart at 138 and junior Conner Watts at 145) and lost to Elkhart by a whisker (223.5 to 223) for the 2022 sectional team championship.
“We have guys with so many different wrestling styles — we’ve got strong guys, fast guys, funky guys,” says Buchanan, who moves on to the Feb. 5 Goshen Regional. “We’ve got everything you need.”
Jimmies head coach Jerimiah Maggart encourages Buchanan to be a team leader.
“I just encourage my teammates,” says Buchanan. “They all know what they need to do. I’m yelling for them and getting excited.
“When I’m not in matches I’m on the sideline just like my coaches.”
Maggart appreciates the example Buchanan sets.
“He’s not loud, but he’ll do anything to help his teammates, which is awesome” says Maggart. “He leads by example. He never misses practice and he works. He stays after practice and helps the little kids every time.”
Maggart also sees an athlete that is focused on his goals.
“He’s got the determination and drive and he’s very level-headed,” says Maggart. “You know that when some kids lose you can’t talk two them for a few minutes. I could walk right up to him and talk to him.
“He gets it. He’s easy to coach and break things down. That’s really one of the coolest things.”
Landon is the third of Eric and Judy Buchanan’s four children. His older siblings are Mitchell Smith and Cheyenne Smith. His younger brother is Hayden Buchanan.
“He’s 10 and he’s a pretty tough wrestler,” says Landon.
1342#MondayMatness with Steve Krah: Lakeland record setter Miller hoping to break through in state tournament
Photo by Nathaniel Labhart
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
Lakeland High School senior Ben Miller won his third Northeast Corner Conference wrestling title Saturday, Jan. 22 at Lakeland.
Miller, who has a single-season school record 74 takedowns to go with 118 career victories — 26 as a freshman, 28 as a sophomore, 27 as a junior and 37 as a senior — took his late NECC championship at 145 pounds. Ehren Misner, a 1991 graduate, leads the Laker win list with 136. Miller was previously thought to have gone to No. 1 using win-percentage projections from missed matches during the 2020-21 season.
After a 10-6 loss to Prairie Heights senior Sam Levitz in the Dec. 4 NECC Super Dual, Miller came back Saturday for a pin in 1:32 that secured Miller’s latest NECC crown.
“(Levitz) is very strong and he likes to get me out of my position so I just had to hold it,” said Miller. “I made up that loss and I want to keep continuing from this and go for that (State Finals) podium.
“It’ll be important that I don’t take short cuts.”
Said Lakeland head coach Kevin Watkins of the Miller-Levitz rematch, “Those are two high-profile wrestlers. Ben’s been thinking about redemption all season.”
The state tournament series opens for Miller and his teammates Saturday, Jan. 29 at the West Noble Sectional. The Feb. 5 Goshen Regional and Feb. 12 Fort Wayne Semistate follow that.
Miller, who competed at 113 as a freshman, 120 as a sophomore and 138 as a junior and put on more muscle as a senior, has competed at the Fort Wayne Semistate three times, but has not yet broken through to the State Finals (this year’s event is Feb. 18-19 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis).
As a junior, Miller pinned his way to the title at the Westview Sectional. He was a runner-up with two pins at the Goshen Regional.
It was as a Lakeland seventh grader Miller became focused the mat sport.
“I went to one outside tournament and I got beat,” said Miller, who moved from LaGrange to Fort Wayne and back before starting his wrestling career. “That’s when I said if I want to be good I have to go to all of these different things.
“That’s when I really took it serious.”
Miller tends to grapple with three Lakers in the practice room with junior Gabe Miller (138), Brady Schiffli (152) and Keagan Schlabach (126). All three placed in the NECC meet, brother Gabe Miller and Schlabach placing second and Schiffli fourth.
“I’ll roll around with Keegan to get my speed up.” said Miller. “(My brother) is really good at holding his position. I have to fight really hard to get my takedowns and everything. (Schiffli) is strong and relentless so I have to be on my game every practice. I can’t just be sloppy in my practice moves.”
There’s an intensity between the Miller brothers on the mat. But that goes away off it.
“It gets kind of heated in the practice room,” said Ben Miller. “But when we get out of practice we’re friends. We’re cool and everything.”
After the NECC meet, Schlabach is 33-6 and Ben Miller 29-3.
Ben and Gabe’s father is Wayne Miller. Mother Kathy Miller lives in Fort Wayne. There two older sisters — Hadassah and Audrey— and an older brother, Jaden Miller, who introduced Ben to wrestling. The Longs — including former Lakeland head coach Charlie — got Jaden into the sport.
Watkin was a four-time Michigan high school state finalist and won a 152-pound state title for the Dale Wentela-led Constantine Falcons in 2000.
What has made Miller a better wrestler this year than last in the coach’s eyes?
“He learns,” said Watkins. “He’s a student of wrestling. He breaks down his own matches. I’ll build my report and he’ll built his and they’re usually pretty much the same.
“He’s a very easy kid to coach. Even in matches he loses he never hangs his head. He goes to the drawing board, figures out what he did wrong and he fixes that. He’s just that type of kid.”
Watkins, who was on the U.S. Marine wrestling team and served in the Corps for a decade, admires Miller’s drive and work ethic.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever yelled at him,” said Watkins. “He’s a great kid.”
After high school, Ben Miller sees himself flipping houses.
“I’ve been in construction trades for two years now,” said Miller. “That gives me experience and my dad has experience so he’ll teach me.”
The house built by Lakeland students goes to the non-profit organization — Agape Missions of LaGrange County.
“They have really cheap rent for people who are struggling,” said Miller. “They can stay there for three months until they’re back on their feet.”
2461 5#WrestleLikeAGirl with Jeremy Hines: O'neill family grows from wrestling
By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
Warren Central senior Kiersten O’Neill has had quite an illustrious wrestling career. She recently won her third Indiana High School Girls Wrestling state title and did so in dominating fashion. Not bad for a girl that doesn’t like to wrestle, really doesn’t enjoy practicing and sometimes doesn’t even get along with her coach.
“Yeah, I don’t really like wrestling, per se,” O’Neill said. “But I love the environment of the sport and the energy it holds. That’s what keeps me attached to it.”
O’Neill’s coach is her own father, Jake.
“It doesn’t surprise me that she says that,” Jake said. “If you ask most coaches/ dads, it’s tough coaching your own kids. As a coach you hold your athletes to high expectations and not that I don’t do that as a dad, but when they fall short of those expectations it can bleed into home. It’s tough to draw those lines and keep those frustrations in the room and on the mat and not let it affect what’s going on at home.”
Jake has always pushed Kiersten to be her best in the sport – and, although at times she’s gotten frustrated with her dad as a coach, she sees it has been in her best interest.
“My dad and I would get into it a lot,” Kiersten said. “Coach and wrestler, father and daughter is a very different dynamic. There have been points where I was like, this is too hard, I can’t do that. I wanted to stop, but I kept going. I think if he wasn’t as present as he is though, it wouldn’t be the same and I wouldn’t have the successes I’ve had.”
Kiersten’s brother started wrestling when he was 4 years old. He ultimately decided that wasn’t the sport for him.
“I made my son wrestle when he was four,” Jake said. “By the time he was a freshman he ended up playing basketball and that’s about the same time Kiersten was like, dad, I’ll wrestle. I was like, oh, yeah, you’re probably going to be pretty good, too. I think she was six at the time.
“Her journey in wrestling gave me a perspective on women’s wrestling that I never had before and I wouldn’t have had if she didn’t wrestle.”
Kiersten won the state meet as a freshman, then placed second as a sophomore. She won as a junior and last weekend she beat her opponent 17-3 in the championship.
She would like to wrestle in college and eventually she would like to follow in her father’s footsteps and coach wrestling.
For Kiersten, and for many of the female wrestlers we write about in these articles, there becomes an unusually strong bond between opponents. Kiersten’s best friends are wrestlers on rival schools.
“Cailin and Catie (Campbell) are my best friends since I started wrestling,” Kiersten said. “We live far apart but we always make sure we see each other. I talk to them every day. It’s been great to experience that with other people that share your same interests. I think if you watch the finals you can see my reaction after Caty won her state title. I was screaming ‘That’s my best friend’.”
Kiersten also plays soccer. She admits that her wrestling aggression sometimes gets her in trouble on the soccer field.
“Yeah, I’ve had quite a few yellow and red cards,” she said. “Soccer, to me, is a lot of running. But the aggression I get from being a wrestler definitely helps me. I’m not exactly proud of my yellow and red cards, I just think I underestimate my strength some against girls that don’t wrestle.”
Jake really enjoys watching Kiersten on the soccer field, where he can relax and be a dad and not a coach.
