High School News

865 articles in this category

2026
Indiana Tech Opens Season at MSU Open
11/2/2014 10:18:00 PM
| Mark Jagord
EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Indiana Tech wrestling team took to the mats on Sunday at the annual MSU Open at Jenison Field House. Nearly 500 wrestlers from 30 schools competed in the prestigious tournament, which features some of the top wrestlers in the nation. Tech had two wrestlers place with one losing in the championship round.
 
The Warriors pair took second and fifth places in the event, with Georgio Blades and Mitchell Pawlak in the freshman/sophomore division. No team scores were kept.
 
Blades went 3-1 in route to a second place finish in the freshman/sophomore division at 197-lbs. The sophomore from Indianapolis, Ind. won his first match over Michigan's Matthew Okaiye with a 9-2 decision before besting Lindsey Wilson's Jake Maupin by a 10-4 decision. In his semifinal match against Illinois' Colton Emmerich, Blades took another decision, 3-1. In the championship round, Blades fell to Illinois' Andre Lee in a 9-6 decision.
 
In the 133-lb freshman/sophomore division, Pawlak went 6-1 in route to a fifth place finish. The 5-foot-6 sophomore from Temperance, Mich. won his first match of the day by an 8-5 decision over Zachary Davis of Navy, before falling to eventual champion, Jered Cortez of Illinois in the second round by the narrowest of margins, 6-5. Pawlak fought his way through the consolation bracket with five wins from two major decisions and three falls.
 
Pawlak started the consolation bracket with a 12-1 major decision over Northern's Danny Carlson, and then bested Eastern Michigan's Ben Caladrino with a fall at 5:00. Pawlak took his next match against Notre Dame's David Bavery with a 12-4 major decision before getting a fall at 2:33 against Kyle Lukowich of Kent State. Pawlak then capped off the consolation bracket by beating Ohio State's Mike Hozan by fall at 0:25 for the fifth-place finish.
 
The Orange and Black return to the mat on Saturday, Nov. 8 when they travel to Williamsburg, Ky. to participate in the Patriot Open hosted by University of the Cumberlands.

1368
Spartans turn in strong results at Washington & Jefferson
WASHINGTON, PA. – A pair of top eight placings from sophomore 174-pounder Dylan Lauffer (Fairfield, Ohio) and freshman 184-pounder Alex Roberts (Winslow, Ind.) guided Manchester University Saturday, Nov. 8.
 
Lauffer worked his way into the championship quarterfinals before Waynesburg College's Abu Kaba stopped him 4-1. He rallied with a major decision victory in the consolation quarterfinals before being sent into the 5th-place battle where the sophomore claimed fifth.
 
Roberts produced three decisions on his way into the top eight. He narrowly missed joining Lauffer in the top six with a hard-fought 5-1 loss in the consolation quarterfinals.
 
Freshman 149-pounder Eric Dan (Knox, Ind.) and freshman heavyweight Nick Joyner (Bedford, Ind.) also compiled multiple-win days with 2-2 records. MU's top squad finished their day at the Washington and Jefferson Open with 34 points which put them in the top 15.
 
The Spartans continue open competition Saturday, Nov. 15, at Trine University.

1157
Grapplers Battle in Gold & Black Matches
Photo Gallery
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Nine weights were contested as the Purdue wrestling team held its Gold & Black Matches Saturday in Holloway Gymnasium. Nick Lawrence and Jacob Morrissey notched bonus point victories and four other matches were decided by less than two points.
 
Lawrence took redshirt freshman Cody Pae down four times and tallied a pair of three-point nearfalls en route to a 16-3 major decision at 141 pounds. The redshirt senior added 2:32 worth of riding time in the match. Morrissey, a redshirt freshman, pinned true freshman Blake Reid in 2:59. The Oconto Falls, Wis., native, wasted no time getting after Reid, taking him down early in the first period. He remained in control and got both of Reid's shoulders on the mat with one tick on the clock in the opening stanza.
 
The Gold & Black Matches began with back-to-back 3-1 bouts at 125 and 133 pounds. A second period reversal and 1:38 worth of riding time lifted redshirt freshman Aaron Assadpast true freshman Ben Thornton at 125. In a highly anticipated matchup at 133, it was redshirt junior Danny Sabatello's quick strike in the first period combined with 2:40 riding time that led to the decision over redshirt sophomore Kyle Ayersman.
 
Redshirt sophomore Alex Griffin edged redshirt senior Brandon Nelsen, 3-2, in a battle at 149 pounds. The first three minutes of action were scoreless, but that wasn't the case in the second period. Opting to start from bottom, Griffin got on the board with an escape and followed with a takedown to take a 3-0 lead. Nelsen escaped to make it 3-1 as the period came a close. Starting the final period from bottom, Nelsen escaped from Griffin for the final point in the match.
 
After spending last season at 174, redshirt senior Patrick Kissel has made the move to 184, where he took on last year's 184-pound starter, redshirt sophomore Tanner Lynde. Kissel notched a first period takedown and added an escape after starting the second period from bottom. Lynde got a takedown of his at the beginning of the third period after choosing a neutral start. He was unable to keep Kissel down for a 4-2 final.
 
The Boilermakers open their season at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Calif., on Nov. 14. The dual will start at 10 p.m. ET. Two days later they will wrestle in the Road Runner Open hosted by Cal State Bakersfield in Fresno, Calif.
 
GOLD & BLACK MATCHES
125 // Aaron Assad dec. Ben Thornton, 3-1
133 // Danny Sabatello dec. Kyle Ayersman, 3-1
141 // Nick Lawrence maj. dec. Cody Pae, 16-3
149 // Alex Griffin dec. Brandon Nelsen, 3-2
157 // Doug Welch dec. Dustin Schultz, 6-2
165 // Andy Hoselton dec. Peter Andreotti, 5-1
174 // Jacob Morrissey pin Blake Reid, 2:59
184 // Patrick Kissel dec. Tanner Lynde, 4-2
197 // Drake Stein dec. Jacob Aven, 6-3

1462
Freshmen Shine for Indiana Tech at Patriot Open
11/8/2014 9:07:00 PM
 
 
| Zach Shore | @INTech_SID88
WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. – Freshman Thomas Garty led a trio of Indiana Tech wrestlers who won their respective weight classes at the Patriot Open hosted by the University of the Cumberlands on Saturday.
 
Garty went 5-0 en route to his first collegiate individual title, including wins against the defending national champion from Cumberland University in the championship and Isaac Thomas of Lindsey Wilson who is the sixth ranked wrestler at 149-pounds. Garty won his a pair of matches by major decision and the other by a 12-6 decision to make an appearance in the semifinals where he defeated Thomas via fall at 4:08 and then won the title with a fall at 1:46.
 
In the 141-pound weight class the Warriors dominated, placing first, third and fourth in the bracket.Travis Barroquillo, competing unattached at the event, won weight class, going 4-0, including registering a fall against teammate Robert Humphrey in the quarterfinals. Humphrey then proceeded to win three consecutive matches before losing to teammate Matthew Miller in the consolation championship, taking fourth. Miller lost in the quarterfinals as well, but then won four straight matches, including two via fall, to take third.
 
Another freshman, Stone Neese, won his first collegiate individual title at 174-pounds while teammate Tyler Goldman took fourth in the same class. Neese received a bye in the opening round before winning via decision 8-2 over Hunter Smith of Life University then registered a fall at 1:47 over Dustin Harris of Cumberland University in the semifinals. To win the title, Neese defeated the hosts, Daniel Toth via a 2-0 decision. Goldman loss to Toth in the quarterfinals then won three straight matches, falling in the consolation championship by an 8-3 decision.
 
Four other Warriors placed in their weight classes at the open with two runner-up finishes by Brett Yarbrough at 133-pounds and Jake Johnson at 165-pounds and two fourth place finishes by Kristopher McKinley at 125-pounds and Brandon Sunday at 184-pounds.
 
The Orange and Black return to the mat on Saturday, Nov. 22 when they travel to Campbellsville, Ky. to take part in the Campbellsville Duals. Tech is scheduled to face St. Andrews Presbyterian at 9 a.m. followed by duals against Campbellsville (10:30 a.m.) and St. Catharine (12:30 p.m.).

