High School News

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324
IHSWCA Update for August 20, 2009
IHSWCA members and the wrestling community:
The IHSWCA executive board would like to welcome all the student-athletes and teachers back to school.  I know personally it is an exciting time as I start making plans for another season.  Indiana had some excellent results this summer.  Many teams participated in the Disney Duals and the ISWA organized its annual summer trips including Cadet/Junior Nationals in Fargo.  Now that the summer tournaments have concluded, it is back to work.  Everyone should expect to see some changes this year from an association standpoint so stay on the lookout for information.
 
We do have some good news to announce.  The Scholastic Duals Tournament has been moved from Delaware to Wabash College in Crawfordsville.  The IHSWCA has been sending teams to this tournament for several years and are excited to have it in our back yard.  Thank you to Wabash College and Coach Brian Anderson for securing the event.
 
Secretary/Treasurer Minch, Vice-President McCormick, and I will be meeting later this month to review our by-laws.  I can tell you there will be changes made and you will be updated after this meeting.  We will be looking at things that have become antiquated and no longer serve the best interests of the organization.  We are also looking at changing some items such as when and how coaches of the year awards will be selected and presented.
 
This summer we became aware the NFHS was looking at weight classes.  It appears that a change would go into effect for the 2010-11 season.  The NFHS is studying three proposed options and a decision will come at a later date.  I am still exploring what role Indiana plays and how much input you as association members and our executive board has in the process.  We do have representation with the NFHS.  David Cloud of Pendleton Heights sits on the NFHS Board and Tom Miller of Lafayette Jeff is now our region director for the NWCA.  I personally believe an adjustment could help improve our sport and still be fair for our student athletes.
 
The ISWA recently held its annual budget meeting.  Many items were discussed and hopefully it will lead to improvements to our programs.  One significant change will be how Cadet and Junior Duals teams will be selected.  A new process has been proposed and is tentatively approved.  A few details still need to be worked out, but it will balance being fair with allowing some flexibility in forming competitive teams.
 
Cale A. Hoover
Center Grove HS, Social Studies Teacher, Head Wrestling Coach
IHSWCA President
ISWA Junior Director
Hooverc1@centergrove.k12.in.us
317-881-0581 ext. 1287
317-502-8796

425
Cadet FS results examined
As with the entire Indiana contingent, the Cadet Freestyle team had its share of successes and struggles. The brightest highlights included alleged cyborg Jason Tsirtsis’s dominant run through the 130 bracket, Mason Todd’s clutch victories resulting in an AA finish and Brendan Campbell rebounding from a tough injury earlier in ’09 to nab an AA spot. Other highlights included ‘just missed AA’ performances from Kyle Ayersman, Jared McKinley, Kirk Johnson and Sean Mappes. Lowlights included 14 wrestlers unable to win a match.
 
Tsirtsis blasted his way to the finals, ultimately dropping a tough match to Illinois state champ Edwin Cooper. Todd won a huge match vs. Clayton Ream of MO that secured his AA finish. Campbell managed to survive a brutal bracket en route to an impressive 8th place finish.
 
Although the overall results were not quite what Team Indiana envisioned, a break here or there and we have a few more AAs. Congrats to all the kids who made the trip and gave their best efforts.
 
Cadet-84 - Thomas Richardson (Lawrence Central), 0-2. Opponents' W/L 9-3.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state 2nd place @ 84. ISWA Folkstyle Cadet state runner-up @ 84.
Richardson lost to Billy Rappo of PA, who finished as the weight class runner-up at 84 lbs.
 
Cadet-91 - Derek Dau (Princeton), 0-2. Opponents' W/L 3-4.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state 4th place @ 91.
 
Cadet-98 - Riley Newkirk (Lawrence Central), 0-2. Opponents' W/L 5-5.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state 3rd place @ 98. Lost to 8th place finisher Cole Gallagher of MD in a very tight 3 period match.
 
Cadet-98 - Anthony Schoettle (Center Grove), 0-2. Opponents' W/L 4-4.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state 3rd place @ 105.
 
Cadet-105 - Mason Todd (Pendleton Heights) 7-2. Opponents' W/L 33-20.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state champ @ 105. ISWA Folkstyle Cadet state runner-up @ 105. Placed 7th in a very deep weight class. Beat Fargo double AA (5th in Greco, 8th in FS) Nashon Garrett of CA in the 7th place match. Beat FILA FS Cadet AA Joseph Barbato (5th place) of NY handily. Beat Fargo GR AA (6th place) and state runner-up Alex Calandrino of MI. Lost to weight class runner-up, '09 Cadet GR champ, JR Nationals FS champ '08, JR Nationals GR runner-up '08 and FILA FS Cadet runner-up Tyler Fraley of NJ. Also lost to 6th place finisher Tyson Dippery of PA.
 
Cadet-105 - Kyle Ayersman (Lake Central), 4-2. Opponents' W/L 15-9.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state 2nd place @ 105. '09 IHSAA 3rd @ 103. Beat Brant Schafer of MI, a 6th place finisher at '09 ASICS Jr./Cadet Folkstyle Nationals. Lost to GA's 5A 3rd place state finisher and 4th place finisher at '09 ASICS Jr./Cadet Folkstyle Nationals Jeremiah Lutz. Lost to 3rd place finisher Thomas Gillman of NE. Gillman was also NE-B State champ @ 103 and Fr. Nationals champ.
 
Cadet-112 - Aurelio Medina (Munster), 0-2. Opponents' W/L 15-9.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state 6th place @ 112. '09 IHSAA 8th @ 103. Lost to 7th place finisher Courtland Hacker of CO. Hacker was an '08 state 4A runner-up
 
Cadet-112 - Jared McKinley (Perry Meridian), 3-2 with a bye. Opponents' W/L 17-10.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state champ @ 112. ISWA Folkstyle Cadet state champ @ 105. Beat Iowa state champ and Southern Plains FS champ Sawyer Ferris. Lost to Kentucky state champ John Fahy. Lost to Fargo Cadet dual AA (4th FS, 8th GR) Derek Elmore of IL. Elmore was an '09 ASICS Jr./Cadet Folkstyle Nationals champion and an IL 3A state runner-up.
 
Cadet-112 - Brenden Campbell (New Castle), 5-3 with a bye. Opponents' W/L 27-17.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state champ @ 119. Finished 8th in a deep weight class. Beat MD's Nathan Kraisser, 7th place Cadet GR finisher, '08 4th place Cadet FS finisher, '09 FILA Cadet double AA (4th FS, 5th GR), '09 USAW NE Regional Double champ and Super 32 placer. Kraisser, who works with Cary Kolat, beat Mark Grey of NJ at Schoolboy Nationals in '08 and was a Maryland state champ last year as a freshman. Campbell lost to OH schoolboy stud and 6th place finisher Stephen Myers in a 3 period nail-biter. Also lost to IA's Eric DeVos, the weight's 3rd place finisher and IA-AAA 2nd @ 112 '09, MN-AAA state champ @ 103 '08. DeVos also finished 5th at the '09 FILA Cadet FS Nationals event. Lost to 7th place finisher Courtland Hacker of CO. Hacker was an '08 state 4A runner-up.
 
Cadet-112 - Jason Sipher (Fishers), 0-2. Opponents' W/L 3-4.
Notes: '09 SS qualifier. Lost to CO 5A state 3rd place finisher Cody Weitzel.
 
Cadet-119 - Garth Simpson (Rochester), 2-2 with a bye. Opponents' W/L 10-8.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state 4th place @ 119. ISWA Folkstyle Cadet state champ @ 112. Beat Rhode Island state champ Shoneil Lariviere. Also beat KS 5A 4th place finisher Aspen Kmiec. Lost to PA's Cadet Freestyle state champ Colt Cotten. Also lost to OR JR double champ Peter Russo, an 8th place finisher at Fargo Cadet GR last year. Russo was also a 3rd place finisher in OR's 6A state championship at 112.
 
