High School News

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Marian University Adds Wrestling
INDIANAPOLIS - The Marian University department of athletics is proud to announce the expansion of the department with the addition of men's wrestling beginning with the 2016-17 season of competition, director of athletics Steve Downing announced on Thursday.
 
"We are proud to continue the expansion of our department," said Downing. "We have added women's soccer (1998), women's golf (2004), men's football (2007), men's and women's bowling (2010) and women's lacrosse (2015) in the past two decades and the addition of men's wrestling just makes sense. It's an emerging sport across the nation and we are looking to bring in the top quality student-athletes who will not only compete for championships, but also be strong students in the classroom."
 
Beginning in the fall of 2016, the Knights will compete for the NAIA national championship as an independent member.
 
Men's wrestling is the 24th sport within the department of athletics.

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Bulldogs, Braves, and Panthers...OH MY!
By STEVE KRAH
 
A bunch of happy Bulldogs, Braves and Panthers left Fort Wayne’s Memorial Coliseum Saturday, Jan. 2.
 
Brownsburg (Class 3A), Bellmont (2A) and Prairie Heights (1A) each earned Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association State Duals titles before a record crowd of 2,331 in the fourth annual event.
 
For the second straight year, there were 12 teams in each division.
 
Coach Darrick Snider watched his Brownsburg team take down Warren Central 34-24 in the 3A final after taking down Perry Meridian 36-22 in the semifinals. Warren Central advanced to the championship by beating semifinal foe Evansville Mater Dei 36-19.
 
“Wow, it’s really been an emotional day,” Snyder said. “We felt like we belonged. We felt like we could wrestle anyone. We had a lot of people questioning whether we could compete with the top teams in the state. I’ve got a great group of kids who have worked hard.”
 
Snyder took over a program that had finished near the bottom of its conference and turned it into a championship team.
 
“We have turned the Titanic around,” Snyder said. “I have awesome support from my team and from my superintendent who was here all day. “We break on ‘state champions’ everyday from our 5 year-olds all the way to the high school program, we don’t break on ‘state runner-up.’ We’re here to win it. I have incredible respect for every team and every coach here, especially those last couple programs.”
 
Brownsburg moved to 12-0.
 
Coach Paul Gunsett’s Bellmont squad topped Jimtown 46-23 for the 2A crown after a 54-14 win against North Montgomery in the semifinals. With a dramatic 31-30 semifinals triumph, Jimtown handed Yorktown its first State Duals loss in four years.
 
Gunsett, in his first season as Braves head coach after 22 years as an assistant, talked about unfinished business.
 
“Since we finished second (in 2A) last year, our goal was to come back here and win the whole thing,” Gunsett said. “We had the core of our team back and every opportunity to do it. That was our focus.”
 
Gunsett’s team won its title just two days after the grueling two-day Al Smith Classic at Mishawaka.
 
“Our kids came here ready to fight and ready to wrestle,” Gunsett said. “They were prepared today. They knew what was on the line.
 
“We had excellent senior leadership.”
 
Bellmont improved to 15-1.
 
Jimtown coach Mark Kerrn talked about his squad’s determination.
 
“They are typical Jimtown Jimmies — no quit in them ever,” Kerrn said of his young lineup. “We had five freshmen in our lineup today (including Brayden Curtis who helped Jimtown edge Yorktown by taking the final match to overtime and avoid giving up a major decision or higher). It’s awesome. That took a lot of courage. Some other guys, we were just throwing in there into different weight classes. We had guys 10 and 15 pounds underweight today. They didn’t care, they just kept stepping up and battling. That’s what they do.”
 
The next-to-last match against Yorktown, saw Jimtown heavyweight Nick Mammolenti rally for a 4-3 overtime victory.
 
Coach Brett Smith’s Prairie Heights club walked off with the 1A hardware by besting Southmont 39-29. In the 1A semifinals, Prairie Heights bettered Adams Central 45-19 and Southmont downed Monrovia 34-30.
 
Prairie Heights had enjoyed runner-up and fourth-place finishes at the State Duals and now takes a title back to Brushy Prairie.
 
The Panthers went 30-3 in the 2014-15 and improved to 28-0 in 2015-16 with Saturday’s title-taking performance.
 
“These kids have been together since eighth grade,” Panthers coach Brett Smith said. “They’ve just bought into everything we’ve been doing. The kids are hungry. We were close to Yorktown last year. We were close to Lafayette Harrison. The kids have been really positive and upbeat.”
 
 
IHSWCA STATE DUALS
(At Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne)
 
Class 3A
Championship
BROWNSBURG 34, WARREN CENTRAL 24
106 — Ty Mills (BR) pinned Keyuan Murphy 1:11. 113 — Skylour Turner (WC) pinned Nick Weaver :56. 120 — Blake Mulkey (BR) dec. Dylan Culp 6-0. 126 — Joel McGhee (WC) dec. Ryan Bigelow 7-4. 132 — Connor Allen (BR) dec. Tim Wright 9-4. 138 — Brayton Lee (BR) pinned Marcus Scott :33. 145 — Matthew McKinney (WC) dec. Troy Owen 6-4.
152 — Trent Pruitt (WC) pinned Quienton Ingram 1:29. 160 — Dominic Herrick (WC) dec. Arkee Glover 6-3. 170 — Nathan Walton (BR) pinned Dezmen Goddard :31. 182 — CJ Damler (BR) maj. dec. Devon Blount 12-3. 195 — Tristen Tonte (WC) dec. Anthony Cicciarelli 9-2. 220 — Isaac McCormick (BR) dec. Cornelius Knox-Abbott 5-3. Hwt — Rickie Clark (BR) dec. Jasion Brogan 2-1.
 
Third Place
PERRY MERIDIAN 45, EVANSVILLE MATER DEI 18
106 — Sam Fair (PM) dec. Clay Egli 4-2. 113 — Blaine Mayer (MD) dec. Kolton Overley 14-8. 120 — Kyle Luigs (MD) pinned David Clayton 2:42. 126 — Jack Servies (PM) maj. dec. Joe Happe 11-3. 132 — DJ Brookbank (PM) pinned Kyle Embry1:31. 138 — Wyatt Montgomery (MD) dec. Logan Hurley 2-0 (ot). 145 — Kain Rust (PM) pinned Zach Wagner 2:59.
152 — Brett Johnson (PM) maj. dec. Mitch Lehman 11-1. 160 — Noah Warren (PM) pinned Blake Chandler :58. 170 — Christian Warren (PM) pinned Hunter Carr :49. 182 — Rodrigo Diaz (PM) maj. dec. Robbie Helfrich 11-3. 195 — Kurtis Wilderman (MD) dec. Anthony Ruhana 4-2. 220 — Michael Boots (MD) dec. Matt McClosky 6-5. Hwt — Steve Woolbright (PM) pinned Austin Fleck 3:05.
 
 
Class 2A
Championship
BELLMONT 46, JIMTOWN 23
106 — Hunter Watts (Jimtown) over DeAundre James 2:21. 113 — Hunter Whitman (Jimtown) over Jon Ruble 2-0. 120 — Mason Mendez (BE) pinned Matt Gimson 11-4. 126 — Jon Becker (BE) pinned Connor Gimson 2:40. 132 — Daniel Gunsett (BE) pinned Greden Kelley :44. 138 — Gavin Siefring (BE) maj. dec. Cole Watson 11-2. 145 — Kenny Kerrn (J) maj. dec. Grant Guitierez 15-1.
152 — Matt Laughlin (BE) pinned Tyler Norment 5:03. 160 — Tony Busse (BE) pinned Dalton Heintzberger :57. 170 — Bryce Baumgartner (BE) pinned Aaron Martinez :46. 182 — Caleb Hankenson (BE) pinned Ben Davis :49. 195 — Jarod Hayes (J) maj. dec. Jarron Gerwig 10-0. 220 — Drew Butler (BE) dec. Caleb Fowler 9-6. Hwt — Nick Mammolenti (J) pinned Braiden Shaw 4:18.
 
Third Place
YORK TOWN 38, NORTH MONTGOMERY 24
106 — Zachary Todd (Y) dec. Seth Johnson 9-2. 113 — Brayden Curtis (Y) dec. Tucker Moseley 5-2. 120 — Josh Stephenson (Y) dec. Corwyn Hall 9-7. 126 — Christian Hunt (Y) pinned Gavyn Warren 2:58. 132 — Brady Miller (NM) dec. Alex Barr 5-3. 138 — Riley Morehouse (NM) dec. Alara Boyd 5-3 (ot). 145 — Colt Rutter (Y) maj. dec. Cade Groves 11-2.
152 — Cael McCormick (Y) pinned Micah Wray 1:07. 160 — Brad Laughlin (Y) maj. dec. Alec Rossittis 16-5. 170 — 170
Tanner Webster (NM) pinned Jacob Morris 3:53. 182 — Isaac Fruits (NM) pinned Corbin Allen no time reported. 195 — Cole Slavens (NM) pinned Bryce Kidd 1:23. 220 — Kelly Watson (Y) dec. Jarrett Brown 8-2. Hwt —Joey Pier (Y) pinned Kevin Pierce 2:45.
 
 
Class 1A
Championship
PRAIRIE HEIGHTS 39, SOUTHMONT 29
106 — Alex Grino (S) pinned Caleb Shaffer 1:25. 113 — Evan Hubble (S) pinned Blake Hoyer 1:01. 120 — Dimetrie Lauy (S) dec. Zeke Rowdon 11-7. 126 — Ryan Rasler (PH) dec. Kyle McManus 4-3. 132 — Boone Welliever (S) pinned Alex Steele :50. 138 — Riley Rasler (PH) dec. Connor Moore 6-4. 145 — Dakota Ball (S) tech. fall Zane Rowdon 19-3.
152 — Doug Levitz (PH) pinned Peyton Long 1:12. 160 — Jed Levtiz (PH) pinned Josh Weir :56. 170 — Brady Johnson (PH) pinned Scott Madison :50. 182 — Joey Blakeley (PH) pinned Zach Worm 1:00. 195 — Bailey Thompson (PH) dec. Austin Williams 8-2. 220 — Mason Cody (S) dec. Codey Shafer 4-3. Hwt — Braxton Amos (PH) pinned Elijah Price :23.
 
Third Place
MONROVIA 39, ADAMS CENTRAL 27
106 — Brycen Denny (M) dec.Logan Mosse 3-0. 113 — Parker Bates (AC) by forfeit. 120 — Chuck Capps (M) dec. Nick Liter 4-2. 126 — Austin Clark (M) dec. Anthony Mosser 7-4. 132 — Logan Macklin (AC) pinned Jonathon Smallwood 1:46. 138 — Gabe Schwaller (AC) pinned Logan McPeak 3:03. 145 — Ivan Wray (M) pinned Trevor Free 2:59.
152 — Ethan Stock (M) dec. Hunter Bates 2-1. 160 — Elijah Stock (M) dec. Brant Thieme 4-0. 170 — Ryan Ashley (AC) dec. Zach Boles 4-0. 182 — Aaron Cravens (M) pinned Skylar Douglas 2:12. 195 — Garrison Lee (M) pinned Chandler Schumm1:02. 220 — Dristin McCubbins (M) pinned Nash Brunner :19. Hwt — Dylan Schumm (AC) pinned Riley McCubbins 3:34.
 
A — 2,331 (tournament record).