1203
Four Top-Three Finishes Highlight Opener for Thunder
MUSKEGON, MICH.-- Four Trine wrestlers placed in the top three of their weight class in the season-opening Ben McMullen Open, held Saturday at Muskegon Community College.
Freshman Tylor Willms (Fremont, Ind./Fremont) and junior Michael Conner (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville) each finished second in their respective weight classes, while freshmanNiko Barrantes (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville) and senior Mack Green (Buchanan, Mich./Buchanan) each notched third-place finishes. Thunder wrestlers recorded eight pins, which ranked sixth among the 14 teams that competed int he event. Trine performers finished 41-32 overall, which gave them the fifth-best winning-percentage of any team in the Open. The Thunder finished with 76.5 points, which unofficially placed them third. Official team scores were unavailable on the tournament results page at the time of writing.
Click Here for Trine Results
Willms adapted quickly in his first taste of collegiate wrestling. The freshman picked up wins by decision and major decision to advance to the semifinals in the 149-lb class. Willms notched his first-career pin in the semifinal, before dropping the championship to finish second.
Conner advanced to the championship of the 197-lb division with a pair of wins by decision and a dominating win by tech fall. He outscored his first three opponents 26-1 before falling in the championship match.
Barrantes gave Trine a second strong performance from a freshman wrestler. Barrantes recovered from a loss in his first match of the day to come all the way back and win three-straight matches to advance to the third-place match at 125-lbs. He notched his third-place finish with a win by major decision.
Green earned three pins on his way to his third-place finish in the heavyweight class, which tied for the second-most pins by any wrestler in the event. The senior closed his day with four-straight victories after dropping into the consolation bracket.
Cody Konieczki (Jackson, Mich./Michigan Center), Brandon Preston (Logansport, Ind./Logansport), Austin Glynn (Decatur, Mich./Decatur) and Kevin Groves (Indianapolis, Ind./Franklin Central) also picked up pins for the Thunder. Groves and Preston picked up three wins on the day, while Glynn and Konieczki each finished with a pair of wins. Preston defeated an opponent from Division-II Grand Valley State in the 141-lb quarterfinals before dropping in the semifinals.
David Moore (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion), Collin Haag (Manitou Beach, Mich./Addison), Jeffrey Helm (Westfield, Ind./Westfield) and Tyler Prater (Homer, Mich./Homer) also added victories for the Thunder.
Trine will host the Trine Open next Saturday, Nov. 15 in Hershey Hall. Matches begin at 10 a.m.

1551
Four Hoosiers Earn Podium Spots at Harold Nichols Open
Harold Nichols Open

 Taylor Walsh (165) - Champion
 Nate Jackson (174) - 2nd Place
 Matt Irick (184) - 4th Place
 Luke Sheridan (197) - 4th Place

 Full Results
 Next Event: Keystone Classic at the Palestra (Philadelphia, Penn.) -- November 23, 2014
 Follow On Social Media: Twitter | Facebook
AMES, Iowa - Fourteen Hoosiers travelled to Ames, Iowa today to take on the Harold Nichols Open. For nine of them, this was their first action of the season. Indiana finished the day with four wrestlers on the podium.
In his first bout of the day, redshirt senior Taylor Walsh earned a pin in 1:42 to become the all-time leader in career pins at Indiana with 48. He followed up his record setting pin with three more in as many matches to advance to the championship. Although he did not earn a fifth fall on the day, Walsh defeated England of Missouri 16-4 in a major decision. Walsh is now 5-0 on the season with a career pin total of 51.
Redshirt Sophomore Nate Jackson came close to giving Indiana two Harold Nichols champs, when he was defeated in a 5-3 decision in the championship bout. Jackson ended his day and the first event of the season 4-1.
Senior Luke Sheridan went 4-2 for the tournament to obtain a fourth place finish. He added three pins to bring his career total to 24, his last of which was in 21 seconds. Fellow wrestler redshirt shopomore Matt Irickhad a similar day, also finsihing fourth and had a record of 5-2. Irick completed his day with two pins.
On the day, there were four other Hoosiers who finished with multiple wins. Sophomore Sean Brown (141) won back-to-back bouts after dropping his first to end 2-2. Also winning two bouts was sophomore Luke Blanton (157), who earned a fall early in the day, with a second period pin of Iowa Western's Gray. Redshirt sophomore Trevor Moody (149) won his first two matches to advance to the quarterfinals where he was defeated in a major decision. Moody wrapped-up the open at 3-2. Redshirt junior Garret Goldman (HWT) lost his first match-up of the day, but won three consecutive bouts by decision (7-3, 2-0, 2-0) in the consolation bracket to finish 3-2.
Check out the Hoosier wrestlers at the first home match-ups of the season when they take on SIUE and Manchester on December 13 (10am).
Media Contact: Riley Greene, rigreene@indiana.edu

1932
#3 Wabash Routs Olivet on Opening Night
There is nothing quite like a little homecoming especially when you are away at college. While the three Lefever brothers didn't get some of ole Nancy's home cooking or their laundry done they got to wrestle in front of a big crowd one last time in their home gym. Back where it all started all three had dominating wins with the twins(Reece at 157 and Conner at 174) both earning pins, while returning national champion Riley had a major decision. Those three wins helped the Little Giants cruise to a 33-7 victory over the visiting Olivet Comets.
 
The night started out with former Perry Meridian Falcon Jacob Cottey taking the mat and losing a tough 7-2 match after getting the first takedown. At 133lbs, Chandler Moore had an impressive 11-5 decision in his first collegiate action. He narrowly missed the major giving up a late reversal.
 
With the team score knotted at 3, Michael Venezia came away with a 9-1 major decision for Wabash’s first lead of the night. From there, another Perry product, Nick Bova squeaked out an 8-7 victory on riding time at 149lbs.
 
At 157lbs, returning two-time All-American Reece Lefever had very little trouble disposing of his Comet opponent in just under two minutes. With Wabash up 16-3 the victories kept pouring on with Ethan Farmer tilling up an 11-3 victory at 165lbs.
 
The 174lbs match was supposed to be one of the better ones of the night with two top 5 ranked wrestlers butting heads. However, Conner Lefever didn’t waste much time and disposed of Nicholas Allen in 1:33 to confirm his higher ranking and get a little edge on twin brother Reece.
 
After an undefeated freshman season Riley Lefever took the mat looking to build upon his success. He garnered four first period takedowns en route to a 16-4 major decision. At 197lbs, Wabash’s Brett Thumm overcame a 6-2 first period deficit to win 11-9 on a late takedown and nearfall. Olivet’s Jesse Judge cruised to a 11-1 major decision at heavyweight to give Olivet their second win on the night.
 
125- Michael Schmidt (Olivet) over Jacob Cottey (Wabash
133- Chandler Moore (Wabash) over Matt Darling (Olivet)
141- Michael Venezia (Wabash) over Dominick Trevino (Olivet)
149- Nick Bova (Wabash) over Kyle Witgen (Olivet)
157- Reece Lefever (Wabash) over Ross Pennock (Olivet)
165- Ethan Farmer (Wabash) over Frederick Findeisen (Olivet)
174- Conner Lefever (Wabash) over Nicholas Allen (Olivet)
184- Riley Lefever (Wabash) over Justin Johnson (Olivet)
197- Brett Thumm (Wabash) over Thomas Hall (Olivet)
285- Jesse Judge (Olivet) over Conner Smith (Wabash)

1767
Hoosiers Sign Five in Early Period
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - By sumbmitting their National Letters of Intent, five future student-athletes have signed to be members of the Hoosier Wrestling program starting with the 2015-16 season. Between them, the five wrestlers have seven state championships, three top five finishes at Flonationals and a Fargo Jr. National Champion.
 

TOMMY CASH • 149/152 pounds
Indianapolis, Ind. • Lawrence North H.S.
- 123-4 career record
- Indiana State Champion (138 lbs.)
- Fifth at Flonationals
 

GABE KOONTZ • 165 pounds
Edgewood, Ind. • Edgewood H.S.
- 106-23 career record
- Third at Indiana states (160 lbs.)
- Ranked #1 in Indiana
 
ELIJAH OLIVER • 125 pounds
Memphis, Tenn. • Christian Brothers H.S.
- 130-3 career record
- Three-time Tennessee state champ (120 lbs.)
- Fargo Jr. National Champion
 

GARRETT PEPPLE • 125/133 pounds
Kendallville, Ind. • East Noble H.S.
- 90-7 career record
- Two-time Indiana runner-up
- Fourth at Flonationals
 
DEVIN SKATZKA • 165/174 pounds
Richmond, Mich. • Richmond H.S.
- 141-10 career record
- Three-time Michigan state champ (152 lbs.)
- Third at Flonationals

942
Eric Johnson Wins Dan Gable Endowment Open
The Crimson Wave Wrestling team traveled to Oshkosh, WI, to kick off the season with the Dan Gable Endowment Open on November 15th. CCSJ came away with five place winners led by Senior Eric Johnson who finished 1st at 197. Johnson was 3-0 en route to capturing first and recorded a pin and a tech fall on the day. Also earning an impressive finish for the men was Junior Ramiro Rojas who finished 3rd at 149. Rojas had a tough last second loss in his first bout but was able to battle back to end the tournament with a 4-1 record. Other wrestlers placing were Sophomore Scott Pitrowski: 4th at 285, Freshman Tony Vasquez: 5th at 141, and Freshman Tyler Bernard: 5th at 184.
 
"Eric and Ramiro wrestled great and showed me they will be hammers in the lineup this year,” said Head Coach Ryan Rivera. “Everyone else was inconsistent and we need to clean up some things," added Rivera.
 
The Crimson Wave wrestling team will be traveling to Campbellsville University in Kentucky on Nov 22nd to compete in four duals against Campbellsville University, St. Andrews, St. Catherine, and Truet McConell all from the Eastern Regional.