Cadet-125 - Andrew Konrath (Mt. Vernon-Posey), 1-2. Opponents' W/L 6-6.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state champ @ 130. ISWA Folkstyle Cadet state champ @ 125. Lost to MO's John Wood, a 7th place finisher at '09 FILA Cadet Folkstyle Nationals.
 
Cadet-125 - Kyle Webster (Shirley, IN), 1-2.Opponents' W/L 10-5.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state 5th place @ 125. Lost to OK's 5A state 3rd place finisher Damien Hopper. Lost to 2nd place finisher Zachary Horan of PA. Horan also AA'd in GR (4th) in '08 and '09 and won a national title at Fargo Cadet FS last year. Horan finished 3rd at '09 FILA Cadet FS Nationals and was a schoolboy national champion. For good measure, Horan was a PA state 3A runner-up.
 
Cadet-125 - Riley McClurg (Beech Grove), 0-2. Opponents' W/L 11-5.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state 5th place @ 119. Lost to 6th place finisher Ben Morgan of MN. Morgan was an '09 ASICS Folkstyle national champion, finished 3rd at the same event in '08 and went undefeated at the '09 Cadet FS Duals. Morgan was also a MN 3A state champ.
 
Cadet-130 - Jason Tsirtsis (Crown Point), 8-1. Opponents' W/L 34-17.
Notes: 2009 IHSAA state champ @ 125. '09 FILA Cadet FS National champ. '09 ASICS Cadet Folkstyle National champ. 4th place '08 Cadet FS. Schoolboy FS National champ. Finished in 2nd place at the weight. Teched or won by fall vs. 5 opponents.  Pinned ID-3A 4th place finisher Benny Watt in 17 seconds. Teched AZ state qualifier Derek Allen. Teched 4th place finisher Zane Nelson of OH. Won by injury default against ID state champ and Cadet GR runner-up Casey George. Shut out IL schoolboy national placer Angelo Silvestro. Shut out 6th place finisher and high school state 5th place finisher Jared Kust of WI in two dominant periods. Lost two close periods to weight class champ and Illinois high school champ Edwin Cooper.
 
Cadet-135 - Matt Rattay (Lawrence North), 0-2. Opponents' W/L 2-3.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state champ @ 140. Lost to ASICS JR/Cadet Folkstyle Nationals 5th place finisher Payne Hayden of MI.
 
Cadet-135 - Alex Louzon (Beech Grove), 0-2. Opponents' W/L 3-4.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state 2nd place @ 135. Lost to NY’s Quinton Murphy, who became a high school state champ as an 8th grader.
 
Cadet-135 - Jeff Clark (Carroll) 2-2. Opponents' W/L 8-8.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state 3rd place @ 135. Lost to Brady Turnbull of WY, who placed 5th in Cadet GR ‘09.
 
Cadet-140 - James Frascella (Carmel), 1-2. Opponents' W/L 10-6.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state champ @ 145. Lost to weight class runner-up Brian Brill of PA.
 
Cadet-140 - Cameron VanCamp (Lebanon), 1-2.Opponents' W/L 7-6.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state 4th place @ 135. ISWA Folkstyle Cadet state 6th @ 135. Lost to Utah 4A runner-up Brian Shepherd.
 
Cadet-140 - Sam Horrocks (Bloomington South), 0-2. Opponents' W/L 5-4.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state 4th place @ 140. ISWA Folkstyle Cadet state 7th @ 145. Lost to IL Cadet FS runner-up Tad Hawley.
 
Cadet-145 - Ben Farmer (Bloomington South),  0-2. Opponents' W/L 9-5.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state champ @ 152. Lost to Liam Smith of ID, who was a 5A state qualifier and won a match at state. Lost to weight class 5th place finisher Zach Rohr of MN. Rohr was also an ASICS Cadet Folkstyle 2nd place finisher and a state 4A 4th place finisher.
 
Cadet-145 - Luke Smith (Munster), 1-2. Opponents' W/L 8-7.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state 5th place @ 145. Lost to Fargo Cadet GR AA (8th place) Jesse Baldazo of CA. Also lost to weight class 8th place finisher Micah Barnes of MN.
 
Cadet-145 - Kirk Johnson (Perry Meridian). 3-2. Opponents' W/L 15-12.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state runner-up @ 145. ISWA Folkstyle Cadet state 3rd @ 140. Lost to weight class 6th place finisher Victor Pereira of CA. Lost to weight class 4th place finisher and GR 5th place finisher Austin Breckenridge (#11 @ 140 WUSA SOPH/FR
 
Cadet-152 - Wayne Specht (Noblesville), 1-2. Opponents' W/L 9-4.
Notes: ISWA Folkstyle Cadet state champ @ 145. Lost to 2X triple crown winner and consensus national top-2 at his weight Taylor Massa of MI.
 
Cadet-152 - Nick Manning (South Dearborn), 2-2. Opponents' W/L 14-7.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state runner-up @ 152. ISWA Folkstyle Cadet state 5th @ 152. Beat MD 1A/2A 3rd place finisher Ben Culver. Lost to weight class 5th place finisher Cody Allala of VA. Allala was a 3rd place finisher at ’08 ASICS Cadet Folkstyle Nationals and a VA Cadet FS and GR champ and a HS state champ.
 
Cadet-152 - Tony Jehn (Beech Grove) 0-2. Opponents' W/L 3-4.
Notes:
 
Cadet-160 - Logan Sabik (Center Grove) 1-2. Opponents' W/L 7-5.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state 4th @ 152. ISWA Folkstyle Cadet state 2nd @ 145. Lost to ASICS Cadet Folkstyle Nationals 8th place finisher Jacob Morrissey of WI.
 
Cadet-160 - Charles Orzeske (North Central), 0-2. Opponents' W/L 4-4.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state 4th @ 160. ISWA Folkstyle Cadet state 7th @ 160. Lost to CO 5A state champ Austin Gabel.
 
Cadet-160 - Tanner Lynde (Delphi), 1-2. Opponents' W/L 7-6.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state champ @ 160. ISWA Folkstyle Cadet state 2nd @ 152. 2009 IHSAA state qualifier. Beat CO 4A 6th place finisher Marcos Peralta. Lost to Fargo Cadet double AA (7th FS, 6th GR) John Bolich of PA. Bolich also finished in 6th at the 2009 FILA Cadet GR
 
Cadet-160 - Sean Mappes (Center Grove), 4-2. Opponents' W/L 24-12.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state runner-up @ 160. ISWA Folkstyle Cadet state 4th @ 152. Beat IL Cadet FS runner-up Cody Weaver. Beat NY’s Mitchell Wrightman, a former schoolboy national champion who beat the weight class runner-up Sam Brooks from IL. Beat ’08 Fargo Cadet GR 6th place finisher and state qualifier Justin Irribarren of CA. Lost to weight class 6th place finisher Issah Meade of DE. Meade, working with Cary Kolat, also finished 5th at Fargo Cadet FS in ’08 and 5th in FILA FS Cadet Nationals ’09 and was a DE state champion this past season as a sophomore. Lost to weight class 3rd place finisher Jordan Thomas of MI. Thomas also finished 3rd in ’08 and was a state D2 runner-up to Taylor Massa.
 
Cadet-189 - Nathan Nethercutt (Logansport), 1-2. Opponents' W/L 10-4.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state 3rd @ 189. Lost to ’08 Western Regional Cadet FS runner-up Dylan Yole of AZ. Lost to weight class champion Austin Marsden of IL.
 