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Penn's team, Lowell's Drew Hughes win fourth straight Al Smith Classic
By STEVE KRAH
Five Penn wrestlers made it to the championship mat and helped the Kingsmen take the team title at Mishawaka High School’s famed Al Smith Classic for the fourth straight time.
Seniors Drew Hildebrandt (22-0 at 120 pounds) and Kobe Woods (12-0 at 220) were winners and junior Kory Cavanaugh (21-2 at 106) and seniors Austin Slates (20-1 at 113) and Cameron Beam (19-4 at 145) were both runners-up in helping Penn hoist the hardware at Mishawaka for the fifth time in six years.
“This was the most grinding,” Kingsmen coach Brad Harper said. “There were no easy matches.”
While Woods won at 220, Hildebrandt, placed second at 113 at the 2015 IHSAA State Finals. He is taking it up a notch or two this winter.
“I’m trying to open up a lot more,” Hildebrandt said. “I want to be more aggressive this year. I was second last year. There’s more to get.”
U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier Sarah Hildebrandt helped coach her brother along with Harper.
“It’s pretty nice,” Drew Hildebrandt said. “Sometimes I hear her and say that’s not coach Harper and coach (Chad Hershberger).”
Penn, which took its first IHSAA team title last February at Bankers Life Fieldhosue in Indianapolis, tuned up for the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association State Duals (the event is Saturday, Jan. 2, at Fort Wayne’s Memorial Coliseum) by amassing 226 points. Rounding out the top five were Portage (191), Columbus East (150), Lawrence North (149) and Merrillville (136).
The 32-team event wrapped up its two-day run and 37th year Wednesday, Dec. 30, with Lowell senior Drew Hughes (23-0 at 170) taking MVP honors (he pinned all five of his opponents in 6:50) and his fourth Al Smith Classic individual title.
“I was sick Monday,” Hughes said. “It was about getting on and off the mat. I had to take care of business.”
With a pile of early pin falls, Hughes said he has not wrestled in a third period yet this season.
Senior Steven Lawrence (16-0 at 152) was a champion for Portage. The Indian is ranked No. 1 at his weight.
Freshman Cayden Rooks (18-1 at 106) took a title for Columbus East. The Olympian is ranked No. 8. His last two wins Wednesday came against No. 4 Tanner DeMien (at NorthWood sophomore) and No. 3 Cavanaugh of Penn.
Two Merrillville senior athletes — Jacob Covaciu (18-0 at 160) and Shawn Streck (21-0 at heavyweight) — were winners. The Pirates are both ranked No. 1 and coming off state titles in 2015 (Covaciu at 145 and Streck at heavyweight).
A pair of Danville senior grapplers — Brock Hudkins (24-0 at 126) and Elliott Molloy (23-0 at 132) — took top honors back-to-back. Hudkins ranks No. 1 at 126 and Molloy No. 2 to three-time state champion Chad Red of New Palestine at 132.
With his best move — the “blast double” — not paying off Wednesday, Molloy focused on continuous movement and said it benefitted both he and Hudkins that they are Warrior workout partners.
“We are like brothers,” Molloy said. “He’s gotten a lot better at neutral. He keeps moving and gets a lot of points. He’s better on top, too. He can take someone down and finish them.”
Three other first-placers came from The Region in Lowell junior Colton Cummings (23-0 at 113), Chesterton junior Andrew Davison (18-0 at 182) and Lake Central senior Jake Kleimola (20-0 at 195). Cummings is ranked No. 1 in his weight class while Davision is No. 2 and Kleimola No. 3.
Jimtown junior Kenny Kerrn (145) turned up the intensity and took his weight class with father, Mishawaka graduate and IHSWCA Hall of Famer Mark Kerrn (Jimtown’s head coach) in his corner. The unranked wrestler who began the season at 152 said recent ramping up in practice was helpful for him at this tournament.
“We’ve been working really hard in practice this past week,” Kerrn said. “We’ve got (IHSWCA) Team State coming up (Saturday in Fort Wayne). I’ve been practiced with (former Jimtown state champion) Nick Crume and (former Jimtown state runner-up) Colin Crume and athletes.”
AL SMITH CLASSIC
(At Mishawaka)
Team scores (final): Penn 226, Portage 191, Columbus East 150, Lawrence North 149, Bellmont 146, Merrillville 136, Lowell 134, Prairie Heights 132, Chesterton 129, Fort Wayne Carroll 121.5, Jimtown 117, Garrett 114, South Bend Riley 104.5, Elkhart Memorial 103.5, Center Grove 98.5, Hobart 87.5, Lawrence Central 86.5, Danville 77.5, South Bend Adams 77.5, Zionsville 77, Peru 73, Goshen 69, Mishawaka 69, NorthWood 69, Warsaw 55, Princeton 48, LaPorte 42, Munster 40, Rochester 28, Calumet 25, West Noble 15.5.
Championship Summary
106 — Cayden Rooks (Columbus East) dec. Kory Cavanaugh (Penn) 8-3. 113 — Colton Cummings (Lowell) dec. Austin Slates (Penn) 5-0. 120 — Drew Hildebrandt (Penn) maj. dec. Graham Rooks (Columbus East) 12-4. 126 — Brock Hudkins (Danville) dec. Gaige Torres (Portage) 7-1. 132 — Elliott Molloy (Danville) pinned Brendan Black (Hobart) 4:23. 138 — Kyle Hatch (Warsaw) dec. Jason Crary (Munster) 3-0. 145 — Kenny Kerrn (Jimtown) maj. dec. Cameron Beam (Penn) 14-3.
152 — Steven Lawrence (Portage) pinned Doug Levitz (Prairie Heights) 3:11. 160 — Jacob Covaciu (Merrillville) dec. Tavonte Malone (South Bend Adams) 9-2. 170 — Drew Hughes (Lowell) pinned Bryce Baumgartner (Bellmont) 1:24. 182 — Andrew Davison (Chesterton) dec. Cameron Jones (Lawrence North) 6-2. 195 — Jake Kleimola (Lake Central) dec. Erik Hobbs (Peru) 5-0. 220 — Kobe Woods (Penn) dec. Derek Paz (Goshen) 3-2. Hwt — Shawn Streck (Merrillville) tech. fall Ethan Bunce (Lawrence Central) 24-9.
Consolation Summary
106 — Tanner DeMien (NorthWood) pinned Brayden Shearer (Garrett) 1:26. 113 — Colin Poynter (Portage) dec. Jake Schoenegge (Columbus East) 3-1. 120 — Mason Mendez (Bellmont) dec. Isaac Castro (Lawrence North) 7-3. 126 — Marcus Mejia (Elkhart Memorial) dec. Michael DeLaPena (Merrillville) 6-3. 132 — Daniel Gunsett (Bellmont) dec. Jack Tolin (Chesterton) 5-2. 138 — Kris Rumph (Portage) dec. Riley Rasler (Prairie Heights) 6-4. 145 — Austen Laughlin (South Bend Riley) maj. dec. Logan Coyle (Center Grove) 13-4.
152 — Denzyl Prentice (Penn) dec. Diego Lemley (Chesterton) 6-4. 160 — Jarod Swank (Penn) dec. Jordan Rader (Peru) 6-2. 170 — Tristan Goering (South Bend Riley) dec. Ricky Samuels (Lawrence North) 8-5. 182 — David Eli (Elkhart Memorial) pinned Isaac James (Lowell) 1:39. 195 — Lucas Davison (Chesterton) dec. Michael Leonard (NorthWood) 5-1. 220 — Maliq Carr (Lawrence North) dec. Tyler McKeever (Fort Wayne Carroll) 10-3. Hwt — Sean Galligar (Columbus East) dec. Robert Samuels (Lawrence North) 3-2.
MVP: Drew Hughes (Lowell), five pins in 6:50.
Other placers
106 — 5th, Brock Peele (Portage); 6th, Lucas Finger (Lowell); 7th, Fernando Flores (Goshen); 8th, John Gobeyn (Zionsville).
113 — 5th, Christian Mejia (Elkhart Memorial); 6th, Matt Gimson (Jimtown); 7th, Kyler Mckinney (Princeton); 8th, Joey Zahl (South Bend Adams).
120 — 5th, Azariah Ellis (Zionsville); 6th, Joel Byman (Fort Wayne Carroll); 7th, Datrion Vaughn (Lawrence Central); 8th, Dylan DeMarco (Garrett).
126 — 5th, Ryan Hardesty (Mishawaka); 6th, Jon Becker (Bellmont); 7th, Dawson Combest (Columbus East); 8th, Zane Standridge (Fort Wayne Carroll)
132 — 5th, Preston Risner (Mishawaka); 6th, Cody Crary (Munster); 7th, David Roth (Center Grove); 8th, Kameron Hile (Warsaw).
138 — 5th, Jacy Leon (Hobart); 6th, Trace Manspeaker (Penn); 7th, Anthony Williams (Center Grove); 8th, Malik Hoover (Merrillville).
145 — 5th, Chase Wilson (Princeton); 6th, Kasper McIntosh (Portage); 7th, Dante Colza (Hobart); 8th, DeShawn Bayless (Peru).
152 — 5th, Tavris Evans (South Bend Adams); 6th, Kassius Breathitt (South Bend Riley); 7th, Peyton Sturgill (Peru); 8th, Lucas Scott (Lowell).
160 — 5th, Tony Busse (Bellmont); 6th, Josh Garman (Fort Wayne Carroll); 7th, Jed Levitz (Prairie Heights); 8th, Austin Wilson (Columbus East)
170 — 5th, Ismael Cornejo (Portage); 6th, Steven Trammell (Lawrence Central); 7th, Jonah Hays (Center Grove); 8th, Coy Park (Columbus East).
182 — 5th, Joey Blakeley (Prairie Heights); 6th, Caleb Hankenson (Bellmont); 7th, Cameron Simmons (Lawrence Central); 8th, Rhett Mappes (Center Grove).
195 — 5th, Beck Davis (Garrett); 6th, Jarod Hayes (Jimtown); 7th, Jake Grossnickle (Fort Wayne Carroll); 8th, Nate Williams (Elkhart Memorial).
220 — 5th, Blake Davis (Garrett); 6th, Andrew Brock (Warsaw); 7th, Cory Heinrichs (Center Grove); 8th, Dan Mochen (Chesterton).
Hwt — 5th, Givoni Murillo (Portage); 6th, Braxton Amos (Prairie Heights); 7th, Jessie Lawson (Fort Wayne Carroll); 8th, Scott Fuller (Zionsville)
MVP: Drew Hughes (Lowell), five pins in 6:50.

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2015 Al Smith Preview
By Chad Hollenbaugh
Senior Writer
 
Seven state ranked teams will invade Michiana over the next few days as Mishawaka High School will once again play host to the state’s premiere individual tournament. Several new teams will be making their Al Smith debut this year or will be returning after an absence of several years. Warren Central will not be there this year but Portage and Fort Wayne Carroll will add plenty of strength to the tournament. Leroy Vega’s Portage Indian squad and Brad Harper’s Penn Kingsmen are probably in a class by themselves when it comes to the team race. Penn has won the event several years in a row but should be severely tested by Portage. The team state duals event at the end of the week might have some effect on the event as wrestlers who have been dinged up might not be able to compete in both events.
 
106
Four state ranked flyweights including returning state placer (7th) Tanner DeMien of Northwood headline the 106 pound class. Kory Cavanaugh of Penn is a state qualifier from last year is actually rated one spot higher than DeMien and might just meet him in the finals. Freshman Cayden Rooks of Columbus East has likely been beat up often enough by big brother to be extra tough and he no doubt wants to break out state wide with a victory in the frozen north.
113
Lowell’s Colton Cummings is a two time Al Smith champ at 106 and the returning state champ from last February. He is the clear #1 in this year’s field. Penn’s Austin Slates was banged up last year but has looked outstanding so far this year. A budding rivalry with Elkhart Memorial’s Christian Mejia might be relived in the semi finals on Wednesday. There might be a bitter fight to avoid the #4 and #5 seeds as to avoid Cummings but those slots are probably going to go to Portage’s Colin Poynter, Columbus East’s frosh, Jake Shoenegge, and placer from last year, Kyler McKinney of Princeton.
120
Things get real interesting at 120 where a couple of high state placers stand out from the field. Penn’s Drew Hildebrandt is a Division 1 signee to Central Michigan and a returning state runner up. On the other side of the bracket will likely be Columbus East’s Graham Rooks. Rooks has a 3rd place medal from last year’s state meet as well as a runner up finish is last years Al Smith. Bellmont’s Mason Mendez and Lawrence North’s Miguel Castro appear to be in good shape to also place high this year.
126
An absolute stacked field awaits the fans at 126, including a possible preview of the state title matchup. The top dog in the field is Northern Illinois recruit, Brock Hudkins. Hudkins won the state title last season at 120 but has never won an Al Smith title. Portage’s Gaige Torres also wrestled under the lights last season and will make his debut in Mishawaka over the next couple of days. Torres is ranked 3rd and is the prohibitive favorite to meet Hudkins in the finals. Both of these studs will have to navigate a talented group looking to make a name for themselves by knocking off one of the big boys.
132
The Danville Duo of Hudkins and Molloy have had a statewide reputation for quite some time but have yet to click at the same time at Mishawaka. Injuries or weather have both been the culprit denying the Michiana fans from seeing these two back to back. Molloy is legitimate threat to wrestle under the lights and was quite possibly the only Hoosier wrestler to take down Chad Red last season. Hobart’s Brendan Black (ranked 4th) and Bellmont’s Daniel Gunsett (ranked 6th) are both state streeters that can give Molloy a run for his money.
138
Two studs that have plenty of experience at both Mishawaka and on the state level highlight the 138 pound weight class. Warsaw’s Kyle Hatch and Munster’s Jason Crary are virtual locks for the top two seeds here. Both juniors have two state medals and an Al Smith title to their name. If the bracket holds chalk this should be a very entertaining final on Wednesday.
145
The race for the team title should be close between Penn and Portage and this weight class might go a long way in determining who takes the team title. The likely #1 seed is Portage’s Kasper McIntosh, Penn’s Cameron Beam might not get a top 6 seed but has the skills to knock off McIntosh. Throw South Bend Riley’s always dangerous Austen Laughlin into the mix and you have a bracket that might break several different ways and skew the team race.
152
One of Indiana Mat’s favorite grapplers leads the charge at 152 in Portage’s Steven “Bam” Lawrence. Bam is the top ranked wrestler in the state and big favorite to win here. Peru’s Peyton Sturgill and Prairie Heights’ Doug Levitz both have state experience and top four finishes at Al Smith. Penn’s Denzyl Prentice did not qualify for state last year but did reach the finals at the Al Smith and holds a higher state ranking. This is another weight class where seeding will be important in the team race.
160
The Merrillville Pirates have long been a mainstay at Mishawaka and are often among the top two or three in the team race. They may need some Maldonado magic to stay that high in team standings this year but they should have two of the most dominant individuals in the entire field. Senior Jacob Covaciu was last year’s state and Al Smith champion and should cruise to another title this year. There will, however, be a melee to figure out the other places. Seven other wrestlers are ranked, five have state experience, and two or three others have common opponent or head to head victories over higher ranked athletes. This one might extend the seeding meeting.
170
Lowell’s Drew Hughes has been a fixture at the top of the Al Smith podium and will attempt to become a rare four-time champion. Last year he spent less than eight minutes total on the mat in five matches when he wrapped up his 3rd title. The Michigan State recruit has 4 other top ten ranked wrestlers in the bracket but it shouldn’t matter much for the Red Devil hammer.
182
The region offers up another potential champion at 182 in Chesterton’s nationally ranked Andrew Davison. Despite the lofty ranking, Davison might not have as easy a route as Hughes or Covaciu. Lawrence North’s Cameron Jones has a state medal but has also improved significantly from last year. Jones is ranked 3rd in the state and might have a rematch with Elkhart Memorial’s David Eli in the semis to earn a crack at Davison.
195
This weight class is probably the most wide open bracket in field. Lake Central’s Jake Kleimola is ranked 3rd in the state and placed 3rd last year at 182. Besides Kleimola, the field has Erik Hobbs from Peru who is ranked 15th and Andrew Williamson at 16th. Will Portage or Penn be able to sneak a guy into day two and score some valuable team points?
220
Penn’s Kobe Woods is another wrestler looking to repeat as both Al Smith and Indiana state champion. The Purdue recruit will probably not be challenged as 8th ranked Garrett grappler Blake Davis is the probable two seed. Goshen’s Derek Paz has the talent to do very well at both this tournament and in the state tournament.
285
Merrillville will likely have its second champion on the day at 285 with big Shawn Streck looming at the top of the bracket. The rest of the bracket will be difficult to seed but there are potential state level talents here in Lawrence North’s 9th ranked Robert Samuels, Portage’s 6th ranked Gio Murillo, and Prairie Heights’ 13th ranked Braxton Amos.