1810
Konner Chafin Highlights Spartan Performance at Trine
ANGOLA, IND. – Manchester University early-season mat successes continued at the Trine University Open Saturday, Nov. 15.
The Spartans ended their day inside TU's Hershey Hall with five individuals claiming three-or-more victories.
Freshman 141-pounder Konner Chafin (Elkhart, Ind.) headlined the quintet. In his second collegiate opportunity, he finished 4-1. Chafin reached the championship quarterfinals before the University of Indianapolis' Anthony Robles held him off 7-5 en route to a runner-up effort. Undaunted, the first-year Black and Gold grappler worked his way through the back side of the bracket with a pair of decisions and a fall to wind up third.
Chafin was followed closely by a group that consisted of freshman 133-pounder Chase Wilson (Peru, Ind.); junior 141-pounder Josh Juarez (South Bend, Ind.); sophomore 174-pounder Dylan Lauffer (Fairfield, Ohio); and freshman 174-pounder Tristan Wilson (Fort Wayne, Ind.). Each member of the quartet turned in three wins.
The Spartans break from competition until Saturday, Dec. 6, when they host the Indiana Little States Championships.

2062
Mackenzie Green Leads Thunder at Trine Invitational
ANGOLA, IND.-- Mack Green won the Heavyweight championship to lead Trine's performance in the Trine Invitational, held Saturday at the Keith E. Busse/Steel Dynamics Athletic Recreation Center.
Green (Buchanan, Mich./Buchanan) won all four of his matches handily to win his first tournament championship of the season. The All-American picked up a 4-0 decision to start the day, and followed with two pins to advance to the championship match. The senior won the championship over Brian Snyder of Division-II University of Indianapolis by 4-0 decision. Green has started the season strong, opening with a 10-1 record. Included among those victories are five pins.
Click Here for Trine Results
Michael Conner (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville), Cody Konieczki (Jackson, Mich./Michigan Center) and Jeffrey Helm (Westfield, Ind./Westfield) also saw some success on the mats. Conner advanced to the consolation semifinals of the 197-lb class before being eliminated. He finished with a 3-2 record on the day.
Konieczki also advanced to the consolation semifinals of his weight class. The sophomore picked up two wins, including a pin in the 149-lb division.
Helm also picked up a pair of wins for the Thunder, including one by pin. He concluded his day in the 141-lb class with a 2-2 record.
Trine placed 10th in the Invitational with 28.5 points. Complete team results are listed below.
Trine Invitational Results
1. John Carroll- 145
2. University of Indianapolis- 93.5
3. Muskegon Community College- 69.5
4. University of Chicago- 67
5. Indiana Tech- 64.5
6. North Central- 60.5
7. Baldwin-Wallace- 37
8. Manchester- 33.5
9. Olivet- 33
10. Trine- 28.5

2065
UIndy places seven at Trine Invitational
Jackie Paquette, Asst. AD for Student Support & Sports Information
ANGOLA, Ind.- The Greyhound wrestling team opened its 2014-15 season Saturday at the Trine Invitational, with five UIndy grapplers earning runner-up finishes, and another two taking fourth place on the day.
 
Nick Crume (3-1) was the first Greyhound runner-up, taking second in the 133 bracket. The redshirt freshman opened his season with a 15-0 tech fall over Olivet's Dean Roberts, added a major decision in the quarterfinals and took an 8-3 decision in the semifinals. Crume stumbled in the bracket final, falling via pin to Indiana Tech's Mitch Pawlak.
 
True-freshman Angelo Robles (3-1) also took second, in the 141-pound bracket. The Decatur Central product earned a trio of decisions en route to the final match, where he fell to Muskegon's Zachary Cooper 12-2.
 
Barry McGinley (3-1) opened his day with a fall in 1:23 over Trine's Adam Boles, then took a pair of wins in the quarter and semifinals before falling to Jordan Victor of John Carroll by a score of 12-6 to take second in the 157 weight class.
 
Also taking second was sophomore Shelden Struble (3-1). After a first round bye, Struble opened the season with a 9-3 win over North Central's Matt Marcotte in round two. He then took a win in the quarterfinals, and pinned his John Carroll opponent in 2:13 to earn a berth in the championship match. The Bryan, Ohio native fell in a close 6-4 match to John Carroll's Tyler Hardtke.
 
Brian Snyder (3-1) earned three wins in his first three bouts, outscoring his opponents 18-5. He then fell to Trine's Mackenzie Green 4-0 in the final match to take his second-place finish at 285.
 
Mason Meling (3-2) and Brian Wagner (3-2) both took fourth place in the 141-pound and 197-pound weight classes, respectively.
 
The Greyhounds continue their season next Saturday, heading to St. Charles, Mo. for the Lindenwood Open.

1577
Purdue Corrals Mustangs in Ersland's Debut
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - Powered behind four bonus point victories, the Purdue wrestling team corralled Cal Poly, 30-9, in its season opening and first-year head coach Tony Ersland's debut Friday in the Mott Athletics Center. The Boilermakers (1-0, 0-0 B1G) received bonus points at 133, 141, 149 and 197.
"There were a lot of good things, I really like that we took the fight to them to start," Ersland said. "I think we need to do a better job of closing out matches though. We showed that we can wrestle hard, but we need confidence to finish it."
The aggressive mindset that Ersland has instilled in the Boilermaker grapplers showed. Purdue registered 16 takedowns to the Mustangs' nine and combined for 18 back points while giving up none.
"Overall I was very happy with the tone of most of the matches; guys went out and scored points and put a lot of points on the board, we just need to make sure we finish matches," Ersland said. "I think tonight should be a big confidence booster for all of these guys; first time down to weight on a one-hour weigh-in, they competed hard and I am happy with the effort. I think we should make a big jump in confidence knowing that we can hold up, wrestle hard and take control of these situations."
Purdue took five of the first six weights from the Mustangs (0-3) to build a 23-3 lead. The Mustangs won the 125-pound match in sudden victory, but the Boilermakers took over from there. A forfeit from Cal Poly at 133 gave the Old Gold & Black six points, to which Nick Lawrence followed with six of his own. The redshirt senior, who was wrestling in his first dual since Feb. 23, 2013, built on an offensive clinic with five takedowns and had a two-point nearfall before sticking Connor Kim at the 3:56 mark to improve to 4-2.
Redshirt sophomore Alex Griffin (5-2) put on a show with a 17-0 technical fall of Jacob Leon. In 4:51, Griffin took the Mustang down twice, got a pair of five-counts for two three-point nearfalls and a trio of two-point nearfalls. He also escaped to start the second period. The team's leader in points scored pushed his early season total to 67 while winning his second match via technical fall.
"I liked Griffin's aggressiveness," Ersland said. "We know that he will go out and tilt and turn and he got to his positions. You saw how he took control of the match right away."
Wrestling in the first match of his final season, Braden Atwood showed why he is the nation's ninth-ranked 197-pounder with a 12-3 major decision of J.T. Goodwin. Atwood struck for an early takedown and went to work for back points, receiving a pair of two-point nearfalls. Starting the second period from bottom, he added an escape and Goodwin back down to the mat and rode him out for the red of the period. The Mustang opted to start the final period neutral, to which Atwood took advantage of by taking him down again. He accumulated 4:52 worth of riding time for his final point.
The Boilermakers also received decisions from Doug Welch (157), Pat Robinson (165) and Patrick Kissel (184). Welch used a second period escape and two-point nearfall, plus 1:49 of riding time to shut Colt Shorts out, 4-0. Robinson's takedowns in the first and third periods and an escape lifted him to a 5-3 decision of Travis Berridge in his first match of the season. Kissel improved to 4-1 with a 12-10 come-from-behind decision over Nick Feigener.
Purdue will be back in action at the Roadrunner Open hosted by Cal State Bakersfield on Sunday in Fresno, Calif. The tournament will get underway with preliminary matches at 1 p.m. ET. The finals and medal matches are set for a 9 p.m. ET start.
PURDUE 30, CAL POLY 9
125 // Yoshito Funakoshi (Cal Poly) dec. Aaron Assad (Purdue), 5-4 (SV1)
133 // Danny Sabatello (Purdue) won by forfeit
141 // Nick Lawrence (Purdue) pinned Connor Kim (Cal Poly), 3:57
149 // Alex Griffin (Purdue) tech fall Jacob Leon (Cal Poly), 17-0 (4:51)
157 // Doug Welch (Purdue) dec. Colt Shorts (Cal Poly), 4-0
165 // Pat Robinson (Purdue) dec. Travis Berridge (Cal Poly), 5-3
174 // Dominic Kastl (Cal Poly) dec. Chad Welch (Purdue), 5-1
184 // Patrick Kissel (Purdue) dec. Nick Fiegener (Cal Poly), 12-10
197 // No. 9 Braden Atwood (Purdue) maj. dec. J.T. Goodwin (Cal Poly), 12-3
285 // Nick Johnson (Cal Poly) dec. Tyler Kral (Purdue), 7-4

2685
Sabatello Wins Roadrunner Open
Complete Results // TrackWrestling
 
FRESNO, Calif. - Eleven Purdue wrestlers placed at the Roadrunner Open, highlighted by a championship outing from Danny Sabatello (133) and a runner-up performance from Nick Lawrence (141), Sunday inside Selland Arena. The Boilermakers additionally earned a pair of third-place finishes, one fourth and three fifth- and sixth-place finishes. Together the 13 grapplers in action posted a 54-18 record at the event, while winning 25 of their 54 matches via bonus points (4 TF, 6 MD, 15 F).
 