Cadet-215 - Scott Neff (Yorktown), 2-2. Opponents' W/L 12-8.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state champ @ 215. Neff lost to NJ’s 8th place finisher Willie Wilson. Lost to 2nd place finisher Nick Tavanello of OH. Tavanello was a 3rd place finisher at this summer’s FILA Cadet FS Nationals and a state 3A 3rd place finisher.
 
Cadet-285 - Teddy O`Connell (Mt. Vernon-Posey), 1-2. Opponents' W/L 7-6.
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state 3rd @ HWT. Lost to weight class 4th place finisher Doug Vollaro of FL. Also lost to FILA Freestyle Nationals 3rd place finisher Collin Campbell of NC. Campbell was a state 4A 6th place finisher.
 
Cadet-285 - Abraham Hall (Bremen), 0-2. Opponents' W/L 6-5.
 
Notes: 2009 ISWA FS Cadet state 2nd @ HWT. Lost to Fargo Cadet Double-AA (8th FS, 2nd GR) Caleb White of IA. White finished 7th at Cadets GR ’08 and 2nd at ASICS Folkstyle Nationals ’09 and was the IA state champ in FS and GR, as well as the state 1A 4th place finisher. Also lost to Max Kengle of Oregon, who was a state qualifier

561
Team Duals Highlight June Wrestling Action
Many wrestlers across the state of Indiana used the first half of their summer break to seek out the best competition possible across the nation. The majority of the wrestlers participated in dual formats with many guaranteed matches. Sometimes the results were not what everyone wanted, but the experience and training will pay off in the winter.
 
The first big event was the Schoolboy duals in Indianapolis for wrestlers aged 13 and 14 years old. Team Indiana entered two teams in the Greco-roman portion and two teams in the freestyle portion of the event held at Warren Central High School. Indiana 1 placed 17th in the Greco-roman division with a record of 3-4. The top wrestlers for Indiana 1 were Mitch Sliga(7-0), Clayton Fiddler(6-1), Chandler Carroll(6-1), Levi Moss(5-2) and Michael Bates(5-2). Indiana 2 had the same record as Indiana 1, but placed higher than Indiana 1, finishing in a tie for 11th place. Indiana 2 only had one standout wrestler in Charlie Baker who went 5-2. In the freestyle portion Indiana 1 finished in a tie for 13th place while Indiana 2 finished in a tie for 19th place in the tournament. Indiana 1 finished with a 2-4 record and Indiana 2 finished with a 2-5 record. The top wrestlers for Indiana 1 were Mitch Sliga(6-0), Michael Bates(5-1), Jake Sinkovics(4-2), Tommy Cash(4-2), Isaiah Bradley(4-2), Brennan Banet(4-2) and Daniel Funkhouser(4-2). The top wrestlers for Indiana 2 were Chandler Carroll(7-0), Luke Decker(6-1) and Kyle Garringer(5-2). Congratulations to Mitch Sliga who went 13-0 throughout the whole tournament to earn all tournament honors for both Greco-roman and freestyle. All of the young men that represented Team Indiana did a great job and look for them to be gracing the mats at Conseco Fieldhouse in the near future.
 
Next up was the Cadet National Duals in Rochester, Minnesota. The Cadet age group is for wrestlers aged 15 and 16 years old. Team Indiana did not fair too well in the Greco-Roman portion finishing with a 1-5 record. The top Greco-roman wrestlers were Scott Neff(4-0), Matt Rattay(5-1) and Sean Mappes(5-1). The Cadet freestyle team finished 3-5 and in 18th place. The freestyle team was led by Mason Todd, Brendan Campbell and Cole Vanhorn who all finished 7-1 on the weekend. Nick Manning also had a great tournament finishing 5-3.
 
Junior aged wrestlers traveled to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for their national duals. The Junior age group consists of wrestlers aged 15-19 years old and are enrolled in high school. In the Greco-roman portion Team Indiana finished with a 3-4 record and a 17th place finish. Cameron Vlahos lead the team with an undefeated record and earned All-Tournament honors. Other great performances include Chris Head, Will Mascaro and Drake Stein turning in 6-1 records and Huey Hudson finishing with a 5-2 record. The freestyle team finished with a 3-3 record and a tie for 12th place. Leading the freestyle team was Camden Eppert who finished without a loss and also earned All-Tournament honors. Other top wrestlers were Christian Lentz, Cashe Quiroga and Will Mascaro, who all finished with 4-2 records.
 
Lastly 16 teams from across the state ventured to Disney World for some great wrestling action at the AAU Disney Duals. Many teams from around the country participated in three separate divisions. The district division featured teams comprised of wrestlers from many high schools in a given district. The community divisions were divided into big and small schools with teams being comprised of wrestlers
 
[caption id=attachment_1022" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Westfield Vikings][/caption]
 
from the same high school with an allotment of three wrestlers from other schools. In the district division Indiana had only one team entered. Hoosier Elite based out of Bloomington finished 31st out of 37 teams. In the Community 1 division six teams represented Indiana with Penn Xtreme Gold finishing the highest. Other placements of Indiana teams were: Falcon Blue(Perry Meridian) 14th, McCutcheon18th, Columbus East 19th, Hamilton Southeastern 28th, and Bloomington South 29th. For the second straight year Yorktown captured the Community 2 title. They won the title in dominating fashion only letting one team get within 20 points of them and that was in the finals against Dakota out of Illinois. Other Indiana teams that wrestled in the Community 2 division were: Huskies(Hamilton Heights) 5th, Westfield 8th, Penn Xtreme Black 9th, West Noble 13th, Center Grove 15th, Penn Xtreme White 24th, Falcon Silver(Perry Meridian) 25th and Gold Greenwood 27th. Congratulations to all the teams on fine performances in representing the state at the Disney Duals. The top individuals from the Disney Duals are listed below with many wrestlers from around the state garnering recognition.
 
Click here for the Disney Duals top wrestlers

821
Disney Duals Top Wrestlers
Hoosier Elite
Josh Martinez (?) Silver  12-1
Derek Fisher (Martinsville) Copper 10-3
Jeff Weiss (Heritage Hills) Copper 10-3
Dillon Froehlich (Tell City) Bronze 11-2
Joe Arthur (Bloomington North) Silver 12-1
 
Falcon Blue
Jared McKinley Gold 12‐0
Jason Simmons Copper 9‐3
Kirk Johnson Bronze 10‐2
Jacob Tonte Gold 12‐0
Derek Harz Copper 9‐3
 
Columbus East Wrestling
Luke Schroeder Silver 12‐1
Billy Bryant Copper 10‐3
Ashton Brierly Bronze 11‐2
Aaron Stevenson Gold 13‐0
Mark Collett Silver 11‐2
 
Bloomington South
Terry Terrell Copper 6‐3
Darren Ends Silver 12‐1
 
Westfield Vikings WC
Parker Bankert Copper 8‐3
Brady White Bronze 6‐2
Sam Carnes Bronze 4‐2
John Floor Copper 3‐3
Logan Floor Copper
Lucas Rooney Copper
Drake Gunnia Copper
Danny Wohschlaeger Copper
 
Penn Extreme White
Blake King Bronze 6‐2
David Stevens Copper 5‐3
 
Yorktown HS
Brock Bevans Copper 6‐3
Jake Anderson Gold 9‐0
Devon Jackson Gold 9‐0
Andrew Hiestand Silver 8‐1
Cody Fellers Silver 8‐1
Caleb Smith Copper 6‐3
Jordan Dulaney Gold 9‐0
Kyle Mosier Silver 8‐1
Trent Castner Gold 9‐0
Jimmie King Gold 9‐0
Ross Janney Silver 8‐1
 
Huskies
Micheal Lovitt Silver 10‐1
Jarrid Logan Silver 10‐1
Zach Bowers Silver 10‐1
Wyatt Toller Bronze 8‐2
 