“Her wrestling absolutely comes out in soccer,” Jake said. “She’s very competitive, aggressive and physical. She is fearless. It all spills out on the soccer field and it’s fun to watch. The other girls aren’t nearly as aggressive as her. Our athletic director was a professional soccer player. When he saw her play he was like ‘woah’. He was blown out of the water with the competitive edge she plays with. I enjoy every minute of watching her play.”
In wrestling, Kiersten is excited for what the future for girls is like in the state. Every year the numbers increase. If she had one piece of advise for girls just starting out in the sport it would be to stick to it.
“You just have to stick to it,” she said. “You can’t give up, even when it’s hard. I know it gets hard and I’ve not enjoyed that time. But stick it out. Push through. It will be worth it in the end.”
996#WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Ruhlman motivated to be under the lights again
By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
Delaney Ruhlman doesn’t let things get to him. That’s part of who he is. So, last year when he lost to Indiana legend-in-the-making, Jesse Mendez in the state championship match, Ruhlman didn’t sulk.
Sure, the loss hurt. It hurt badly. He could have been the first state champion his coach, Mike Runyon had ever had in his 15 years at Bloomington South. But Ruhlman knew he had to pick himself up and go support his older brother, Tristan who was wrestling for the title at 220 pounds.
“I needed to be completely there for him even after I lost,” Delaney said. “I was so excited to watch him wrestle.”
As it turns out, the older Ruhlman dominated the finals. He won the championship in convincing fashion, 10-2. He became Runyon’s first champion. He finished the season 27-0, and his biggest supporter couldn’t have been happier.
“Just knowing my brother and I were going to the finals together was one of the best feelings I’ve ever felt,” Delaney said.
This season Delaney is ranked No. 3 at 152 pounds, behind Crown Point’s Sam Goin and Zionsville freshman Anthony Rinehart.
“At any given day it could be a different result with any of those top four or five guys in the weight class,” Runyon said. “It is a matter of who is on their game coming up through the tournament series. It depends a lot on the draw and that sort of thing. It’s going to be a really interesting year at that weight class.”
Delaney says he is more motivated than ever to get back under the lights.
“Last year, I feel that just motivated me more,” Delaney said. “It made me push myself more. I want to become a state champ this year. I have to keep putting gin the work and my chances will be pretty good as long as I stick to what I need to improve on.”
Runyon describes Delaney as an explosive wrestler, but slightly different than Tristan on the mat.
“Delaney will wait to strike, and when he goes, he goes hard,” Runyon said. “Delaney is explosive, but he picks his spots to be. Tristan was just explosive all the time.”
Delaney is uncertain what he wants to do after high school, but he did go on an official visit to Purdue recently. Tristan wrestles for Purdue. Delaney wants to go into the medical field.
“Delaney is just very laid back,” Runyon said. “he’s a great kid. He handles adversity like nobody’s business. If there is anything that comes up out of the ordinary, he just brushes it off. He does that with losses too. I think he’s upset with himself, but it’s like, hey, let’s just go to the next step and get over this.”
When he’s not wrestling, Delaney enjoys hunting and fishing and working out.
1518 1#MondayMatness with Steve Krah: Peru’s May hopes to reap dividends of varied mat experience
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
An increase in aggressiveness and confidence has Peru High School’s Jalen May shooting for high achievement in his second high school wrestling season.
The son three-time IHSAA State Finals Placer Nic May (sixth in 2000-2001 at 103 pounds; third at 112 in 2001-02 and second at 112 in 2002-03, losing in the finals to Lawrence North’s Reece Humphries), Tigers sophomore Jalen May gets plenty of encouragement and pointers from his father.
“He always tells me to work hard,” says Jalen of his father who is No. 2 on the all-time Peru win list at 159-5 (2005 graduate Daric Fuller is tops at 168-16). “He would do anything to wrestle again. He tells me all the work will be worth it. Only I know how hard I can push myself.
“We have a mat in our basement and try to wrestle around four times a week and focus on one move.”
Jalen May went 25-6 at 106 as a freshman in 2020-21. Along the way he topped eventual state champion Ashton Jackson 7-4 at the Western Triple Dual.
“That shows Jalen can wrestle at that level,” says Andy Hobbs, Peru’s head coach since 1996.
May lost in the “ticket” round at the 2020-21 Fort Wayne Semistate.
“My freshman year I was a little naive,” says May, who is currently 25-3 as a sophomore 106-pounder. “That semistate opened my eyes.
“I’m a lot more aggressive (since last high school season) and my confidence has gone up. I used to be scared to wrestle certain people and now I’m always ready to go.
“I always try to stay positive in the practice room, on meet days or while I’m working out to lose a little bit of weight.”
In 2021-22, May lost in the 106 semifinals of Mishawaka’s Al Smith Classic to Crown Point freshman Gavin Jendreas (May beat Jendreas 1-0 at the 2021 IndianaMat Hoosier Preseason Open aka IHPO) and placed third.
“It went alright,” says May. “I expected to do better. I know I’ll see (Jendreas) again this year.”
Hobbs and his staff want to keep May challenged.
“I’m getting ready for the state tournament,” says May. (Coaches) like me to have good matches. They’d rather me have a good match and lose than pin the kid in 30 seconds.”
Hobbs, a 1986 Tipton High School graduate, coached Nic May and saw him go to Ken Chertow camps in the off-season.
Jalen May, who says he really increased his drive for wrestling in the seventh grade, has gone to Chertow and Jay Robinson camps, travel team practices, club practices in Kokomo and with Central Indiana Academy in Indianapolis.
“Jalen has had a lot more experiences (than his father),” says Hobbs. “He’s doing all the right things. He’s getting all the experience it takes to make a run at it.
“He’s well-rounded wrestler and just a very fluid athlete. He’s wide open. We’re trying to get him to expand the playbook. He can do so many things. It’s a simple sport, but it’s really difficult.”
May says his go-to takedown move is a high-crotch.
His regular workout partner this season has been junior Cooper Baldwin (138).
“It helps you a lot (to drill with a bigger athlete),” says May. “When I do wrestle somebody my size it’s a lot easier.”
How does May benefit Baldwin?
“Cooper is hard-working,” says May. “I have really good technique. I help him with that. He’ll feel my aggressive side.”
Like the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association State Duals, May has bumped up in weight to try to help the Tigers and challenge himself.
“It got me a little better wrestling bigger kids in six-minute matches,” says May.
Jalen is the oldest of Nic and Ashley May’s four children ahead of brother Josh, sister Mischalay and brother Nicholas Jr. The family resides in Peru.
Post-high school plans for Jalen currently call for wrestling and studying law in college.
“My grandma (Jodi May) works at a law firm in Kokomo and one of our assistants Dustin Kern is a city attorney in Peru,” says May. “I’ve always thought it’s cool. It’s a very interesting job.”
Peru’s remaining schedule includes the Three Rivers Conference meet Saturday, Jan. 22 at Maconaquah. The Tigers’ IHSAA state tournament series path goes through the Jan. 29 Maconaquah Sectional, Feb. 5 Maconaquah Regional, Feb. 12 Fort Wayne Semistate and Feb. 18-19 State Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.1425#WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Watson and Buchanan lead a young Trojan squad
By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
The key to good leadership is making everyone around you better. Center Grove seniors Hayden Watson and Drake Buchanan do just that.
Both Watson and Buchanan seniors. Both are ranked No. 1 in their weight classes. Both finished runner-up last year in the state finals. They also both have worked extremely hard to not only make themselves better, but to make their team one of the elite ones in the state.
Center Grove has a ranked wrestler in all 14 weight classes.
“They have been captains since their sophomore year,” Center Grove coach Maurice Swain said. “They lead by example. They lead by poise. They do everything right on and off the mat. The younger guys really look up to them.”
They are also great listeners.
Buchanan was upset that he didn’t make it to state as a freshman, wrestling 138 pounds. So, he went to his coaches and asked what he needed to do. He was given a bit of unusual advice.
“I think a lot of people expected me to go to state as a freshman, and I did too,” Buchanan said. “I knew I could get down in the dumps and pout that I didn’t make it, or I could figure out how to get better and improve. I asked coach how I could get better. He suggested I make the jump to 182 pounds.”
So, Buchanan started working out. He also ate “a lot”. He wasn’t sure how moving up five weight classes was going to help him, but he trusted his coaches.
“It was kind of fun, actually,” Buchanan said. “I was eating burgers while others were cutting weight. It was a cool thing, and, I had a lot more energy and I was a lot more motivated.”
Swain also wasn’t sure what to think of his advice on the weight gain. Just a couple of matches into Buchanan’s sophomore season, he knew he made the right call.