After receiving a first-round bye, Sabatello went on an offensive tear by winning back-to-back bonus point matches. The redshirt junior began the day by building a 10-0 lead on Jack Hogan of Peninsula Grapplers before pinning him early in the second period (3:39). He then disposed of Appalachian State's Vito Pasone with a 13-3 major decision.
 
A first-period takedown and penalty point, combined with 1:07 of riding time gave Sabatello a 4-1 decision over Ian Nickell of Cal State Bakersfield to move into the finals for a battle against Joey Palmer. Sabatello shut his unattached opponent out, 6-0, behind takedowns in the first and third periods, an escape in the final period and racked up 2:51 of riding time. With a 4-0 mark on the day, the Long Grove, Ill., native pushed his season record to 7-1.
 
Like Sabatello, Lawrence went on an offensive tear in his first two matches at 141 pounds. The redshirt senior took down his first two opponents a dozen times in a 13-4 major decision of Peter Russo, who was wrestling unattached, and a 20-5 technical fall of Cal State Bakersfield's Adrian Panduro. Lawrence needed just 5:33 for the tech fall, his first since Feb. 2, 2013.
 
In the quarterfinals, Lawrence scored a 7-1 decision of Appalachian State's Mike Longo with a single takedown in each period and had an escape to start the second period. Even though Troy Heilmann of North Carolina held the riding time advantage (1:23), Lawrence defeated the Tar Heel 3-2 thanks to an early takedown and escape in the second. He went up against another North Carolina opponent in the title match, 14th-ranked Joey Ward, and suffered a 5-2 loss. Ward took the Boilermaker down twice and escaped in the second to win the match. With a 4-1 outing, Lawrence's season mark moved to 8-3.
 
Fellow redshirt senior Brandon Nelsen took third at 149 pounds while moving up the Purdue wrestling history charts. Nelsen pinned his first two opponents, Daniel Avalos of Fresno State Wrestling Club and San Francisco State's Dylan Furtado, in 2:25 and 3:27, respectively, to get into the semifinals. He then 7-2 decision to Stanford's Garrett Schaner, but fell to Illinois' Kyle Langenderfer, 8-4, in the semifinals.
 
He picked up where he left off in the consolation semifinals, taking just 90 seconds to stick AJ Fierro of Cal State Bakersfield. The third pin of the day lifted his career total to 28 and moved him in to the No. 6 spot in program history. Nelsen collided with teammate Alex Griffin in the third-place match, with a first-period takedown and an escape in the second serving as the deciding factor in a 3-1 decision for the veteran. The Indianapolis, Ind., native now owns a record of 9-2 with five of his nine victories coming by way of fall.
 
Pat Robinson captured third-place honors 165 pounds with an exclamation point, pinning Nick Kee of Appalachian State in 3:41. To get there, he first held off Justin Lozano of Peninsula Grapplers for a 10-8 decision and followed with a 5-3 win over Menlo's Eric Lopez.
 
Neither Robinson nor No. 14 Jim Wilson of Stanford scored in the first period of their semifinal matchup. Wilson got on the board with an escape to start the second period and Robinson struck with the takedown. Wilson eluded Robinson's hold and tied the bout at 2-2 with two minutes to go. Starting the third period from bottom, Robinson took a 3-2 edge with an escape, but it didn't hold as Wilson got the decisive takedown and the 4-3 win.
 
In the consolation semifinals, the redshirt senior edged North Carolina's Ethan Ramos, 9-7. Robinson holds a 5-1 record after his season-opening weekend in California.
 
Three other Purdue wrestlers registered multiple pins. The first of Chad Welch's two pins was a dramatic one as he upset No. 20 John Michael Staudenmayer of North Carolina with the horn sounding at the end of the first period. He pinned the Tar Heel again in 6:54 to place fifth at 174 pounds.
 
In the 184-pound wrestlebacks, Patrick Kissel stuck unattached wrestler Dylan Bollinger in 4:44 and followed with a 39-second fall of Appalachian State's Dominick Vetell. The 39-second pin is the fastest of the redshirt senior's career. Kissel (9-3) placed fifth.
 
Ninth-ranked Braden Atwood used 3:27 to pin Andrew Teats of Sierra (1:09) and Marcus Haughian of Grand Canyon (2:18). The two falls by the redshirt senior pushed his career total to 26 and now ranks ninth all-time in program history.
ROADRUNNER OPEN PLACEWINNERS 133 // Danny Sabatello // 1st 133 // Kyle Ayersman // 5th 141 // Nick Lawrence // 2nd 149 // Brandon Nelsen // 3rd 149 // Alex Griffin 4th 157 // Doug Welch // 6th 165 // Pat Robinson // 3rd 174 // Chad Welch // 5th 184 // Patrick Kissel // 5th 197 // Braden Atwood // 6th 285// Tyler Kral // 6th The Purdue wrestling team will host Indiana Tech and No. 17 Northern Iowa in its first home duals of the season inside Holloway Gymnasium on Nov. 23. Action starts at 1 p.m. ET with the Boilermakers taking on Indiana Tech, followed by Northern Iowa at 2:30 p.m. Northern Iowa and Indiana Tech will also dual at 4 p.m.
 
2286
SIAC Preview: "Fun Year" in Store for SIAC Wrestling Fans
By John Johnson
 
"There are a lot of good teams in the SIAC this year," proclaimed Central's Head Coach, Mike Lapadat. "There are also very good individuals. It should be a fun year."
 
"Mater Dei is obviously the favorite, but every team has at least one or two kids that can go a long way," concurred Harrison's Mark Mastison.
 
"A lot of weight classes are wide-open," agreed North's DG Asay. "The league is very competitive."
 
Mater Dei returns nine starters to its lineup. Three of them, sophomores Nick Lee and Will Egli along with senior Alex Johnson, possess a medal from the 2014 state meet. The trio is complemented by state qualifiers Ashton Forzley and Blake Jourdan. Freshman Joe Lee enters the season ranked fifth while senior Sam Bassemier and junior Seth Orth are both ranked twelfth.
 
The Wildcats are the top-ranked team in Indiana and ranked 30th in the United States. The football team's playoff run has created a challenge for coach Greg Schaefer.
 
"We don't yet have a full room," said Schaefer. "But, practices are good and the guys are working hard."
 
The bottom half of Mater Dei's lineup will have a short turn around, once the football season ends. The Wildcats travel to Peoria, Illinois on December 6 to face Oak Park River Forest (Second, nationally) and Marist (28th, nationally).
 
"The opportunity came up to wrestle them and it was hard to pass up," said Schaefer. "It's a great chance to learn where you are."
 
The Wildcats will host the 31st edition of the Holiday Classic, followed by the Team State Duals and a trip to St. Louis for the "Gateway to the Best" before the post-season begins.
 
Castle returns significant talent to Bob Harmon's club as four semi state qualifiers--seniors, Patrick Schnell, Turner Lockyear and Evan Dowell along with junior Austin Ramsey--anchor the roster. Seniors Jake Lamar and Blake Jeffress will also help the Knights' cause.
 
"It's still early," said Harmon, in his 31st season as Castle's skipper. "We have not yet had a wrestle-off. I'm looking for my seniors to step up and do a good job. We also have a number of good freshmen on the team. It will be interesting for them to step on the mat and see what they can do."
 
Castle competes in the Bloomington North Invitational on December 20 and the Mooresville Holiday Tournament the following weekend.
 
"The Bloomington tournament is really good," said Harmon. "Mooresville has upgraded their tournament and added some very good teams. We will have a better idea of where we are after it."
 
Memorial returns 14 lettermen to Larry Mattingly's 2014 Castle sectional championship team. Mattingly, in his 28th season with the Tigers, has solid leadership from his upper classmen.
 
"Chance Williams and Noah Huelsing were selected as the captains," said Mattingly. "Williams and Huelsing both advanced to the semi state. Additionally, we have seniors Johny Wargel, Will Page, Marcus Gahagen and Henri Garcia. (Junior) Chris Voegel will also be in the mix."
 
Can Memorial repeat as the sectional champions?
 
"We graduated five really good kids from last year; there are definitely holes to fill. We also have a lot of guys in the middle weights," commented Mattingly. "I have told the kids that our lineup will probably not be the same at the end of the year as it is now.
 
Memorial will get a stiff early-season test at the 16-team Westfield Duals in Indianapolis, followed by the Mater Dei Holiday Classic and the IHSWCA State Duals.
 
Central will be led by 2x state qualifier, senior Isaiah Kemper. A 160-pounder, Kemper is currently ranked second.
 
"Kemper is healthy," said Mike Lapadat, now in his fifth year at the helm of Central. "He should be in the mix."
 
The Bears' line-up will be bolstered by the eighth-ranked, 126-pound sophomore, Connor Willis. Nine additional lettermen, including seniors Hunter McCormick, Caleb Hart, Kameron Edmonds, James Libby and Gabe Patterson, are also expected to be impact players for Lapadat. Freshman Carson Willis enters his freshman year ranked 16th.
 