Hamilton Southeastern
Dan Maves Bronze 6‐2
Brent Roman Silver 11‐1
Matt Irick Bronze 10‐2
Pat Robinson Silver 11‐1
 
Penn Extreme Gold
Corey Hildebrandt Silver 8‐1
Alex Gregory Silver 8‐1
Grant Angdemeyer Bronze 7‐2
Tanner Lynde Bronze 7‐2
Austin Kunze Copper 6‐3
Andy Wiseman Bronze 7‐2
Braden Atwood Gold 9‐0
 
Center Grove Trojans
Nathan Carmichael Silver 5‐1
Justin Meredith Bronze 4‐2
Derek Harrold Bronze 4‐2
Anthony Schoettle Silver 7‐1
Clint plake Bronze 6‐2
Jordan Legan Gold 8‐0
Matt Milton Copper 5‐3
Spencer Hayes Copper 5‐3
Chris Kuehner Bronze 6‐2
Carson Sappington Bronze 6‐2
 
West Noble
Will Nelson Copper 5‐3
Kevin Marsh Bronze 6‐2
Travis Barquillo Silver 7‐1
Doug Rush Silver 7‐1
Jimmy Larowe Bronze 6‐2
Holden Tullas Silver 7‐1
 
McCutcheon HS
Bobby Floyd Bronze 7‐3
Alex Griffin Bronze 7‐3
Nathan McTegget Silver 9‐1
Cheney Dale Silver 9‐1
Tyler McCoy Bronze 7‐2
Matt Sumner Bronze 8‐2
Juan Cholula Gold 6‐0
Blake Ford Bronze 7‐3
 
Penn Extreme Black
Tony Stevens Silver 8‐1
Matt Rassbach Bronze 7‐2
Brian McClure Copper 6‐3
Cole Brandt Gold 9‐0
Eric Forest Silver 8‐1
 
Falcon Silver (JV)
Tyler Coxey Bronze 4‐3
CJ Martin Copper 3‐3
J Masengale Gold 6‐0
Logan Cooper Silver 5‐1
Nick Pamell Copper 3‐3
Jacob Armantrout Gold 6‐0
 
Team Gold Greenwood
Anthony Sparks Bronze 6‐2
Preston Wilson Silver 7‐1

392
Indiana's Junior Duals results: A closer look
While at first glance, the Indiana team's results at the freestyle Junior Duals this past week in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma might seem a little disappointing in some regards, it's important to take a look at the opposition. There were a number of marquee individual wins for the Indiana squad. The following is a rundown of the results of each Indiana wrestler. This is not a comprehensive list of all the wrestlers' accomplishments; it's the best I could do in an afternoon.
 
98 Paul Petrov (2-3 plus one forfeit win)
Beat: Drew Hunt (FL) and Hunter Bamford (NE)
Lost to: Joshua Rodriguez (CA-supposed to be a real prospect next season; buried behind teammate and 5th place state finisher Matthew Correa), Sam Brancale (MN-AAA 6th @103), Cory Clark (IA-AAA, State champ at 103, Cadet Freestyle 4th, Cadet Greco 6th, Cadet Folkstyle 1st twice)
 
105 Pat Parham (1-4 plus one forfeit win)
Beat: Nick Scheffert (MN-AAA state qualifier)
Lost to: Jack Hathaway (IA-AA 3rd @ 103), Thomas Gilman (NE-B State champ @ 103, FR Nat champ @ 103), Morgan Engbrecht (SD-A 3rd @ 103), Joshua Chua (CA)
 
112 Cody Kendle (2-4)
Beat: Justin Stevens (MN-AAA state qualifier), Clayton Steinmetz (SD-A 5th @ 103)
Lost to: Eric Devos (IA-AAA 2nd @ 112, MN-AAA state champ @ 103 2008), Andrew Riedy (NE-A State champ @ 103), Earl Hall (FL-3A State champ @ 103, Soph Nats Champion @ 103), Matthew Correa (CA 5th @ 103, Cadet Freestyle 6th)
 
119 Camden Eppert (6-0)
Beat: Trent Seck (MN-AA state qualifier), Jacob Colon (IA-AA 2nd @ 112), Caleb Franklin (NE-C State qualifier @ 119), Colter Steinmetz (SD-A 8th @ 112), Justin McKay (FL-AA State Qualifier @ 112), Estevan Cabanas (CA 2nd @ 112, 5th @ 103 2008, NHSCA All-American, 2009 Sr. Nationals champ @ 112)
 
125 Chris Head (1-2)
Beat: Dalton Dennis (FL-A 4th @ 119, FILA Cadet Greco 5th, 8th at Soph Nationals @ 119, beat Jordan Rinken @ Jr. Duals)
Lost to: Jordan Rinken (IA-AAA 2nd @ 119, Cadet Freestyle 4th, Cadet Folkstyle 3rd), Sammy Orozco (CA state qualifier in 2008)
 
130 John Petrov (1-4 plus one forfeit win)
Beat: Cody Tow (CA 7th @ 125, 6th @ 119 2008) HUGE WIN!
Lost to: Alex Peck (MN), Joe Colon (IA-AA State champ 125, 3rd Sr. Nationals @ 125, Junior Freestyle 5th, Junior Greco 4th, Junior Folkstyle 1st, Cadet Folkstyle 3rd), Seth Lange (SD-A State champ @ 125, 3rd @ Jr. Nats @ 125), Rossi Bruno (FL-AA State champ @ 119, Fr. Nat champ at 119, FILA Cadet Freestyle 4th, FILA Cadet Greco 2nd and 6th, Cadet Greco 2nd and 3rd, Cadet Freestyle 7th, Cadet Folkstyle 1st)
 
135 Cashe Quiroga (3-2 plus one forfeit win)
Beat: Mason Young (MN-AAA 3rd @ 130), Matt Rice (NE-A 3rd @ 135), Alan Alvarez (FL-AA state qualifier @ 135)
Lost to: Jacob Ballweg (IA-AAA State champ, undefeated at Duals, FILA Cadet 6th, Cadet Folkstyle 5th), Josh Keszler (SD-A state champ @ 119, 7th at 125 at Soph. Nationals, 2nd Jr. Nats @ 119, Junior Freestyle 8th)
 
140 Will Mascaro (4-2)
Beat: Mason Young (MN-AAA 3rd @ 130), Bart Reiter (IA-A State champ @ 135, 5th Jr. Nats @ 125), Christian Loges (NE-B State champ @ 130), Gabe Ramirez (CA)
Lost to: Tanner Donelan (SD-B State champ @ 130), Joseph Locksmith (FL-AAA State champ @ 130)
 
145 Bryce Schendel (2-4)
Beat: Skylar Galloway (NE-A 6th @ 125), Cole Mears (FL 7th/8th @ 145, Cadet Greco 4th @ 145)
Lost to: Steven Keogh (MN-AA Runner-up at 140, Soph. Nats champ @ 140), Matt Mougin (IA-AA State champ @ 145, Junior Folkstyle 6th, Cadet Folkstyle 5th), Derrick Walraven (SD-A 4th @ 130), Cody Rodebaugh (CA State champ @ 145, Jr Nats 4th @ 140, Cadet Greco 5th)
 
152 Sammy Bennett (2-4)
Beat: Matthew Rasmussen (NE-C State qualifier @ 140), Jesse Docken (SD-A 5th @ 135)
Lost to: Nick Tourville (MN-AA State qualifier), Michael Kelly (IA-AAA State champ @ 145), Kyle Gordon (FL-AAA State champ @ 140, FILA Junior Greco 4th), Tyler Sheridan (CA 7th @ 152, FILA Junior Greco 3rd)
 