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Top 10 Stories in Indiana Wrestling for 2015
By Chad Hollenbaugh
Senior Writer
 
1.KINGSMEN CROWNED – Coach Brad Harper’s gang from Granger brought the big trophy north for the first time in school history. Penn had previously been runner-up in 1971 and 1997. Perry Meridian and Cathedral had a four-year stranglehold on the state title prior Penn’s victory over Mater Dei. The Kingsmen used the big points scored by champions Chase Osborn (182) and Kobe Woods (220) to score over half their team points. State runner-up Drew Hildebrandt (113), as well as 5th place seniors Joey Mammolenti (170) and Cory Christman (285) added to the Penn’s tally. Not only did Penn win a team state title but they also got a 30+ year monkey off the school’s back by producing two individual state champs.
2.JUNIOR JUGGERNAUT – A magnificent seven juniors finished the year on top of the podium at Banker’s Life and four other juniors wrestled under the lights. The talent level in this class is, in a word, outstanding and a huge number of juniors have signed to wrestle at Division One schools. 2016 might be the year of Red but there will be several of his classmates making headlines right beside him.
 
3.LEFEVER FEVER IN HERSHEY, PA. – The trio of brothers from Wabash College gained national recognition with their exploits at the D3 nationals. Sophomore Riley Lefever defended his national championship with a controlled victory over Wartburg’s Devin Peterson. Riley’s win came on the heels of older brother’s win in the 174 pound weight class. Senior Conner Lefever had to endure a long review of his winning score but it came out in his favor. The third brother to wrestle in the finals was Conner’s twin brother, Reece. While Reece did not bring home the gold, his 2nd place finish was his third All-American performance and helped lead the Little Giants to a third place team finish. This was the first time in NCAA history that three brothers were in the NCAA finals.
 
4.FORTE CLAIMS FIRST MR. GORILLA AWARD – Mishawaka’s Tommy Forte capped an outstanding senior campaign with the inaugural Mr. Gorilla title, which goes to the state’s outstanding senior wrestler. Forte was dominant in his senior year with a 37-0 record. He also ran his scholastic record to an impressive 150-5. Currently Forte is 8-2 in his redshirt season at the University of Buffalo.
 
5.TONTE MOVES TO WARREN CENTRAL – The state’s most accomplished active coach leaves a powerhouse program that he built at Perry Meridian (3 state titles and 3 runner up finishes) to take over for Danny Williams on the east side of Indy. Warren was already a top ten program under Williams so it is not a surprise that Tonte already has this season’s Warrior team at the top of the polls as the calendar turns to 2016.
 
6.REECE HUMPHREY’S YEAR TO REMEMBER – Former Lawrence North three time state champ Reece Humphrey had an outstanding year on the senior world freestyle circuit. Hump won a couple of international events, made the world team and had a 12th place finish at the Worlds in Las Vegas. Wrestling up at the Olympic weight class of 65 kg will be challenging because of the logjam of talent. Getting through Brent Metcalf, Jordan Oliver, Logan Stieber, Jimmy Kennedy will be no small feat in order to make the Rio Olympic squad.
 
7.INDIANA’S GOT TALENT – The junior class of studs have lead to an unprecedented number of division one scholarships being offered to Indiana’s best. Headlining the parade is New Palestine’s Chad Red, who will take his talents west to Lincoln, Nebraska to wrestle for the Cornhuskers. The opportunity to learn from world team members Jordon Burroughs and James Green was too much to pass up. Other top talent that will be leaving the state include Jacob Covaciu (Wisconsin), Brock Hudkins (Northern Illinois), Drew Hildabrandt (Central Michigan) and Drew Hughes (Michigan State). Studs that will stay in state include Blake Rypel (Indiana), Kobe Woods and Shawn Streck (Purdue).
 
8.RYPEL DOMINATES IN SUPER 32 FINAL – Indianapolis Cathedral senior Blake Rypel took his talents to a national stage this fall when he traveled to North Carolina to compete in the Super 32 preseason tournament. Acknowledged as the nation’s premier preseason tournament, Rypel’s win cemented his national reputation as an elite upper weight. The big mystery now seems to be what weight class Blake will land as he attempts to win his second state title. Other Indiana placers included Drew Hughes 4th, Brayton Lee 5th, and Joe Lee and Evan Ellis 8th.
 
9.RED PROVES HE’S #1 – Chad Red left no doubt as to who is the top 132 pound wrestler in the USA was when he defeated two of his rivals in the Flo Wrestling’s “Who’s Number 1” event in October. He started off the event by beating the fourth ranked wrestler, Taylor Lamont of Utah, 5-2. Red then closed out the evening by defeating second ranked Luke Pletcher of Pennsylvania with a wild scramble in overtime. The debate may never be settled on who is the greatest ever to come out of Indiana, but Chad Red will always be part of that discussion.
 
10. INDIANA INVITED TO PITTSBURGH WRESTLING CLASSIC (FORMALLY THE DAPPER DAN) – In probably the biggest story of the year, the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic formally invited Indiana to participate as a team against an all-star team from western Pennsylvania. Many former Hoosier stars have participated individually in the “Rose Bowl of Wrestling”. Steven Bradley (1998), Blake Mauer and Alex Tsirtsis (2004), Jason Tsirtsis and Jared Brooks (2012) and Stevan Micic (2014) have all won as part of the all-star event but now the entire state will be represented by our top 13. The invite is a huge badge of honor for the coaches and athletes that have earned this invite.

3563 9
Indiana Invited to 2016 Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic
IndianaMat is proud to announce the participation of an Indiana All-Star team at the 2016 Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic(formerly Dapper Dan) on March 26<sup class='bbc'>th</sup>, 2016! This is the most prestigious and tradition rich wrestling All-Star event in the country. The main event pits a team of USA All-Stars against the top wrestlers from Pennsylvania. This year Indiana will be featured in the preliminary meet against a team of wrestlers from the tradition rich WPIAL.
 
This event is for seniors and will showcase the best that Indiana has to offer on a national stage like never before. This year’s senior class will arguably be one of the best ever in terms of accomplishments and depth. Currently there are five seniors ranked in the top 7 in their respective weight classes. Look for this year’s class to continue to make an impact on the history books throughout the year. This will mark the first time Indiana has been invited to participate in the event.
 
Indiana will face a tough group of wrestlers from the WPIAL, which is short for the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League. The WPIAL is made up of nine counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Lawrence, Washington, and Westmoreland. This area is regarded as THE hotbed for wrestling in the whole country. Wrestlers that have wrestled in this league include Cary Kolat, Coleman Scott, Jake Herbert, Nico Megaludis, amongst many others.
 
The Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic is more than just an All-Star dual meet. The weekend will include a dinner social with guest speakers along with other activities. The wrestling portion will occur on Saturday at the University of Pittsburgh. The event will feature the top USA wrestlers against the Pennsylvania All-Stars. Along with the 13 wrestlers from 113lbs-285lbs, Indiana will also be represented by four coaches from around the state.
 
We will have more details as to who will be chosen for this team and the coaching staff as the season progresses.
 
The event website is http://wrestlingclassic.com/and it will have all the event information.
 
Past Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic participants and their results
2014 126 - Stevan Micic Hanover Central, Indiana MD Zeke Moisey, Bethlehem Catholic 13-4
*Micic was selected as the Outstanding Wrestler for Team USA
2012 113 Jarred Brooks Warsaw, Indiana DEC Billy Rappo, Council Rock South 8-5
145 Jason Tsirtsis Crown Point, Indiana MD Zach Beitz, Juniata 13-4
2004 140 Alex Tsirtsis Griffith, Indiana DEC Isaiah Britton, Loyalsock 6-4
171 Blake Maurer Mater Dei, Indiana DEC Kurt Brenner, Freedom 8-6
1998 130 Steven Bradley, Beech Grove, Indiana, DEC. Mark Conley, Dningtn, 5-3
 
Past Five Year WPIAL Results
Illinois 33 WPIAL 10
Oklahoma 37 WPIAL 10
WPIAL 28 Virginia 19
Maryland 34 WPIAL 10
WPIAL 42 Michigan 0

2512 6
Luke Blanton Takes Big 10 Wrestler of the Week Honors
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Big Ten Conference announced Tuesday the winner of this week's Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honor. Indiana sophomore Luke Blanton (149) picked up his first career weekly award.
 
Blanton had one of the best weekends of his young Indiana career. On December 11, at 20th-ranked Minnesota, Blanton came from behind to upset No. 10 Jake Short in the penultimate bout of the dual. Blanton was behind 6-4 after two periods, then surged ahead with an 11-4 third round in his favor. Blanton sealed the win with a clutch takedown and a two-point nearfall on the edge of the mat with 30 seconds remaining. The win also lifted Indiana to a 19-18 team win over Minnesota, their first Big Ten dual win since 2011.
 
On Sunday, December 13, the Hoosiers took on Eastern Michigan, a team on the brink of cracking the national top 25. Indiana battled to a hard-earned 25-9 win over the Eagles, highlighted by Blanton's win over No. 16 Nicholas Barber in the 149 lbs. bout. Blanton took the dual win on a 4-0 decision, in which the Hoosier displayed excellent defensive work.
 
With this award, Blanton becomes the first Hoosier this season to win the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honor. He's the first Hoosier to win the award since NCAA runner-up Taylor Walsh (December 31, 2014).
 
The pair of wins garnered national recognition for Blanton. He rose to the No. 20 spot in the latest Asics FloRankings, and sits at 29th in the latest Dual Impact Index polls.
 
After a strong 3-0 weekend, Indiana earned their first national rankings of the season. The Hoosiers are 20th in the latest InterMat team dual rankings, and 22nd in the USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll.
 
The Hoosiers return to action on Sunday, December 20, when they'll take part in the Reno Tournament of Champions in Reno, Nev.
 
2015-16 Wrestlers of the Week
Nov. 3 Nathan Tomasello, So., OSU
Nov. 10 Brett Pfarr, Jr., MINN
Nov. 17 Sammy Brooks, Jr., IOWA
Nov. 24 Bo Nickal, Fr., PSU
Dec. 1 Isaiah Martinez, So., ILL
Dec. 8 Micah Jordan, Fr., OSU
Dec. 15 Luke Blanton, So., IND

2222
Purdue’s Chad Welch Takes Second in Las Vegas
Dec. 6, 2015
 
Complete Purdue Results / Tournament Central / Complete Tournament Results
 
#BoilerNotes
• Chad Welch was Purdue's first Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational finalist since Logan Brown at 197 pounds in 2010.
 
• Since 2002, six Boilermakers have advanced to the finals ... C. Welch becomes the 26th Purdue wrestler to have placed in the tournament ... the last 165-pounder to place for Purdue was Luke Manuel with a fourth-place finish in 2008.
 