"We are in the Mooresville Holiday Tournament," said Lapadat. "Yorktown, Indianapolis Cathedral, Castle and other top teams will be there. It will be a good test for us."
 
Reitz's Tyler Ferguson tops the marquee on The Hill. Rolling up 110 wins against three losses in the past two seasons, Ferguson is eager to improve over his 2014 fifth-place showing at the state championship. Ferguson enters the season ranked fourth.
 
Coach Scott Ferguson will look for leadership from seniors Chris Tuck, Kelsey Smith, Trent Owens, AJ Dixon and Adam Auten.
 
In his 14th season at the controls, Ferguson has a very busy December planned for his Panthers.
 
"We host the Hill Classic on December 6," said Ferguson. "The following weekend, we go to Zionsville, then, the Harrison 10-way. Over Christmas break, we are going to a new tournament, Woodford County (Kentucky). They have the Georgia state champions and some other good teams coming."
 
North's top returners, sophomore Dawson Matherly along with juniors Nick Burke and Josh Elpers, will provide the Huskies a one, two, three punch at 113, 120 and 126 pounds.
 
"I expect them to compete very well," said DG Asay, in his fifth year at North.
 
Although Asay graduated five starters from last year's team, seniors Sam Dugan, Ty Winchell, Cody Smith, Buddy Waelde and Kory Hurt will step into the breach.
 
Asay anticipates that the Huskies will learn its character in the early-going.
 
"We get our 'defining moments' in the first two weeks of the season," chuckled Asay. "We wrestle Yorktown and New Palestine in the Turkey Classic. Right after that, we get Memorial and Mater Dei. All of them are top twenty teams."
 
Harrison's returning semi-state qualifier, junior LaTerrance Kyles, will begin the season at heavyweight, but plans to compete in the post season at 220 pounds. Kyles completed the 2013/14 campaign with a 56-10 record and begins this year ranked 11th.
 
Harrison's lone senior, Billy Procicina, had last year's season cut short by injury. He is expected to start at 145 pounds.
 
The Warriors graduated six starters, however Harrison has reloaded as twelve freshmen populate this year's roster.
 
"They come to every practice and are working hard," said Mark Mastison, in his seventh year at Harrison. "We should able to fill out our lineup. Our feeder program is going well; last year, we had four city champs and a folk style national champ."
 
Bosse returns seven letterman to a team dominated by youth; the Bulldogs have no seniors on the roster.
 
"We are very excited about this group," said Craig Shoobridge, who acts as the co-head coach along with Matt Happe. "It is a really good group of kids. They are in the room every day working hard."
 
The Bulldogs were the first SIAC team out of the gate, participating in the November 22 Wood Memorial Open.
 
"Nigel Buchanan and Raymond Garnett both went 3-0," said Shoobridge. "Nigel had a big win; he beat a kid that beat him twice last year."
 
Corey Schmitt, Christian Davis, Brandon Fark, Warrick Robinson and Jackson Nunning round out the returning starters.

2126
Conversation with 1954 State Champion, Vernon Rohr of Lafayette Jefferson
Ask any Indiana high school wrestlers from the 1950's what the greatest rivalry between two grapplers was and they will likely point you to the heavyweight match-ups between Vernon Rohr of Lafayette Jefferson and Bill Trainer of Evansville Mater Dei. The following contains excerpts from "We are MD...A History of Mater Dei Wrestling" and conversations I had with Vernon Rohr.
 
Entering the 1953 State Championship, Mater Dei coach, Gus Peters, was concerned about the readiness of Bill Trainer. Trainer was undefeated entering the State Meet, and had only been pushed a couple of times. Consequently, Coach Gus Peters was concerned about Trainer’s mental and physical toughness. Trainer’s first round opponent was Tony Corrado of Howe Military Academy. Trainer won, 8-0. In the round of four, Trainer advanced to the final by virtue of a 6-0 win over Kokomo’s Blaine Merrell.
 
Trainer’s title opponent, Vernon Rohr of Lafayette Jefferson, was also undefeated. The pair was amazingly similar in physique. Rohr tipped the scales at 192 pounds, only giving him a two-pound advantage over Trainer.
 
“I wore 32-inch waist pants,†said Vernon Rohr. “I was all upper body and legs. We (Trainer and Rohr) were mirror images.â€
 
The two were the smallest heavyweights in the field. Rohr had redemption on his mind. In 1952, as a sophomore, Rohr contracted pneumonia. Rohr’s doctor advised against wrestling and gave him a shot of penicillin. His physical state diminished, Rohr entered the sectional and managed to advance to the final against Crawfordsville’s Keith Stephens, but lost by decision. Stephens proceeded to place third at the State Meet. Rohr had an uncle who resided in Bloomington and attended the sectional to scout his potential opponents.
 
“He called me and said ‘This Trainer kid is really good,’†said Rohr. “I had never heard of Evansville Mater Dei. How good could they be?â€
 
Moments before the match, Trainer was extremely nervous.
 
“I feel shaky and weak,†said Trainer to coach Gus Peters. “I’m not sure I can even wrestle.â€
 
The title match was the closest of Trainer’s State Series tournament. The first period did not yield a score.
 
“Trainer was terrible on his feet,†said Rohr. “At that time, I was too. Trainer liked to tie up.â€
 
Rohr won the toss and got on the scoreboard first with a reversal and rode Trainer most of the period before Trainer scored an escape before the buzzer to make it 2-1. Trainer chose down in the third period and promptly reversed Rohr, followed by a quick escape by Rohr.
 
With time winding down and the score knotted at 3-3, Lafayette Jeff’s coaches made a crucial error.
 
“They yelled ‘You’ve got him on riding time,’†said Rohr. “I stayed away and thought I had the match.â€
 
The riding time was not counted, throwing the outcome to a referee’s decision. The head referee conferred with the two side judges. With tension mounting, the referee slowly walked back to the center of the mat, clasped each wrestler’s wrist and raised Trainer’s hand. A winner by referee’s decision, Bill Trainer became Mater Dei’s first State Champion.
 
“It was also a great moment for dad,†said Donald Peters, Gus’ son. “He was very proud of Trainer.â€
 
It was a rough day for the Lafayette Jeff coaching staff.
 
“It was really tough on my coaches,†said Rohr. “They took it very hard.â€
 
For Vernon Rohr, the loss triggered a 365-day march.
 
“From that night (the evening of the loss) on, I wrestled Trainer every night (in my mind),†Rohr said. “It was a mountain to climb. I had lost one match in two years, and it was on a referee’s decision.â€
 
Rohr trained hard for the meeting.
 
“I didn’t get much competition my senior year,†he said. “Purdue’s wrestling coach, Claude Reek, contacted me and asked if I wanted to train with them. I worked on a lot of wrestling from my feet. A Purdue guy I trained with was the Big Ten champ that year. Another guy was runner-up in the NCAAs. From then on, no one could compete with me from my feet. That was the push I needed.â€
 
Still stung over the crucial, 1953 coaching mistake, the Lafayette Jeff staff allowed no room for error.
 
“The night before the tournament,†said Rohr. “My coach called my mom and said ‘I’d like to have Vern come and spend the night with me, I don’t want him going out with his girl tonight.’ It didn’t happen. Mom made sure that I stayed at home.â€
 
Lafayette Jefferson High School was packed for the State Championship on February 20. Bill Trainer opened his day with a 10-2 win over Smock of Broad Ripple. South Bend Central’s Ed Nailon fell to Trainer in the semifinal, 9-3.
 
Trainer's win guaranteed a rematch with Rohr, the most-anticipated one of the tournament. The State Champ against the runner-up—the pair having only produced a single loss between them in two seasons.
 
Rohr’s off-season work from his feet paid off, as he scored a quick, first period takedown and a third period reversal for a 4-1 win. It was Trainer’s first loss since his sophomore year.
 
“Dad was bitter about Trainer’s loss,†said Donald Peters, Gus’ son. “Bill had a girlfriend that he spent a lot of time with. Dad did not approve. He thought that you needed to stay home, go to bed early and train hard; there would be time for a girlfriend when the season was over.â€
 
Author’s Notes: Calendar-wise, Bill Trainer’s winning streak is the second-longest in Mater Dei’s history. Had Trainer won the 1954 State Title, he would have equaled Matt Coughlin’s winning streak of two entire seasons. When Matt Coughlin’s hand was raised in 2005 at Indianapolis’ Conseco Field house, signifying his second consecutive State Championship, Trainer’s 51 year-old record was broken.
 
***
 
Trainer was recruited by many colleges, including Indiana University, to play football and wrestle. He opted to join the Marine Corps.
 
Having found only one person who attended the Trainer/Rohr match-ups, I felt compelled to learn a more complete accounting of one of Mater Dei’s greatest champions. As a result, Vernon Rohr was the only Mater Dei antagonist interviewed for this book. The effort to find and interview him was rewarded in spades. I called him, introduced myself and told him of my project. I asked him if he remembered a guy named Bill Trainer. The question was followed by a pregnant pause, then the reply: “You bet I do!†The 78-year-old Rohr lives with his wife in Greenwood, Indiana. I found him to be genial, gracious and an engaging storyteller.
 
