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3454
13 Cadets Alive After One Day of Freestyle
Indiana had 13 Cadet Freestyle wrestlers alive after the first day of action at Fargo. Leading the way are an impressive seven quarter-finalists. Those wrestlers will have to only win one of their next to matches to secure a spot on the podium. The six wrestlers in the consolations will need to win two or three matches to earn a podium spot. The Mount Vernon Mighty Mouse Paul Konrath has been impressive with two tech falls and a decision at 106lbs. Incoming Mater Dei stud, Joe Lee has three tech falls on the day as does older brother Nick at 120lbs and 132lbs respectively. Sandwiched between the Lee's is Chad Red, who also has spent minimal time on the match with two tech falls and two pins. State runner-up Jacob Covaciu has three tech falls of his own. The Flying Eagle Jacob Gray has had a couple wild matches including a 22-20 win in the round of 16. Lastly, Kobe Woods has won both his matches handily while looking for the double this week.
 
Others alive in the consolation include: Alec White at 100lbs, Noah Warren and Evan Eldred at 132lbs, Brett Johnson at 138lbs, Brendan Sutton at 285lbs, and Cameron Wetli at 220lbs. Unfortunately both Warren and Eldred will wrestle first thing tomorrow and one of them will be eliminated.
 
 
 
2014 USAW Cadet Men`s FS Nationals Results for Indiana
Cadet 100 - Alec White's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Alec White (Indiana) won by decision over Sam Webster (Minnesota) (Dec 9-6)
Champ. Round 2 - Boo Dryden (Kansas) won by decision over Alec White (Indiana) (Dec 6-2)
Cons. Round 2 - Alec White (Indiana) won by tech fall over Trevor Fauver (Nebraska) (TF 10-0)
Cons. Round 3 - Alec White (Indiana) won by tech fall over Jonathan McMillan (Washington) (TF 10-0)
Cons. Round 4 - Alec White (Indiana) won by fall over Javier Ortiz (Arizona) (Fall 1:36)
 
Cadet 106 - Paul Konrath's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Paul Konrath (Indiana) won by tech fall over Jeremy Schoenherr (Wisconsin) (TF 11-0)
Champ. Round 2 - Paul Konrath (Indiana) won by tech fall over Braxton Balmforth (Idaho) (TF 10-0)
Champ. Round 3 - Paul Konrath (Indiana) won by decision over Jake Gliva (Minnesota) (Dec 5-2)
 
Cadet 106 - Trevor Lindsey's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Zach Reece (Colorado) won by decision over Trevor Lindsey (Indiana) (Dec 7-2)
Cons. Round 1 - Wes Arhberg (Oklahoma) won by tech fall over Trevor Lindsey (Indiana) (TF 14-1)
 
Cadet 113 - Tim Gensimore's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Tim Gensimore (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - JohnLuke DeStefano (New York) won by tech fall over Tim Gensimore (Indiana) (TF 10-0)
Cons. Round 2 - Tanner Pasvogal (Minnesota) won by tech fall over Tim Gensimore (Indiana) (TF 10-0)
 
Cadet 113 - Kadin Poe's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Kadin Poe (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Edward Chalifoux (Tennessee) won by tech fall over Kadin Poe (Indiana) (TF 10-0)
Cons. Round 2 - Dustin Hatfield (Wisconsin) won by tech fall over Kadin Poe (Indiana) (TF 20-9)
 
Cadet 113 - Miguel Prado's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Jacob Anderson (Wisconsin) won by tech fall over Miguel Prado (Indiana) (TF 15-5)
Cons. Round 1 - Miguel Prado (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 - Miguel Prado (Indiana) won by decision over Jack Kelly (Colorado) (Dec 15-10)
Cons. Round 3 - Trae Vasquez (Montana) won by tech fall over Miguel Prado (Indiana) (TF 10-0)
 
Cadet 113 - Kyle Hatch's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Zachary Beckner (Virginia) won by decision over Kyle Hatch (Indiana) (Dec 11-6)
Cons. Round 1 - Kyle Hatch (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 - Kyle Hatch (Indiana) won by fall over Randy Cazales (New York) (Fall 1:58)
Cons. Round 3 - Kyle Hatch (Indiana) won by decision over Kyle Rathman (Minnesota) (Dec 10-8)
Cons. Round 4 - Keaton Shorr (Minnesota) won by tech fall over Kyle Hatch (Indiana) (TF 12-2)
 
Cadet 120 - Tyler Futrell's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Tyler Futrell (Indiana) won by decision over Aaron Goodrich (Oklahoma) (Dec 10-1)
Champ. Round 2 - Dakota Galt (South Dakota) won by tech fall over Tyler Futrell (Indiana) (TF 10-0)
Cons. Round 2 - Tyler Futrell (Indiana) won by decision over Tommy Stager (Colorado) (Dec 10-4)
Cons. Round 3 - Brandon Tenney (West Virginia) won by fall over Tyler Futrell (Indiana) (Fall 5:10)
 
Cadet 120 - Austen Laughlin's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Austen Laughlin (Indiana) won by tech fall over Jakob Discher (Utah) (TF 14-3)
Champ. Round 2 - Mason Kauffman (Wisconsin) won by tech fall over Austen Laughlin (Indiana) (TF 12-2)
Cons. Round 2 - Austen Laughlin (Indiana) won by tech fall over Bataa Douglas (Texas) (TF 14-3)
Cons. Round 3 - Josh Pokorny (Nebraska) won by tech fall over Austen Laughlin (Indiana) (TF 21-10)
 
Cadet 120 - Gaige Torres's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Anthony Argentieri (New York) won by decision over Gaige Torres (Indiana) (Dec 12-9)
Cons. Round 1 - Gaige Torres (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 - Gaige Torres (Indiana) won by tech fall over Hunter Wardell (Wisconsin) (TF 16-5)
Cons. Round 3 - Gaige Torres (Indiana) won by fall over Dillon Cravens (California) (Fall 1:07)
Cons. Round 4 - Gaige Torres (Indiana) won by tech fall over Caleb Call (Idaho) (TF 16-5)
Cons. Round 5 - Nathan Johnson (Oregon) won by decision over Gaige Torres (Indiana) (Dec 11-8)
 
Cadet 120 - Joe Lee's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Joe Lee (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Joe Lee (Indiana) won by tech fall over Hector Candelavia (Puerto Rico) (TF 10-0)
Champ. Round 3 - Joe Lee (Indiana) won by tech fall over Calvin Germinaro (Minnesota) (TF 10-0)
Champ. Round 4 - Joe Lee (Indiana) won by tech fall over Wyatt Long (Pennsylvania) (TF 10-0)
 
Cadet 120 - Michael Polen's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Gerime Meier (Colorado) won by tech fall over Michael Polen (Indiana) (TF 10-0)
Cons. Round 1 - Michael Polen (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 - Parker Wahl (North Dakota) won by tech fall over Michael Polen (Indiana) (TF 10-0)
 
Cadet 126 - Tondrew Tyler's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Tondrew Tyler (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Logan Wilson (Maryland) won by tech fall over Tondrew Tyler (Indiana) (TF 16-6)
Cons. Round 2 - Dalton Wagner (Minnesota) won by fall over Tondrew Tyler (Indiana) (Fall 2:54)
 