“We could tell that Drake had a long frame and with his body type he had the potential to be big,” Swain said. “In just a few months after the season he was at 160. He went to Fargo and placed at Cadet 160. Then, after football he was in his mid-170s. We thought, why cut weight when he can lift and get bigger and stronger. We felt that 182 was a weight he could be at for a few years. We were looking at the future and we didn’t think we needed to add extra stress of weight cutting on him.
“I’d say when we saw him in the first few meets at 182 his sophomore year it was a surprise. We didn’t know before that how he would look. When we saw him compete, we were like, yeah, this is going to work.”
Buchanan placed sixth in state as a sophomore and last year was a state runner-up.
“I feel like I’ve really improved my cardio and my hand-fighting,” Buchanan said. “I’ve been able to already wrestle the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked guys in my weight class this year and was able to win. My goal is absolutely to win a state title and I want our team to win a title as well.”
Buchanan defeated No. 2-ranked Orlando Cruz 13-5 and pinned No. 3-ranked De’Alcapon Veazy.
Watson wanted to use the heartache of losing a close match in the state championship to drive him to improve in the offseason. However, a knee injury took away his summer training opportunities. He returned to wrestling one week before the Indiana Hoosier Preseason Open. He still managed to place third in that tournament.
His goal is also to win a state title and he knows to do that he has to become more of an offensive wrestler.
“There is a picture that someone has of me after losing in the spotlight where I’m down on my knees,” Watson said. “That picture means a lot to me. Knowing how I felt in that moment, and how devastated I was after having the lead and losing. I never want to feel that way again.”
Buchanan said Watson is a very technical wrestler.
“Hayden is such a great leader,” Buchanan said. “He’s so technical. If you have any questions about anything technique-wise, he’s got it. Even if he can’t explain it in words, he can show you. He’s been at a high level for longer than I have. We wrestle together a lot in practice and it really helps both of us.”
Watson also takes his leadership role very personal.
“With the team so young, the big thing is the seniors have to be role models,” Watson said. “I feel like I’m responsible for the whole team. I make sure they aren’t doing anything stupid at meets and at practice. I make sure they show up, and if they don’t, I’m calling them to find out where they are. Our younger guys are really good and once Drake and I leave, I can already tell who will be the next leaders. The team is in good hands.”
In addition to Watson and Buchanan, seniors Michael Thorpe and Bryce Crump are also ranked for the Trojans. There are two ranked juniors on the team in Royce Deckard III and Andre Merritt. Center Grove has six ranked sophomores in Charlie Larocca, Noah Clouser, Reese Courtney, Wyatt Kresja, Drew Mills and Nate Johnson. Freshmen Eddie Goss and Julian Weens are also ranked.
“We have a big sophomore, freshman and junior class,” Swain said. “Our future can be bright if we continue to do the things we've been doing. But we also want to enjoy this season and this group. We don’t want to work ahead of ourselves. We want to enjoy the time we have with these seniors. They are a special group.”
Buchanan will wrestle with the Air Force Academy next season and Watson will wrestle for Citadel.
1313#MondayMatness with Steve Krah: A champ at the national level, New Prairie’s Carroll finally competes in high school
(Photo/Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com)
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
Christian Carroll took care of business in the first three bouts of his high school career, earning pins in 13, 14 and 10 seconds against Wawasee, Peru and Hamilton Heights.
The New Prairie High School junior 220-pounder made his debut as a Cougar at the Jan. 8 Class 2A Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association State Duals at Martinsville.
A knee injury kept Carroll out of action during his freshman year at Penn (2019-20). When he transferred to New Prairie after the first semester of his sophomore year (2020-21), he was required to sit out for a year. That made him eligible at the end of this past week.
Not that Carroll is a newbie on the mat scene. With two Super 32 titles and a Junior Freestyle Nationals crown to his credit, he is among the top-ranked grapplers at his weight in the country.
He has committed to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia to wrestle and study Finance in the Wharton School of Business.
“Instead of thinking about my next four years, I’m thinking about my next 40,” says Carroll, 18. Each Quaker grappler in the Wharton School is assigned an alumni mentor and his is David Pottruck. “I’ve always been curious about stocks and how to use money. I have an entrepreneur mindset.”
Christian is the youngest of Tony and Erin Carroll’s five children behind John, Jill, Ben, Cassidy and Katie. Tony Carroll works in finance with Aldi Foods. Erin Carroll is employed as a nursing home activity director at West Woods of Niles (Mich.).
Christian grew up in the Jimtown area of Elkhart and started wrestling at age 5. He began to really take the sport seriously as an eighth grader in the Penn system at Schmucker Middle School.
Over the years, Carroll has developed a mentality that is apparent to New Prairie head coach Bobby Whitenack.
“He has a passion for the sport,” says Whitenack. “He has an intensity at practice and goes hard all the time.
“He’s truly engaged every minute.”
The athlete expects extra effort out of himself.
“What you work for is what you get,” says Carroll. “There are no free lunches in this world.
“That’s why I love wrestling. There’s no politics. It’s just you and the other guy battling on the mat.”
Since joining the New Prairie program, Carroll has taken to the Whitenacks, especially Bobby and son/senior heavyweight Hunter.
“(Coach Whitenack’s) a great role model,” says Carroll. “For him, it’s more about life (than wrestling). He cares about our well-being. He preaches so much about life.
“How are you not excited to wrestle for a guy like that? He creates a family culture. That’s not a cliche.’ It’s real.”
Hunter Whitenack, who is committed to study and play football at the University of Illinois, is a workout partner for Carroll and a team leader.
“What’s awesome about Hunter is he’s in that big brother role,” says Carroll. “He’s always motivating, always positive and let’s get this job done. He guided me through the system being a new kid.
“It’s about brotherhood. He doesn’t have to risk an injury for football. He puts his team and his community above himself.”
Bobby Whitenack is a special education teacher and a 1999 New Prairie graduate. He came back from Manchester University, where he played football, to assistant Cougars head coach Wes Hobart then took over the program in 2010-11 and surpassed the 300-win plateau this season.
“I reflect on how many people who made that happen — all the adults and wrestlers,” says Whitenack of the milestone.
The coach has two sons in his lineup with freshman Hayden Whitenack at 132.
What Carroll enjoys most about New Prairie is being part of a team in wrestling and an active student.
“I release my knowledge and disperse as much as I can,” says Carroll of his relationship with wrestling mates. “We have a lot of sponges in the room. It’s a good atmosphere. There’s a certain standard in the room — leaving it all out on the mat.
“I don’t think there’s a point in holding back (in class). I have a Type A personality. Communication flows and that is a good way to learn. Fear is False Evidence That Appears Real. I’m not afraid to fail (in wrestling or life). My aspirations are so much higher.”
Whitenack appreciates Carroll’s willingness to give.
“He’s really good at helping others,” says the coach. “He can work with any kid in the room and give them pointers. It’s a peer review. It’s different from hearing from a coach. He leads by example. You can’t say it if you’re not doing it yourself.”
Away from New Prairie, Carroll works out with Chris Fleeger at Midwest RTC in New Carlisle.
“He’s a technician,” says Carroll of Fleeger, who was a three-time All-American at Purdue University, Big Ten champion and trained at the U.S. Olympic Center. “He’s instilled a lot of morals in my brain and life perspective.”
In the past year, Carroll is placed second at the World Trials. At the nationals, he won every bout by pin or technical fall except for one. In September, he competed in the Flo Wrestling Who’s No. 1 and lost a 3-2 nail-biter super match to heavyweight Nick Feldman, an Ohio State University commit from Malvern Prep in Pennsylvania.
Carroll’s Super 32 titles have come at 195 (2020) and 220 (2021).
Christian stands 5-foot-11 now, but he anticipates a growth spurt since his father and uncles are in 6-2 to 6-3 range and big guys.
Whitenack, who has about 50 on his roster, has his wrestlers attack the season in two portions.
“The beginning of season gets you ready,” says Whitenack. “We want to peak at sectional.”
New Prairie once competed in Mishawaka’s Al Smith Classic, but opted for super duals like the one at Lafayette Jeff.
“Our average kids got better and that set us up to have more success in the postseason,” says Whitenack. “We want to go into sectional with the right mindset. We want everybody moving in the right direction.”
Chris Carroll is now a part of that mix.
1262 3#WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Leighton Jones wrestling with diabetes
By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
“This will only make the ride harder, but don’t let it stop you from reaching your goals.”
Those words have been etched into the mind of Brownsburg junior Leighton Jones since his life took an unexpected twist at a doctor’s office around midnight his sixth-grade year.