• This was the fifth title match appearance of C. Welch's career and second of the season ... was the 165-pound runner-up wrestling unattached at the Michigan State Open.
 
• Nine of C. Welch's 13 wins this season are with bonus points (4 MD, 1 TF, 4 F) ... he has already matched career season-high marks in major decisions and pins ... in 15 matches wrestled, he has only given up five takedowns.
 
LAS VEGAS -- Purdue's Chad Welch closed out the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational on Saturday with a runner-up performance at 165 pounds. The Boilermakers finished the two-day tournament in the Cashman Center with 52 points to place 15th.
 
C. Welch, the tournament's No. 10 seed, suffered a 5-3 loss in the title match to top-seeded Isaac Jordan of Wisconsin. Jordan took C. Welch down in the first and made the most of a neutral start in the second. His fifth point came by way of 2:40 riding time. All three of the redshirt senior's points came on escapes, one in each period.
 
In his semifinal match, a first period takedown proved to be the winner for C. Welch in a 2-1 upset of third-seeded Clark Glass of Oklahoma. C. Welch held off a shot by the Sooner by getting hold of an ankle, to which he leveraged to turn Glass' hips and flatten him out on the mat. A few moments later he came around, gaining control and earning the two. Riding time ran in the Boilermakers' favor for 58 seconds to close out the period.
 
The score held at 2-0 through the second as Glass took a neutral start. His lone point came via riding time accumulated in the third with C. Welch on bottom.
 
During his tournament run, the two-time NCAA qualifier defeated the second-, third- and seventh-seeded wrestlers, all while lifting his season record to 13-2. C. Welch, who is currently unranked, pinned No. 4 Cooper Moore of UNI, decisioned No. 9 Glass and major decisioned No. 13 Seth Thomas of Oregon State. His now has a trio of wins over top-10 opponents in his career.
 
Markus Scheidel of Columbia denied Doug Welch from moving forward in the 157 wrestlebacks, dealing the second-seeded Boilermaker a 9-4 tournament-ending loss. Scheidel, the No. 9 seed, built an 8-1 lead through five minutes with a pair of takedowns, a reversal and a two-point nearfall. D. Welch escaped in the third and followed with a takedown, but it was too little too late.
 
The redshirt senior's record stands at 7-3 after a 2-2 showing at the tournament.
 
At 149 pounds, ninth-seeded Alex Griffin medically forfeited a consolation match to seventh-seeded Matt Kraus of Arizona State.
 
Missouri captured the team title with 154 points, followed by Cornell (113), Minnesota (105), Oklahoma (102) and Ohio State (96.5) to round out the top five.
 
The Boilermakers will be inactive until the end of the month when they travel to Evanston, Illinois, for the Ken Craft Midlands Championships Dec. 29 to 30.

2003
Ancilla Announces New Wrestling Program
By Kaylee M. King
DONALDSON, IN – Ancilla College is proud to announce that they will be adding wrestling to the 2016-17 school year sports lineup and have appointed Steve VanDerAa as head coach.
 
VanDerAa was the head wrestling coach at Winamac High School for 20 years and finished with a record of 404-96. He won 14 conference titles, a regional title and nine sectional titles. He also had numerous state qualifiers and placers. VanDerAa proudly coached a two-time state champion who went on to wrestle for Purdue.
 
He also coached Team Indiana in the National Tournament and coached a National Champion and a National Runner-Up. One of the athletes he coached would then go on to later become an NCAA Champion as well.
 
Along with his team accolades, VanDerAa was the recipient of coach of the year for the conference 14 times and was inducted into the Indiana Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame in 2009.
 
“What a tremendous opportunity it is to have someone of Steve’s experience and expertise recruiting and managing our new wrestling program,” said Ancilla Athletic Director Gene Reese.
 
“I am excited about the chance to help these athletes compete at the next level,” remarked VanDerAa. “As I begin recruiting, I am searching for wrestlers that have a passion for and a strong desire to continue in this great sport.”
 
VanDerAa, who is also an Instructor of Criminal Justice at the college, received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Bob Jones University and his Master of Arts from Grace College.
 
About Ancilla College
Ancilla College (www.ancilla.edu), part of The Center at Donaldson, offers 18 associate degrees and 14 athletic programs. Since 1937, the college has been a sponsored ministry of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ. It is a small, private, liberal arts school in Donaldson, Indiana. It is located two miles south of U.S. 30 on Union Road near Plymouth, Indiana.
 
For more information on Ancilla go to this link
http://www.ancillachargers.com/sport/0/17.php

2012 1
Ersland Announces Purdue Wrestling’s Class of 2016
Five early signees all ranked among nation’s top 20 at their weight
 
Nov. 18, 2015
 
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue has inked five nationally ranked wrestlers, including four of the nation’s top overall recruits, during the early signing period head wrestling coach Tony Ersland announced Wednesday. These elite future Boilermakers include Indiana’s top heavyweights, multi-time state champs from Michigan and Minnesota and a top-20 195-pounder with family roots in Purdue athletics.
 
“I think the overwhelming thing about this group is they really bought into our message, which is the transformation of Purdue and where we are taking this program,” Ersland said. “They saw the impact of what we did in year one and how the guys bought into our message.
 
“This same group was excited about what that message was and that’s accomplishing a lot of firsts for Purdue wrestling,” Ersland said. “I love that those kids want to be a part of doing something the first time, not just be another cog in the wheel of another program. They understand the special opportunity that they have before them.”
 

 
Christian Brunner (East Dundee, Illinois) is a two-time Illinois High School Association class 3A state placewinner for Dundee-Crown High School with a third-place finish at 195 pounds as a junior and was the 182-pound runner-up as a sophomore. He is currently ranked among the nation’s top-20 prep wrestlers at 195. Brunner’s family has roots in Purdue athletics with a pair of uncles, Jeff Zgonina and Frank Kemt, playing football for the Boilermakers in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Click on the image above to learn more about Brunner.
 

 
The nation’s No. 19 overall recruit and a top-five wrestler at 152 pounds, Griffin Parriott will make his way to West Lafayette from New Prague, Minnesota. Parriott is a two-time Minnesota State High School League Division AA champion and four-time tournament qualifier. In May he took third at the UWW Junior Nationals at 66 kg, finishing behind a World Cadet gold medalist and an NCAA All-American. Click on the image above to learn more about Parriott.
 

 
Devin Schroder becomes the second wrestler from Grand Rapids Catholic Central to commit to Purdue during Ersland’s tenure, joining former high school teammate Nate Limmex, who is a 149-pounder for the Boilermakers. Schroder, the No. 56 overall recruit, is a three-time Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 3 champ. He has won back-to-back titles at 119 pounds after winning the 2012 championship as a freshman. The Northview native is a two-time FloNationals finalist, taking top honors at 113 pounds in 2014. Click on the image above to learn more about Schroder.
 

 
Indiana’s own Shawn Streck, the country’s second-ranked high school heavyweight and No. 21 overall recruit, will make the move an hour south to join Coach Ersland’s squad. Streck pinned his way to the 285-pound title as a junior, capping off a 46-0 season. As a sophomore he placed third and seventh as a freshman. The Merrillville native also has a trio of top-four finishes at national tournaments. Click on the image above to learn more about Streck.
 

 
Streck is joined by fellow Indiana product and close friend Kobe Woods. Hailing from Mishawaka, Woods is tabbed as the No. 54 overall recruit and is currently listed as a top-six 220-pounder nationally. Woods is the defending IHSAA champ at 220, which he won with a perfect 44-0 record. Outside of the high school mat, Woods’ resume is highlighted by a finals appearance at the 2015 Cadet World Team Trials at 100 kg and in 2014 he claimed the 195-pound title at the Cliff Keen USA Wrestling Cadet Folkstyle Nationals. Click on the image above to learn more about Woods.

2798
Best of Brand Award for Indiana
The Best of Brand Awards were designed to help grow the sport of wrestling by honoring programs who are marketing themselves effectively via social media. Starting in 2011, the program has grown to include more than 150 college programs and 150 high school programs. At the high school level, we have recently expanded to include awards programs specifically for states and Indiana was one of the first chosen.
 
With that being said, we are currently looking to get as many high school programs involved in the programs as possible. The first part of the competition we are currently accepting registration for is the Gold Standard category. This is the most prestigious award that tracks program presence on social media. If you are interested in learning more about the program, visit the link below.
 
To register, click on the link below and fill out the form. We will start tracking for this award November 15th and programs who register earliest will get the highest priority. Thanks so much for your efforts to help grow your program and wrestling!
 
Learn About Awards Program: http://www.nwcaonline.com/nwcawebsite/best-of-brand-awards
 
Registration Link: http://goo.gl/forms/RYLDwLDgIi

4665 7
Big Seven Seniors Announce College Choices
The last of the big seven has announced his college plans as Merrillville’s Purple Hulk is going to be a Boilermaker next year. Streck is going to take on double duty as he will play football also in West Lafayette.
 
With Streck’s announcement it wraps up a lot of projecting and speculating of where our top seniors are headed. The first ones to announce their intentions were Kobe Woods and Blake Rypel who both project at the 197lbs weight class. Both will stay in-state with Woods going to Purdue and Rypel to Indiana.
 
The next big announcement was Chad Red’s plans. There had been much speculation on his destination as he is one of the top recruits in the country. Red decided to head west to the Big Red and Nebraska.
 
Within the past two weeks we have had announcements from Drew Hughes, Jacob Covaciu, and Brock Hudkins. Hughes will head north and sport some green while wrestling for Michigan State. Covaicu will also head north, but his destination is Madison and to join the Badgers. Lastly, Brock Hudkins will head to Northern Illinois next year.
 
While the seven returning champions have received the most press in regards to their college choices, there have been others that have made early commitments. Austin Holmes of Hamilton Southeastern will join the Indiana Hoosiers. Drew Hildebrandt will look to man the 125lbs spot at Central Michigan. Finally, Cael McCormick will join Army West Point next year.
Good luck to all these athletes as they represent the state at the collegiate level.

1189
Indiana Tech Dominates First Ever Match
Mike Ester and the Indiana Tech Warriors set the tone early and didn’t let up in the first match in the school’s history. The Warriors defeated the third ranked Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders 29-18 in front of a standing room only crowd at the Warrior Athletic Complex. The night started and ended almost identically, both literally and figuratively with the Lefever twins on the receiving ends of forfeits. In between those forfeits was some great wrestling that had the crowd on their feet the whole time.
 
South Bend native Kyle Long started the night out on fire defeating #6 ranked Harrison Courtney 12-0. In the only battle of two ranked opponents Long dominated from start to finish. Five point moves in the first and second period set the tone as Long never seemed to be in any trouble throughout the match. At 174lbs Kafuba Donzon, a JUCO transfer from Darton Community College(Georgia), put on a takedown clinic getting seven takedowns en route to a 17-8 major decision victory. The win pushed the Warrior lead to 14-0.
 
After taking several years off of school and wrestling Fort Wayne’s own Tanner Martin put on a show at 184lbs. The former Snider state qualifier did not look rusty as he defeated James Haywood 19-8 in a wild match that featured many upper body throws and Tanner Martin double legs. The Warriors suffered their first defeat at 197lbs when former Mishawaka Caveman Dustin Boyd lost 7-2 to #7 Jacob Bradford. Boyd made things interesting in the third period when he took Bradford down early, but he could not get the much needed points to overcome the early deficit. The heavyweight match did not go Indiana Tech’s way as Derek Nickel lat dropped Andre Dunn early and picked up the fall 1:01 into the match.
 

 
Connor Hughes of Indiana Tech faced #9 Myron Bradbury of Lindsey Wilson at 125lbs. Hughes and Bradbury were knotted at two entering the third period, but an escape and takedown by Bradbury sealed the 5-2 victory for the Blue Raider. The most dominant performance came at 133lbs when former Prairie Heights Panther Travis Barroquillo defeated #9 ranked Keith Klink by a 16-1 tech fall. Barroquillo led 4-0 entering the third period, but put on a show by putting Klink to him back from his feet twice to get the much needed tech fall. With the win, the Warriors were ahead 23-12 with two matches left.
 
The last two matches were anti-climatic as Indiana Tech freshman Adam Fahs was forced to default his match late into the first period due to a shoulder injury. At 149lbs, former Carroll Charger Reece Lefever rounded out the meet accepting a forfeit.
 
The night was quite special as it was the first ever college wrestling match in Fort Wayne and the Warriors put on quite a show. The standing room only crowd was loud and boisterous, which surely fueled the already fired up Warrior wrestlers. The Warriors utilized great conditioning to break their opponents in the third period and were very impressive. Look for the Warriors to make quite an impact this year and over the next few years.
 