The similarities between Rohr and Trainer are startling. Both were undersized heavyweights with huge hands and tremendous physical strength. Both were outstanding tackles on their respective football teams. Rohr was recruited to wrestle and play football at Notre Dame, Michigan, Purdue and Iowa. Like Trainer, he opted out of college. Neither Rohr nor Trainer produced any sons; in this category, Rohr possesses a slight edge. Rohr sired four daughters while Trainer claimed three.
 
Rohr eventually attended Purdue University and became a successful entrepreneur. In 2011, a granddaughter attending Lafayette Jeff High School called him.
 
“Grandpa!†she said excitedly. “You’re in the Hall of Fame.â€
 
Unbeknownst to him, he had indeed been inducted into the Lafayette Jeff Athletic Hall of Fame. 60 years, or 22,000 days, have followed the Trainer/Rohr match-ups.
 
Bill Trainer is still on Vernon Rohr’s mind.
 
“A least once a week it happens,†said Rohr. “You know how when you go to bed and you are about half asleep? It comes to mind. When it happens, there is no getting back to sleep. I rehash it. It takes me about 30 minutes to wind down and go back to sleep.â€
 
Rohr recalled to me, in splendid detail, his 1953 loss to Trainer. However, the minutia of his 1954 State Championship win over Bill Trainer is not part of his conscience. He was not even sure of the final score of his greatest victory. So goes the life of a wrestler…

3613
2015 IHSWCA Team State Information Center
Date: January 3, 2015
Location: Ball State University in Muncie, IN
- Wrestling Areas - “5 Court” Student Rec Center (4 mats) and the BSU Field Sports Building (8 mats) (1700 Neely Ave., Muncie, IN 47304)
- Team Drop Off/Registration on morning of Jan. 3 - 1700 Neely Avenue, Muncie, IN 47306 (south side of the complex)
- Fan parking - fans should enter parking area on north side of facilities off of Bethel Avenue
Draw: Selection show via Google Hangout approximately 7pm EST on Sunday December 28th. More details to follow.
Event Link: Click here for TrackWrestling link
Admission: $15
Other Notes: Fans are encouraged to bring lawn/camp chairs due to limited bleacher seating.
Teams will be permitted to bring “cold” food/drink items (coolers) into the facilities with them during registration. No “hot” food team tables will be permitted inside the facilities at this event (per Ball State University’s vending contracts)
Above mats 1-4 in the “5 court” rec center is an elevated (2nd story) open-air concourse where fans will be able to watch from above if desired
 
Participating Teams and Profile Links
3A(Large)
Penn
Evansville Mater Dei
Avon
Cathedral
Warren Central
Perry Meridian
Carmel
Carroll(Fort Wayne)
Bloomington South
Franklin
New Palestine
Westfield
 
2A(Medium)
Yorktown
Evansville Memorial
Mount Vernon (Posey)
Bellmont
Gibson Southern
Southmont
Lebanon
Leo
South Bend St. Joe
Franklin County
Columbia City
Rochester
 
1A(Small)
Churubusco
Eastside
Bremen
Tecumseh
West Central
Monrovia
Central Noble
Milan
Westview
Triton Central
Prairie Heights
Adams Central
 
Selection Shows and Links December 28th
1A Link approx. 7:00pm EST
https://plus.google.com/u/1/events/c080jsvkst505scnp8i4skv80ck
2A Link approx.7:30pm EST
https://plus.google.com/u/1/events/ct23a6rsgjtrimonhsieshovjtg
3A Link approx. 8:00pm EST
https://plus.google.com/u/1/events/c3luelfrnbhou4kjh0vn4hevvug
History:
The IHSWCA Classed Team State Duals is in its third year of existence.
It was held at Westfield High School during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons
2012-13 Results
1A Champions Adams Central (2nd – Churubusco)
2A Champions Yorktown (2nd – Evansville Memorial)
3A Champions Perry Meridian (2nd – Franklin Community)
2013-14 Results
1A Champions Churubusco (2nd – Adams Central)
2A Champions Yorktown (2nd – North Montgomery)
3A Champions Franklin Community (2nd – Evansville Mater Dei)
 
View attachment: Event Format - Pools and Bracketing with times.pdf

4116
Top 10 Stories of 2014
By Chad Hollenbaugh
IndianaMat Senior Writer
Super 32 Kicks of 2014-15 Prep Season – New Palestine’s Chad Red led a strong contingent of Hoosier wrestlers with his championship performance at the premier pre-season tournament in the country. Red’s domination of the field at 126 has led to his current Flo ranking of #2 in the country. He is only the third Indiana product to win this event, joining Indian Creek’s Ethan Raley and Warsaw’s Jared Brooks. Red’s club teammate and fellow junior Blake Rypel finished a strong third at 182. The Cathedral product moved up to 195 for the high school season and is still dominant. He currently holds the # 8 ranking in the country at 195. East Noble’s Garrett Pepple and Lowell’s Drew Hughes also finished on the podium with fourth place finishes at 113 and 152 respectively.
Three Cadet champs, Team Finishes 5th at Fargo – Late July always brings exciting wrestling news from the always beautiful Fargo, North Dakota. The Fargodome, on the campus of North Dakota state annually hosts the Cadet and Junior level freestyle and Greco national championship. The Indiana Cadet team had one of the finest performances in the states history as three Hoosiers won national freestyle titles. Mt. Vernon’s Paul Konrath followed up his high school runner-up performance with a freestyle national crown. Konrath’s victory vaulted him onto the national map. Perhaps no Indiana wrestler had a better 2014 than Chad Red. Red added a national championship in freestyle to his long list of accolades by winning the 126 pound class. The third Hoosier champ was Evansville Mater Dei’s Nick Lee. Lee dominated the field in Fargo in route to his championship. Penn’s Kobe Woods was a national runner-up and Westfield’s Evan Eldred placed 7th to help Indiana to a 5th place team placement.
University of Indianapolis has Highest ever National Finish – Regional Coach of the Year Jason Warthen took seven Greyhound grapplers to Cleveland after winning their super regional for the first time in school history. After two days in Cleveland, UIndy returned to the Circle City with four All-Americans and the programs highest ever national finish.(8th) Scoring for the Greyhounds were Jeff Weiss who was 3rd at 165, Evan Wooding placed 5th at 285, Cameryn Brady garnered his third All-American honor with a 6th place finish and Evansville Reitz product Alex Johns placed 7th at the 125 pound class. Warthen has built the Greyhounds into a national power at the Division 2 level and while they will miss the fab four seniors, don’t expect the Greyhounds to be down for long.
Lefever becomes first National Champ in Wabash’s History – When Fort Wayne Carroll’s Riley Lefever made his choice to follow his brothers and wrestle for the Little Giants of Wabash, Head Coach Brian Anderson knew he was getting an outstanding student-athlete. He probably had no idea that Lefever would run the table, finish 41-0, and become Wabash’s first ever National Champion. With a takedown at the edge in the first overtime period, Lefever defeated two time national finalist Brian Broderick of The College of New Jersey to claim the championship, 3-1. The future is very bright for Lefever as he contines to develop and mature as a wrestler. The humble Lefever thanked his older twin brother in typically humorous way when he stated, after winning the title, “without them beating the crap out of me every single day I wouldn’t be here right now.”
Northwestern Jason Tsirtsis wins D1 Crown at 149 – Cardiac kid, Jason Tsirtsis, held his poise through three straight overtime victories in the 2014 NCAA national championships to become the first Northwestern freshman to ever claim the national crown. Tsirtsis used a nice trip on a single leg and worked to secure the ankle of Oklahoma State’s Josh Kindig in the first period of overtime to seal the victory. On his way to the top of the podium, the Crown Point product had to defeat a defending national champion in Kendrick Maple of Oklahoma as well as the number one seed, Drake Houdashelt of Missouri. The Houdashelt win avenged a defeat earlier in the season. Now a sophomore, Tsirtsis has picked up where he left off. He is ranked first in the country and is undefeated heading into the Midlands tournament.
Indianapolis Cathedral Claims First IHSAA Wrestling State Championship – One of the most storied wrestling programs in the state earned its first state championship in school history. Cathedral rode the broad shoulders of state champion heavyweight Wesley Bernard and runner-up performances from Vinny Corsaro and Blake Rypel to earn that elusive first title. The Irish overcame a disappointing first round loss by Ben Harvey but got a third place finish from Breyden Bailey and seventh from Skylour Turner to add points to Cathedral’s total. With Rypel, Harvey, Bailey and Turner returning, the Irish will be in the hunt again in 2015.
Yorktown Goes Back to Back, Franklin and Churubusco Win First Team Titles – Yorktown turned in a devastating performance to win its second straight team state dual title. The Tigers went 34-8 as individuals in route to defeating Lebanon, New Prairie and North Montgomery. Franklin Community Grizzly Cubs defeated Warren Central in round one and then edged defending team state champs Perry Meridian by one slim point before finishing the deal with a narrow three point victory over Evansville Mater Dei in the finals. The small school crown was claimed by the Sam Riesen led Churubusco Eagles. After defeating Bremen in round one, the Eagles built up a big lead on South Putnam and coasted to a victory. The state crown made the trip back to Turtletown when ‘Busco used a pin in the last match to break a tie against defending champ Adams Central.
Hanover Central Produces another 3 time State Champion – Ten years ago, Hanover Central legend Andrew Howe was on his way to becoming a three time state champion for the Wildcats. A decade later, Stevan Micic matched Howe’s accomplishment when he bested Penn’s Zach Davis, 10-5. The Northwestern recruit became just the 33rd grappler in state history to win three or more titles. Micic was a perfect 137-0 in his final three seasons for Hanover Central.
Robinson, LeCount, Wilson and Red Repeat as State Champs – Lake Central’s Gelen Robinson capped a 2nd straight undefeated season with his 2nd state championship. An impressive accomplishment that was just part of an amazing athletic career for this three sport stud. Perry Meridan’s Cody LeCount quietly put the cap on an amazing high school career with his second state title. LeCount won in his junior and senior seasons after finishing second during his sophomore year. Warren Central’s Deondre Wilson also won a second straight title when he bested Perry Meridian’s Brandon James. His junior year, Wilson bested Lowell’s Drew Hughes. The final two time champ was also the youngest. New Palestine’s Chad Red followed up his title at 106 in his freshmen year with a 6-2 win in his sophomore campaign at 120.
Indiana Legend Andrew Howe Completes Outstanding College Career – In a college career that spanned six years, former Hanover Central great Andrew Howe capped an outstanding run by finishing second in the 2014 national championship last March in Oklahoma City. The runner-up finish matched his 2nd place finish during his freshman year when he competed for Wisconsin. Howe won the national title in his sophomore campaign with the Badgers and added a third place his junior year before transferring to Oklahoma.