Cadet 126 - Chad Red's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Chad Red (Indiana) won by fall over Marco Ramirezlazos (California) (Fall 1:15)
Champ. Round 2 - Chad Red (Indiana) won by fall over Glenn Beardsley (Michigan) (Fall 1:10)
Champ. Round 3 - Chad Red (Indiana) won by tech fall over Trevor Elfvin (Pennsylvania) (TF 10-0)
Champ. Round 4 - Chad Red (Indiana) won by tech fall over Andrew Mehrholz (Illinois) (TF 12-0)
 
Cadet 132 - Noah Warren's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Noah Warren (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Jaime Hernandez (Illinois) won by tech fall over Noah Warren (Indiana) (TF 12-2)
Cons. Round 2 - Noah Warren (Indiana) won by tech fall over Jonhanta Parrilla (Puerto Rico) (TF 10-0)
Cons. Round 3 - Noah Warren (Indiana) won by fall over Tanner Prochaska (Minnesota) (Fall 1:06)
Cons. Round 4 - Noah Warren (Indiana) won by tech fall over Jacob Franek (North Dakota) (TF 12-2)
Cons. Round 5 - Noah Warren (Indiana) won by decision over Dale Tiongson (Maryland) (Dec 14-10)
 
Cadet 132 - Nick Lee's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Nick Lee (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Nick Lee (Indiana) won by tech fall over Victor Kenderdine (Pennsylvania) (TF 11-0)
Champ. Round 3 - Nick Lee (Indiana) won by tech fall over Jake Adler (California) (TF 13-3)
Champ. Round 4 - Nick Lee (Indiana) won by tech fall over Ryan Epps (Minnesota) (TF 13-2)
 
Cadet 132 - Evan Eldred's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Evan Eldred (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Evan Eldred (Indiana) won by tech fall over Rhys Zigich (New Jersey) (TF 11-0)
Champ. Round 3 - Evan Eldred (Indiana) won by tech fall over Lucas Schaf (Pennsylvania) (TF 18-7)
Champ. Round 4 - Jaron Chavez (Idaho) won by tech fall over Evan Eldred (Indiana) (TF 13-3)
 
Cadet 132 - Blake Green's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Blake Green (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Trysten Perales (Washington) won by tech fall over Blake Green (Indiana) (TF 15-4)
Cons. Round 2 - Blake Green (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 3 - Jake Allar (Minnesota) won by tech fall over Blake Green (Indiana) (TF 10-0)
 
Cadet 138 - Brett Johnson's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Brett Johnson (Indiana) won by decision over Jess Karber (South Dakota) (Dec 13-7)
Champ. Round 2 - Dominick Demas (Ohio) won by fall over Brett Johnson (Indiana) (Fall 0:20)
Cons. Round 2 - Brett Johnson (Indiana) won by tech fall over Ryan Clark (Minnesota) (TF 10-0)
Cons. Round 3 - Brett Johnson (Indiana) won by tech fall over Hayden Schrull (Montana) (TF 10-0)
Cons. Round 4 - Brett Johnson (Indiana) won by tech fall over Juan Rodriguez (Colorado) (TF 15-4)
Cons. Round 5 - Brett Johnson (Indiana) won by decision over Zack Lebarron (Pennsylvania) (Dec 20-13)
 
Cadet 138 - Johnny Loos's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Johnny Loos (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Johnny Loos (Indiana) won by tech fall over Brett Fedewa (Michigan) (TF 14-4)
Champ. Round 3 - Hunter Bolen (Virginia) won by tech fall over Johnny Loos (Indiana) (TF 11-0)
Cons. Round 4 - Zack Lebarron (Pennsylvania) won by tech fall over Johnny Loos (Indiana) (TF 10-0)
 
Cadet 138 - Cody Widner's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Cody Widner (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Andrew Mergen (Minnesota) won by tech fall over Cody Widner (Indiana) (TF 11-0)
Cons. Round 2 - Cody Widner (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 3 - Owen Pentz (Utah) won by tech fall over Cody Widner (Indiana) (TF 14-4)
 
Cadet 145 - Steven Lawrence's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Steven Lawrence (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Clay Arellano (New Mexico) won by tech fall over Steven Lawrence (Indiana) (TF 18-7)
Cons. Round 2 - Steven Lawrence (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 3 - Steven Lawrence (Indiana) won by tech fall over Victor Marcelli (Ohio) (TF 13-2)
Cons. Round 4 - Steven Lawrence (Indiana) won by tech fall over Jace Brownlee (Oklahoma) (TF 19-9)
Cons. Round 5 - Braeden Redlin (Texas) won by fall over Steven Lawrence (Indiana) (Fall 3:43)
 
Cadet 145 - Cameron Amos's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Cameron Amos (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Thomas Stevenson (Hawaii) won by tech fall over Cameron Amos (Indiana) (TF 10-0)
Cons. Round 2 - Brandon Kui (New Jersey) won by tech fall over Cameron Amos (Indiana) (TF 10-0)
 
Cadet 145 - Jacob Covaciu's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Jacob Covaciu (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Jacob Covaciu (Indiana) won by tech fall over Mack Berkowitz (New York) (TF 11-0)
Champ. Round 3 - Jacob Covaciu (Indiana) won by tech fall over Christian Bahl (Minnesota) (TF 10-0)
Champ. Round 4 - Jacob Covaciu (Indiana) won by tech fall over Frank Garcia (Wisconsin) (TF 12-2)
 
Cadet 152 - Stosh Sitkowski's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Tanner Wall (Oklahoma) won by tech fall over Stosh Sitkowski (Indiana) (TF 10-0)
Cons. Round 1 - Brooks Schrimsher (Alabama) won by fall over Stosh Sitkowski (Indiana) (Fall 2:13)
 
Cadet 152 - Noah Cressell's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Nathaniel Morris (Illinois) won by tech fall over Noah Cressell (Indiana) (TF 12-1)
Cons. Round 1 - Nick Bushey (New York) won by fall over Noah Cressell (Indiana) (Fall 1:58)
 
Cadet 160 - Jacob Hendrich's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Jacob Hendrich (Indiana) won by tech fall over Huntor Ross (Maryland) (TF 12-2)
Champ. Round 2 - Drake McKee (California) won by fall over Jacob Hendrich (Indiana) (Fall 5:50)
Cons. Round 2 - Tyler Selemaea (Missouri) won by tech fall over Jacob Hendrich (Indiana) (TF 18-6)
 
Cadet 160 - Jacob Gray's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Jacob Gray (Indiana) won by tech fall over Josh Ramirez (Louisiana) (TF 12-2)
Champ. Round 2 - Jacob Gray (Indiana) won by decision over Mason McDaniel (Washington) (Dec 14-9)
Champ. Round 3 - Jacob Gray (Indiana) won by decision over Kevin Parker (New York) (Dec 22-20)
 
Cadet 170 - Ismael Cornejo's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Erick Schwark (California) won by tech fall over Ismael Cornejo (Indiana) (TF 13-3)
Cons. Round 1 - Ismael Cornejo (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 - Ismael Cornejo (Indiana) won by decision over Eric Hansen (New York) (Dec 11-2)
Cons. Round 3 - Tyler Stepic (Ohio) won by fall over Ismael Cornejo (Indiana) (Fall 2:03)
 