160 Cameron Vlahos (2-3 plus one forfeit win)
Beat: Cody Tibbetts (MN-A Runner-up @ 152), Logan Molina (NE-A 3rd @ 152)
Lost to: Derek St. John (IA-AAA 3rd @ 160, Junior Freestyle 2nd, FILA Junior 1st), Kendrick Sanders (FL-AAA State champ @ 145, Jr. Nats 7th @ 145, Cadet Greco 1st, Junior Greco 1st and 1st), Jasper Loren (CA)
 
171 Drake Stein (1-4 plus one forfeit win)
Beat: Tyler Edwards (CA)
Lost to: Jordan Campa (MN-AA State champ @ 160), Michael Moreno (IA-AAA 2nd @ 160), Kris Klapprodt (SD-A 2nd @ 160, Fr. Nats. 3rd @ 135, Soph Nats champ @ 160), Lee Wildes (FL-AAA State qualifier @ 152, Cadet Greco 3rd)
 
189 Tim Buckingham (2-4)
Beat: Matt Degarmo (NE), Luis Alba (FL-AAA 2nd @ 171, Cadet Greco 7th @ 189, FILA Cadet Greco 4th)
Lost to: Ben Mcphail (MN-A Runner-up @ 171), Kyven Gadsen (IA-AAA State champ @ 171), Evan Murphy (SD State qualifier), Austin Morehead (CA 5th @ 215)
 
215 Nathan Cleveland (0-5 plus one forfeit win)
Lost to: Jay Reinke (MN), Cody Krumwelde (IA-AA State champ @ 215), Eli Vosler (NE-C 6th @ 215), Jay Taylor (FL-AAA Runner-up @ 189, FILA Cadet GR 3rd and 6th, FILA Cadet Freestyle 5th), Benjamin Holmes(Cadet Freestyle 4th) (CA)
 
285 Christian Lentz (3-2 plus one forfeit win)
Beat: Parker Betts (MN-AA State qualifier; lost to runner-up and 3rd place finisher at state), Zack Wilcox (NE), Alan Yen (CA)
Lost to: Austin Blythe (IA-AA State champ at HWT, Junior Folkstyle 3rd, Cadet Freestyle 5th, Cadet Greco 2nd, Cadet Folkstyle 1st), Donovan Green (FL-AAA State qualifier at HWT, FILA Cadet GR champ and 6th, FILA Cadet Freestyle 5th)
 
______=underlined wrestler denotes that the wrestler  earned seeding points prior to National Duals based upon past national placements. Most of these results I didn't list.

501
Leroy Vega Takes the Helm at Calumet College
[caption id=attachment_941" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Leroy Vega Head Coach at Calumet College of St. Joseph][/caption]
 
On February 15th Calumet College of Saint Joseph in Whiting announced that they would be starting a wrestling program for the 2009-2010 season.  CCSJ is a four year college in Northwestern Indiana that has an enrollment of just over 1,000 students.  The Calumet College Crimson Wave currently offers 19 sports that play at the NAIA level nationally.  The CCSJ athletic program is not even 10 years old, but has grown by leaps and bounds since they played their first athletic contest November 1, 2000.  With the announcement of another wrestling program in the state, came the anticipation of who will lead the Crimson Wave.
 
On April 14th, CCSJ announced that local wrestling legend Leroy Vega was hired to lead the Crimson Wave.  Right out of the gate CCSJ became a legitimate place for a high school senior to continue his wrestling career.  Vega comes to CCSJ with quite a long list of accolades.  At the high school level Vega won two Indiana state championships and won Junior Nationals in Greco and freestyle as a senior.  Vega continued his wrestling career at the University of Minnesota where he earned All-American honors three times, while the Gophers captured two national titles during his junior and senior seasons.  After graduation, Vega remained in Minneapolis as an assistant coach for the Gophers for two seasons under the tutelage of coaching great J Robinson.
 
After graduation, Vega and his wife moved back Portage to give back to the already tradition rich wrestling area of Northwest Indiana.  He has played a key role in the success of many of the region's elite wrestlers over the past few years while running his own wrestling facility.  This past season Vega took on a lighter load coaching to spend more time with his family, but when the Calumet College job opened up, it peaked his interest.  Vega commented "I have always dreamed about being a college head coach.  When this opportunity popped up in the Northwest Indiana area it was a dream come true for me and my family."
 
When asked about the rest of staff that will be assisting him Vega said, "At this point we are interviewing local coaches to help build a championship team.  It is very important to me to hire someone who has the same goals and visions that I do."  While the staff may not be set in stone just yet, the schedule is coming together nicely with the first dual meet in Calumet College history scheduled for November 10th at Wabash College.  Other matches that are on their schedule include the Michigan State Open, Little State Tournament, Midwest Open and Midwest Classic.  Vega stated that he plans on assembling a competitive schedule from the start.
 
[caption id=attachment_940" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Leroy Vega in action as a Minnesota Golden Gopher][/caption]
 
Calumet College will be only the fourth school in Indiana to offer wrestling scholarships, which will be a huge recruiting tool.   In response to the difference between NAIA and NCAA competition Vega said, "Really there is not much of a difference between NAIA and NCAA.  We actually have the same rules when it comes to wrestling.  We will be wrestling against many tough Division 2 and Division 3 schools in dual meets."  One neat thing about the NAIA level is that teams can take 12 wrestlers to the national tournament in 10 weight classes.  This means if a wrestler is not a starter, they can still go to nationals and even become an All-American or National Champion.
 
According to Vega, the wrestling facilities are top notch at Calumet College and they just built a new athletic facility to host duals and tournaments.  This is one selling point that will help keep some of the best wrestlers in the area.
 
Once hired Vega immediately hit the recruiting trail, going after seniors not only in "da region," but also across the state.  He has already signed wrestlers from Highland and state powerhouse Perry Meridian and looks to ink some other studs in the near future.  Vega was scurrying around the fairgrounds at freestyle state just last week scouting out not only this year's seniors, but also the upcoming top wrestlers in the state.  There is no doubt that many wrestlers will be looking to continue their wrestling career a Calumet College.
 
Lastly Vega commented, "I am working hard to build a wrestling program that will compete at the national level."  He also is very excited to get started and has learned a lot about building a program from the ground up from his college coach J Robinson.  Calumet College is lucky to have landed a coach like Vega to lead the program from the beginning.  Look for big things out of the Crimson Wave from the get go, as Coach Vega and crew will make a major impact on wrestling in this state.

499
Scott Vlink and Steve Harding Receive National Recognition
Indiana High School coaches Scott Vlink of Crown Point and Steve Harding of New Palestine both earned National Wrestling Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year awards. Vlink was the head coach of the state championship Crown Point Bulldogs this year. Along with the team state championship, the Bulldogs brought home three individual state champions. Harding won the Regional Assistant Coach of the Year award. Harding has coached wrestling for over 30 years and is a graduate of the University of Indianapolis. The Regional Wrestler of the Year award went to Ohio 4-time state champion and the nation's number one recruit David Taylor.  Congratulations to Coach Vlink and Coach Harding on earning these prestigious awards.
 
For more information follow this link
http://www.intermatwrestle.com/articles/4969

437
IHSWCA Update & Clarification of Open Room Policy
May 7th, 2009
 
IHSWCA Members:
 
On April 29th the IHSWCA Executive Committee met with Commissioners Ress and Cox of the IHSAA.  Four items of concerns were discussed as well as other topics and issues surrounding wrestling and high school sports in Indiana.
 
It appears as though two changes may be put in place for next season.  The first change would be made to the sectional scoring system.  Scoring would now begin at the quarterfinal round.  This concern was raised because 28 of our 32 sectionals have more than 8 teams.  It is now possible for points to be scored in the pigtail round because of getting fortunate draws.  In many cases teams are not only picking up these extra matches, but are receiving forfeits in them.  The hope is this change will make the sectional scoring system fairer to all teams.
 