125- #9 Myron Bradbury(LW) decision Connor Hughes 5-2
133- Travis Barroquillo(IT) tech fall #9 Kieth Klink 15-0
141- #6 DaMonte Riley(LW) Injury Default Adam Fahs
149- Reece Lefever(IT) Forfeit
157- Conner Lefever(IT) Forfeit
165- #11 Kyle Long(IT) major decision #6 Harrison Courtney 12-0
174- Kafuba Donzon(IT) major decision Aaron Back 17-8
184- Tanner Martin(IT) major decision James Haywood 19-8
197- #7 Jacob Bradford(LW) decision Dustin Boyd 7-2
285- Derek Nickel(LW) pin Andre Dunn 1:01
 
Final Score 29-18 Indiana Tech

2044 1
Kevin Lake Hired at Manchester
Former New Haven graduate and Manchester wrestler Kevin Lake has been hired to head the Manchester University wrestling team. Lake comes to Manchester after stints at Princeton, South Dakota State, and Fresno State. Most recently he was the program director at Beat the Streets Los Angeles.


5315 19
2015 IndianaMat Preview Magazine
5061
Where are they now with Brad Traviola
Wrestler’s Name: Brad Traviolia
 
High School: Wawasee
 
College: Northwestern University
 
Talk a little about your high school wrestling experience:
 
Coach Rich Welborn had developed Wawasee into a very respectable wrestling program by the time I reached high school. Our team annually had high expectations. I was part of a group of kids from our area that competed in freestyle competition throughout the spring and summer months from a fairly early age - which I believe was a first for Wawasee. This additional time spent wrestling paid off as Wawasee had a nice run of sectional and regional championships and several state place winners.
 
 
What other sports did you play/enjoy in high school?
 
Football. The Wawasee Warriors were state runners-up in Class 3A in 1985. This was the first year in which the state championship format included all teams. Our team was barely over .500 during the regular season but we got hot during the playoffs and made a run all the way to the state finals. It was great fun being part of that experience and playing in the Hoosier Dome.
 
Memories of your state championship:
 
I recall feeling a sense of relief more than anything else. I lost in the semi-finals as a junior and I put a lot of pressure on myself to finish my senior year on top. I think for any state champion the accomplishment serves as a validation of the time, effort and commitment put forth by that individual or team.
 
Summer wrestling & summer camp experiences:
 
As part of the Indiana junior freestyle team I attended a week-long training camp at Doug Blubaugh’s “Top of the World Camp” in Bloomington. My parents almost turned around and took me home after arriving and seeing dogs running all over the wrestling mats, the “swimming facility” (an overgrown pond), and several coaching staff members clearing land around the camp with heavy construction equipment in between wrestling sessions. I’m glad I stayed because I learned the front-headlock from one of the very best.
 
College wrestling experiences:
 
Northwestern was a great fit for me. The campus was close (3 hours drive) but not too close to home. My teammates became my extended family. The camaraderie among my teammates was so important because the hardest part about jumping from high school to college for me was adapting to the high level of competition every day in the practice room. Taking fourth place as a team at the 1990 NCAA Wrestling Championships was definitely the highlight.
 
National & international experiences:
 
While I competed in a few national freestyle tournaments I never really got into it. High school was great in that football served as a nice break from wrestling and vice versa. After my freshman year of college I didn’t want to see a wrestling mat for months.
 
Favorite practice partner & why? (High school or college)
 
I was fortunate to have great practice partners in both high school and college. At Wawasee I practiced every day with Lance Lantz who won a state championship at 167 lbs. our senior year. There is no substitute for facing top level competition every day. At Northwestern the talent level was incredible and being a middle weight I found it beneficial to practice with both smaller, quicker guys, as well as, heavier, stronger teammates so I could work on different parts of my style depending my opponents’ strengths and weaknesses.
 
Who was your toughest opponent and why?
 
One of the toughest had to be David Lee of Wisconsin (1989 NCAA Champion at 167 lbs.). He was one of the few opponents that I don’t know whether I could have beaten even on a good day.
 
Most memorable match?
 
One match that I think about from time to time is an early round match against Marty Morgan of Minnesota at the 1989 NCAA Championships. This was the fourth time I wrestled Marty that year and he had won two of the previous three. I wrestled one of the best matches of my career this time and won our final bout decidedly. The ironic part about it, and probably the reason I think about the match occasionally, is that I lost my next two matches and came up just short of earning All-America honors. Marty went on to eventually earn 6th place while only losing to the same two individuals I did. He just met them later in the brackets because I won our match! So let that be a lesson for all of the youngsters out there - keep your intensity up at all times, especially after a big win!
 
What were your main sources of motivation as a wrestler?
 
I just wanted to be the best.
 
What impact has wrestling had on your life?
 
Like many people, sports provided me opportunities to learn from both my successes and failures. The incredible demands of wrestling are what helped me develop my work ethic and my ability to dedicate myself to a goal. Wrestling provided me an education and eventually employment as a coach at Northwestern. It absolutely opened the door for me to continue my career in college athletics.
 
What are you duties with the Big Ten and NCAA?
 
I’m the Deputy Commissioner of the Big Ten and serve as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the conference. My responsibilities include managing the day-to-day operations of the conference office.
 
I also serve on the NCAA Wrestling Committee. The committee reviews the rules and policies that govern collegiate wrestling and can recommend changes that it feels are in the best interest of the sport.
 
Where do you see college wrestling in 20 years?
 
My optimistic outlook foresees the number of Division I programs staying around 85. I believe that we will continue to see a growth of programs at the Division II and Division III levels. It is my hope that the NCAA will eventually sanction a dual meet championship and that will help re-energize the regular season. If wrestling has a chance to reach a broader fan base it will be through the dual meet format.
 
Views on class wrestling based on school enrollment (A big debate within the state of Indiana):
 
I must admit that I carry a rather silly sense of additional pride knowing that I won a single-class state championship. A little bit of bragging rights when trash-talking with teammates from other states. However after having seen the benefits that a class system provides, both in promotional value for the sport and a better student-athlete experience, I can’t really argue against it.
 
Any last words you would like wrestling fans of Indiana to know?
 
It’s great to see more and more quality wrestlers coming out of the state.

3558 95
Dingo in Vegas at the World Championships (Day 3)
Greetings from Las Vegas. While the first two days have had some really exciting moments, at the end of two days,the US has only 1 medal to show for their effort. I saw Harry Lester being interviewed after his repechage loss and he was extremely emotional about his day's work. Robby Smith was, conversely, ecstatic about his non-medal performance, and rightly so. He really energized the crowd in a way that only Bisek equaled or surpassed.
Day 3 brings the final Greco competition, and 3 women's freestyle weights. The US draws are as follows:
 
Greco
 
85kg/187 lbs Jordan Holm Vs. Javid Hamzatov (Belarus) --Three-time World team member Side Show Holm brings a high energy style, along with high energy hair, to the mat against Hamzatov. He won gold at the Dave Schultz and the Hungarian Grand Prix, and currently sports a #13 World ranking. Hamzatov sits one place higher at #12, but Holm, in my opinion, has the ability to surprise in this event. Of course, the kind draws for the US ended on day 1, so Holm will have to navigate a tough field that features former World champ #10 Melonin Noumonvi of France, #1 David Chekvetadze of Russia, #2 Zhan Belenyuk of Ukraine and #3 Habibollah Akhlaghi of Iran. If Cuba's heavyweight Lopez can be beat, anyone can be beat, so Holm might pull a surprise or two.
 
Women's Freestyle
 
48kg/105.5 lbs Alyssa Lampe Vs. Thi Hang Vu (Vietnam) -- World #13 Lampe gets a nice opening matchup vs. unranked Vu of Vietnam. Of course, Vu was still a Junior World silver medalist in 2012, so she's no slouch. Lampe is coming off a 5th place finish at World's and could be poised to make a big move in this year's home country tourney. Standing at the very top of the weight class are two dominant competitors: #1 and multi-X World and Olympic champ Eri Tosaka, possibly the second most dominant woman wrestler in the world (to teammate Saori Yoshida), and the very consistent #2 Mariya Stadnyk of Azerbaijan. Lampe will need to use her physical, American style to wear down her opponents. She should win her opening match and has a very solid shot at a bronze.
 
53kg/116.5 lbs Whitney Conder Vs. Isabelle Sambou (Senegal) -- #11 Conder also draws an unranked opponent, although Sambou was fifth at the 2012 Olympics. Conder is a former Junior World champ and won Pan Am gold this year, so she has some nice accomplishments already. This is her 3rd World team,and this could be the one where she medals. The aforementioned Saori Yoshida of Japan is the most successful wrestler of all-time, male or female. She recently broke Karelin's record of World titles, as she currently has 15 World titles, including 3 Olympic golds. #2 Sofia Mattsson of Sweden is a 5-time World medalist and is very consistently in the money at Worlds. Conder is a similar bet for bronze as Lampe.
 
69kg/152 lbs Elena Pirozhkova Vs. Vs. Alison Keju (Marshall Islands) -- #8 Pirozhkova is one of the three former World champs in this division. She, like Lampe and Conder, drew an unranked opponent. I had no idea where the Marshall Islands were, so I looked it up. It's a part of Micronesia in the South Pacific. Keju is considered to be Marshallese...so now you know. Pirozhkova is plenty capable of medaling, as she has done so 4 times at the World level. This is a more open weight class than the two previously listed, and Pirozhkova could win the whole shebang. Hopefully, the 'home' crowd (she was born in Russia) gets her pumped and she wrestles to her full ability. Standing in her way are #1 Natalia Vorobieva (Russia), former World champs #3 Alina Makhinya (Ukraine) and #9 Jenny Fransson (Sweden), as well as #2 Feng Zhou of China.
 
Here's to hoping for 4 US medals tomorrow. U-S-A!!

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

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Dingo in Vegas at the World Championships
Greetings from The Orleans in Las Vegas, Nevada! I'm one lucky Hoosier, as I will be covering the entire week of competition for my favorite website....this one. I got in this evening and walked around the casino and floor area a bit. I saw athletes, male and female, milling around the casino, some looking intense and focused, and some enjoying what Las Vegas is famous for. Athletes from countries like Japan, Kazakshtan, Bulgaria, Russia and, yes, Trinidad and Tobago are very easy to spot, with the telltale ears and scars that often grace high level wrestlers. There are a lot of folks here from around the world, and the buzz is palpable.
 
Tomorrow morning, Greco competition kicks off the action, as titles will be determined at 66, 75 and 98 kilos. Draws have been released for the US, and are as follows:
 
66 kg/145.5 lbs -- Bryce Saddoris vs Hugo Miguel Da Silva Passos (Portugal). Two-time World member Saddoris has a favorable draw for his first match in Passos, who has had minimal international success. A two-time All-American while competing at Navy, Saddoris is also a true hometown hero, as he was a four-time state champ in Nevada. Saddoris has a very solid chance to win his first match, but he has a very tough road for a medal. 2014 World champ Davor Stefanek of Serbia is the odds on favorite to win gold, and 2014 bronze medalist Tamas Lorincz of Hungary is another strong candidate to take it all. Outside of those two, many of the top competitors from the London Olympics and the 2014 World Championships are not representing their respective countries this year. An ideal scenario for Saddoris is for him to win his opening match and then get pulled into a repechage match, where a couple of upsets could spring a bronze medalist for the former Midshipmen standout, That said, it's likely too much to ask of Saddoris at this point in his career. Hope I'm wrong.
 
75 kg/165 lbs -- Andy Bisek vs Luis Eduardo Avendano Rojas (Venezuela). 2014 bronze medalist Bisek opens up against an opponent he handled easily at this year's Pan Am games. Bisek has been competing internationally for a solid decade and this is his fourth World Championship. He really seems to be peaking, as evidenced by his medal at last year's competition. Despite his recent success, he's still ranked only 14th in the world, a testament to the depth of talent at this weight. Like Saddoris, Bisek has a favorable early draw, and, hopefully, he can parlay an early win into a run to the medal session. Hyeon-Woo Kim (Korea), the 2013 world champ, and Arsen Julfalakyan (Armenia), the 2014 world gold medalist, lead a strong, deep group and are the top favorites to win it all this year, although it would be foolish to underestimate Roman Vlasov of Russia, the 2012 Olympic champion and silver medalist at the 2013 Worlds. In a perfect world, Bisek puts it all together and makes a title run, but more realistically, he wins his opening match and benefits from a repechage situation. Bisek was the lone medalist in Greco for the US in 2014, and his performance on the opening day of competition could be an omen of things to come for the entire US Greco team.
 
98 kg/216 lb -- Caylor Williams vs Davi Jose Albino (Brazil). Three-time World team member Caylor Williams, who competed in college at UNC-Greensboro, has a tougher opening round match than Bisek and Saddoris in Albino. While Williams hasn't produced a lot of topnotch international finishes, he has displayed big-match potential, as evidenced by his huge upset of 2012 Olympic Silver medalist Rustam Totrov of Russia. However, in order to have any shot to medal tomorrow, Williams has to wrestle at his best each minute of each match. This is an especially loaded field, led by Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia), a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, 2013 World silver medalist and 2014 World champ, Islam Magomedov (Russia), the latest in a long line of nightmarish Russian grapplers, and Ghasem Rezaei (Iran), the London Olympic champion. It would be a fairly substantial upset if Williams managed a medal this year.
 