Cadet 170 - Peyton Halbig's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Frank Guida (Pennsylvania) won by tech fall over Peyton Halbig (Indiana) (TF 10-0)
Cons. Round 1 - Peyton Halbig (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 - Jacob Scherber (Minnesota) won by tech fall over Peyton Halbig (Indiana) (TF 10-0)
 
Cadet 182 - Alex Ragains's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Alex Ragains (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - John Jakobsen (Pennsylvania) won by tech fall over Alex Ragains (Indiana) (TF 10-0)
Cons. Round 2 - Alex Ragains (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 3 - Evan Foster (Minnesota) won by decision over Alex Ragains (Indiana) (Dec 9-4)
 
Cadet 195 - Kobe Woods's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Kobe Woods (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Kobe Woods (Indiana) won by decision over A`lii Loyola (Missouri) (Dec 11-5)
Champ. Round 3 - Kobe Woods (Indiana) won by tech fall over Ahmad Doucet (Ohio) (TF 12-2)
 
Cadet 195 - Jacob Cavins's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Jacob Cavins (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Bailey Kelly (Kansas) won by tech fall over Jacob Cavins (Indiana) (TF 10-0)
Cons. Round 2 - Jacob Cavins (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 3 - Samuel Rice (Pennsylvania) won by injury default over Jacob Cavins (Indiana) (Inj. 0:00)
 
Cadet 220 - Cameron Wetli's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Cameron Wetli (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Cameron Wetli (Indiana) won by decision over Aaron (Parker) Adair (Oregon) (Dec 14-8)
Champ. Round 3 - Casey Jumps (Missouri) won by decision over Cameron Wetli (Indiana) (Dec 12-7)
 
Cadet 220 - Noah Lucas's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Noah Lucas (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Adam Rizk (California) won by fall over Noah Lucas (Indiana) (Fall 0:28)
Cons. Round 2 - Noah Lucas (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 3 - Dillon Roske (New York) won by tech fall over Noah Lucas (Indiana) (TF 12-0)
 
Cadet 220 - Cory Heinrichs's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Cory Heinrichs (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Ethan Hofacker (Wisconsin) won by fall over Cory Heinrichs (Indiana) (Fall 1:30)
Cons. Round 2 - Cory Heinrichs (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 3 - Hunter Mooring (Colorado) won by decision over Cory Heinrichs (Indiana) (Dec 13-12)
 
Cadet 285 - Brendan Sutton's place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Dayne Thomason (Oklahoma) won by fall over Brendan Sutton (Indiana) (Fall 1:34)
Cons. Round 1 - Brendan Sutton (Indiana) received a bye () (Bye)

4231 4 11
#WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Patience and Perseverance have paid off for Byrd
By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
 
When Brady Byrd was young, he would wake up early, pack his wrestling gear in his parent’s vehicle and make the long journey to whatever tournament they could find. Often, hours later, he would return with a couple of losses to show for his effort.
 
“Brady started wrestling in fifth grade,” his father, Sean said. “Every tournament around us was at least an hour drive. Normally he would go 0-2. But he kept doing it and kept doing it. Sometimes he would even move up weight classes just to get matches.”
 
While the losses piled up, so did Byrd’s determination. If wrestling was easy, he might not have ever fallen in love with the sport. The losses helped build him into one of the best wrestlers in Washington High School history.
 
“That prepared me,” Brady said. “Not a lot of kids at this level have been on the losing side like I have. It took me a long time before I started to see success. For the longest time my worst sport was wrestling. Being on that losing side taught me to never shy away from anything. I was not going to quit just because I wasn’t good at it. That’s never a valid reason to quit. You have to get better. That’s the only option.”
 
Now, Byrd is the first Fargo double All-American to ever come out of the prestigious Maurer Caughlin Wrestling Club. Byrd finished third in freestyle this year and seventh in Greco-Roman. He is currently ranked No. 5 in the state at 106 pounds and has his sights set on taking the top of the platform at the state finals. He’s come a long way – but it was never easy.
 
“The biggest thing with Brady, is that a lot of guys see him now, succeeding and being a good wrestler,” Washington coach Aaron Cissell said. “But nobody looks deep enough to see all the struggles and tournaments where he would lose. He stuck with it. It’s all paying off now. He has overcome all of that and fought to be successful.”
 
Brady started wrestling 106 pounds as a freshman. At the time he weighed just 91 pounds. He’s always been a smaller guy. This, his senior season, is the first time he’s had to cut any weight at all. And even now, the cut is minimal.
 
Sean, his dad, was a state placer in high school.
 
“I placed seventh my senior year at 112 pounds,” Sean said. “Our styles are similar except that I was all heart and toughness and didn’t have technique. Brady is heart, toughness and has excellent technique.
 
“I was a Region guy who was coached by Hall of famer Walt Prochno Kankakee Valley. Brady wrestles the region style in southern Indiana - tough and gritty.”
 
Brady agrees that toughness and grit are keys to his success.
 
“The grit is what makes me successful,” Brady said. I’ve always had it. A lot of kids don’t like to wrestle me. I stay in their face and stay physical.”
 
Injuries have plagued Brady in his young career. He has suffered an ankle and a knee injury but has bounced back from both.
 
“Brady is the most determined and hardest working guy I’ve ever seen,” Cissell said. “He is tough in all areas.”
 
Brady owns Washington’s winning percentage record, but he wants to set the school’s win record and pin record this season. Both are well within his grasp. He also wants to become the third wrestler from his school to qualify for the state finals (Mark Kelsey did it in 1984 and Aaron Brower in 2003). He also wants to become the first Washington wrestler to place at state.
 
Brady also does whatever is necessary to help his team. Coaches have learned to rely on him with helping teach moves in a way the other wrestlers can understand.
 
“People really respect Brady,” Sean said. “So, when we are teaching moves, it’s better to have a Brady show them because he can speak their language and they really feed off of him.”
 
Brady would like to wrestle in college and even the Olympics one day. He has excellent grades and was named to the Academic All-State Team. Outside of wrestling Brady enjoys competitive bass fishing, hunting and playing pickle ball.
 
“Brady is the most determined kid you’ll ever meet,” Sean said. “He works hard at everything, and the work is finally starting to pay dividends.”
 
Brady has started this young season off with 15 consecutive wins. He hopes for much more as the year goes on. He loves the sport and enjoys working at it.
 
“Wrestling is one-on-one,” Brady said. “People call me crazy because I train so much. I don’t like relying on other people to win. I like relying on myself. What I put in is what I get out.”

2715 3
#WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Baylor driven to succeed
By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
 
Muhammad Ali once said, “Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them – a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill, and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”
 
Milan sophomore Matthew Baylor has that will. It’s what drives him on and off the mat.
 
“Matthew is a very smart student and wrestler,” Milan coach Adrian Wilburn said. “he’s methodical and he doesn’t do anything that he hasn’t thought out already in his mind. His greatest strength is his brain. He outthinks his opponents.
 
“He is better than average with his speed and strength, but what gets him to the next level is his intelligence.”
 
Last year Baylor was trailing Wawasee’s Kaleb Salazar in the Friday night round at state. He was outmuscled and found himself trailing 6-2.  But Baylor wasn’t ready to throw in the towel.
 
