-
Subcategories
865 articles in this category
2013 32023 State Finals Pick'ems
Loading…
1216Bulldog Breakdown: State Finals Session I Recap
By Anna Kayser
Brownsburg advanced five of six wrestlers in the first half of the Round of 16
After a successful start to the State Series, the Brownsburg Bulldogs didn’t falter in the first round of the State Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday afternoon. With six of nine qualifiers wrestling in the first half of the Round of 16, five punched their tickets through to the quarterfinal rounds and a marathon of Saturday wrestling.
In terms of the team race, Brownsburg advancing five wrestlers from the first half of the session just boosts its chance at being a strong contender for the team title. Crown Point advanced four of six wrestlers to the quarterfinals tomorrow morning.
“Every point matters and it comes down to how many guys you can get onto the mat on Saturday, then we have to have a couple of guys make runs throughout the day,” Brownsburg head coach Darrick Snyder said. “There are a couple powerhouses here and it’s so top heavy – we scored 180 points at semis and got 2nd, when only a few years ago we would have won with 130.”
The second half of Round of 16 bouts will feature three Bulldogs: Caden Brewer at 182, Gunnar Henry at 195 and Leighton Jones at heavyweight.
“On paper, we feel like we’re the favorite. We’ve got two semi-state champions and we feel like we’re better at all three weights,” Snyder said. “Even Gunnar at 195 after placing third at semi-state, we had a stacked semi-state where any of the top four guys there could end up winning this this. Now we just have to go out and execute.”
106 – Revin Dickman
After compiling a 37-5 record throughout the season, Revin Dickman made quick work of Rex Moore of Manchester with a first-period fall, kicking off what would be a successful day for the Bulldogs in downtown Indianapolis.
The freshman’s been dominate throughout the State Series thus far, taking home titles at the Mooresville regional and Evansville semi-state over the past two weekends to earn his place in the State Finals Round of 16.
To open up Session II for Brownsburg, Dickman, who is ranked as the No. 2 106-pounder by IndianaMat, will face off against Milan’s unranked Matt Baylor. Baylor, also a freshman, is coming off a third-place finish at the New Castle semi-state after securing sectional and regional titles. Baylor’s lone State Series loss came via fall to Perry Meridian’s Hruai Lian, who Dickman defeated via 1-0 decision in a dual on Jan. 18.
113 – Preston Haines
No. 1 Preston Haines dominated on top against Carmel’s No. 18 Jackson Elliot to prove why he’s the top-ranked 113-pounder in the state and continue Brownsburg’s strong Friday showing. The junior jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first period and turned Elliot in the second for additional back points. He went on to beat the senior by a 14-1 major decision.
Haines is set for another battle against No. 2 Gavin Jendreas of Crown Point in tomorrow morning’s quarterfinal after defeating him twice already this season at the IHSWCA 2023 Team State Duals on Jan. 7 and Hoosier Crossroads Conference tournament on Jan. 14. Crown Point’s sophomore is one of a record-setting12 qualifiers for the state tournament.
120 – Jake Hockaday
Brownsburg’s first freshman state champion in school history continued his school’s roll of bonus points during his sophomore State Finals on Friday, defeating No. 10 Peter Nguyen of Guerin Catholic 15-3. Jake Hockaday, who is ranked as the No. 2 120-pounder in Indiana, went 29-4 this season with first place finishes at conference, regionals and semi-state over the past month.
To secure his place on the podium, Hockaday will face off against No. 12 Carter Fielden of Garrett tomorrow morning. Fielden, a freshman, is 33-8 on the season and defeated Crown Point’s Sonny Sessa to advance. Sessa had defeated Fielden earlier this season and lost to Hockaday by technical fall at the HCC tournament in January.
126 – Landen Haines
Freshman No. 17 Landen Haines knocked off Garrett senior No. 10 Hayden Brady on Friday afternoon with a tight 8-7 win. Haines entered the tournament with a 23-10 record following a third-place finish at semi-state last weekend.
Haines will look for another upset tomorrow morning as he faced off against No. 5 Tylin Thrine of New Castle, a freshman who has yet to lose a match this season.
132 – Brady Ison
No. 3 Brady Ison, who has been a foundational member of Brownsburg’s lineup all season, dominated in his opening match of the State Finals with a 15-0 third-period technical fall over unranked Essiah Kamer of Fremont.