1395
Heart-warming end to senior night
By Kassie Barroquillo
k.barroquillo@gmail.com
 
KENDALLVILLE — Despite losing to Columbia City, 40-29, Wednesday, East Noble ended its senior night with a cheering crowd, a trophy, and an excited team — all thanks to a wrestler who has become the heart of the squad.
 
Senior John Herron pinned fellow senior Jake Weimer in an exhibition match immediately following the end of the Knights’ varsity meet. He has been on the wrestling team for three years. Herron has been the recipient of the team spirit award for the past two years; he is always one of the loudest people cheering for his teammates; and he has Down Syndrome.
 
Read More at
http://www.kpcnews.com/sports/article_01fa4fec-8297-5031-ac0b-4846fba9fb8e.html

2807
Hildebrandt facing training decision
By Tim Creason Tribune Correspondent
Over the years, tremendous athletes have trained in the wrestling room at Penn High School.
State champs. National champs.
 
But a contender for the U.S. Olympic Team?
Kingsman coach Brad Harper says, “Why not?”
Sarah Hildebrandt, a senior at King University in Tennessee, has to make her decision in the next couple months.
The defending women’s collegiate wrestling champion in the 123-pound weight class, Hildebrandt is going all-out to make the U.S. Olympic Women’s Wrestling Team in 2016.
It’s not a pipe dream. Hildebrandt, a 2011 Penn graduate, is ranked No. 2 in the nation in the 55-kilogram (121-pound) weight class by USA Wrestling. She’s a member of Team USA, and will be leaving for St. Petersburg, Russia, to compete in the World Cup this March.
Read more at
http://www.southbendtribune.com/sports/college/hildebrandt-facing-training-decision/article_c8c1d43b-241b-5dde-bbca-0845349b483c.html

4133
Penn graduate Sarah Hildebrandt taking a shot at wrestling in 2016 Rio Olympics
By Steve Krah
 
FORT WAYNE — Olympic hopeful Sarah Hildebrandt has a big decision to make in the upcoming months.
 
The Penn High School graduate and King University senior has to choose whether she will pursue her goal of making the U.S. women's wrestling team for the 2016 Rio Games by training at home in Granger or at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
 
"The two options are very even right now," Hildebrandt said Saturday, Jan. 10, while helping King to a second straight title at the National Wrestling Coaches Association Duals at Memorial Coliseum. "I kind of have to come to a decision within the next two months.
 
Read more at
http://www.elkharttruth.com/sports/high-school/wrestling/2015/01/12/Penn-graduate-Sarah-Hildebrandt-taking-a-shot-at-wrestling-in-2016-Rio-Olympics.html

1425
#6 Indiana Tech Finishes 7th
Zach Shore | @INTech_SID88
 
RESULTS | FORT WAYNE, Ind. – For the second straight year, the sixth-ranked Indiana Tech wrestling team took seventh place at the NWCA National Duals Championships with a 39-14 win over No. 10 Missouri Valley in Expos Center III at the Allen Country War Memorial Coliseum on Saturday afternoon.
 
For the first time in three matches at the event, senior 125-pounder, Kristopher McKinley took a 6-5 loss to begin the dual, but top-ranked 133-pounder, Mitchell Pawlak, returned from yesterday's loss with a fall in 1:08 to take a 6-3 lead. A pair of forfeits by the Vikings sandwiched a tech fall by MVC to give Tech an 18-8 lead.
 
Eighth-ranked 165-pounder, Jacob Johnson, recorded his fourth fall in five matches for another six points and junior Tyler Goldman followed with a 9-2 decision to make it 27-8 Warriors. Sixth-ranked 184-pounder, Darryl Grayson, and sophomore 197-pounder, Brandon Sunday, both recorded first period falls to seal the win.
 
The Warriors return to action next weekend, Jan. 16-17, when they travel to Marshall, Mo. to compete in the Missouri Valley Invitational.
 
To stay up-to-date on all things Indiana Tech, be sure and follow the Warriors on Facebook and Twitter. You can also get updates sent directly to your phone by registering for SMS updates.
 
Wrestling Contact: Zachary Shore | 260-422-5561 Ext. 2492 | zrshore@indianatech.edu
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2290
Wabash Fourth At National Duals, Second at Manchester
By Brent Harris
 
Wabash captured fourth place on the final day of the 2015 National Duals, while the remainder of the Little Giant team took second place at Saturday's Spartan Mat Classic.

Wabash advanced to Saturday's showdown of nationally-ranked Division III teams in the semifinals and finals of the National Wrestling Coaches Association's showcase event at the Allen County War Memorial. The Little Giants, ranked third in the latest NWCA poll, lost to second-ranked Wartburg 34-9 in the semifinals. Fourth-ranked Concordia-Moorhead edged Wabash in the finals 21-19 to take third place. Wartburg went on to defeat number-one ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater 20-13 to claim its fourth consecutive Duals title and ninth championship overall.
 
Wabash scored three decisions against Wartburg in Saturday's semifinals, with all three wins coming from the Lefever brothers. Reece Lefever, ranked fifth at 157 pounds by the NWCA, fought to a 4-3 victory over fourth-ranked Drew Wagenhoffer in their second meeting of the season. Wagenhoffer scored a 9-6 win earlier this season against Lefever at the Concordia Open.

"It's nice to avenge my only loss to another Division III competitor from earlier in the season," Lefever said. "Defeating Wagenhoffer shows I'm improving and doing the right things every day."

Twin brother Conner Lefever, ranked second at 174 pounds, scored an equally impressive win with a 7-6 decision against fifth-ranked Brandon Welter. Younger brother Riley Lefever scored a 6-3 win against Devin Peterson at 184 pounds.

The Little Giants battled back and forth against Concordia-Moorhead in the finals before the deciding final bout. The Cobbers opened with three consecutive wins before Nick Bova scored a pin at 2:31 of his 149-pound bout against Yonas Gebreab. Reece Lefever added four more team points to the score with an 11-1 major decision at 157 pounds versus Ben Cousins. Conner Lefever's 5-3 victory against Sebastian Gardner at 174 pounds put Wabash up a point at 13-12. Riley Lefever scored six points for the Little Giants when his opponent at 184 pounds, Dane Ringquist, was unable to continue their match due to an injury. However, the Cobbers scored nine points in the final two bouts to take the two-point victory and third place overall.

"I always look forward to wrestling talented competition, and every team at the National Duals is tough," Riley Lefever said. "I don't necessarily know each and every opponent I wrestle or their ranking, but I step on the mat with the same mindset --- to beat my opponent physically and mentally in order to score as many points possible. Looking back, you can always learn things from any match, but you learn more when you wrestle tougher opponents."

"While we would have preferred placing higher, we're happy to have improved from our fifth-place finish last year," Conner Lefever said. "All of the teams here are top-notch. We lost against two of the best teams in the nation. We look to get better so we can avenge these losses later in the season."

Wabash head coach Brian Anderson echoed his senior wrestler's comments.

"We learned quite a bit from last year's fifth-place finish and used that to perform better this year. While it's nice to know this year's team produced the highest finish in Wabash history at the National Duals, I know we are not satisfied with the overall result.

"This was a big weekend for many reasons but most important was putting these guys in the toughest situation possible to know exactly where we are at as a team. We know our weaknesses and our strengths after the last two days of battle which we will use to keep building toward our goals in March as individuals and as a team. Several different individuals stepped up in each of the duals, however all three Lefevers showed why they will be contending for individual national titles at the end of the year."