“I thought about how there aren’t many kids from my school that had ever made it as far as I had,” Baylor said. “I didn’t want it to end there. I just decided to wrestle my match and give it everything I had.”
 
It worked. Baylor went on to win the match 11-7 and became only the second Milan grappler to ever place at state. He finished 8th at 106 pounds and completed his freshman campaign with a 48-4 record.
 
He had the distinction of going up against fan favorite, Northeastern’s talented female wrestler Heather Crull in the Richmond regional last season. He won the match 9-3.
 
“That match was a little stressful because I was the guy everyone seemed to want to lose,” Baylor said. “I knew Heather was a really good wrestler and I had to be cautious against her.”
 
Currently Baylor is ranked No. 5 at 113 pounds. His goal this season is to climb higher on the podium than he did last year.
 
“I have worked really hard in the offseason, and I want to climb the podium,” Baylor said. “Last year it was nerve racking as a freshman. When I qualified for state, it was a feeling I’ll never forget. It was hard to believe. The thrill, the energy. I had confidence before, but it was something special that has led me to working even harder for this season.”
 
Baylor is successful in whatever he puts his mind to. He played football up until eighth grade, and according to coach Wilburn, he was very good at it. He played on the defensive line and weighed around 100 pounds. That didn’t matter to Baylor. He would use his smarts and his speed to outmaneuver the linemen across from him and more often than not make the tackle.
 
In the classroom he has a 3.9 grade point average. He also devotes time helping out younger wrestlers in the Milan program – particularly his brother Mason.
 
“I’ve got a younger brother and my coach will try to take credit for how good he is, but I’m the one that coaches him the most,” Baylor joked. “He’s a special little wrestler. Every match he has I’m right there with him. That’s one of my favorite things about wrestling. I like this sport a lot and I hate to admit it, but he is going to be better than me. But it’s really a thrill to get to watch him.”
 
Coach Wilburn believes Milan can be a force to be reckoned with in the small school division at team state for the next few years.
 
“We were hoping to get voted in this year for team state,” Wilburn said. “We were hoping to get voted in last year, too. I haven’t had a senior in four years and I don’t have any seniors this year. We’re hoping for big things out of this team.”

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#Wrestling Wednesday: Faulkens opens up about wrestling
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
 
Robert Faulkens is the face of wrestling at the Indiana High School Athletic Association office.
 
As an assistant commissioner, he administers IHSAA wrestling (as well as football and boys and girls track and field).
 
Faulkens, who also sits on several National Federation of State High School Associations committees, oversees an annual online rules meeting for IHSAA wrestling officials and coaches.
 
He also likes to take advantage of face-to-face opportunities, like the recent St. Joseph Valley Officials Association gathering in Granger. There, Faulkens got a chance to address a roomful of mat referees and area coaching staffs.
 
Faulkens, who defines his job as someone who must be equitable to all 4,000 wrestlers and all 309 programs in Indiana and not just the elite, covered many topics and had a dialogue with those in attendance. Much of the discussion were on areas relating to participation.
 
“Wrestling’s been in a decline for about four or five years,” Faulkens said of dropping participation numbers.
 
He said the only thing propping up participation in Indiana is girls wrestling, which had about 300 competing on boys squads throughout the state last season. It’s a number too low to make it a separate sport. But if the numbers continue to rise it could happen in the future.
 
“My guess is we’re eight or 10 years from pulling girls out and making it a separate sport,” Faulkens said. “the number of teams that have girls wrestling is very small. There are pockets of girls wrestling (currently, Lafayette Jeff and Crispus Attucks each have more than a dozen girls in their programs). Either you have them or you don’t. Very rarely do you have one girl wrestling. Normally you have four or five.”
 
Faulkens sits on the national rules writing committee for the National Federation. The committee met last April and considered and approved a new two-piece uniform with a tight shirt and shorts. The rules regulators at the next level turned down the proposal, saying there was no uniformity in the specifications nor was there time to approve the change by October.
 
“In April (2017), we’ll probably do it all over again and have to be more specific,” Faulkens said. “I think we’re about three years away (from the two-piece uniform).”
 
What’s wrong with the singlet?
 
“Kids are not wresting because they are a little bit embarrassed to wear the singlet,” Faukens said. “Participation numbers have dropped and that’s one of the reasons kids have decided they don’t want to wrestle.”
 
What are some of the other reasons?
 
The long weekend events have become a grind to many young athletes.
 
Faulkens noted that there no joy in spending all day on a Saturday and losing five times and wrestling all of six minutes.
 
“Why as a high school kid would I give up seven weekends to not have fun?,” Faulkens said.
 
Many schools have schedules made up mostly of Saturday super duals or tournaments. The suggestion has been made from some in Indiana to increase the number of weeknight dual meets.
 
Another reason is parents don’t want their kids to wrestle because they equate the sport with brawling.
 
“They see wrestling as MMA or as Ultimate Fight Club,” Faulkens said. “As scholastic wrestlers we’re trying to distance ourselves from those two entities because of the negative connotation.”
 
That’s why he resists calling the lower part of the two-piece uniform “fight” shorts.
 
Faulkens talked about the relationship between football and wrestling — a natural partnership in some communities, but not in all places.
 
He is a fan of multi-sport participation.
 
“Those schools that share kids among sports are normally the ones who are successful over a long period of time,” Faulkens said. “We have some hard-headed football coaches that believe a kid should just play football in the fall and lift weights in the winter and spring.
 
“It goes against everything we know about kids. They need to do different sports at different times of the year. If they do the same thing all the time, they risk burnout and injury. Those two things are not good for any kid.”
 
The assistant commissioner noted that 75 percent of the teams in the IHSAA football state championships have athletes who participate in another sport.
 
At schools where wrestling coaches are having a hard time getting football players (or those specializing in one sport) to join their teams, Faulkens said their must be a conversation between the coach and their athletic director and and principal.
 
Faulkens pointed out the differences in the gridiron and mat, noting that football is anaerobic and wrestling is aerobic “and never the twain shall meet.”
 
“If you try to get a kid to go from quick bursts and a lot of rest to a sport that’s a continual expenditure of energy, it’s very difficult,” Faulkens said. “Wrestling is not an easy sport. We’ve got a group of kids that don’t want to work that hard. They really don’t. They’re going to take the path of least resistance. It’s just the mindset of our kids.”
 
While many will argue that more mat time is always a good thing, Faulkens sees a trend coming from his involvement with the National Federation’s sports medicine advisory committee that calls for a reduction in the number of matches.
 
“What we know is that at a certain point, there’s no return on improvement,” Faulkens said. “It’s likely that in a few years the maximum number of regular-season matches allowed per wrestler will be 25.”
 
This will mean an adjustment in how schedules are made. There may not be as many two-day super duals with teams competing eight to 10 times in a weekend, knowing that they may be getting close to the maximum in a very short time period.
 
A point of emphasis for Faulkens at each online rules meeting is the importance of being vigilant against infectious skin diseases.
 
“Don’t share razors or soap and wash yourself everyday and wash your mats,” Faulkens said.
 
Faulkens said showering after each practice and competition is suggested. But if coaches can’t enforce that they should at least have a bucket of antibacterial wipes for exposed skin when wrestlers get off the mat.
 
Ideally, checking for skin lesions would be a daily occurrence, but every athlete should be checked at least once a week.
 