I will update this thread during the competition, although I have to be careful with the picture-taking, as they are very particular about this topic. I have my fingers crossed that Bisek can reproduce last year's impressive run, and either Saddoris or Williams can pull some upsets. LET'S GO U-S-A!!!!!

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2015 IHSWCA Vice Presidential Candidate Mark Line
1. Tell us what your background in wrestling is as a coach and as a competitor.
HS: Columbia City
Collegiate: Anderson (Hoosier-Buckeye Collegiate Conference Champion/NAIA qualifier)
University of Indianapolis
Coaching: Craig MS (Lawrence Twp. 3 yrs)
Knox HS/MS (1 yr)
North Newton HS (3 yrs as volunteer)
Boone Grove HS (2 yrs)
Ben Franklin MS/Valparaiso HS (2 yrs volunteer)
Valparaiso HS (2 yrs)
20 year IHSWCA Member and current Crown Point Regional Rep
 
2. Why did you decide to run for office in the coaches association?
To work with the Coaches throughout the state to help improve and advance wrestling in Indiana
 
3. What does the IHSWCA do well?
Clinics/Team State/Attempts to communicate desires to the IHSAA
 
4. What can the IHSWCA improve on?
Continue to grow membership
 
5. What do you think you can bring to the association as the VP and eventually president?
Desire to grow the Association and to try to communicate our desires to and work with the
IHSAA to incorporate them
 
6. Who was most influential in your life both as an athlete and coach?
My Father and Coach Don Armstrong (Columbia City)
 
7. How would you go about recruiting more coaches to be members of the association?
Email AD's, so they can pass it to their coach and then follow up with them, to encourage
Coaches to include their MS Coaches as well
 
8. What makes Indiana high school wrestling so great?
The State Tournament Series, the number of schools represented throughout and schools
of all sizes
 
9. What other experiences outside of wrestling do you believe would help you in this position?
I believe in negotiating in the business world will help prepare me in trying to negotiate and work
with the IHSAA on our proposals
 
10. What issue(s) do you feel the coaches association should address?
Wrestle-backs/ possibly modification of the scoring in the tournament
 
11. How would you improve communication between the IHSWCA and wrestling coaches?
Mass email and/or postings on IndianaMat.com
 
12. How does the IHSWCA become an association that is well respected by the IHSAA?
By continued growth (membership); open forum with members and the IHSAA
 
13. In what direction do you see the IHSWCA Team State going?
I would like to see it remain

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2015 IHSWCA Vice Presidential Candidate Greg Ratliff
1. Tell us what your background in wrestling is as a coach and as a competitor.
I have been wrestling since the 6th grade. I got cut from the basketball team and my PE teacher/ wrestling coach Rod Dorsey made sure I got involved with wrestling. I wrestled for 4 years at Franklin Community High School and graduated in 2001. During my last two years of college at IU, I got involved in coaching at the school I student taught at, Mooresville High School. I have coached 2 years at Mooresville (assistant), 1 year at Franklin Community (assistant), 1 year at Benjamin Rush Middle School (head), and 7 years at Edgewood High School (3 assistant and 4 head)
 
2. Why did you decide to run for office in the coaches association?
I want to be involved with the association because it is an opportunity for me to help improve our sport. Wrestling fans are passionate and often very giving of time, energy and support to help improve the sport. I would like to help be an extension of that for our sport.
 
3. What does the IHSWCA do well?
The IHSWCA always has our sport’s best interest in mind. I know they have many good ideas and there are many people that give tons of time to make the association work. I like the way they have focused on bringing back the old team state and improving it.
 
4. What can the IHSWCA improve on?
I believe that we can probably work more on communicating with our members and the voices of our sport. It sounds like there has also already been a movement to start to incorporate a little more technology like virtual meetings.
 
5. What do you think you can bring to the association as the VP and eventually president?
I am always open minded and trying to find ways to improve things. I am not a guy that is stuck in his ways. I am all for incorporating technology to our process of doing things. I do a good job of promotion and building enthusiasm. I also feel that one of strong suits is to pay attention to small details and do some gritty and detailed work.
 
6. Who was most influential in your life both as an athlete and coach?
I have had many influential people in my life and try to take little pieces of information from every coaching person I have been involved with. There is no doubt in my mind though, that I would have never got involved with wrestling from a professional stand point had it not been for my high school coach Bob Hasseman. I loved being around the sport. I couldn’t get enough of it. I always thought that Hasseman had the best job in the world. He got to watch kids play sports all day, hang out in a weight-room, and then be around wrestling. That sounded like nothing but fun. It’s probably a good thing I didn’t know reality beforehand. I always felt that I wanted to help people reach their potential like Coach Hassemen was doing on a daily basis.
 
7. How would you go about recruiting more coaches to be members of the association?
I think that coaches need to know why they should join. What is in it for them? I think there needs to be more email communication with the coaches on how to register.
 
8. What makes Indiana high school wrestling so great?
Wrestling is the greatest sport for many of those reasons that we often use to sell kids to join our sport; discipline, hard work and all of the other life lessons. Indiana is so great in particular because of the state tournament itself. It really is the best state finals of any sport in our state. I have had many people who attended their first wrestling event at the state finals and were absolutely impressed with the whole presentation.
 
9. What other experiences outside of wrestling do you believe would help you in this position?
My experiences as a Physical Education and Health teacher have helped me become a better leader and to manage situations and people effectively.
 
10. What issue(s) do you feel the coaches association should address?
I think we need to continue to address the team state tournament and making it an actual portion of the state tournament series.
 
I like the idea of coaches having a singular stat/ match reporting such as trackwrestling. Football and basketball games are all reported in some capacity. It would be nice if wrestling matches weren’t so secretive.
 
I like the idea of wrestle- back to determine a true top 4 at semi-state so we are less concerned with someone getting a bad draw. I also would like to see wrestle-backs to 3rd at the state tournament.
 
I also think we need to look at the number of Saturday matches that we are currently participating in. As a coach I’m not going to get rid of those currently because I want my wrestlers to get as many opportunities as everyone else. That being said, Saturday 5 way dual meets make it hard for the casual observer to come watch. We want our sport to grow, but I have a hard time asking students to come sit in a gym for 8 hours.
 
11. How would you improve communication between the IHSWCA and wrestling coaches?
Communication doesn’t have to be anything crazy. It appears that there has already been a message board created to allow for communication on Indianamat. I think that we need to have an email database with all wrestling coaches that allows to communicate issues to them and hear their thoughts. Using technology such as surveymonkey is a great way to help find out pressing issues to our coaches as well.
 
12. How does the IHSWCA become an association that is well respected by the IHSAA?
I cannot speak on the current standing with the IHSAA, but being well respected is all about creating relationships with people. We need to take a civil approach to dealing with them and make sure they understand we are not just attacking them.
 
13. In what direction do you see the IHSWCA Team State going?
I believe the IHSWCA is currently doing the best they can within the parameters they are given. It obviously would be best if they qualifiers were based on the current year, but I also understand that we are currently not able to do that. Out of the whole mess of losing team state, a much improved team state was created. I like that team state is classed into the right amount of groups. Other positives are that it is in one singular venue on one day and all teams get at least 3 matches so that each place is determined 1-12. I think the future has to have some sort of in-season qualifier or something based on in-season rankings. That means that it can’t take up points on the schedule though.

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#Wrestling Wednesday Feature: Purdue Ready for NCAA Championships
Brought to you by EI Sports
 

By JEREMY HINES
jerhines@cinergymetro.net
 
When Tony Ersland took the job as Purdue University’s head wrestling coach he knew it would be a challenge to compete in arguably the toughest wrestling conference in the country. He embraced the challenge.
 
Ersland’s Boilermakers finished the season ranked in the top 25 in the country. Purdue finished with a dual record of 10-8 overall and 3-6 in the Big Ten. Eight Boilermaker wrestlers will compete in the NCAA National Championships this week, starting Thursday.
 
“There were a lot of positives for us this year,” Ersland said. “This was my first year in the program with the kids. We set the foundation for how we are going to operate. Overall, I’m happy with the progress we made this year.
 
Ersland comes to Purdue from Nebraska, where he was an assistant coach for the past eight seasons. He has coached several top wrestlers, including Craig Brester who was a two-time NCAA finalist and a Big 12 champion.
 
“Craig is one athlete who is near and dear to my heart,” Ersland said. “He started out as a walk on at the University of Nebraska. Then he became a two time All-American. He’s the type of athlete that makes coaching worthwhile. He poured his heart and soul into wrestling. He was a special wrestler, and his work is what made him that way.”
 
Purdue’s Danny Sabatello, Brandon Nelsen, Nick Lawrence, Doug Welch, Patrick Robinson, Chad Welch, Patrick Kissel and Braden Atwood will all be competing in the NCAA Championships.
 
“Our goal is to have national champions and All-Americans,” Ersland said. “That’s the mindset we are going in with. We want to go in and perform at a high level. We’ve wrestled outstanding competition all year long. The Big Ten is a brutal grind. It’s like SEC football. We’ve had four out of the top five teams in the country in the Big Ten.
 
“It’s extremely competitive. It’s tougher sometimes to win in the conference than it is in a national bracket. There are no illusions going into the national tournament. You know exactly what you need to do.”
 
Ersland likes the quality of wrestlers he has been able to look at in Indiana. He feels that there is great talent in the state.
 
“Purdue is in the middle of a great wrestling state,” Ersland said. “Indiana turns out a lot of good talent and we want to see those wrestlers stay at home. We don’t want the Jason Tsirtsis out there to look elsewhere.”
 
When asked about Indiana’s high school tournament format, Ersland said he prefers to keep a one-class system.
 
“Personally I like the one class tournament,” Ersland said. “I can understand a two class format as well. But as far as evaluating talent, I really enjoy the one class. You don’t end up with a watered down system.
 
“I think Michigan’s system sort of waters it down. They have four classes and that’s too many. One or two tops is the way to go.”
 
Ersland is married to wife Carolyn. They have twin sons, Jaxon and Mason.
 
“They will always have a wrestling partner,” Ersland said of his sons. “My hope is that they will fall in love with the sport as much as I have. But right now they are just four years old. They love to come to practice and watch the guys roll around. I try to get them in bed, but sometimes they just want to stay up and watch wrestling on T.V.”
 
The NCAA championships begin at noon on Thursday in St. Louis.

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#Wrestling Wednesday Feature: State Rivalries
Brought to you by EI Sports
 

By JEREMY HINES
jerhines@cinergymetro.net
 
Rivalries bring a new level of intensity to sports. It’s what drew thousands to watch Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier go toe-to-toe three times. It’s why baseball games between the Red Sox and the Yankees are always a little bit more heated, and the fans a little bit more passionate. It’s why college stadiums sell out anytime Ohio State and Michigan square off.
 
But rivalries do more than just keep sports interesting. In wrestling, having a rival can be one of the biggest determining factors in an individual’s internal drive to success.
 
Some of Indiana’s greatest wrestling rivals admit that without their counterpart, they would not have been as good as what they were.
 
Perhaps the top rivalry in Indiana wrestling history was that of Anderson Highland’s Camden Eppert and Warren Central’s Brandon Wright.
 
The two squared off a total of 12 times in high school. Three of those times came in the championship match of the state finals. Wright owned the overall better record between the two at 7-5, but Eppert won two of the three championship matches.
 
“There were other people I knew I had to wrestle,” Eppert said. “But in the back of my mind I always knew Brandon was going to be in my way. We were always on the opposite side of the bracket in regionals, semistate and state. Everyone wanted to see us collide.”
 
Eppert, who was one grade ahead of Wright, defeated Wright 6-3 as a sophomore in 2007 to win the 103 pound class. Wright came back the next season and beat Eppert 5-2 to claim the 112 pound title.
The final showdown between the two ended up being the closest of them all.
 
The two met under the lights for the 119 pound championship in 2009. After three grueling periods the match went into overtime. Eventually Eppert escaped with a 3-2 victory.
 
“I’m glad I faced him,” Eppert said. “We developed something special. Even though I only faced one opponent in all three of the finals matches, I wouldn’t take it back for anything.”
 
Wright went on to dominate the 125 pound class the next season, after Eppert had graduated. He easily won the state title with a 9-1 victory.
 
“That rivalry really grew me as a wrestler,” Wright said. “It took both of us to a whole different level. I think it has to be the best rivalry in Indiana history.”
 
The two were certainly not the best of friends in high school.
 
“It was pretty cut throat,” Eppert said. “I don’t think we hated each other, but when I shook his hand before a match we both knew we were going for blood.”
 
Looking back, both wrestlers know that without each other, they may have never gotten as far as they did with the sport.
“We had such intense matches,” Wright said. “He made me focus more. Because of him I learned to prepare for matches. All of the hours I put into wrestling, he caused me to become strategic on the mat. That’s where I really learned the most. I knew I couldn’t just muscle him, I had to learn to be a better wrestler, mentally, when I went up against Camden.”
 