After rolling over his first opponent, the junior’s battle for a spot on the podium gets tougher tomorrow morning as he is set to face No. 4 Eleazar Walker of Mishawaka in the quarterfinals. Walker, who has lost one match this season, hasn’t lost a match yet during the state series while Ison is coming off back-to-back runner-up finishes at regionals and semi-state.
Ison, however, has excelled against tough opponents all season. During Brownsburg’s toughest stretch of nationally-ranked competition in December, Ison placed third at the Crown Point Carnahan Memorial Invitational and was crowned a champion at Brecksville.
145 – Mason Day
Facing a 1-0 deficit to No. 10 Mason Day in the second period, Indianapolis Cathedral’s No. 9 Dillon Graham tied the match and scored a third-period takedown to advance to the quarterfinals tomorrow.
Day, a sophomore who entered the tournament with a 29-11 record, was Brownsburg’s first wrestler to lose in the Friday afternoon session.
978Bulldog Breakdown: State Finals Session II Recap
By Anna Kayser
Four Brownsburg wrestlers punch finals tickets on Saturday
The Brownsburg Bulldogs competed another session of successful wrestling on Saturday afternoon, sending four wrestlers through to the championship round at Gainbridge Fieldhouse tonight at 7:30 PM ET.
Joining the four finalists in the third session are Preston Haines and Gunner Henry wrestling for third place and Landon Haines wrestling for fifth. The consolation matches are set to begin at 4:30 PM this afternoon.
106 – No. 2 Revin Dickman
Revin Dickman entered Saturday’s competition as the highest-ranked wrestler still alive at 106 pounds with No. 1 Layne Horn losing his first match of the tournament yesterday, and easily proved why he’s at the top of the weight pack.
After a first-period fall to kick off his tournament yesterday, Dickman made quick work of unranked Matt Baylor of Milan in the quarterfinals to secure his place on the podium with another fall in 2:51.
Just a few hours later he took to the mat for what would be his second of three matches on the day and again put on a strong display of offense with an 11-1 win over No. 3 Ayden Bollinger of Delta in the semifinals. The Bulldog freshman dominated on top and executed his shots late in the match to continue to pile on points for a major decision.
The 106 IHSAA Finals match to kick things off at 7:30 PM ET tonight will be a battle of two highly ranked freshmen: Dickman and No. 4 Nathan Rioux of Avon, two wrestlers who are about as familiar with each other as you can get. The two conference rivals have faced off five times this season (according to IndianaMat’s records), with Dickman narrowly emerging victorious in five decisions ranging between 1-3 points.
Dickman and Rioux last faced off in the Evansville semi-state title match, with Dickman edging Rioux 1-0.
113 – No. 1 Preston Haines
With a 1-2 matchup to begin the final day of official IHSAA competition, Preston Haines made his way to the semifinals with a 3-1 decision of Gavin Jendreas of Crown Point in a match with implications for the team title race.
The semifinals, however, were not so kind to Haines as he lost a heartbreaker to No. 6 Jackson Heaston of Indian Creek in the waning seconds of the match. With Haines holding a 1-0 following a second-period escape, Heaston scored a reversal in the final three seconds of the third period to advance to the finals at the buzzer.
Haines will represent Brownsburg in the third-place match tonight against No. 8 Isaac Ash of Monrovia, a wrestler he has already faced twice during this season’s state series. Haines’ last defeat of Ash came at semi-state by an 8-0 major decision.
The Bulldog junior will land on the podium for the second consecutive season after losing in the finals last year.
120 – No. 2 Jake Hockaday
An electric 120-pound finals matchup is set for this evening between reigning state champions as Jake Hockaday will face off against No. 1 Ashton Jackson of LaPorte, an undefeated senior and back-to-back state champion at 106 and 113 pounds, respectively.
Hockaday, the 106-pound champion last season and Brownsburg’s first freshman state champion in school history, made quick work of No. 12 Carter Fielden of Garrett with a pin in 51 seconds. His semifinal battle against No. 5 Neil Mosier of Delta was much closer than each of his first two bonus-points matches to begin the tournament, with Hockaday emerging victorious with a narrow 3-2 decision.
126 – No. 17 Landen Haines
After losing his quarterfinal match against No. 5 Tylin Thrine of New Castle to begin the day, Landen Haines battled back to secure his spot in the fifth-place match later today.
Haines took an early lead over No. 6 Jackson Bradley of Cowan with a takedown in the first period and never trailed, pulling off the upset with a 4-1 decision.