A year ago, Faulkens said 70 schools had cases of infectious skin disease on their teams and five schools reported five or more cases.
 
“Parents are not going to stand for it,” Faulkens said. “If you get a MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection) in your room, that’s going to cost the parents $40,000. If they don’t have insurance, chances are they are not going to get the treatment that they need.”
 
Faulkens notes that though he may come across as harsh when making his points about matters like this and with the proper administration of the weight management system (he got the athletic directors and athletic trainers involved four years ago), there’s a method to his madness.
 
“We can’t lose wrestling because we can’t lose the lessons that wrestling gives us,” Faulkens said. “As coaches, you are in control of that.”
 
As for the state of the sport as Faulkens heads into his seventh state tournament series, he likes what he sees.
 
“We’re in good shape,” Faulkens said. “I love where we’re are in wrestling in the state of Indiana. I really do.
 
“My job is to do what’s best for everybody.”

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

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

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

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

2985 5
#WrestleLikeAGirl with Jeremy Hines: O'neill family grows from wrestling
By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
 
Warren Central senior Kiersten O’Neill has had quite an illustrious wrestling career. She recently won her third Indiana High School Girls Wrestling state title and did so in dominating fashion. Not bad for a girl that doesn’t like to wrestle, really doesn’t enjoy practicing and sometimes doesn’t even get along with her coach.
 
“Yeah, I don’t really like wrestling, per se,” O’Neill said. “But I love the environment of the sport and the energy it holds. That’s what keeps me attached to it.”
 
O’Neill’s coach is her own father, Jake.
 
“It doesn’t surprise me that she says that,” Jake said. “If you ask most coaches/ dads, it’s tough coaching your own kids. As a coach you hold your athletes to high expectations and not that I don’t do that as a dad, but when they fall short of those expectations it can bleed into home. It’s tough to draw those lines and keep those frustrations in the room and on the mat and not let it affect what’s going on at home.”
 
Jake has always pushed Kiersten to be her best in the sport – and, although at times she’s gotten frustrated with her dad as a coach, she sees it has been in her best interest.
 
“My dad and I would get into it a lot,” Kiersten said. “Coach and wrestler, father and daughter is a very different dynamic. There have been points where I was like, this is too hard, I can’t do that. I wanted to stop, but I kept going. I think if he wasn’t as present as he is though, it wouldn’t be the same and I wouldn’t have the successes I’ve had.”
 
Kiersten’s brother started wrestling when he was 4 years old. He ultimately decided that wasn’t the sport for him.
 
“I made my son wrestle when he was four,” Jake said. “By the time he was a freshman he ended up playing basketball and that’s about the same time Kiersten was like, dad, I’ll wrestle. I was like, oh, yeah, you’re probably going to be pretty good, too. I think she was six at the time.
 
“Her journey in wrestling gave me a perspective on women’s wrestling that I never had before and I wouldn’t have had if she didn’t wrestle.”
 
Kiersten won the state meet as a freshman, then placed second as a sophomore. She won as a junior and last weekend she beat her opponent 17-3 in the championship.
 
She would like to wrestle in college and eventually she would like to follow in her father’s footsteps and coach wrestling.
 
For Kiersten, and for many of the female wrestlers we write about in these articles, there becomes an unusually strong bond between opponents. Kiersten’s best friends are wrestlers on rival schools.
 
“Cailin and Catie (Campbell) are my best friends since I started wrestling,” Kiersten said. “We live far apart but we always make sure we see each other. I talk to them every day. It’s been great to experience that with other people that share your same interests. I think if you watch the finals you can see my reaction after Caty won her state title. I was screaming ‘That’s my best friend’.”
 
Kiersten also plays soccer. She admits that her wrestling aggression sometimes gets her in trouble on the soccer field.
 
“Yeah, I’ve had quite a few yellow and red cards,” she said. “Soccer, to me, is a lot of running. But the aggression I get from being a wrestler definitely helps me. I’m not exactly proud of my yellow and red cards, I just think I underestimate my strength some against girls that don’t wrestle.”
 
Jake really enjoys watching Kiersten on the soccer field, where he can relax and be a dad and not a coach.
 
“Her wrestling absolutely comes out in soccer,” Jake said. “She’s very competitive, aggressive and physical. She is fearless. It all spills out on the soccer field and it’s fun to watch. The other girls aren’t nearly as aggressive as her. Our athletic director was a professional soccer player. When he saw her play he was like ‘woah’. He was blown out of the water with the competitive edge she plays with. I enjoy every minute of watching her play.”

In wrestling, Kiersten is excited for what the future for girls is like in the state. Every year the numbers increase. If she had one piece of advise for girls just starting out in the sport it would be to stick to it.
 
“You just have to stick to it,” she said. “You can’t give up, even when it’s hard. I know it gets hard and I’ve not enjoyed that time. But stick it out. Push through. It will be worth it in the end.”
 

2716
#WrestleLikeAGirl with Jeremy Hines: Campbell sisters utilize the power of Mom
By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
 
Twin sisters Cailin and Catie Campbell wanted to follow in their brother’s footsteps and take up wrestling. Their dad, Brian, wasn’t too keen on the idea.
 
Brian had been around the sport for a long time. He even coached wrestling for several years. But the idea of his daughters taking up the sport was not one he wanted to consider.
 
So, Cailin and Catie did what any young girl does when their dad says no. They went to their mom.
 
“At first I think my dad just wanted to be done with coaching and wanted his daughters to do more girly things,” Catie said. “We were like, oh no, we’re wrestling. Mom convinced him to let us.”
 
Cailin is glad her mom stepped up.
 
“I just don’t think dad wanted us to get hurt,” Cailin said. “He didn’t know if we would be able to keep up with the guys. But mom said to let us do the sports we want to do and told him he might be surprised how it turns out.
 
It has turned out quite well.
 
The Campbell sisters are both two-time Indiana High School Girls Wrestling state champions. They both have claimed varsity roster spots on the North Montgomery high school team. In fact, not only are they varsity wrestlers, they are the ones leading much of the drills in practices.
 
“They are both just very determined,” first-year North Montgomery coach Mike Boesch said. “They are great workers. They are very coachable. Anything I bring up, they try. It’s great to have people like them on a team. They are great leaders. They lead us in warmups and before the matches. They have made my job so much easier.”
 
In a slight twist of irony, Brian Campbell was Boesch’s first wrestling coach when he started in the sport back in fourth grade at Clinton Prairie.
 
“It’s cool that now I get to coach his kids for their senior year,” Boesch said.
 
Catie was the first sister to win a state title. In 2019 she earned the top spot in the 126-pound class. Cailin finished second at 120 pounds.
 
In 2020 it was Cailin’s turn to win a title. She won the 120 -pound class. Catie finished second at 132.
 
Last year the twins finally went home with a title at the same time. Cailin again won the 120-pound class and Catie took top honors at 126 pounds.
 
“State last year was my favorite wrestling memory so far,” Catie said. “Not only did I win, but so did my sister and several of my friends.”
 
The two have made a lot of friends through the sport and really love going to the girls tournaments. They see the sport growing and they have a lot of younger girls asking them questions about wrestling and showing interest in getting involved.
 
“I see a huge difference in girls wrestling now even to where it was my freshman year,” Cailin said. “My freshman year at girls regional I only had to wrestle twice. Now the classes are stacked, and it’s grown three to four times since then. There are so many more girls that are trying out for wrestling, and it makes me really happy.
 