Eppert went on to wrestle at Purdue. Wright is currently wrestling for Grand View where he is a returning NAIA national champion.
 
Wright knows Eppert was always the one who pushed him the most in wrestling. So when he was in Indianapolis a while back and needed a drill partner, Eppert was the one he called.
 
“I talk to him quite a bit now,” Eppert said. “He will win another national championship this year. We stay in touch now and when he needs a drill partner, I’m there.”
 
Another great Indiana rivalry was built in one season. In 2007 Munster’s Eric McGill and Hobart’s Brennan Cosgrove met seven times at 140 pounds. The two were 3-3 against each other leading up to the championship match. McGill beat Cosgrove 6-5 in the final to win the series 4-3.
 
“Our rivalry was pretty heated,” McGill said. “We both wanted the same thing, and we were both standing in each other’s way.”
 
McGill won the first meeting between the two, a dual meet at Hobart. He scored a late takedown to earn the victory.
 
The second time the two squared off was at their county championship.
 
“That was probably my favorite of all of them,” McGill said. “He threw me in the first 30 seconds. I was down 5-0 and came all the way back and won 10-9. I had to have a bunch of takedowns at the end. I remember my last takedown came with under 20 seconds to go.”
 
Cosgrove bounced back though. In their conference meet he defeated McGill 3-1. Cosgrove went on to beat McGill at the Hobart Invitational and regional. He was winning the matchup in semistate as well until an illegal slam gave McGill the disqualification victory.
 
“That was the most dominating match of them all,” McGill said. “He was beating me badly. It was definitely the most one-sided of all of our matches.”
 
After losing three in a row, and then winning on a DQ, McGill began to question whether he could beat Cosgrove.
 
“That year we were head and shoulders above everyone else in the state in our class,” McGill said. “I major, teched or pinned everyone but him. To have someone that good right here in my backyard that I had to compete against seven times, more than anything, made me a better wrestler.
 
“It tested my resolve. It was the first time I had experienced a setback where I had lost to someone three times in a row. It was wearing on my mind wondering if I could turn it around. By semistate I started to think he was widening the gap. But our last match, I just told myself that whatever happens, happens. I’m going to live with the outcome. I wasn’t too nervous or too fired up.”
 
Cosgrove remembers wrestling McGill even in elementary school.
 
“We were the same age group and we went to the same camps together,” Cosgrove said. “In high school our matches were intense. It was awesome. I loved every one of them.”
 
The two are now friends, although both admit they weren’t at all during high school.
 
Cosgrove went on to wrestle for Purdue and McGill wrestled at Cornell.
 
“It’s hard to explain what having that rival out there does for you,” Cosgrove said. “But my experience with Eric back then was awesome. I hate losing, but when I would lose I walked off the mat knowing I wasn’t going to lose the next one. We pushed each other to be better wrestlers.”
 
Rivalries will always develop in wrestling. One of the newest rivalries is that between Fort Wayne Wayne junior Geoffrey Davis and Fort Wayne Northside junior Ben Streeter.
 
Last season Streeter wrestled Davis one time, and dominated to the tune of a 9-0 win.
 
Streeter and Davis have wrestled three times this season. They met in the Summit Athletic Conference finals, in regional and then again in semistate.
 
Davis turned things around at the SAC championship, winning the title.
 
“Honestly I came out at the SAC thinking I could just do what I did last time,” Streeter said. “I knew he was good competition, but I didn’t realize how much he improved. I wasn’t expecting him to beat me.”
 
That defeat refocused Streeter. The next time the two wrestled came in the regional final where he won 12-11.
 
Davis bounced back to win semistate 9-4 after trailing 4-0.
 
“I honestly think wrestling him makes me better,” Davis said. “You have to work twice as hard when you know there is a guy out there that can beat you.”
 
Streeter echoes Davis’ sentiments.
 
“If I win or lose, I know he’s out there working,” Streeter said. “He isn’t going to stop. You have to keep going too, because you know he’s going to. He could be that roadblock that I have to learn to get around.”
 
Both Streeter and Davis would like to face each other one more time this season. If so, it might mean they are wrestling under the lights against one another.
 
Perhaps the state championships this year will spawn even more Indiana rivalries.

5579
2015 State Finals: Information Center
State Finals Hashtag: #INStateFinals15
Site: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis | Website
Admission: $8 per session or $20 both days.
Match Results: TrackWrestling.com
 
Friday, Feb. 20, 2015
First Round | 6 pm ET.
Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015
Quarterfinals | 9:30 am ET with semifinals to follow.
Consolations | 5 pm ET.
Finals | 7:30 pm ET. Important Links
TrackWrestling Link
IndianaMat brackets(with rankings)
 
Video via TrackWrestling's Trackcast
$5 fee to watch all weekend
TrackWrestling Link
 
Streaming and Broadcast Information
 
State Finals Pick’ems
 
Takedown and Release
 
Rankings by the Numbers
 
State Finals Preview

6704 8
2015 State Finals Preview
Chad Hollenbaugh
IndianaMat Senior Writer
 

Cathedral Looks to Repeat, Red to Three-Peat


 
A number of great storylines accompany this weekend’s festivities in Indianapolis at the 2015 IHSAA State Wrestling finals. The incredibly deep 120 weight class should have outstanding matches starting early Friday evening and contains this year’s most compelling in season rivalry between Jeremiah Reitz of Griffith and Brendan Black of Hobart. The 170 pound class is wide open with five to six wrestlers that can legitimately make a run for the top of the podium and the heavyweight bracket contains three Division One athletes at the top of the rankings.
Although all three of these stories will quite compelling, two other stories have a special appeal. The team race currently has Penn High School in the pole position but last year’s champ, Indianapolis Cathedral, has the pieces in place to repeat should Penn falter. Other teams that should be in contention include Perry Meridian, Warren Central, Yorktown, and Avon.
The second major story will be the Chad Red show. Unbeaten in his first two seasons of high school, Red is a heavy favorite to continue his dominance and win a third straight state championship. If anyone was unsure of just how great Red is, Cael Sanderson’s recent visit to New Palestine should remove any doubts. In his junior season, Red is currently ranked first in the country by Flo Wrestling and number three by Intermat. Much like Stevan Micic last year and Jason Tsirtsis before him, Red appears to be that type of wrestler that seems to be destined to be a factor at the next level.
 
BREAKING IT DOWN
 
106
This year’s crop of flyweights contain the usual high number of new faces (9 freshmen) that look to make their bones on the Banker’s Life floor. Columbus East semi-state champ Graham Rooks, Hobart’s Tylor Triana and Avon’s Mason Miranda are the frosh poised to make the deepest run in this bracket.
 
POLE POSITION (FAVORITE)
 
COLTON CUMMINGS – LOWELL (41-1). Cummings will look to erase his Friday night memory of last year where he was pinned by Columbia City’s Hunter Langeloh in fifty nine seconds. Cummings has been nothing short of dominant (He has a win over Rooks) this year with his only loss coming while wrestling two weight classes up against Perry Meridian’s David Clayton.
 
HUNGUS’ HARD CHARGER (RELATIVE UNKNOWN)
 
JON ANDERSON – LAFAYETTE JEFF (47-2) and CAINAN SCHAEFER – SOUTH DEARBORN (45-2). Anderson was a surprise runner up at Merrillville where he looked very solid against competition with more press clippings. Schaefer wrestles in the southeast corner of the state and gets very little press but he had a break out performance at the New Castle semi state where he pinned highly regarded Klayton Anderson of Hamilton Southeastern. These two hard chargers may meet Saturday morning with a trip to the semis on the line.
 
FRIDAY’S BRICKYARD BRAWL (BEST FRIDAY NIGHT MATCH UP)
 
TYLOR TRIANA – HOBART (37-4) VS. MASON MIRANDA (20-5) – The winner here has a great opportunity to make a run to the finals. Triana is the higher ranked wrestler (5th vs 9th) but Miranda is wrestling very well and his team is in the hunt for state hardware.
 
DRINKING THE MILK – Cummings.
 
113
East Noble’s Garrett Pepple has established himself as a force in this weight class but there is also outstanding depth here. Pepple season started with an All-American run at the pre-season Super 32 (4th) and has not been seriously tested. He currently holds top ten rankings nationally by both Flo and Intermat. Last year’s state runner up at 106, Paul Konrath of Mount Vernon seems to be wrestling with a bum leg but dominated the field at the Evansville semi state. Others looking to rain on Pepple’s parade include Hamilton Southeastern’s Austin Holmes, Penn’s undefeated Drew Hildebrandt and Fairfield’s Blake Glogouski (who has only lost to Pepple).
 
POLE POSITION
 
GARRETT PEPPLE – EAST NOBLE (42-0). All the pieces seem to be in place for the Indiana recruit. Pepple has experience (two runner-up finishes), training (teammate Conner Knapp and coach Andy Uhl), and confidence. If anyone were to topple Pepple, it would be considered a fairly substantial upset.
 
HUNGUS’ HARD CHARGER
 
BLAKE GLOGOUSKI – FAIRFIELD (49-2). Glogouski was knocked out in the ticket round last year but don’t be surprised if he has an outstanding weekend. The Falcon does have a brutal draw which might include Paul Konrath and Drew Hildebrandt to go along with Friday night’s tussle with New Pal’s Alec White.
 
FRIDAY’S BRICKYARD BRAWL
 
ALEC WHITE – NEW PALESTINE (40-4) VS. BLAKE GLOGOUSKI. White was one of the favorites to win the New Castle semi state but was pinned by Cathedral’s Skylour Turner in the semis. This set up the Friday night fight with Glogouski who finished second at Fort Wayne to Pepple.
 
DRINKING THE MILK – Pepple.
 
120
This insanely deep class will be one of the best to watch starting on Friday night. Nearly a half dozen different wrestlers have a legitimate shot at taking the crown. Top ranked Breyden Bailey of Cathedral is undefeated and has won a couple of close matches with contender Cornelious Elliot of Perry Meridian. The state’s best in season rivalry between Brendan Black of Hobart and Jeremiah Reitz of Griffith could be played out one more time under the lights.
 
POLE POSITION
 
BREYDEN BAILEY – CATHEDRAL (43-0). Bailey has run the table this season and Cathedral’s schedule is no joke. Hobart’s Black is as hot as any wrestler in the state right now. No easy draws in this bracket.
 
HUNGUS’ HARD CHARGER
 
TYLER FERGUSON – EVANSVILLE REITZ (10-2). Ferguson has a fifth place medal from last year and started the year ranked first. He has been out of action for most of the season and many thought a comeback was not in the cards. This Panther certainly has the skills to sound that siren.
 
FRIDAY’S BRICKYARD BRAWL
 
BRENDAN BLACK – HOBART (30-3) VS. WILL EGLI – MATER DEI (29-4). Two medalists match up on Friday night in this battle. Other Friday night matches between returning medalists include Elliot vs. Langeloh and Ferguson vs. Reitz. Wow!
 
DRINKING THE MILK – Bailey.
 
126
Whereas there was no front runner at 120, the 126 class is about as sure bet as any class this weekend. Chad Red of New Palestine has shown no weaknesses in his game. On his feet, Red dominates. On the mat, Red dominates. He is the complete package. The drama here is who will Red meet in the finals. Portage’s Gaige Torres, Perry Meridian’s Ngun Uk, East Noble’s Nathan Weimer and Cathedral frosh Zach Melloh all could be under the lights.
 
POLE POSITION – CHAD RED – NEW PALESTINE (43-0). Red….’Nuff said.
 
HUNGUS’ HARD CHARGER
 
ZACH MELLOH – CATHEDRAL (36-7). Don’t call him Melloh Yellow, this Irish freshman has flown under the radar but has wrestled tough all season and run to the semi-finals is not out of the question.
 
FRIDAY’S BRICKYARD BRAWL
 
BRANDON TRUVER – LAKE CENTRAL (29-10) VS. DANIEL GUNSETT –BELMONT (32-9). Nineteen losses between these two does not mean either caught a break or were lucky in some way to qualify. These are two high quality kids that can beat anyone in the bracket not named Red.
 
DRINKING THE MILK – Red.
 
132
Handicapping this bracket is much like the 126 bracket. All you have to do is substitute Mater Dei’s Nick Lee for Chad Red. Lee has been every bit as dominating as Red. The only difference is that Lee ran into the top wrestler in the country at 126 last year in Stevan Micic and finished third. The other side of the bracket offers up a few potential finalists in East Noble’s Conner Knapp, and Griffin Schermer of Bloomington South.
 
POLE POSITION
 
NICK LEE – MATER DEI (31-0). Lee is currently ranked 4th and 6th in country by Intermat and Flo. He had to spend less than six minutes on the mat last Saturday in winning his second semi state crown. He should not be seriously tested this weekend. He IS that good.
 
HUNGUS’ HARD CHARGER
 
SAGE COY – DELTA (39-1). Coy has had a series of unfortunate events during his first two high school seasons and his move from the closed down Muncie South to Delta has brought better luck. Coy brings a high energy attack that should be highly entertaining to watch this weekend.
 