That night, as he was coming home from a spring break vacation, he just didn’t feel right. He had spent the whole day sleeping. He felt dehydrated. He went to the bathroom five times in an hour. He knew something was wrong.
His dad, Marshall Jones, had a suspicion what might be going on. He checked his young son’s blood pressure and immediately called his doctor. The doctor met with Leighton at 11 p.m. that same night. He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
“I was scared to death,” Leighton said. “I hated needles. I didn’t know what was going to happen. That’s when mom told me that this will only make the ride harder, but don’t let it stop you from reaching your goals. That meant a lot. That has helped me move on and still reach for what I want to accomplish.”
Those words came back to Jones after a devastating defeat in the state meet last year. He had been rolling in the tournament. He pinned his way through sectional, regional and semistate before losing in overtime, one win from the championship match in the state meet.
“I was as down as you could be after that loss,” Jones said. “I went up the huge elevator and coach (Darrick) Snyder was waiting for me. He hugged me and I cried on his shoulders. I never wanted to feel like that again.”
So, like his mom told him – when things get difficult he can’t let that stop him. Jones went out and won the third-place match by an impressive margin, 14-1. And from there he decided he was going to do everything in his power to claim the state title this year for himself, and to help Brownsburg win the team title.
“He’s a one-of-a-kind heavyweight wrestler,” Brownsburg assistant coach Eric Lynn said. “He moves like a little guy. He doesn’t move like a heavyweight. And he’s really motivated right now. From his freshman year until now he’s improved in all aspects of wrestling. He’s well rounded. He wants to learn. He asks questions and he’s always ready to do whatever we ask.”
Jones is a good student, an outstanding football player and a top-tier wrestler. That combination has led him to be one of the most highly recruited athletes in the state. He has already made visits to most of the schools in the Big Ten conference. He is keeping his options open at this point as to where he wants to go and what sport he wants to compete in.
“I joke around about how great it would be to be in Leighton’s shoes,” Snyder said. “He has so much interest from Division 1 football and wrestling schools. It would be cool to be sitting in his shoes with all that interest he’s getting. There aren’t many days that go by that some college coach isn’t wanting to watch him work out or wanting to talk about him.”
Although Jones has had an excellent wrestling career so far, the diabetes has certainly made it a bit more of a challenge. He must constantly monitor his blood sugar levels. He gives himself insulin injections five to six times a day. His coaches help monitor him and his parents are alerted when his levels are off as well.
“If you’re stressed or if you get anxiety, your levels raise,” Jones said. “You go through practice, and you start feeling nauseous and get dizzy. You have to eat a really clean diet. You eat a lot of protein. You have to stay between the numbers, and often times that’s not likely. You take medicine if you get too low and feel light-headed. The medicine has side effects, too.”
This year Jones has learned to keep his diabetes in a more controllable state – which has helped him in practice and in matches.
“He has had to fight through some really tough times with diabetes,” Lynn said. “He does really well with it now.”
Brownsburg is an absolutely loaded team this year. The Bulldogs have 12 wrestlers ranked in the top 20 of the state, 11 in the top 10 and eight in the top five. Freshman Jake Hockaday, senior Logan Miller and Jones are ranked No. 1 in their respective weight classes. Sophomore Brady Ison is ranked No. 2 at 132 with classmates Preston Haines ranked No. 3 at 113 and Gavin Garcia No. 4 at 138.
“This is a fun year for Indiana wrestling,” Snyder said. “We have three teams ranked in the top 25 in the country – and then you throw in Center Grove, who should be ranked. Our goal is to win a dual state title and an IHSAA state title.”
Jones has taken on a leadership role on the team and hopes his influence can be beneficial toward the lofty team goals.
“Leighton is definitely one of my more special heavyweights I’ve ever coached,” Lynn said. “He’s a motivated kid. He is really driven this year and it’s helping everyone in the program.”
855 1#MondayMatness with Steve Krah: Unorthodox style proves successful for Lake Central’s Sues
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
Jake Sues does not wrestle in what many call a conventional way.
But the 182-pound senior at Lake Central High School has used his unique style for mat success in his final two prep seasons.
In 2020-21, Sues went 22-7 and placed eighth at the IHSAA State Finals after finishing first at the Crown Point Sectional, third at the Crown Point Regional and third at the East Chicago Semistate.
Through Dec. 29-30 Al Smith Classic at Mishawaka, where Sues placed fifth, he is 19-5.
“I’m awkward to wrestle,” says Sues. “Funky might be a better word to describe it. I’m very different from the standard wrestler.
“Being funky kind of found me. Being weird is what worked so I rolled with it. I’ve always been kind of a defensive wrestler. I make other people uncomfortable.”
Lake Central head coach Luke Triveline has watched Sues use his unorthodox approach and his long limbs to his advantage.
“We have a coaching style, but we try to push individualism,” says Triveline, a 2003 LC graduate who is in his 14th season coaching in the Indians program and fifth as head coach.
“He’s good at using his length and body top against kids. He’s not a super-aggressive kid. If he keeps it close, he knows when to push the pedal and look to score.”
At 6-foot-3, Sues is taller than most of his opponents.
“I like to put people super far away,” says Sues. “When they try to shoot, they have to go a far distance. People give pressure then I hit my moves from there.”
By forcing his foe to the end of his reach, he can use a slide-by, collar tie, ankle pick, front head lock or other move.
Sues, 18, came to the sport as a Hal E. Clark Middle School sixth grader. By freshmen year at Lake Central, he was 170 and over 6-foot. Sues qualified for semistate as a freshman, but his record was well below .500. As a sophomore, he did not get past regional.
He grew too much after his sophomore year to stay at 170 and bumped up to 182.
“He’s not very intimidating-looking in general. He’s not super muscular. He’s a pretty intelligent wrestler when it comes to keeping himself in matches against pretty tough kids.”
Though looks may deceive, Sues is very strong.
“He spends a lot of time in the weight room,” says Triveline. “You’re not going to push him around.
“Putting on size looks cool, but it doesn’t necessarily make you a better athlete.”
Triveline is the owner of Fitness Evolution Strength and Conditioning in Crown Point and trains Sues in the wrestling off-season.
“We spend time working on him as an athlete,” says Triveline. “Being able to use strength in the joint angles that are conducive to wrestling and looking good with your shirt off are two different things.”
Mental strength has also increased for Sues.
“I can recall the specific moment where he changed,” says Triveline. “His first two years (of high school), he never stopped talking. He was always chirping and running his mouth.
One day, I just snapped. I couldn’t handle it anymore.”
There was a talk between the athlete and coach.
“Ever since then, he has put his head on straight and does what we ask him,” says Triveline.
“Jake’s one of the favorite wrestlers I’ve ever coached. He comes from a good family. He’s a hard worker.”
The son of Rob and Cindy Sues, Jake has an older brother Ryan and younger sister Sarah. Ryan is a 2020 LC graduate and Sarah is a current sophomore swimmer for the Indians.
Though undecided about what college he will attend or if he’ll wrestle there, Sues does enjoy his current Graphic Arts course. The career center class meets the first half of each school day and is taught by Jereme Rainwater.
“We do all the printing for the high school like magazines or posters,” says Sues. “It’s a lot of working with machines. I’m good with deadlines and I keep everybody on-task as much as I can.”
Senior Michael DeGrado (220) has long been a regular workout partner for Sues.
“He helps me with my front head locks and defense,” says Sues. “I have to make sure that every detail is perfect or it won’t work. He has the strength and he’s pretty technical, too.”
With the Al Smith Classic and the calendar turning to January, Sues and all other IHSAA wrestlers now get a two-pound allowance.
Weight control has not been an issue for him.
“Coach Luke has a lot of catch phrases,” says Sues. “One is ‘You’ve got to fuel your Ferrari.’ I’m pretty good about watching what I eat for the most part. I like to pick healthier options (like sugar-free cookies). I definitely have a sweet tooth.”
Heading into the IHSAA tournament series, Lake Central looks forward to a Duneland Athletic Conference dual Jan. 5 vs. LaPorte, the Lake County tournament Jan. 8 at Hanover Central, DAC dual Jan. 12 vs. Merrillville, DAC meet Jan. 15 at Merrillville and DAC dual Jan. 18 vs. Crown Point. Then comes the Crown Point Sectional Jan. 29, Crown Point Regional Feb. 5, East Chicago Semistate Feb. 12 and State Finals Feb. 18-19 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
“We see a lot of good competition,” says Triveline. “That prepares yourself for the postseason. Season accolades are nice. We don’t train our kids to be Mishawaka champs although that would be nice.
“We want kids fighting for state placement.”