The second change would allow teams to weigh-in 28 wrestlers in the team portion of the tournament series.  We are currently allowed to weigh-in 24, and the IHSWCA believe this was a change that could easily be made and would help the programs who advance in the team tournament series.
 
The open room policy was also discussed, and on Monday the IHSAA ruled on this policy.  We were told that the IHSAA would be looking into open rooms very closely because they are concerned about undue influence.  With Indiana’s decision to allow parents to choose the public school of their choice, the worry is recruiting will be an issue.  I want to remind all of members and schools that open rooms are for students of your school only and are voluntary.  You cannot invite kids from around the state to attend open rooms.  If you want to kids from other schools you must be a USA Wrestling (ISWA) or HYWAY club and every kid there must be a member as well.  If they are not you are in violation.  ISWA sponsored RTC’s are within the spirit of the rule as long as all participants are USA Wrestling card holders.
 
We were given some advice on this matter by the commissioners.  Do not advertise on IHSWCA.com or Indianamat.com as having open rooms where others are invited.  You need to come up with another name for the workout and make sure all participants are a club member (USA Wrestling or HYWAY).  I ask you as the Junior Director for the ISWA that you do not call them RTC’s unless you are an ISWA recognized RTC.
 
Cale A. Hoover
Center Grove HS, Social Studies Teacher, Head Wrestling Coach
IHSWCA President
ISWA Junior Director
Hooverc1@centergrove.k12.in.us
317-881-0581 ext. 1287
317-502-8796

726
Letter from IHSWCA President Cale Hoover
April 22, 2009
 
IHSWCA Members:
 
With great pleasure I assume the duties of president of our organization.  I would like to thank those office holders who have come before me.  I would like to thank Barry Humble of New Haven, for giving 2 years of service to the wrestling community.  I have learned a tremendous amount from those who have served before me, and I will lean on them heavily during the next two years.
 
The sport of wrestling has taken me on an amazing journey, which provides me with a somewhat unique vantage point.  I grew up in Albion, IN and attended Central Noble High School graduating in 1996.  Central Noble is a true small school, around 400 students most years.  The largest team at Central Noble during my four years their finished with 9 wrestlers.  I continued my education and wrestling career at Purdue University.  My wrestling career lasted about 2 years at Purdue before I decided to move on.  I graduated with a degree in Social Studies Education in 2001.
 
During my coaching career I’ve been fortunate to develop from several experiences.  I served as an assistant wrestling coach at Highland HS in Anderson, IN for 3 years and also coached freshman football for 2 years.  Highland was a great place to start, and I am grateful for having working with coaches Cary House and Kyle Poyer.  Hamilton Southeastern gave me my first head coaching opportunity in 2004, and I moved on to Center Grove in 2006.  I was asked to serve on the ISWA board in 2003 and have served as Cadet Director and now Junior Director.  I obviously have worked at some of the largest schools in the state, but I can tell you I have not lost the perspective that was gained from my days at Central Noble.
 
Two goals stand out to me at this time.  The first is to build our membership.  We all need to work at getting every wrestling coach in the state, high school, middle school, retired, etc. to join the association.  Increased numbers will make our organization stronger and give us more pull with the IHSAA.  Second, we must improve our communication.  One of our challenges is communicating with our lay coaches.  We have a high percentage of lay coaches in our sport, who do a great job, but who often do not receive items sent through the mail.  Also, not everyone frequently visits the association website.  We must utilize all available communication means which includes standard mail, email, and the IHSWCA website.
 
Our association has some important decisions to make in the next year.  We must decide what areas we want to focus on for our presentation in 2011.  The most talked about topics appear to be wrestle backs and class wrestling.  I can honestly tell you that we are not close to having either.  Wrestlebacks are more likely to pass, but at this point the odds are looking long against us.  Class wrestling greatly divides our wrestling community and we lack the consensus needed to move forward to the IHSAA.  In addition, the IHSAA commissioners have made it very clear that they are not in favor of expanding class sports at this time.  Despite this stance, I do believe a discussion on the topic has merit.  I believe the time is right for a survey in the next year to gather the perspective of the membership.
 
I have concerns about the current state of the organization.  Our 2009 election saw only 118 votes cast – or 33% turnout.  This has to improve if we are to have legitimacy in the eyes of the IHSAA.  Complaints have been made about the nomination process and also about current implementation of Regional Reps.  I can promise you that the nomination process at the Fall Clinic was done correctly and fairly.  Also, the Regional Rep idea was created to give members the opportunity to participate; however, much like our recent election, participation numbers remain low.
 
I look forward to serving as the association president.  Please contact me with questions, concerns, or ideas.  I want to begin better communication among us by expressing my belief that this position comes with an open-door policy.  With your help we can continue to improve our great sport in the state of Indiana.
 
Sincerely,
 
Cale A. Hoover
Center Grove HS, Social Studies Teacher, Head Wrestling Coach
IHSWCA President
ISWA Junior Director
Hooverc1@centergrove.k12.in.us
317-881-0581 ext. 1287
317-502-8796

397
2009 Scholastic Duals Results
The IHSWCA leaders organized another trip to the Brute Scholastic Duals this spring with the best underclassmen in the state on two teams.  Both teams wrestled very well with both winning their pools and advancing to the championship pool.  After the dust had settled, Pennsylvania Blue came out on top, while Indiana Gold finished 4th and Indiana Blue finished 5th.  Individually, two Crown Point wrestlers, Jason Tsirtsis and Eric Roach, finished undefeated on the weekend.  Tsirtsis wrestling at 125lbs finished with an 8-0 record with no opponents coming within five points of him.  Three other wrestlers finished with one loss, Frankie Porras, Sean McMurray and Braden Atwood.  Atwood avenged his only loss of the season to state champion Michael Duckworth by beating him 9-3.  Wrestlers that finished with only two blemishes on their record were Anothony Hawkins, Derek Bevans, Sammy Bennett, Aaron Stevenson, Ross Janey for Indiana Gold and Branden Nelson for Indiana Blue.  Congratulations to all of the wrestlers on a fine weekend of wrestling.
 
Click here to see the individual results.

575
Wrestler of the Week or Maybe Year?
This weekend dreams came true for 224 athletes in the state of Indiana.  For some it seems as routine as the sun coming up, for others it is something they have worked long and hard for.  This is just one of many great stories about a state qualifier this year.  As a coach, fan, parent or athlete, you can't help, but to cheer on kids like this.  Good luck to all the athletes at the state finals this Friday and Saturday.
 
By Phil Arnold


 

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

542
College Wrestling Survey
Hi Wrestling Fans,
 
I am currently working with the NWCA to find ways to enhance the sustainability of college wrestling and its programs. We are in the process of assessing the college wrestling schedule and we would love to get your opinion on a variety of related issues. In order to do this, we hope that you will take 5 minutes of your time to fill out our online survey (link below). Please let me know if you have any questions! Thanks so much for your time!
 
http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228NKWRHUSD
 
Coyte Cooper
Email: Coyte.Cooper@mail.wvu.edu

493
Final Regular Season Team Rankings
1. Mishawaka
2. Evansville Mater Dei
3. Crown Point
4. Cathedral
5. Perry Meridian
6.Castle
7. Yorktown
8. Merrillville
9. Bellmont
10. Portage
11. Lawrence North
12. Evansville Reitz
13. South Bend Riley
14. Carmel
15. Roncalli
16. Penn
17.Elkhart Memorial
18. Center Grove
19. New Palestine
20. Hamilton Heights
 
This will be the final regular season installment of the Team Rankings. The next rankings will rank the 32 Sectional Champions on Monday.