“I think the stereotypes are going away and opportunities are being presented in the state of Indiana. It’s way more welcoming than it was. More girls are willing to give it a try now.”
 
The sisters have the same goal for this season. They both want to go out on top in the girl state meet and they both want to get better in the sport.
 
“My main goal is to just get to my full potential and be the best I can,” Catie said. “The accomplishments aren’t as important as getting a really good experience out of it.”
 
The journey has certainly not been easy for either girl. Their dad’s fears about the sport had merit in their case. Catie broke a vertebra in her back last season and had to take time off to recover. Cailin tore three ligaments in her shoulder and has developed arthritis in the same shoulder and must wear a brace. Still, their love for the sport outweighs the toll it has taken on their bodies.
 
“Wrestling makes people really disciplined,” Catie said. “It’s a mental sport and it’s very rewarding once you put the work into it.”
 
Although the two have similar styles on the mat, they have different moves they prefer.
 
“We have different specialties,” Cailin said. “Catie is really good at the fireman’s carry. She hits it just about whenever she wants to. My bread and butter is a slide-by or an elbow pass to a low single.”
 
Coach Boesch has four girls on his team this year at North Montgomery. Three will likely fill spots on the varsity roster. He also has some girls-only meets planned for the season.
 
“They are really excited about the meet at Lebanon this weekend,” Boesch said of his female wrestlers. “That gives them their first look at some of the other girls around the state this season. I’m really hoping I can help them win their third titles this year. I don’t know how much I can teach them that they don’t already know.”
 
The sisters are both considering wrestling after high school, but they are uncertain where they will attend college at this point.
 
“Outside of wrestling they are just great kids,” Boesch said. “They are doing everything they need to in school and they are just all-around great people.”

1828
#WrestleLikeAGirl with Jeremy Hines: Another Winner is paving the way for Jay County girls wrestling
By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
 
Jay County decided to take a little different approach to girls wrestling. The strategy is paying off.
 
Last year the Patriots had seven female wrestlers. They wanted to improve the numbers so they talked with some of the returning girls on the team and took note of what they said.
 
“We had a girl last year that was a really good athlete,” Jay County coach Eric Myers said. “She played soccer and softball. She did well in wrestling and placed at state. She looked pretty comfortable in the room with the guys.
 
“But, in trying to build the program, I asked if they were comfortable wrestling with the guys. She said she wasn’t super comfortable with it. I was pretty shocked by that. I thought, if we could find a way to have a girls practice away from the guys, we might increase our numbers. So, we did that – and it worked.”
 
This year Jay County has 13 girls on the team. They practice only against each other and compete only against other female wrestlers.
 
That has helped convince wrestlers like Mallory Winner to join the team. Winner is the little sister of 4-time state placer Mason Winner. She started wrestling when she was very young but sat out her eighth-grade year. Now she’s back and has been dominating every competition she’s been in so far.
 
Winner is the No. 2-ranked 160-pound girl in the state. She has already faced several other ranked opponents. She has beaten No. 3-ranked Grace Hiroms of Rochester four times already – winning 7-0, 6-0, 1-0 and by fall. She has also beaten No. 4 Emma Batten 11-2 and pinned No. 7 Sierra Zamorano.
 
“I didn’t ever really stop wrestling,” Winner said. “I just took a little bit of a break between my seventh and freshman year. I missed it, especially looking at a meet from the stands. I regretted not wrestling. When I came back, I was glad to be back. I get to wrestle with my friends. It brings me a lot of joy.”
 
Winner also became a big recruit for the team. She is a talented softball player and is friends with lots of athletes in the school. She has convinced other girls to come out for wrestling and is hoping to get even more out over the next few years.
 
“I’m always encouraging girls to come out,” Winner said. “I tell them that no matter if they win or lose, you’re always going to learn something. On good days and bad days, we’ll be there for them.”
 
When she’s trying to convince classmates to wrestle there’s always one question that comes up.
 
“They always ask if they have to wrestle boys,” Winner said.
 
Last year the Patriots placed fourth in state and second in regional. They are hoping to fair better in both this time around.
 
“I love coaching the girls,” Myers said. I think it’s great they have the opportunity to wrestle. In the sports offered by the IHSAA, wrestling is the most physical. It’s one of the sports where we say we’ll put guys and girls together. Now that we’re separating them, it’s more fair. I love that it gives girls more opportunities that they may not have had before. There are several very athletic girls that wouldn’t have been doing anything over the winter. It gives them something to keep them busy. Giving kids more opportunities to compete, be on a team and make friends is always a good thing.”
 
For Winner, who admits her first love is softball, she’s made great friendships through wrestling.
 
“Even if you don’t know the other teams, personally, the girls come up and talk to you,” Winner said. “You’re not afraid to be friends with opponents. Even when get done with a match, sometimes the opponents are giving you hugs and stuff. I think this is one of the reasons girls wrestling is growing very, very fast. Just this year our first tournament had around 115 girls, and in the last one there were over 200.”
 
Winner has a talented group of teammates surrounding her this season. Her drill partner is senior Lizzie Dollar. Dollar is the team’s 106-pounder. She’s ranked No. 6 right now in the weight class. She is a two-time state runner-up at 98 pounds and last year placed fourth.
 
“Lizzie always goes hard,” Winner said. “She doesn’t care about the difference in our weights. She goes out and gives me a great practice and competes.”
 
Senior Tricia Ison is ranked No. 4 at 170 pounds for the Patriots and teammate Mollie Hines is No. 9 at 182.
 
For Myers, he is enjoying learning the differences between coaching the girls and the guys. He is the head coach for the boys team as well.
 
“With girls, I discovered that they process things differently,” Myers said. “When you demonstrate a move for a guy, they seem to try that move super aggressively and miss the details. The girls, when you show them, they have all the details down but are not doing it quite as aggressively. That’s a subtle difference. The girls really have a great ability to listen.”
 
Earlier this season Jay County and Columbia City held what is believed to be the state’s first all-girl dual meet. Columbia City won the meet on criteria, after a 30-30 tie.

1539 1 3
#MondayMatness with Steve Krah: DeKalb’s Waldon heading back to Fort Wayne Semi-State with focus
By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
 
Drew Waldon stepped onto the mat at the 2023 IHSAA State Finals as a 113-pound sophomore.
 
Now a 126-pound DeKalb High School junior, Waldon will be again be aiming for the state meet — this time Feb. 16-17 at the Ford Center in Evansville instead of Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis — when he represents the Barons on Saturday, Feb. 10 at the Fort Wayne Semi-State at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.
 
Waldon’s first-round foe in the 16-man bracket is Norwell junior Jason Prough. It takes two victories at semi-state to place in the top four and qualify for the State Finals.
 
“I’m just trying to stay focused and disciplined,” says Waldon of his pre-semi-state practice week.
 
Waldon (28-4 in 2023-24 with two losses coming against Ohio foes in the Defiance Border War event on Dec. 28-29) is coming off a second straight Goshen Regional title on Feb. 3. This time around, he topped Wawasee sophomore Cameron Senter 4-2 in the finals. Up 2-1 going into the final period, Waldon allowed an escape then scored two points in the third period.
 