132 – No. 3 Brady Ison
Brady Ison’s fight to the finals match wasn’t an easy one, but he’s taken it in stride with victories over two top 5-ranked opponents in his quarter and semifinal matches.
To begin the day, Ison handed No. 4 Eleazar Walker of Mishawaka just his second loss on the season to advance to a matchup with No. 1 Kyrel Leavell of Warren Central in the semis. Ison held a narrow 3-2 lead in the third period, but with one minute left to go in the match scored a takedown to extend the lead he would need for the win.
Ison’s fight doesn’t get easier as he’ll face No 2, undefeated Joey Buttler of Whiteland in the finals. The Brownsburg junior has lost to Buttler twice by two-point decisions during this state series.
195 – No. 2 Gunner Henry
Gunner Henry will vie for his second consecutive third-place finish tonight after losing to No. 1 John Purdy in the semifinal this afternoon, 10-3.
Henry’s day for the Bulldogs began strong with a 10-4 decision over No. 6 Alex Deming of Rochester. The undefeated Purdy then proved why he’s the best 195-pounder in the state, scoring two takedowns following a scoreless first period and mounting more offense in the third for a big win.
In the third-place match, Henry will face No. 3 Reid Schroeder of Southridge, who lost a heartbreaker in overtime in the semifinals. The two wrestlers faced off at semi-state, with Schroeder taking the matchup via 10-8 decision.
285 – No. 1 Leighton Jones
After a quick pin to begin his tournament and a 5-2 decision in the quarterfinals this morning, Leighton Jones and No. 2 Paul Clark of Crown Point battled again today for a bid to the finals.
Jones, who lost a heartbreaker in the semifinals last season, fought hard on defense and executed his shots on offense to defeat Clark, 6-4. He scored via a single-leg takedown in the first period and fought off a similar shot on defense to go up 3-0 in the second. Jones nearly gave up takedowns on the edge of the mat to end the second and third periods, but was able to secure the victory.
The senior will face off against No. 5 Kelton Farmer of Evansville Memorial, who was pinned by Jones earlier in the state series.
1702Bulldog Breakdown: State Finals Consolation Medal Round Recap
By Anna Kayser
Two Bulldogs win third place matches
The Brownsburg Bulldogs emerged victorious in two of their three consolation medal matches to begin the third session of wrestling at the 2023 IHSAA State Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon.
Ahead of four finals matches by Bulldogs tonight, Preston Haines and Gunner Henry each earned bronze medals in the center mat of the consolation matches. The two wins brought Brownsburg (117.5 team points) within 10 points of Center Grove, which is currently in second place with 127 points. Crown Point leads the team race with 145 points.
No. 1 Preston Haines – Third Place Finisher at 113 Pounds
Following a heartbreaking loss with a last-second reversal in the semifinal round, No. 1 Preston Haines dominated in his final match to finish in third place at 113 pounds in the 2023 IHSAA Wrestling State Finals on Saturday afternoon.
Haines started on his offense early while facing No. 8 Isaac Ash of Monrovia and never let up, tacking on takedowns in each of the three periods for a 7-1 decision.
The bronze medal finish by the junior follows his first, second and third place finishes at conference, regionals and semi-state, respectively. During the 2022 state series, Haines broke through to the finals and lost to 2023 120-pound finalist Ashton Jackson – a dominate opponent who will face Brownsburg’s Jake Hockaday later tonight.
No. 17 Landen Haines – Sixth Place Finisher at 126 Pounds
No. 17 Landen Haines finished in six place at 126 pounds in the 2023 IHSAA Wrestling State Finals on Saturday afternoon to cap off an impressive freshman campaign full of ranked upsets this weekend.
In his final match against No. 6 Jackson Bradley of Cowan, Haines fell behind 3-0 early in the second period and trailed for the remainder of the match, dropping the battle for fifth place 5-3.
No. 2 Gunner Henry – Third Place Finisher at 195 Pounds
With a win over No. 3 Reid Schroeder of Southridge on Saturday evening, No. 2 Gunner Henry earned his second third-place finish at the IHSAA State Finals in two seasons with Brownsburg’s wrestling team.
Henry was dominant in his 9-4 consolation victory, never surrendering his offense through the final seconds of the match. In the final minute of the third period, Henry grabbed a single led for a strong takedown to finish off the match.
1651Bulldog Breakdown: 2023 State Finals Championship Round Recap
By Anna Kayser
Brownsburg Crowns Three Individual Champions
After sending its most wrestlers to the IHSAA finals round in school history, Brownsburg crowned three individual state champions for the first time in program history on Saturday night.