317
Pound for Pound Rankings 1/28/2009
IndianaMat.com Pound for Pound Rankings 1/28/2009
1.  Cashe Quiroga
2.  Sean McMurray
3.  Eric Roach
4.  Jason Tsirtsis
5.  Josh Harper
6.  Brandon Wright
7.  Steven Sandefer
8.  Marcus Shrewsbury
9.  Justin Brooks
10. Michael Duckworth
10. Briar Runyan
10. Camden Eppert
 
Honorable Mention
Braden Atwood
Kyle Mosier
Daniel Young

478
Toe to Joe with Daniel Young
[caption id=attachment_444" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Young Family][/caption]
 
This week's Toe to Joe is with Culver Academies' Daniel Young.  Young placed third last year at 130lbs and is currently undefeated this season wrestling at 145lbs.
 
1. How did you get started wrestling and how many years have you been wrestling?
I've been wrestling since I was 4. I began wrestling because my four brothers before I wrestled and had been successful or were obtaining success.
 
2. What other interests/hobbies/sports do you participate in outside of wrestling?
I like to read and listen to music. I also like to hang out with friends, and I love being outside; whether it be in the city, country, or a body of water.
 
3. Who is the toughest wrestler you have faced and why?
Probably Riley Adamson. He beat me up pretty good, and when we were younger he was the strongest brute I had ever wrestled.
 
4. What are your plans for after high school?
As of right now I plan on wrestling for West-Point, attending law school and hopefully getting into politics.
 
5. Round robin between you and your brothers who wins?
Ah. That's a good one. As of right now I would have to say Paul. But a lot of people don't know I have 4 brothers, and back in the day my oldest brother Jacob was probably the best so far.
 
6. What is the most memorable match you have wrestled and why?
Well that's hard because taking third at state was memorable, not only because it was the first time I placed but also because it made me hungry for the next year; however, I would have to say the first time I beat Alex Surma was cool because the kid had beaten me up the last 100 times we wrestled before throughout our childhood.
 
7. What is your favorite movie and what makes it so great?
I would have to say The Boondock Saints because it was made after my brother Paul and me.
 
8. Who is the most influential person in your life? Why?
I don't think there is just one influential person in my life so it's hard to say. My family, especially my father without a doubt has influenced me my whole life. But the most influential people in my life at the moment are my brothers Paul and John-Thomas. Paul I look up to on a day-day basis, his influence inspires me to work harder and push through adversity; he truly is one of my heroes. John-Thomas influences my life because of how smart he is and the capacity in which I look up to him. We share a lot of similar aspirations which makes it easier for me to learn from his intelligence on and off the mat; really he could ask me anything and I would do it.
 
9. Do you have any superstitions or routines when it comes to wrestling?
Oh yeah, some are religious others are small but one thing is I have to wear the same clothes for dual meets and tournaments throughout the season.
 
10. What makes wrestling so great?
Wrestlers are a rare bread. I love being able to say that I wrestle because of how much hard work it is and how I know that no one goes through what we do in the sport. Wrestling in my mind has become an intellectual sport, constantly allowing improvement and the ability to achieve greatness.

633
Wrestler of the Week 1/19 – 1/24/2009
Co-Wrestlers of the Week 1/19 - 1/24/2009


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

Crown Point Sophomore
 

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

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

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

513
From the edge of the mat....Hoosier wrestlers getting it done
It's your faithful narrator Dingo here for another round of updates on Indiana's finest wrestlers.



[caption id=" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="A warning for Reece's opponents][/caption]

 

Let's start with former Lawrence North standout Reece Humphrey. Reece has been nothing short of outstanding this season, and his list of accomplishments on the year keeps growing at a rapid pace.  On the heels of his exhilirating performance at the National Duals, Reece stormed past Hofstra's 9th ranked Lou Ruggirello 7-4, to keep his regular season record unblemished (Reece's loss to Navy's Joe Baker at the 2008 NWCA Classic doesn't count on his official record). His 'slam' of Ruggirello is garnering a lot of attention (Link to FLO-- http://www.flowrestling.org/videos/coverage/view_video/234547-sunday-brunch-ohio-state-vs-hofstra/129463-133-2-reece-humphrey-os-dec-9-lou-ruggirello-h-7-4 ), but Reece's control of the talented New Yorker is even more impressive. With MSU's Franklin Gomez's recent loss to Minnesota's Jayson Ness, Reece has joined Alex Tsirtsis and Angel Escobedo as Hoosier-bred wrestlers ranked number one in the entire nation at their weight class. It's hard to be much better than Hump has been this season. He's undefeated, minus the exhibition loss to Baker (Reece solidly beat Baker last season in Las Vegas). Humphrey controls his own fate regarding seeding for the Big 10s and NCAAs. His weight class is very tough and very deep, so it's unlikely that Reece will win out from here. Still, he's as likely as anyone in the weight class to win a national title. Hopefully, the world will be treated to some of Reece's break dancing on Saturday, March 21st.

[caption id=" align="alignleft" width="319" caption="A day at the office for Andrew Howe][/caption]

Blazing his own trail is Indiana's own Juggernaut, er Andrew Howe. Howe continues to confound much more experienced, physically mature opponents. This week's victim was Iowa's #3 ranked Ryan Morningstar, a junior. Howe survived double OT by a 4-3 count to eke out another impressive win against an elite upperclassman opponent. He followed that up with a dominant 16-5 boat race of senior Dom Marella of Northwestern. Howe somehow keeps improving as the season continues; a very rare trait for a true freshman at an upper weight. It's hard to expect a true freshman to finish as an All-American, but Howe has been so good that many observers feel that he will do just that in his debut collegiate season. One thing to watch for is Howe hitting the wall; the collegiate season is much more physically and mentally demanding than a high school season. If anyone can smash through the wall, it's the Juggernaut.

[caption id=" align="alignleft" width="310" caption="Alexander the Great][/caption]

Continuing the theme of Indiana wrestlers with #1 rankings this year, Alex Tsirtsis had a solid week of wrestling, although he suffered his second loss of the season as well. The loss was to Wisconsin's Zach Tanelli 5-1, and was the second defeat of Tsirtsis by Tanelli this season. Sandwiched around the loss to Tanelli were strong wins over Illinois' Ryan Prater (11-3 MD) and a 4-1 win over Oklahoma State's Jamal Parks. Parks is a stud, and we will be hearing his name a lot in the coming years. Alex looks to be in solid position for the postseason, and he's making a lot fewer mistakes this year. He's beaten just about everyone of note this year at 141, but the Big 10 is brutal and he will have to be mistake-free to take home that long desired national title. I like his chances, but, then again, I've always liked his chances, so take it for what it's worth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[caption id=" align="alignleft" width="284" caption="Fallen Angel][/caption]

The third Hoosier wrestler to attain a #1 ranking this season, Angel Escobedo had a tough week, losing to Penn State's Brad Pataky 4-3. While much has been made of Angel's bunged-up shoulder, and there's no doubt that a fully healthy Angel is not likely to lose to the likes of Pataky, I still saw flashes of last year's national championship form. It seemed to me that Angel was pacing himself, especially after tweaking his knee early in the match during a Pataky takedown. I'm probably in the minority, but I don't see this loss, nor the one to ISU's Clark, as being all that bad. He's still going to get a strong seed, unless his injury gets worse and he collapses down the stretch. Plus, the losses remove the target from his head a little bit.  Like all Hoosier fans, I'm hoping that he can just get through the regular season and Big 10s healthy enough to make another run at a title. Just last year he won an NCAA title with a bunged-up shoulder, so it's very possible he can join IU's Joe Dubuque in winning back-to-back titles, no matter what the pundits are saying right now.