That includes “funky” Jake Sues.
1367#WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Farmer brothers enjoying success together
By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
Kelton Farmer is a massive high school junior. He’s ranked No. 5 in the state at 220 pounds. He’s the tackle on Evansville Memorial’s football team and he bench presses over 300 pounds. Yet, senior Aiden Farmer refers to him as his little brother.
“Kelton is friggin huge,” Aiden said. “He got really big in the offseason. I put a lot of hours in the weight room, and I can tell you, he lifts more than anyone we know, by far. He even missed his own birthday because he was at the gym. We were supposed to eat cake and he didn’t show up and we had to reschedule.”
Kelton said he lifts weights five days a week, for two to three hours a day even during wrestling season.
“Weight lifting is relaxing and it’s a way to push myself,” Kelton said. “I know I make myself better.”
The Farmer brothers are 15 months apart. Aiden is an 18-year-old senior and Kelton is a 17-year-old junior. Both are ranked fifth in their weight classes in wrestling. Aiden wrestles at 170 pounds.
“I let him know, a lot, that I’m bigger than him,” Kelton said. “I think I outgrew him when I was six or seven. That’s when I started getting taller.”
Last year the brothers qualified for the state tournament. The oldest Farmer brother, Jacob, had just missed going to state twice. He lost to Gleason Mappes 4-2 in the ticket round in 2015 and then lost to Gleason again in 2016 in the ticket round 8-7 in an ultimate tie breaker.
“Qualifying for state was really cool for my family,” Aiden said. “My older brother wrestled for Castle and came so close to going. But I think I was more nervous and excited when Kelton won his ticket round match than I was when I won mine.
“I get super excited and anxious for his matches – especially the big ones. I have a lot of faith in him, and I know he’ll do great, but I do get nervous for him.”
The brothers line up next to each other on the defensive line for the Evansville Memorial football team. Aiden was an all-state defensive end on the team this year that reached semistate.
Both would love to either wrestle or play football in college.
On the wrestling mat, Aiden excels in the top position. He uses his length to keep his opponent down and he can get takedowns from multiple angles in the neutral position.
Kelton’s style is to use his brut strength to wear down his opponents.
“They are only a year apart, but they are very different people,” Evansville Memorial coach Larry Mattingly said. “It’s fun to watch how they interact with each other and how they encourage one another. Bot are very unselfish and are great teammates.
“Kelton has a lot of speed and strength, especially for his size. Aiden is very hard to score on. He doesn’t do anything flashy, and his closes are usually pretty close. He’s like a good pitcher. He’s just hard to score on. They are also both very cerebral wrestlers. They understand the sport well. They expect a lot out of each other.”
The Farmer brothers are excited about competing today in the Evansville Mater Dei Holiday Tournament. Both wrestlers will have ranked opponents in their weight classes and it’s a great test for the upcoming state tournament.
“I have Brody Baummann and Codei Khawaja in my class,’ Aiden said. “They are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the state. Kelton has Nathan Critchfield in his class, and he’s ranked No. 2.”
There are two other Memorial wrestlers ranked in the state this season. Freshman Landon Horning is at No. 12 in the 126-pound class and junior Keegan Williams is No. 14 at 132.
“That tournament is a tough tournament,” Mattingly said. “It’s right there in our back yard and it gives us a chance to go bang heads with the best of them.”
The Farmer brothers both hope to get on the podium this year in the state tournament. Aiden wrote that as a goal going into the season. Last year his goal was to get to state, and he accomplished that. This year he’s upping the ante.
“Their dad, Eric is very involved with them in wrestling and he’s been a big influence on them,” Mattingly said. “But he will tell you that they get their real competitive fire and toughness from their mom, Jessica Parsons. She played college volleyball.”
1223 1#MondayMatness with Steve Krah: Monroe Central’s first state placer as sophomore, Page shining at start of junior season
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
Hunter Page loves it on a wrestling mat. But he hasn’t spent too much time there when at match time so far in 2021-22.
Page, a Monroe Central High School junior 182-pounder, won the 2021 East Central Indiana Classic title Dec. 23 to move to 17-1 (13 pins and a major decision).
“I shoot first,” says Page. “I don’t wait around.”
Page, whose current current record in 85-14, was the first IHSAA State Finals placer in Monroe Central history when he came in sixth at 182 in 2021.
Brett Hodson (Monroe Central Class of 1985) and Calvin Combs (Monroe Central Class of 1988) represented MC as seniors then Logan Swallow (Monroe Central Class of 2020 made it there as a junior and senior.
“The community was completely behind Hunter last year,” says second-year Golden Bears head coach Andy Richardson. “Last year was an unusual year with restraints on the number we could have in the audience (because of the COVID-19 pandemic). At least we were able have a season. Illinois didn’t have a season.”
Richardson is watching Page have another strong campaign.
“Hunter’s just a hard worker,” says Richardson, who was a Monroe Central assistant for two years before becoming head coach. “Last year, he surprised some people.
“He’s a grinder and not real flashy. He’s a strong kid and very athletic.”
Page is also coachable, taking information and applying it.
“He’s a sponge,” says Richardson. “He’s bought into our blue collar approach. We’re going to work and we’re going to win.”
Richardson is a 1993 Muncie Southside High School graduate who was a freshman on the 1990 state championship team which featured senior Tony Abbott (now head coach at Cowan High School).
Including the U.S. Navy (he served for 11 years) and stints with Bob Brennan at Zionsville, Mike Smitson at Greenwood and Brett Clark and Gary Schliessman at Delta, Richardson has coached 26 years.
Noah Richardson, Andy’s son, is a 2017 Delta graduate and current Monroe Central assistant. He and cousin/two-time state qualifer Scottie Evans were both 100-match winners as Eagles.
Though Page can put points on the scoreboard, Andy Richardson says he is content to win close, low-scoring matches.
“We go after that first takedown,” says Richardson. “It’s something we preach — set the tone. I want (opponents) to react to us, not react to them.
“(Senior 160-pounder Jonah Jones) does that, too. I think he’s going to have some real success this year.”
Jones is a regular workout partner.
“He’s quick and technical,” says Page of Jones, who shares team captain duties with Page and senior Peyton Tinsman.
“I try to lead by example,” says Page. “I help show moves (to others).”
Page grappled at 160 and 170 as a freshman and went 32-6. He posted a 36-7 mark at 182 as a sophomore.
The 6-footer is still at 182 this year, but with more strength.
“I was in the weight room a lot this year,” says Page, who as a defensive lineman enjoying breaking through the line making 34 total tackles with eight for loss and one quarterback sack in helping Monroe Central football go 10-1 in the fall.
Page started school at Union (Modoc) and came over to Monroe Central in third grade. His first real exposure to the mat came in the Golden Bear Wrestling Club.
Page, who lives on a farm near Modoc, is considering either Architecture or Agriculture for a college major and might wrestle as well if the situation is right.
His father is Tink. His mother is Jennifer. Siblings are Lexi (20), Destiny (6) and Leo (6).
Jennifer’s boyfriend, Nick Terharr (Monroe Central Class of 2004), was the Delta Sectional champion at 171 in 2004.
“Nick helps me out with my singles,” says Page. “Andy kind of polished it up.”
Uncle Zeb Doss, who wrestled at Winchester, also offers occasional mat advice.
The lone loss this season for Page came Dec. 22 in Fort Wayne Snider Duals against Snider freshman D’Alcapon Veazy.
Monroe Central’s next match is a Jan. 4 dual at Southern Wells. The Randolph County meet is Jan. 15 at Winchester. The Mid-Eastern Conference meet is Jan. 22 at Cowan.
The Golden Bears’ postseason path includes the Delta Sectional Dec. 29, Jay County Regional Feb. 5 and Fort Wayne Semistate Feb. 12 with the State Finals Feb. 18-19 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
1408#WrestleLikeAGirl with Jeremy Hines: Another Winner is paving the way for Jay County girls wrestling
By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
Jay County decided to take a little different approach to girls wrestling. The strategy is paying off.
Last year the Patriots had seven female wrestlers. They wanted to improve the numbers so they talked with some of the returning girls on the team and took note of what they said.
“We had a girl last year that was a really good athlete,” Jay County coach Eric Myers said. “She played soccer and softball. She did well in wrestling and placed at state. She looked pretty comfortable in the room with the guys.
“But, in trying to build the program, I asked if they were comfortable wrestling with the guys. She said she wasn’t super comfortable with it. I was pretty shocked by that. I thought, if we could find a way to have a girls practice away from the guys, we might increase our numbers. So, we did that – and it worked.”
This year Jay County has 13 girls on the team. They practice only against each other and compete only against other female wrestlers.