FRIDAY’S BRICKYARD BRAWL
 
CONNER KNAPP – EAST NOBLE (41-2) VS. AUSTIN BETHAL – MT. VERNON (37-4). Bethal shocked the state with his stunning pin of super frosh and second ranked Brayton Lee of Brownsburg. Standing in his path on Friday night is veteran stud Conner Knapp of East Noble. Knapp already has two state medals on his resume. Honorable mention goes to Westfield’s Evan Eldred vs. Merrillville semi state champ, Austen Laughlin of South Bend Riley.
 
DRINKING THE MILK – Lee.
 
138
A third straight class where one wrestler stands above the field. Amazingly, that wrestler is not returning state champion Tommy Cash but it is Perry Meridian’s Brandon James. James has three top-5 medals to his name and national rankings of 9th and 12th. You can’t count out returning champ Cash even though he has been beaten a couple of times by James. Out of the south is freshman Joe Lee, who has taken down James earlier in the season during his only loss. Clarence Johnson of Merrillville is wrestling awesome right now and Maldonado Magic always seems to strike during the state finals weekend.
 
POLE POSITION
 
BRANDON JAMES – PERRY MERIDIAN (41-0). James has been a formidable force in the Falcon line up and a threat to win a state title since his freshman season. The stars seem to be aligned for Coach Tonte’s star grappler this season. He will be relaxed, focused and motivated to win his first title on Saturday night.
 
HUNGUS’ HARD CHARGER
 
KYLE TODRANK – GIBSON SOUTHERN (43-3). Todrank is largely unknown but has progressed tremendously the past couple of years. He has wrestled Mater Dei super frosh Joe Lee tough the last couple of weeks.
 
FRIDAY’S BRICKYARD BRAWL
 
KASPER McINTOSH – PORTAGE (29-9) VS. CLAYTON MOORE – MANCHESTER (35-1). A four over one potential upset lurks here. Both are big and physical 138s who will mix it up. McIntosh is a freshman who wrestles one of the toughest schedules in the state. Moore is a returning qualifier from a small school where he rarely is tested.
 
DRINKING THE MILK – James.
 
145
We finally have a weight class where there is real drama involved. A nice Duneland conference rivalry has developed between returning runner up Jacob Covaciu of Merrillville and returning medalist Steven “Bam” Lawrence of Portage. Covaciu has a win over New Castle champ Trenton Pruitt of Warren Central on his resume. It’s strange to say but Yorktown’s Cael McCormick has kept a fairly low profile despite a dominating season where he often wrestled up a class. It would not be a huge upset if he were to topple Covaciu in the semi-finals.
 
POLE POSITION
 
JACOB COVACIU – MERRILLVILLE (40-1). Despite his loss in the semi state championship match, Covaciu still has to be considered the front-runner in this class. Lawrence and McCormick are not that far back.
 
 
HUNGUS’ HARD CHARGER
 
ANDREW HERRIN – JENNINGS COUNTY (46-2) – Herrin wrestled awesome last weekend at semi state. He avenged one of his regular season losses with a win over Castles Patrick Schnell. Along the way he put the hammer to Mater Dei’s Blake Jourdan. A deep state run would not be out of the question.
 
FRIDAY’S BRICKYARD BRAWL
 
EVAN SMILEY – BEECH GROVE (39-5) VS. ANTHONY VAUGHN – ELKHART MEMORIAL (40-3). Two stud seniors will face off on Friday night. Both have been previous state qualifiers and appear to be evenly matched. Expect a very tight match here.
 
DRINKING THE MILK – McCormick.
 
152
Tommy Forte of Mishawaka is the wrestler to beat at 152. He has not been tested this season and I would be surprised if anyone gives him much resistance this weekend. Tommy’s knee is a little dinged up but it doesn’t show and he cruised to the semi state title last weekend. The other side of the bracket holds a few potential finalists in Yorktown’s Dru Berkebile, Lebanon’s Kellen VanCamp, and Forte’s conference rival Jarod Swank of Penn. Evansville Central’s Isiah Kemper deserves mention as he is a three time state qualifier.
 
POLE POSITION
 
TOMMY FORTE – MISHAWAKA (33-0). Forte is ranked 9th and 15th respectively by Intermat and Flo. He is wrestling next year for Buffalo and former coach Bryce Hasseman. It would be a huge upset if anyone were to beat Forte this year.
 
 
HUNGUS’ HARD CHARGER
 
MARQUIS SCHIEBER – JIMTOWN (30-8). I saw Schieber wrestle during a couple of mid-season tournaments and frankly was quite disappointed. He looked disinterested and ready for it to end. After watching him at his conference meet, I saw a rebirth. Athletic and skilled this Jimmie is a difficult match up for anyone and has great momentum going into the state meet.
 
FRIDAY’S BRICKYARD BRAWL
 
ELIJAH DUNN – INDIAN CREEK (42-2) VS. JAROD SWANK – PENN (32-5). A contrast of styles between the funky Dunn and the controlled, methodical Swank should prove interesting. It will likely come down to who can impose their will on the other.
 
DRINKING THE MILK – Forte.
 
160
Another weight class where the state’s top ranked wrestler also has national credentials and rankings on his resume. Lowell’s Drew Hughes is a favorite to become Lowell’s second state champ in 2015, joining Colton Cummings. He wrestled under the lights as a frosh and got spladled by Ty Fleenor last year on Saturday morning. Experience and motivation along with an unparalled ability to turn guys on top make Hughes a tough package to deal with.
 
POLE POSITION
 
HUGHES – LOWELL (40-0). A clear front runner but must face Edgewood’s Gabe Koontz in the quarter finals and possible Delta’s Jacob Gray, Avon’s Brandon Helm or local rival Darden Schurg from Crown Point in the finals.
 
HUNGUS’ HARD CHARGER
 
TRISTAN GOERING – SOUTH BEND RILEY (37-11). Goering got an absolute great draw for a fourth place finisher and has a good chance to reach the semi-finals for coach Bill Flatt and the Wildcats.
 
FRIDAY’S BRICKYARD BRAWL
 
ADAM DODSON – JOHN GLENN (36-2) VS. ETHAN BRIGGEMAN – CARDINAL RITTER (36-4). Two evenly matched senior studs from lesser known programs make this an interesting matchup. Each will be fighting to get on that podium and wrestle on day two.
 
DRINKING THE MILK – Hughes.
 
170
The furious five (Stevenson, Lydy, Jackson, Harvey, Mammolenti) became the splendid six after watching the Google Hangout with state’s ‘experts’. I am convinced that Lawrence North’s Cameron Jones has the goods to challenge for a title as well. It did appear that returning state champ Jacob Stevenson might have seriously injured his leg at semi-state. Let’s all hope he can end his high school career on the mat.
 
POLE POSITION
 
DYLAN LYDY – BEN DAVIS (42-0). Lydy has wins over Stevenson, Jones and Dillon Jackson of Yorktown. This is just enough to edge Ben Harvey of Cathedral as the pre meet favorite. The top tier here is incredibly close and this should be one of the marquee weights to watch because just about any results are possible.
 
HUNGUS’ HARD CHARGER
 
CAMERON JONES – LAWRENCE NORTH (38-6) – If things fall right for Jones, he could find himself wrestling under the lights. However it shakes out, Jones has clearly put himself in position to be a serious state title threat as a senior next year.
 
FRIDAY’S BRICKYARD BRAWL
 
ISHMAEL CORNEJO – PORTAGE (29-7) VS. JACOB STEVENSON (34-6). Keep an eye on this match to see how last year’s state champ Jacob Stevenson is wrestling on his injured leg. He can’t expect any sympathy from Portage’s Cornejo.
 
DRINKING THE MILK – Lydy.
 
182
Penn’s Chase Osborn is a returning state runner up and has been ranked #1 all season. That should make him the favorite to take home title but I have seen probably more variety of picks in this weight class than any other. Western’s Corey Hinkle, Chesterton’s Andrew Davison, Avon’s Evan Elmore and Lawrenceburg’s Mason Parris are all receiving some love as potential state champions. Osborn and Hinkle have the most experience, Elmore is coming in hot, and both Davison and Parris represent the future will be filled with great upper weight wrestling.
 
POLE POSITION
 
CHASE OSBORN – PENN (35-0). As mentioned before, Osborn has experience under the lights and an unblemished record this year. This adds up to a number 1 ranking and front runner status.
 
HUNGUS’ HARD CHARGER
 
GAGE GARPOW – WINAMAC (37-3). Garpow was one of the big surprises of the Merrillville semi state. He had Osborn on the ropes in their match up and dominated state ranked Jake Kliemola of Lake Central.
 
FRIDAY’S BRICKYARD BRAWL
 
CONNER JAMES – RONCALLI (44-1) VS. ANDREW DAVISON – CHESTERTON (38-2). An absolutely brutal Friday night matchup between two wrestlers with three losses between them. The winner will get the honor of facing Western’s undefeated Corey Hinkle. A nasty quarter bracket.
 
DRINKING THE MILK – Davison.
 
195
This is one of the few brackets that should hold chalk through the semi-finals with all four semi state champs winning. That does not mean that the winner is in much question at this weight class. Cathedral’s junior Blake Rypel season has been every bit as dominating as Chad Red or Nick Lee. He is just too explosive for anyone to handle in the state of Indiana. Mooresville’s Randy Scott, Perry Meridian’s Tristan Tonte and Yorktown’s Myron Howard will battle it out for the chance to meet Rypel under the lights.
 
POLE POSITION
 
BLAKE RYPEL – CATHEDRAL (43-0). Rypel has the skills to lap the field here. Ranked seventh by Flo and tenth by Intermat, no one should challenge Rypel this weekend.
 
HUNGUS’ HARD CHARGER
 
TANNER BRADLEY – MISHAWAKA (26-4). Much like Sampson, there is much power in the hair of Tanner Bradley. Don’t get mesmerized by the mullet, Bradley is an athletic freak who can put you on your back at any time. A run to the finals is not out of the question for this Caveman.
 
FRIDAY’S BRICKYARD BRAWL
 
TRISTON TONTE – PERRY MERIDIAN (40-2) VS. MATT HEDRICK – PORTAGE (29-7). Tonte is a very exciting sophomore who will wrestle with no fear of the big stage. Hedrick wrestled smart tactical matches at semi state to earn his bid to Indy.
 
DRINKING THE MILK – Rypel
 
220
The 220 class is led by preseason top ranked Kobe Woods of Penn. Woods has maintained that ranking by fashioning a perfect 40-0 record. In fact, Woods has even cracked the national rankings at #19 by Flo. This class is by no means a slam dunk (sorry) as several challengers could step up if Woods were to falter. Conference rival and returning state placer, Eliseo Guerra of Elkhart Central has had two tight matches with Woods. Warren Central Courvoisier Morrow was narrowly defeated by Woods at the Al Smith tournament.
 
POLE POSITION
 
KOBE WOODS – PENN (40-0). The Penn big man has gone wire to wire and has the experience, skill and coaching to bring home the gold.
 
HUNGUS’ HARD CHARGER
 
EVAN ELLIS – EASTERN (44-2). Ellis was a ticket round causality last year and wrestling at small school Eastern has kept him off many people’s radar. He is a talented wrestler that could make a run deep in this bracket.
 
FRIDAY’S BRICKYARD BRAWL
 
BLAKE DAVIS – GARRETT (47-4) VS. MORGAN KRAL – CROWN POINT (36-2). Davis has been largely over shadowed by his higher ranked older brother but one could argue that Blake has had a slightly better season than his brother Bo. He will face Kral, who is looking for his first state medal and has a state champion older brother in Tyler Kral.
 
DRINKING THE MILK - Woods
 
285
It looks like a two horse race for the big boys between nationally ranked top ten wrestlers Shawn Streck of Merrillville and Norman Oglesby of Ben Davis. There looks to be lots of purple under the lights on Saturday night. Both big men have state medals and lots of experience wrestling on Banker’s Life floor. Oglesby, a senior, has already accepted a football scholarship to Cincinnati while Streck is a junior who will likely have his pick of offers in both football and wrestling.
 
POLE POSITION
 
SHAWN STRECK – MERRILLVILLE (42-0). The bracket gods were kind to wrestling fans by putting Streck and Oglesby on opposite sides of this bracket.
 
HUNGUS’ HARD CHARGER
 
BRYCE BIDDLE – PLAINFIELD (30-3). Plainfield’s promising sophomore Bryce Biddle has had one of the toughest roads to qualify for state going clear back to his sectional. He got a nice draw and could parlay this to a semi-final trip in his sophomore campaign.
 
FRIDAY’S BRICKYARD BRAWL
 
QUINN YORK – FRANKLIN (40-4) VS. JASION BROGAN – WARREN CENTRAL (38-5). These two juniors are just a shade under the top tier heavyweights and will battle Friday night for state hardware.
 
DRINKING THE MILK – Streck.