While several of the Wabash wrestlers competed at the National Duals in Fort Wayne, another portion of the Little Giant team wrestled at the Spartan Mat Classic at Manchester University. The Spartans won their home tournament with a total of 131 points, while Wabash took second with 87.5 points in the five-team event.

Pat Parham won the 149-pound individual title with a 3-0 record, opening with a pin at 2:04 against Manchester's Ryan Gossett. Parham fought to a 2-1 victory against Luis Godines from Mount St. Joseph University in round two before defeating teammate Mack Neal in the final by a score of 8-3. Neal took second with a 12-2 major decision over Paul Mikesell from Manchester before his loss to Parham in the finals. Jeremy Chen scored a 12-0 major decision against Gossett in the finals to take fifth place.

Christian Rodriguez won the 157-pound weight class with a 9-2 win over Alex Arney from Manchester before picking up a 5-4 victory over fellow Wabash wrestler Chance Brown in the finals. Brown advanced to the finals after scoring a 5-4 victory against teammate Jeff Mucha in the semifinals. Mucah took fifth place, scoring a pin a at 48 seconds in first match of the day against Joe Kammerer from Mount St. Joseph before adding a pin at 2:35 in the final versus Arney.

Jacob Cottey won a round-robin matchup at 133 pounds with three victories. He scored an opening round 4-2 decision over Chase Wilson from Manchester, followed by a pin at 4:48 versus Brennen Storey of Manchester in round three. A final pin round five gave Cottey the first place finish. Robbie Carter posted a pair of wins in the weight class to finish fourth overall. He pinned Storey at 3:45 in the second round before handing Cottey his only loss by a score of 5-2 in round four.

Mak Maldonado earned a third-place finish at 174 pounds, opening the tournament draw with a pin at 3:21 versus Taylor Ferrill from Manchester. After a two-point loss in the semifinals, Maldonado rallied for a 16-1 technical fall against Jack Knoll of Heidelberg before a forfeit by teammate Luke Davis provided the final victory. Davis advanced to the finals after a 9-5 win against Ferrill and an 8-6 decision over teammate Grant Gough in the consolation semifinals. Gough won his opening bout by a major decision of 13-2 against Knoll, then defeated him for a second time in the finals by a score of 7-0 to finish fifth.

Corey Hawk added a third-place finish in the round robin 141-pound weight class after scoring an 18-1 technical fall in the opening round versus Clayton Capes from Manchester. Nolan Fenwick won 7-6 in the consolation semifinals at 197 pounds on the way to a fourth-place finish.

The Little Giants return to action Saturday when Wabash will serve as host for the annual Max Servies Duals. Competition begins at 9 a.m. at Chadwick Court.

1313
Thunder Swept on Day One of Budd Whitehill Duals
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa.-- Trine dropped three matches on the opening day of the Budd Whitehill Duals, hosted by Lycoming College.
The Thunder were defeated by the 30th-ranked College of New Jersey 41-9, fell to Thiel 37-12 and concluded the day with a 42-3 defeat at the hands of SUNY-Oswego. Michael Conner (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville) provided a bright spot for Trine by winning all three of his matches at 197-lbs. Jeffrey Helm (Westfield, Ind./Westfield) added a victory in the 141-lb class. Trine falls to 1-6 in duals this season.
All three of Conner's victories were by decision. The junior started his day with a 3-2 win over Sigala Fosam (TCNJ), earned a 5-0 victory over Ryan Kenski (Thiel) and closed out with a 6-5 victory over Joe Gorusch (SUNY-Oswego). Conner improved his record to 15-6 on the season.
Helm added a convincing victory over Thiel's Nick Hart by a 9-2 decision. Helm now has nine wins in his freshman campaign.
The Budd Whitehill Duals will wrap up tomorrow. Trine's opponents will be determined when matches conclude today.
Box scores of all three matches can be found below.
The College of New Jersey 41, Trine 9
125- David Corrigan (TCNJ) over David Moore, Dec. 8-1
133- James Goldschmidt (TCNJ) won by forfeit
141- Ryan Budzek (TCNJ) over Jeffrey Helm, Maj. 9-0
149- Dylan Thorsen (TCNJ) over Cody Konieczki, Fall 4:53
157- Antonio Mancella (TCNJ) over Adam Boles, Fall 2:08
165- Kellen Whitney (TCNJ) over Jaycee Jensen, Maj. 14-4
174- Zach Zotollo (TCNJ) over Kerry Raab, Fall 1:07
184- Brandon Simon (TCNJ) won by forfeit
197- Michael Conner (Trine) over Sigala Fosam, Dec. 3-2
285- Lazarus Conley (Trine) won by forfeit
Thiel 37, Trine 12
125- David Moore (Trine) won by forfeit
133- Lance Waters (Thiel) won by forfeit
141- Jeffrey Helm (Trine) over Nick Hart, Dec. 9-2
149- Nick Sutton (Thiel) over Cody Konieczki, Maj. 12-4
157- Chris Nuss (Thiel) over Adam Boles, Dec. 9-3
165- Brandon Collins (Thiel) over Jaycee Jensen, Fall 3:34
174- Jordan Powell (Thiel) over Kerry Raab, Fall 2:36
184- Jerrold Roosa (Thiel) won by forfeit
197- Michael Conner (Trine) over Ryan Kenski, Dec. 5-0
285- Blake Heim (Thiel) over Lazarus Conley, Fall 0:21
SUNY-Oswego 42, Trine 3
125- James Ronca (SUNY-O) over David Moore, Maj. 11-3
133- Kevin Ramkishun (SUNY-O) won by forfeit
141- David Almaiva (SUNY-O) over Jeffreh Helm, Tech Fall 19-2
149- Mark Milisci (SUNY-O) over Cody Konieczki, Dec. 4-3
157- Abubakarr Sow (SUNY-O) over Adam Boles, Fall 3:22
165- Tyler Silverthorn (SUNY-O) over Jaycee Jensen, Tech Fall 19-3
174- Sean Maloney (SUNY-O) over Kerry Raab, Maj. 14-5
184- Scott Bova (SUNY-O) won by forfeit
197- Michael Conner (Trine) over Joe Gorusch (SUNY-O), Dec. 6-5
285- Dillon Hudson (SUNY-O) over Tyler Prater, Dec. 3-2

2006
Thunder Split on Final Day of Budd Whitehill Duals
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa.-- Trine split a pair of duals to finish 14th in the Budd Whitehill Duals, hosted by Lycoming College.
The Thunder defeated Case Western Reserve, 28-21, before dropping their final match of the tournament to Rochester Institute of Technology, 39-9. Michael Conner (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsvile) won both of his matches to finish the weekend a perfect 5-0. David Moore(Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion), Jeffrey Helm (Westfield, Ind./Westfield), Cody Konieczki(Jackson, Mich./Michigan Center) and Jaycee Jensen (Burns Harbor, Ind./Chesterton) added wins. Trine concluded their performance in the tournament 1-4. The Thunder are now 2-7 in duals this season.
Conner earned a convincing win by major decision, and prevailed 10-9 in a hotly-contested match over RIT's Jake Swearingen to wrap up an undefeated weekend. The junior is now 17-6 on the season. His performance in the Budd Whitehill Duals included four wins by decision, and one by major decision.
Helm and Jensen each added pins. Helm's performance in the Budd Whitehill Duals included two wins. Jensen's pin was the first of his collegiate career, and came shortly into the second period.
Moore and Konieczki each picked up victories. Moore's win came by 12-6 decision, while Konieczki controlled the entirety his match with a 7-0 decision.
Trine returns to action to action next Saturday, Jan. 17 at Elmhurst College's Al Hanke Invitational.
Box scores from both of today's matches can be found below.
Trine 28, Case Western Reserve 21
125- David Moore (TRINE) over Nate Lee, Dec. 12-6
133- Josh Hall (CWR) won by forfeit
141- Jeffrey Helm (TRINE) over Travis Alexander, Fall 5:24
149- Cody Konieczki (TRINE) over Kenny Gironda, Dec. 7-0
157- Adam Boles (TRINE) won by forfeit
165- Jaycee Jensen (TRINE) over Nick Tommas, Fall 3:22
174- Nick Lees (CWR) over Kerry Raab, Fall 1:35
184- Ahmid Katib (CWR) won by forfeit
197- Michael Conner (TRINE) over Cito Balsells, Maj. 10-2
285- Nate Lewis (CWR) over Tyler Prater, Dec. 7-3
Rochester Institute of Technology 39, Trine 9
125- David Moore (TRINE) won by forfeit
133- Kevin Palmeri (RIT) won by forfeit
141- Jake Sepor (RIT) over Jeffrey Helm, Dec. 8-4
149- Brad Maybille (RIT) over Cody Konieczki, Fall 1:18
157- Wonsik Kim (RIT) over Adam Boles, Dec. 10-4
165- Nicholas Greenquist (RIT) over Jaycee Jensen, TF 19-4
174- Tory Cain (RIT) over Kerry Raab, Fall, 1:56
184- Nick Fisk (RIT) won by forfeit
197- Michael Conner (TRINE) over Jake Swearingen, Dec. 10-9
285- Sam Weinger (RIT) over Tyler Prater, Maj. 8-0