That has helped convince wrestlers like Mallory Winner to join the team. Winner is the little sister of 4-time state placer Mason Winner. She started wrestling when she was very young but sat out her eighth-grade year. Now she’s back and has been dominating every competition she’s been in so far.
Winner is the No. 2-ranked 160-pound girl in the state. She has already faced several other ranked opponents. She has beaten No. 3-ranked Grace Hiroms of Rochester four times already – winning 7-0, 6-0, 1-0 and by fall. She has also beaten No. 4 Emma Batten 11-2 and pinned No. 7 Sierra Zamorano.
“I didn’t ever really stop wrestling,” Winner said. “I just took a little bit of a break between my seventh and freshman year. I missed it, especially looking at a meet from the stands. I regretted not wrestling. When I came back, I was glad to be back. I get to wrestle with my friends. It brings me a lot of joy.”
Winner also became a big recruit for the team. She is a talented softball player and is friends with lots of athletes in the school. She has convinced other girls to come out for wrestling and is hoping to get even more out over the next few years.
“I’m always encouraging girls to come out,” Winner said. “I tell them that no matter if they win or lose, you’re always going to learn something. On good days and bad days, we’ll be there for them.”
When she’s trying to convince classmates to wrestle there’s always one question that comes up.
“They always ask if they have to wrestle boys,” Winner said.
Last year the Patriots placed fourth in state and second in regional. They are hoping to fair better in both this time around.
“I love coaching the girls,” Myers said. I think it’s great they have the opportunity to wrestle. In the sports offered by the IHSAA, wrestling is the most physical. It’s one of the sports where we say we’ll put guys and girls together. Now that we’re separating them, it’s more fair. I love that it gives girls more opportunities that they may not have had before. There are several very athletic girls that wouldn’t have been doing anything over the winter. It gives them something to keep them busy. Giving kids more opportunities to compete, be on a team and make friends is always a good thing.”
For Winner, who admits her first love is softball, she’s made great friendships through wrestling.
“Even if you don’t know the other teams, personally, the girls come up and talk to you,” Winner said. “You’re not afraid to be friends with opponents. Even when get done with a match, sometimes the opponents are giving you hugs and stuff. I think this is one of the reasons girls wrestling is growing very, very fast. Just this year our first tournament had around 115 girls, and in the last one there were over 200.”
Winner has a talented group of teammates surrounding her this season. Her drill partner is senior Lizzie Dollar. Dollar is the team’s 106-pounder. She’s ranked No. 6 right now in the weight class. She is a two-time state runner-up at 98 pounds and last year placed fourth.
“Lizzie always goes hard,” Winner said. “She doesn’t care about the difference in our weights. She goes out and gives me a great practice and competes.”
Senior Tricia Ison is ranked No. 4 at 170 pounds for the Patriots and teammate Mollie Hines is No. 9 at 182.
For Myers, he is enjoying learning the differences between coaching the girls and the guys. He is the head coach for the boys team as well.
“With girls, I discovered that they process things differently,” Myers said. “When you demonstrate a move for a guy, they seem to try that move super aggressively and miss the details. The girls, when you show them, they have all the details down but are not doing it quite as aggressively. That’s a subtle difference. The girls really have a great ability to listen.”
Earlier this season Jay County and Columbia City held what is believed to be the state’s first all-girl dual meet. Columbia City won the meet on criteria, after a 30-30 tie.
1615 2#WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: More than a team, Franklin Central comes together to help each other
By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
The Franklin Central wrestling team needed more than a coach. They needed someone to share the enormous burden of grief, someone to cry to, and someone to help them cope with pain no high school kid should ever have to endure. As it turned out, coach Kevin Moore needed the team just as much as they needed him.
“It’s almost like I was meant to come here,” Moore said.
This is Moore’s fifth season at the helm of the Flashes. There have been five deaths in the wrestling family during that span – a statistic that nobody wants to keep.
“We have literally lost a person every year I’ve been here,” Moore said.
Senior Johnny Weisheit’s mother was murdered. Sophomore Gauge Clark’s sister was murdered. Former semistate qualifier Charlie Harp committed suicide in 2018 and just this November senior Ayden Harper died. Harper was one of the team captains and always led the warmups before matches.
While Moore has tried to be there for the wrestlers during their grieving, he faced tragedy of his own. His wife, Mariah, was hit and killed by an impaired driver.
“If it wasn’t for this community, I would have left a long time ago,” Moore said. “I’ve never seen people come together like they have here. When my wife passed, I didn’t have to do laundry, cook, or even pay for the funeral. The community did that for me. It was the same with Ayden – they paid for his funeral as well. Everyone is checking in on me all the time – and I know people are checking in with Ayden’s family and the other guys on this team as well.”
In the midst of tragedy, the team has found solace on the wrestling mat. It’s their escape from reality, if only for a few hours a day.
“Wrestling is tough,” Moore said. “It’s hard. It’s painful. But it gives you something you can control. There are a lot of things happening to these guys that they can’t control – but they can control what happens on the mat. Losing these people that we have lost, it completely sucks. But you can’t live life with those emotions. You have to find a way to move on.”
Each wrestler on the Franklin Central roster is dealing with pain. The tragic journey has made them closer than brothers.
“My teammates, they are my brothers,” junior Aataeveon Jordan said. “We aren’t blood, but we are. We have each other’s back. You mess with one of us, the rest of the lineup has their back even if we’re in the wrong.”
And, the pillar of the team, is coach Moore. He’s their rock – a responsibility he believes is one he must shoulder.
“There are certain people that are meant to handle these types of situations,” Moore said. “There are people that are built for it. Unfortunately, I’ve lost my wife and my kids lost their mother. In an unfortunate circumstance you have to lead by example. A lot of these young men don’t know that it’s OK to cry. They don’t’ know it’s OK to show that they are hurt. It’s OK to show emotion.
“I would never want to say I’m like a father-figure – but we just have a different kind of bond going through all of this. To be effective as a coach, at times I have to be like their dad and at times I have to be like an older brother.
When Mariah was in the hospital, the team was there with the coach almost daily. He had been their rock through their turmoil and then it was their turn to be his.
“They really helped me get through it,” Moore said.
The Flashes are hoping to turn their pain into success on the mat. The goal is to win the school’s first wrestling sectional since 1995. For some of the wrestlers, like Jordan, the individual goal is a state title.
“My goal is to get that blue ring,” he said. “That blue ring has been calling my name.”
Jordan is one of three ranked wrestlers on the Franklin Central team. Jordan is ranked No. 15 at 195 pounds. Last season he placed 8th at 220. Clark is currently ranked No. 17 at 106 pounds and senior Cayden Shelton is No. 17 at 138.
“We also have Ashton Brandon, who didn’t have a chance to finish the season last year, but I think he will surprise a lot of people,” Moore said. “He’s our 132-pound senior. He’s a hands-on, in your face, gritty wrestler. He puts his hands on you for six minutes and he doesn’t wear down. He’s also a big-time leader.”
Moore has helped build the Franklin Central program from when he started.
“There were 13 kids in the room when I started,” he said. “I spent all pre-season recruiting, and that’s what we got. Now we have a middle school room of about 40-50 kids and the high school team started out with about 70. I’m impressed with the culture shift I have seen. I think what these kids have gone through, and persevered is unique and amazing.”
The Flashes only were able to send a few wrestlers to the Marion County tournament because of illness. But, when the team is at full strength, Moore has high hopes. Win or lose, he’s in their corner and they are in his. They’ve been in the valley for a while, and now they are ready to climb out.
“Coach Moore has really been our shoulder to cry on, and we are his,” Jordan said. “I think the one thing we can all take from this is that, on this team, ain’t nobody ever alone. We all have each other.”
1535 1 1#MondayMatness with Steve Krah: LaPorte’s Jackson likes to light up the scoreboard
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
If Ashton Jackson gets his way, scoreboard operators are kept plenty busy during his matches.
The LaPorte High School junior wrestler prefers to stay on the offensive and put points on the board.
Jackson, who earned the Slicers first state title since 189-pounder Matt Graham in 1994 when he reigned in the 2021 IHSAA State Finals at 106, sums up his plan as he looks ahead to the rest of the 2021-22 season at 113.
“It’s about scoring points, not being sloppy and keeping up the rate of attack,” says Jackson. “I want to work my moves and get on and off the mat. Like Dan Gable said: “I shoot, I score. He shoots, I score.”
“I’m chugging away to the state series. I haven’t really been taken into deep waters yet. I’m really looking forward to that.”