Before that, Waldon reigned at the West Noble Sectional on Jan. 27, pinning Prairie Heights junior Boston Baas in 5:40 for the title.
 
Waldon placed third in the Northeast Eight Conference meet at Huntington North on Jan. 20. He lost 2-1 to eventual NE8 champion and Leo freshman Nolan Butcher in the semifinals and later came back to best Columbia City senior Dale Cassidy for third.
 
“That loss was a surprise, but it’s good to learn from these mistakes now,” says DeKalb head coach Justin Wight of his comments at the time. “We make adjustments and come back for (IHSAA) tourney time.”
 
At the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association Team Duals, Waldon went 2-1 as DeKalb placed 12th in Class 3A.
 
What’s the best thing Waldon does in the circle?
 
“I’m pretty equal at everything,” says Waldon, who is heading to his third semi-state in three seasons (He placed third at 113 in 2023 and did not place at 106 in 2022.). “On my top game, I can turn almost anybody.”
 
As a junior, Waldon embraces a leadership role at DeKalb.
 
“I try to push my teammates,” says Waldon with a hoarse voice from cheering on his fellow Barons at regional, including sophomore James Hartleroad (who won at 285), junior Jadon Teague (who placed fourth at 144), junior Graham Blythe (who placed fourth at 175), junior Dominic Dunn (who did not place at 165) and junior Brady Long (who did not place at 190). “I want them to be better.”
 
Hartleroad was a 16U Greco-Roman national champion and ISWA Greco-Roman and Freestyle State winner at 285 in 2023.
 
Teague made it to semi-state as a freshman at 138 and Blythe was a regional qualifier as a sophomore at 160.
 
Drew is the middle child of the three born to James and Heather Waldon, behind Jared and Deanna. Little sister grappled in junior high.
 
“My dad takes me everywhere so does my mom,” says Drew. “It really gave me so many opportunities to get better and advance my skill set.”
 
Waldon, who took up in the sport in junior high, placed sixth at Frosh-Soph State sixth at 120 in 2023, sixth at Indiana State Wrestling Association Folkstyle State at 113 in 2022 and seventh at ISWA Freestyle State at 100 in 2021.
 
Wight, who works in industrial refrigeration, is in his second year coaching wrestling at DeKalb after about a 10-year gap when he coached at Homestead. He took over as Barons head coach at midseason.
 
A piece of coaching advice that resonates with Waldon: “No matter what, keep your head up and keep wrestling.”
 
Says Wight of Waldon, “He’s one of the most disciplined and hard-working kids. You don’t have to babysit him all the time. He’s going to be doing the right things.
 
“He wins with grace. He loses with grace. He’s just one of those rare kids. He’s very humble. He’s very polite.”

1419
#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
Tech Athletics: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram
Wrestling: Twitter | Facebook

1923
#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)

569
@INTechWrestling in Best of Brand "Solid Service" Video Finals
Aubree Reichel
 
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- For the second year in a row, Indiana Tech wrestling is one of the six finalists in the Elite Level Sports Marketing (ELSM) and National Wrestling Coaches Association's (NWCA) Best of Brand "Solid Service" category the groups announced on Tuesday. The category highlights programs' community service outreach during the season. The Warriors won the award last year.
 
Other finalists include Johns Hopkins, North Carolina, Ouachita Baptist, Wabash and Wayland Baptist.
 
This year, the wrestling team participated in The Women's Bureau's Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, Down Syndrome Association of Northeast Indiana's Buddy Walk and hosted the Warrior Elite Wrestling Camp.
 
The winner will be determined through judges assessing video performance (70%) and an online voting competition (30%). The online voting is split into two parts, as well, with half of the 30% allocated to the actual vote totals and the other half to the creativity of the campaign during the "Battle Round" voting.
 
The Battle Round will be in bracket format and will begin on Monday, June 9 at noon and can be found here.
 
Indiana Tech is "seeded" in the #2 spot behind Wayland Baptist and will, therefore, receive a bye to the semifinal round beginning at noon Tuesday, June 10 with the final starting at noon Wednesday, June 11. Voting concludes at 9 p.m. during each round.
 
The winner will be announced at the 2014 NWCA Convention in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on August 1.
 
Last year's video and current polls can be found here.

356
'09-'10 Preseason Team Rankings
Top 20:
1. Mishawaka
2. Crown Point
3. Perry Meridian
4. Castle
5. Evansville Mater Dei
6. Merrillville
7. Yorktown
8. Indianapolis Cathedral
9. Bellmont
10. Lawrence North
11. Roncalli
12. Bloomington South
13. New Castle
14. Evansville Reitz
15. Portage
16. Elkhart Memorial
17. Warren Central
18. Penn
19. Columbus North
20. Avon
 
#1-Mishawaka
State Titles (2)-1991, 2008
Sectional Titles (23) Recent/Streak: 2000-Present
Semi-State Titles (12) Recent/Streak: 2000-Present
Last Year: Lost to Cathedral 31-30 in State Quarterfinals
Top Returning Wrestlers (Last year's weight):
103-Lymon Stoneburner
112-#4 Paul Beck
119-#14 Matt Guerra
125-#10 Nick Schroeder
140-#1 Ryan Stahl
145-#4 Alex White
160-#4 Richard Morin
215-#1 Christian Lentz
285-#2 Travis Thomas
 
#2-Crown Point
State Titles (1)-2009
Sectional Titles (21) Recent/Streak: 2003-Present
Semi-State Titles (2) Recent/Streak: 2009
Last Year: Defeated Perry Meridian 33-25 in State Championship Match
Top Returning Wrestlers (Last year's weight):
103-#7 Cameron Halsted
112-#1 Anthony Hawkins
119-#8 Dallas Schurg
125-#1 Jason Tsirtsis
135-#1 Eric Roach
140-#10 Josh Flamme
145-#12 Tom Renn
 
#3-Perry Meridian
State Titles (0)
Sectional Titles (14) Recent/Streak: 2000-Present
Semi-State Titles (8) Recent/Streak: 2006-Present
Last Year: Lost to Crown Point  33-25 in State Finals
Top Returning Wrestlers (Last year's weight):
103- #10 Jared McKinley
112-Michael Clem
125-#16 Kirk Johnson
140-#4 Jacob Tonte
171-#10 Jordan Robinson
189- #6 Andre Richards
 
#4-Castle
State Titles (0)
Sectional Titles (28) Recent/Streak: 2003-Present
Semi-State Titles (2) Recent/Streak: 2009
Last Year: Lost to Perry Meridian 24-23 in State Semifinals
Top Returning Wrestlers (Last year's weight):
112-Michael Brown
135-#2 Doug Welch
140-#5 Chad Welch
160-#5 Cory Weikel
189-#16 Alex Rosebrock
285-#12 Tyler Dougherty
 
#5-Evansville Mater Dei
State Titles (12)-1986, 1995-2003, 2006, 2007
Sectional Titles (39) Recent/Streak: 1977-Present
Semi-State Titles (23) Recent/Streak: 2008
Last Year: Lost to Castle 29-16 in Regional Semifinals
Top Returning Wrestlers (Last year's weight):
103-Trevor Appell
119-Quinn Schroeder
125-#12 Zach Henderson
130-#16 Evan Weinzapfel
135-#9 Adam Weinzapfel
140-#2 John Sims
171-Josh Boots
 