 

 

 

[caption id=" align="alignleft" width="433" caption="The Indiana Headhunter bags more victims][/caption]

IU's Kurt Kinser continues to impress. The Indiana Headhunter (thanks, MattM!) has pinned or teched his last 3 opponents. He has just two losses this season, including a fairly close loss to last year's national champion Jordan Leen of Cornell, to go along with his 13 wins, including a win over top-10 Matt Moley of Bloomsburg, a win over top-20 Matt Dragon of Penn and a pin of top-15 Jason Welch of Northwestern. Kinser capped his week off with a spectacular tech fall of Penn State's Colby Pisani 23-8. KK took Pisani down at will, but was unable to manage any back points, earning Kinser a slightly rare 4 point tech fall. IU is going to need Kinser badly down the stretch; Kurt is a bonus points wrestler and IU needs every point from here on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[caption id=" align="alignleft" width="180" caption="IU Hoosiers][/caption]

Indiana and Purdue both performed very well this past week. Despite the stunning loss by Escobedo to Pataky, IU managed to tie Penn State for the first non-loss result vs. the Nittany Lions in IU's history. Huge performances by Kurt Kinser, Paul Young (a very impressive 4-1 winner over returning All-American Dan Vallimont), Trevor Perry (a key SV 3-1 win over #11 Quentin Wright), Matt Powless (a match-saving major over Clay Steadman) and Nathan Everhart (clutch 5-3 win over Cameron Wade) allowed IU to get off the schneid versus a pretty talented PSU squad. I thought Scott Kelly, Nick Walpole and Matt Ortega did a solid job, too, considering their very tough opponents. For the Hoosiers, this has been an up and down season thus far; the talent is there for a nice postseason run, but Andrae Hernandez must snap out of his funk and Paul Young must continue his season-long improvement, plus the  studs Escobedo and Kinser will have to score a lot of points. Regardless of how the season finishes for IU, they can savor this result versus Penn State. Well done, fellas.

 

[caption id=" align="alignleft" width="211" caption="Purdue Boilermakers][/caption]

 

Not to be outdone by the Hoosiers, Purdue followed IU's tie of Penn State with a tie of their own versus the Lions. Some highlights include Nick Corpe very nearly beating #11 Wright, losing 6-4 in Sudden Victory, and former Winamac HS wrestler Chris Kasten beating Wade 6-2 to clinch the tie.

Purdue has had a very good season and seems to be surging. While the clear stars of the team are Luke Manual and Jake Patascil, guys like Corpe, Kasten and Jason Martin are fully capable of getting hot and making a postseason run. Matt Hemry is also having a nice debut season. Purdue looks to continue their improvement with a deep class of elite Indiana recruits to join their very youthful roster. Watch out for the Boilers in a couple of years.

The following Indiana wrestlers are ranked in D1:
Intermat rankings:
125 #6 Angel Escobedo IU
133 #1 Reece Humphrey OSU
141 #2 Alex Tsirtsis Iowa
157 #12 Kurt Kinser IU
165 #10 Andrew Howe Wisconsin
184 #15 Alex Dolly UNI


RevWrestling rankings:
125 #6 Escobedo
133 #2 Humphrey
141 #2 Tsirtsis
165 #8 Howe


AWN rankings:
125 #5 Escobedo
133 #1 Humphrey
141 #3 Tsirtsis
157 #12 Kinser IU
165 #12 Howe


WIN rankings:
125 #7 Escobedo
133 #1 Humphrey
141 #2 Tsirtsis
157 #11 Kinser
165 #6 Howe
165 #20 Paul Young (IU)

 Lastly, I wanted to give a list of the W/L records for all D1 wrestlers from Indiana.
Alex Tsirtsis-Iowa- (18-2)
Alex Dolly-Northern Iowa- (4-3)
Jamal Lawrence-Northern Iowa- (9-8)
Casey Caldwell-Navy- (22-11)
Eric McGill-Cornell- (3-6)
Travis Dale-Cornell- (7-7)
Ian Hinton-MSU- (14-10)
Andrew Howe-Wisconsin- (15-4)
Eric Galka-Northwestern- (5-3)
Reece Humphrey-Ohio St. (19-0)
Garrett James-Northern Illinois- (0-3)
Brian Deutsch-Northern Illinois- (15-8)
Peter Deutsch-George Mason- (0-0)
Andrew Szymborski-VMI- (7-7)
Chandler Coffey-IU- (3-2)
Matt Coughlin-IU- (16-7)
Angel Escobedo-IU- (13-2)
Wesley Fike-IU- (4-6)
Andrae Hernandez-IU- (12-7)
Scott Kelly-IU- (15-14)
Kurt Kinser-IU- (13-2)
Justin Kuhn-IU- (11-8)
George Malone-IU- (10-8)
Seth Parker-IU- (6-3)
Matt Powless-IU- (15-8)
Cooper Samuels-IU- (7-6)
Kyle Samuels-IU- (2-3)
Christopher Tanner-IU- (1-6)
Nick Viterisi-IU- (10-8)
Nick Walpole-IU- (21-13)
Alex Warren-IU- (10-8)
Paul Young-IU- (23-7)
Tommy Churchard-PU- (0-0 RS)
Nick Corpe-PU- (9-6)
Brennan Cosgrove-PU- (0-0 RS)
Matt Fields-PU- (9-3)
Jake Fleckenstein-PU- (8-5)
David Goodman-PU- (0-0)
Matt Hemry-PU- (6-4)
Chris Kasten-PU- (17-7)
Orrin Kleinhenz-PU- (0-0)
Jason Martin-PU- (16-6)
Sam Patacsil-PU- (2-2)
George Petrov-PU- (0-0)
Roger Vukobratovich-PU- (10-4)
Ethan Winel-Tenn. Chattanooga- (8-10)
Wilson Williams-Del. St.- (3-7)
569
NorthEast Corner Conference Brackets
Team Results
1 201.00 Prairie Heights
2 200.00 Angola
3 196.00 Fairfield
4 169.00 West Noble
5 168.50 Churubusco
6 142.50 Westview
7 131.00 Lakeland
8 92.00 Eastside
9 46.00 Central Noble
10 43.50 Fremont
Click here to view completed NECC brackets
 
 
Click here to view NECC brackets
 
Teams include: Angola, Central Noble, Churubusco, Eastside, Fairfield, Fremont, Hamilton, Lakeland, Prairie Heights, West Noble, Westview

502
Indianapolis Public Athletic Conference Brackets
Click here for IPAC brackets
 
Teams include: Indianapolis Arlington, Indianapolis Arsenal Technical, Indianapolis Broad Ripple, Indianapolis Manual, Indianapolis Northwest
 
***Note: I will get the full 103lbs weight class updated later.

541
Pocket Athletic Conference Brackets
Click here for PAC brackets
 
Teams include: Forest Park, Gibson Southern, Heritage Hills, North Posey, Pike Central, Southridge, South Spencer, Tecumseh, Tell City.

495
Hoosier Crossroads Conference Brackets
Click here for HCC brackets
 
Teams include: Avon, Brownsburg, Fishers, Hamilton Southeastern, Harrison (West Lafayette), Lafayette Jefferson, McCutcheon, Noblesville, Westfield, Zionsville.

465
Northwest Crossroads Conference Brackets
Click here for NCC brackets
 
Teams include: Andrean, Griffith, Highland, Hobart, Kankakee Valley, Lowell, Munster

425
North Central Confernce Brackets
Click here for NCC brackets
 
Teams include: Anderson, Huntington North, Kokomo, Logansport, Marion, Muncie Central, New Castle, Richmond

402
Three Rivers Conference Brackets
Click here for TRC brackets
 
Teams include: Manchester, Northfield, North Miami, Rochester, Southwood, Tippecanoe Valley, Wabash, Whitko

508
Southern Indiana Athletic Conference
Click here for SIAC brackets
 
Teams include: Castle, Evansville Bosse, Evansville Central, Evansville Harrison, Evansville Mater Dei, Evansville Memorial, Evansville North, Evansville Reitz.