Through the Dec. 18 Munster Super Dual where he and LaPorte seniors Caden Ellenberger (145) and Noah Salary (152) went 5-0, Jackson is 21-0. The only match to go the distance was a major decision against Crown Point.
Next up for Jackson and the Slicers is the Dec. 29-30 Al Smith Classic at Mishawaka.
“Those should be mostly tight matches and I can test myself,” says Jackson. “I’m looking forward to the fight.”
Looking back, Jackson went 35-2 in 2020-21, including 4-0 at the State Finals in Indianapolis after going out in the “ticket round” at the East Chicago Semistate as a 35-8 freshman.
“Going through the East Chicago Semistate, the Duneland (Athletic Conference) and northwest Indiana, it’s high-quality stuff and we pride ourselves in battling at that level,” says LaPorte head coach Louie Kuzdas, a 1986 LaPorte graduate in his 26th season as head coach 32nd on the Slicers staff and physical education/health teacher at the school.
It was last season that one of his young teammates brought up a potential mat milestone.
“I’m close to 100 career wins and everybody talks about,” says Jackson, who is 91-10 ???. “It’s something cool to have. But it’s not the end-all, be-all.”
The current season opened Nov. 26-27 for Jackson and his teammates as Jackson went 9-0 as the 113-pound champion at the Goshen RedHawk Super Dual.
“He’s been traveling all over the country getting some elite mat time,” says Kuzdas. “He’s just living and breathing wrestling right now. It’s what you need to do to be at that top level.”
Jackson went to the Freestyle Nationals in Fargo, N.D., and Super 32 in Greensboro, N.C.
“It wasn’t that successful an offseason,” says Jackson, who also trains in LaPorte and Elite Athletic Club in Lake Station and went with the Warren Central squad to the Disney Duals in Orlando, Fla. “That’s just motivation for this season to prove myself and prove what I can do.”
Kuzdas looks to Jackson as a team leader.
“He takes young’uns under his wing and walks them through different steps,” says Kuzdas. “He’s very, very interested in learning more about the sport.
“After winning (a state championship) as a sophomore, we sat down and discussed that he’s already accomplished something that a lot of people don’t. But you still don’t know everything. He agreed 100 percent.”
Says Jackson, “I’m just staying persistent in my training and having faith in my coaches and my teammates who’ve guided me along the way. Coach (Kuzdas) definitely pushes aggression. You’ve just got to fight. That’s the beauty of wrestling. It’s you and the other guy. The better-prepared man’s going to win.”
Practice partners include freshman Josh England (120) and Landyn Hunt (126), junior Thomas Adred (126) and assistant coach Ian Barclay.
“I think I stay in pretty good position,” says Jackson. “And I know if I don’t try my best it’s a loss.”
Adam Jackson — Ashton’s father — was Kuzdas’ first state qualifier as LaPorte head coach, making it to Indy as a 135-pound junior in 1997.
Crediting his father for his work ethic and sense of urgency on the mat.
“He’s really involved, but not so involved to the point that it’s overbearing,” says Ashton. “He holds me to high standards — which is good.”
Damen Jackson, a 2015 graduate of John Glenn High School, is a Glenn assistant this season after teaching and coach at Warren Central. He was there for Ashton at the beginning of little brother’s wrestling career.
“When I was little he’d always help me out a kid tournaments,” says Ashton. “He was being a big brother and showed me nuances that little novice me wasn’t aware of at the time.”
Ashton’s mother is New Prairie High School graduate Nacole and has two younger siblings in LaPorte — sophomore/sister Bailey
and sixth grader/brother Brayden.
Jerry Jackson, a 1982 LaPorte graduate, was a three-time state qualifier at 185 with a state crown in 1981 and third-place finish in 1982.
“He’s no relation,” says Ashton. “But he’s a pretty cool dude.”
1874 5#WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Critchfield ready for one last go in Indiana
By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
Nathan Critchfield was down – but he sure as heck won’t allow himself to be counted out.
Critchfield wrestles through pain each and every day. He doesn’t complain. It has become a way of life for the Evansville Mater Dei senior.
Critchfield wrestled his first three years of high school in Illinois. His best finish was third in the state meet in 2020. Then he got the news that would ultimately change his life – he had a tumor on his spine.
“My back was hurting all year and moving into freestyle season I got it checked out that May,” Critchfield said. “They just did a physical exam and I kept at it and kept wrestling. Then, in August of 2020 I was still in pain and I got checked out again. They told me I had a tumor on the inside of my spinal cord.”
The news rocked Critchfield. He knew he was going to have to endure a grueling surgery and a long road to recovery. They wouldn’t know if the tumor was cancerous until after the surgery. The diagnosis was devastating – both physically and mentally for Critchfield.
“Hearing about the tumor was shocking, to say the least,” Critchfield said. “It came at a time that was so crucial in my life. I was going into my senior year. That’s an important time in your social life and in your academics. Then hearing that you’re probably not ever going to wrestle again, that was a big hit.”
Critchfield ended up sitting out his entire senior year to deal with his medical issues. He would have graduated in 2021 but will now graduate in 2022.
His first back surgery was a 12-hour ordeal. The next week he ended up getting a MRSA infection in the incision that required another surgery. He wasn’t out of the woods yet. The first surgery had caused his legs to not work properly. That required yet another surgery.
“Between my legs and my back, I couldn’t walk for a few months,” Critchfield said.
Critchfield tried to do a little drilling in wrestling in February, even though he says he wasn’t supposed to. His legs still weren’t working the way they were supposed to work In April he had another surgery to relieve the pressure in both of his legs.
In the end, the tumor was not cancerous. And, although he’s still in pain, it’s something he has learned to live with.
“This whole ordeal has made me a different kind of person,” Critchfield said. “I have really grown in my faith. I get reminded of it all every day when I go to practice. Both of my legs hurt and my back hurts. Wrestling really sucks with the pain – but I love doing it. I put myself through it because I don’t know what else I would do.”
Critchfield doesn’t care if his opponents on the mat know about his bad back, or his issues with his legs.
“People tell me not to let others know I’m hurting,” Critchfield said. “They say to not let your opponents know you’re not feeling your best. I don’t think that would give them an edge on me though. I think it gives me a little edge, actually. They are going to wrestle a guy knowing he’s going to feel like crap and he’s still not scared. They are about to wrestle a guy that has went through hell but is still out there ready to go. That’s got to mess with them more than it does with me.”
Critchfield is currently ranked No. 2 in the state at 220 pounds. He joins a Mater Dei team that is loaded with ranked wrestlers this season.
Mater Dei has two wrestlers currently ranked No. 1 in their weight classes, both are returning state champs in Brody Baumann and Gabe Sollars. Crtichfield is No. 2 at 220. Hunter May is No. 3 at 152 pounds. Isaiah Schaefer is No. 4 at 106. Evan Seng is No. 5 at 113 pounds, Ashton Hayhurst is NO. 8 at 145 and Reed Egli is No. 13 at 120 pounds.
“This is my first year at Mater Dei and it’s been pretty fun,” Critchfield said. “It’s an interesting atmosphere and it’s a lot different than other schools. They put a lot of emphasis on wrestling for your school instead of for yourself. They have built a program and the whole community gets behind it. When you hear about the culture at Mater Dei, you never imagine how it really is until you’re a part of it.”
Mater Dei coach Greg Schaefer is glad to have Critchfield on the squad.
“Nathan is just a genuine, hard-working, hard-nosed kid,” Schaefer said. “He’s one of those guys that will be hard to outwork. He has a great attitude and seems to be extremely grateful doing what he’s doing.”
Schaefer said a lot of the kids in the Mater Dei program don’t even know what all Critchfield has been through.
“You wouldn’t even know that there was anything going on with him,” Schaefer said. “He doesn’t talk about it, and he doesn’t act like there’s any issues. It’s pretty incredible to think about what he’s been through and that he still maintains the attitude and desire to chase after his dream.”
As far as Critchfield’s wrestling abilities, Schaefer describes him as a big guy with the skill set of a little man.
“He’s very skillful,” Schaefer said. “He’s not like some of the guys that are just big bruisers. He’s more technical than most big guys. He wrestles more like a little guy.”
Critchfield has wrestled for Mauer Coughlin since he was very young. He parents used to drive him to the practices over an hour away, three times a week. There he made friends with a lot of the guys on the team and a lot of Indiana wrestlers throughout the state.
This year his goal is to go out on top. He’s seen the Indiana state finals and wants nothing more than to wrestle under the spotlight.
“My No. 1 goal is to win a state title,” Critchfield said. “I like to go as hard as I can and put it on people. I keep the pace up and make people want to quit. I make them tired, and I ride hard. I’m real tough on top – but nobody holds me down either. And I don’t quit. That’s my biggest strength. I will not ever quit.”