#6-Merrillville
State Titles (0)
Sectional Titles (19) Recent/Streak: 2005-Present
Semi-State Titles (6) Recent/Streak: 2008
Last Year: Lost to Crown Point 34-20 in Regional Semifinals
Top Returning Wrestlers (Last year's weight):
103-#5 Zach Stevens
112-Al Padilla
125-#3 Anthony Napules
130-Frankie Valdivia
135-Eddie Deluna
152-Victor Nzeata
171-#7 Kortney Berry
189-#10 Jeremy Wengel
285-#1 James Travis
 
#7-Yorktown
State Titles (0)
Sectional Titles (21) Recent/Streak: 2006-Present
Semi-State Titles (2) Recent/Streak: 2001
Last Year: Lost to Bellmont 31-27 in Regional Semifinals
Top Returning Wrestlers (Last year's weight):
112-#9 Devon Jackson
119-#2 Derek Bevans
125-#5 Andrew Hiestand
130-Caleb Smith
135-Josh Rench
160-#10 Trent Castner
189-Grant Brown
285-#3 Ross Janney
 
#8-Inidianapolis Cathedral
State Titles (0)
Sectional Titles (29) Recent/Streak: 2006-Present
Semi-State Titles (7) Recent/Streak: 2009
Last Year: Lost to Crown Point 28-23 in state semifinals
Top Returning Wrestlers (Last year's weight):
103-#8 Brian Harvey
130-John Stinfield
160-#1 Tyler Willis
215-#6 Jake Buchanan
 
#9-Bellmont
State Titles (3) 1987.1988, 1994
Sectional Titles (35) Recent/Streak: 1991-Present
Semi-State Titles (19) Recent/Streak: 1998-Present
Last Year: Lost to Perry Meridian 31-27 in State Quarterfinals
Top Returning Wrestlers (Last year's weight):
119-Brooks Faurote
145-#10 Ryley Hankenson
189-#15 Travis Thatcher
285-#7 Daniel Meyer
 
#10-Lawrence North
State Titles (4) 1992, 1993, 2004, 2005
Sectional Titles (23) Recent/Streak: 2005
Semi-State Titles (10) Recent/Streak: 2008
Last Year: Lost sectional to Cathedral (324-255.5)
Top Returning Wrestlers (Last year's weight):
103-Robert Boston
112-#2 Brandon Nelsen
119-Jordan Johnson
130-Greg Bell
135-Matt Rattay
160-Quinten Brooks
215-Jeremy Haskett
 
#11-Roncalli
State Titles (0)
Sectional Titles (6) Recent/Streak: 2009
Semi-State Titles (1) Recent/Streak: 2009
Last Year: Lost to Crown Point 48-9 State Quarterfinals
Top Returning Wrestlers (Last year's weight):
103-Aaron Davis
112-#3 Josh Kieffer
119-#3 Justin Kieffer
125-#15 Joe Kieffer
145-Jake Bartley
 
#12-Bloomington South
State Titles (24)- Most Recent: 1978
Sectional Titles (32) Recent/Streak: 2009
Semi-State Titles (4) Recent/Streak: 2006
Last Year: Lost to Perry Meridian 45-6 in Regional Finals
Top Returning Wrestlers (Last year's weight):
103-#14 Jacob Boomsma
119-Ethan Farmer
125-#2 Brannigan Barlow
140-Ben Farmer
145-Spencer Boyd
160-#6 Terry Terrell
171-Joey Todd
189-#5 Darren Eads
215-Tito Valentin
 
#13-New Castle
State Titles (0)
Sectional Titles (35) Recent/Streak: 2006-Present
Semi-State Titles (6) Recent/Streak: 2002
Last Year: Lost to Roncalli 36-29 in Regional Semifinals
Top Returning Wrestlers (Last year's weight):
103-#2 Brendan Campbell
112-#6 Conner Mullins
119-#15 Alex Catron
125-RJ Fellers
130-#9 Cody Fellers
145-Dusty Bennett
160-#11 Van Wasson
 
#14-Evansville Reitz
State Titles (0)
Sectional Titles (3) Recent/Streak: 1975
Semi-State Titles (1) Recent/Streak: 1982
Last Year: Finished 3rd at Ev. Sectional (MD-286, Mt. Vernon-220.5, Reitz-216.5)
Top Returning Wrestlers (Last year's weight):
103-#6 Bryan Kuhn
112-#13 Trevor Moody
125-#9 Blake Rueger
145-Tyler Boyle
189-#13 Jeff Fentress
215-#16 Zach Wimpelbert
285-Tyler Daugherty
 
#15-Portage
State Titles (0)
Sectional Titles (22) Recent/Streak: 2009
Semi-State Titles (10) Recent/Streak: 2005
Last Year: Lost to Crown Point 42-13 in Regional Finals
Top Returning Wrestlers (Last year's weight):
112-Brandon Coppinger
119-Damien Torres
125-#13 Luis Acuna
152-#1 Sean McMurray
160-Justin Rhein
171-#15 Aaron King
 
#16-Elkhart Memorial
State Titles (0)
Sectional Titles (19) Recent/Streak: 2002-Present
Semi-State Titles (2) Recent/Streak: 2008
Last Year: Lost to Mishawaka 36-22 in Regional Finals
Top Returning Wrestlers (Last year's weight):
112-Dantrell Goodman
145-#2 Zach Corpe
152-Carmel Salinas
215-Shane Hendrickson\
 
#17-Warren Central
State Titles (1) 1980
Sectional Titles (27) Recent/Streak: 2007
Semi-State Titles (6) Recent/Streak: 2005
Last Year: Finished 2nd at Sectional (Roncalli 239.5, WC 222.5)
Top Returning Wrestlers (Last year's weight):
119-#1 Brandon Wright
140-#16 Jonathon Decker
189-#2 Michael Johnson-Jones
 
#18-Penn
State Titles (0)
Sectional Titles (13) Recent/Streak: 1999
Semi-State Titles (4) Recent/Streak: 1998
Last Year: Finished 2nd at Sectional (Mishawaka-327.5, Penn-252)
Top Returning Wrestlers (Last year's weight):
112-#5 Alex Gregory
130-Grant Anglemeyer
135-#5 Ben Sokol
145-#11 Pat Davenport
152-Austin Kunze
 
#19-Columbus North
State Titles (0)
Sectional Titles (22) Recent/Streak: 2005-Present
Semi-State Titles (1) Recent/Streak: 2008
Last Year: Lost toRoncalli 35-31 in Regional Finals
Top Returning Wrestlers (Last year's weight):
103-Devon Orben
119-Caleb Albertson
145-#7 Marcus Waddell
189-#14 Jarrett Brownfield
 
#20-Avon
State Titles (0)
Sectional Titles (24) Recent/Streak: 2008-Present
Semi-State Titles (2) Recent/Streak: 2007
Last Year: Lost to Perry Meridian 44-13 in Regional Semifinals
Top Returning Wrestlers (Last year's weight):
112-Blaine Hall
135-#10 Matt Rassbach
171-#5 Cole Brandt
 
Teams to Watch:
Carmel, Center Grove, Delphi, East Central, Elkhart Central, Franklin, Hamilton Heights, Martinsville, New Palestine, Peru, South Bend Riley