1901 3#MondayMatness with Steve Krah: Bluffton’s Bertsch has sights set on making history
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
Landon Bertsch did not start wrestling in elementary as some top performers do. He was a swimmer in elementary school.
Then as a sixth grader, he met up with Ben Sprunger.
The winningest grappler in Bluffton High School history, Sprunger came back to his hometown to teach middle school Physical Education after college and began introducing youngsters to wrestling.
“For me it’s about numbers,” says Sprunger. “It’s about getting as many kids out, motivating them, getting them in love with the sport and continuing to develop them.”
That strategy worked with Bertsch.
“I fell in love with it,” says Bertsch. “It took me awhile to get good at it.”
By the time he reached high school, Bertsch was getting pretty good on the mat. A 132-pound Bluffton Tigers senior in 2021-22, he is a three-time IHSAA State Finals performer (qualifier in 2019 at 113 with a 39-3 record, qualifer in 2020 at 126 with 42-2 mark and sixth-place finisher in 2021 at 126 with a 24-2 ledger). His career mark 10 bouts into his final prep season was 115-7.
“He lives for wrestling,” says Sprunger of Bertsch. “That’s his thing. He puts a lot of effort into it.
“He has the grit and the toughness you can’t always coach, It’s that X Factor. Either you have it or you don’t.”
Sprunger, who is in his sixth season as Bluffton head coach, finished his high school career at 139-10 and placed three times at the State Finals — seventh at 125 as a sophomore in 1998, second at 125 as a junior in 1999 and first at 130 as a senior in 2000.
Bertsch, who also trains with the club at Bellmont and at Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne, has the chance to catch and pass Sprunger on the victory list and become Bluffton’s first four-time state qualifier.
For Bluffton, the IHSAA tournament series goes through the Jay County Sectional and Jay County Regional and Fort Wayne Semistate.
“I don’t plan on losing this year,” says Bartsch, who went 6-0 in the Allen County Athletic Conference Duals Saturday, Dec. 11 at Jay County and is 10-0 on the season. “I just want to be the best.
“My coach helps me and encourages me.”
It’s confidence that Bertsch has taken with him in each of his previous State Finals appearances.
“What goes through my mind is that these guys are not better than me,” says Bertsch. “They are the same level. I can beat every single guy here.”
As a freshmen, he was pinned by eventual fifth-placer David Pierson of Warren Central in the first round.
As a sophomore, Monrovia’s Ben Dalton edged him 6-4 in the Friday match on the way to seventh place.
“That still haunts us a little bit,” says Sprunger of the late takedown that eliminated Bertsch in 2020.
In 2021, he beat Wawasee’s Branden Dilley by technical fall in the first round and lost 5-3 to eventual runner-up Cheaney Schoeff of Avon in the second round on the way to sixth.
What about the down time between matches at a big meet?
“I mess around with my friends and let my body relax,” says Bartsch. “It helps me stay calm and not get too anxious or too excited.
“When it’s time to wrestle. it’s ‘go time’ again and I’m get ready to go.”
As his high school days have progressed, Bertsch has gotten bigger and become a tough defender and attacker.
“He’s growing up a little bit and filling out,” says Sprunger. “He’s stubborn on his feet. He won’t give up takedowns. If he’s on top, he’s a beast. He’s tough on his feet, too.
“He’s not scared of any opponent or any situation.”
Bertsch counts junior Austin Lewis — a returning state qualifer at 120 now at 145 — as a regular workout partner.
“They make each other better,” says Sprunger. “They both have a hunger to wrestle.”
The coach also rolls with the Tigers in practice, including Bertsch.
“He’s crazy,” says Bertsch of Sprunger. “He beats up on all of us.”
Bertsch notes that Sprunger keeps him honest and he makes it a point to stay in position.
“It allows you to set up and make shots and it allows you to have a good defense,” says Bertsch. “You’ve got to have good balance to be in good position. You’ve got to keep moving.”
When Bertsch moves on from Bluffton, he plans to go to college as an engineering major and wrestler. He has not yet decided on which school. His favorite high school subject is math and he’s looking forward to Calculus next semester.
Landon’s father — former middle school wrestler Matt Bertsch — is a civil engineer and owner at Bertsch-Frank & Associates LLC, a land surveying and construction engineering company located in Fort Wayne where his oldest son did an internship last summer.
Adams Central High School graduates Matt and Elizabeth Bertsch have three children — Landon, sophomore Alydia, eighth grader Eli and fifth grader Addie.
2279#WrestleLikeAGirl with Jeremy Hines: Campbell sisters utilize the power of Mom
By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
Twin sisters Cailin and Catie Campbell wanted to follow in their brother’s footsteps and take up wrestling. Their dad, Brian, wasn’t too keen on the idea.
Brian had been around the sport for a long time. He even coached wrestling for several years. But the idea of his daughters taking up the sport was not one he wanted to consider.
So, Cailin and Catie did what any young girl does when their dad says no. They went to their mom.
“At first I think my dad just wanted to be done with coaching and wanted his daughters to do more girly things,” Catie said. “We were like, oh no, we’re wrestling. Mom convinced him to let us.”
Cailin is glad her mom stepped up.
“I just don’t think dad wanted us to get hurt,” Cailin said. “He didn’t know if we would be able to keep up with the guys. But mom said to let us do the sports we want to do and told him he might be surprised how it turns out.
It has turned out quite well.
The Campbell sisters are both two-time Indiana High School Girls Wrestling state champions. They both have claimed varsity roster spots on the North Montgomery high school team. In fact, not only are they varsity wrestlers, they are the ones leading much of the drills in practices.
“They are both just very determined,” first-year North Montgomery coach Mike Boesch said. “They are great workers. They are very coachable. Anything I bring up, they try. It’s great to have people like them on a team. They are great leaders. They lead us in warmups and before the matches. They have made my job so much easier.”
In a slight twist of irony, Brian Campbell was Boesch’s first wrestling coach when he started in the sport back in fourth grade at Clinton Prairie.
“It’s cool that now I get to coach his kids for their senior year,” Boesch said.
Catie was the first sister to win a state title. In 2019 she earned the top spot in the 126-pound class. Cailin finished second at 120 pounds.
In 2020 it was Cailin’s turn to win a title. She won the 120 -pound class. Catie finished second at 132.
Last year the twins finally went home with a title at the same time. Cailin again won the 120-pound class and Catie took top honors at 126 pounds.
“State last year was my favorite wrestling memory so far,” Catie said. “Not only did I win, but so did my sister and several of my friends.”
The two have made a lot of friends through the sport and really love going to the girls tournaments. They see the sport growing and they have a lot of younger girls asking them questions about wrestling and showing interest in getting involved.
“I see a huge difference in girls wrestling now even to where it was my freshman year,” Cailin said. “My freshman year at girls regional I only had to wrestle twice. Now the classes are stacked, and it’s grown three to four times since then. There are so many more girls that are trying out for wrestling, and it makes me really happy.
“I think the stereotypes are going away and opportunities are being presented in the state of Indiana. It’s way more welcoming than it was. More girls are willing to give it a try now.”
The sisters have the same goal for this season. They both want to go out on top in the girl state meet and they both want to get better in the sport.
“My main goal is to just get to my full potential and be the best I can,” Catie said. “The accomplishments aren’t as important as getting a really good experience out of it.”
The journey has certainly not been easy for either girl. Their dad’s fears about the sport had merit in their case. Catie broke a vertebra in her back last season and had to take time off to recover. Cailin tore three ligaments in her shoulder and has developed arthritis in the same shoulder and must wear a brace. Still, their love for the sport outweighs the toll it has taken on their bodies.
“Wrestling makes people really disciplined,” Catie said. “It’s a mental sport and it’s very rewarding once you put the work into it.”
Although the two have similar styles on the mat, they have different moves they prefer.
“We have different specialties,” Cailin said. “Catie is really good at the fireman’s carry. She hits it just about whenever she wants to. My bread and butter is a slide-by or an elbow pass to a low single.”
Coach Boesch has four girls on his team this year at North Montgomery. Three will likely fill spots on the varsity roster. He also has some girls-only meets planned for the season.
“They are really excited about the meet at Lebanon this weekend,” Boesch said of his female wrestlers. “That gives them their first look at some of the other girls around the state this season. I’m really hoping I can help them win their third titles this year. I don’t know how much I can teach them that they don’t already know.”
The sisters are both considering wrestling after high school, but they are uncertain where they will attend college at this point.
“Outside of wrestling they are just great kids,” Boesch said. “They are doing everything they need to in school and they are just all-around great people.”
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