Revin Dickman and Jake Hockaday started things off for the Bulldogs in the final round of the tournament, with Hockaday earning his second state title in as many years. Leighton Jones capped things off in a big way with the final match of the 2023 season and his high school career.
106 Title Match – No. 2 Revin Dickman over No. 4 Nathan Rioux (Avon), 3-0
Freshman Bulldog Revin Dickman secured Brownsburg’s first individual state championship on the night with a 3-0 win over friend and well-known opponent Nathan Rioux. Dickman, who had won the previous five meetings between the two wrestlers, jumped on his offense to score all the points of the match in the second period.
A takedown in the second period secured the win, and Dickman didn’t let up, nearly turning Rioux for back points as time expired. Defense was the name of the game in the third, and Dickman rode out to become the second Brownsburg freshman to win state in school history – just one season after teammate Jake Hockaday became the first.
120 Title Match – No. 2 Jake Hockaday over No. 1 Ashton Jackson (LaPorte), 6-3
Sophomore Jake Hockaday became a two-time state champion with a strong showing of both offense and defense to defeat Ashton Jackson, 6-3.
After an outpouring of offense in the first period with Hockaday leading, 4-1, the two wrestlers leaned on their defense in a gritty battle through the second period. The third period featured more fireworks, with Hockaday tacking on a takedown to offset two escapes.
132 Title Match – No. 2 Joey Buttler (Whiteland) over No. 3 Brady Ison, 6-3
In a match that came down to one four-point move by Joey Buttler, Brownsburg’s Brady Ison battled and never let up to place second in the 132 state title match on Saturday evening.
Ison had a one-point lead in the second period before Buttler scored a takedown and back points to turn the tides, 4-1. The Brownsburg junior was able to execute his shots in the final 30 seconds of the match to narrow the score.
285 Title Match – No. 1 Leighton Jones vs. No. 5 Kelton Farmer (Evansville Memorial)
After a heartbreaking loss in the semifinals last season, Leighton Jones made it look easy as he defeated Kelton Farmer for the heavyweight state title in his final high school match, 7-2.
Jones got on his offense early, taking Farmer down twice to jump out to an early lead. The offense continued throughout the match, and Jones fared off shots by Farmer to hold his opponent to just two escapes.
1401 1Brownsburg Breakdown: Dickman Overcame Injury in State Final Run
By Anna Kayser
Freshman Revin Dickman wrestled through rib pain for two weeks prior to state championship
On the Monday leading up to the Evansville Semi-State, freshman and 106-pound IHSAA state champion Revin Dickman suffered an injury to his ribs.
When a guy is hurting in the Brownsburg wrestling room, there’s a series of check-ins that head coach Darrick Snyder goes through in tailoring practices following an injury. Depending on what level the pain is on a scale of one to 10 and if things are progressing positively from the day before, action can be limited.
Over the first few days of practice, Dickman was limited. And then at the end of the week, when Snyder followed up to gauge how the pain was either improving or not, Dickman made a decision that would lead to his dominate run at the state title just over a week later.
“It’s kind of a cool story about him,” Snyder recalled. “I was like ‘Alright, how are we doing and how do we feel?’ And he’s like, ‘I’m done with that coach… I’m fine. I’ve just got to wrestle with it. I’m done talking about it and I’m done adjusting my practices.’
“A rib injury is no joke and he literally just didn’t want to talk about it anymore. He’s a tough kid. We had people look at him and they [told him] it was going to hurt really bad, but he could wrestle with it. He got better over the week [leading up to State], but he was definitely in some pain.”
Dickman took home titles in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference and Mooresville Regional and Evansville Semi-State – the latter of which came during his injury – with a number of wins against State Finals opponent Nate Rioux.
The freshman was a large part of Brownsburg’s success throughout the season, reaching the finals in all but one tournament since December. He was one of the Bulldogs’ only placers at the Walsh Ironman tournament, placing eight on Dec. 10.
The adjustments that came from a number of losses on the season propelled him to success when it mattered most.
“He just has very few flaws in his game,” Snyder said. “He’s a kid where getting out of state to the Ironman and Brecksville, he took losses there. He’s the type of kid that’s like ‘Okay, I lost. What did I do wrong? What do I have to improve on?’ He was a contender at the beginning of the year, but he’s not the same dude because he took those losses and learned from them.”
Those larger tournaments not only improved his physical game, but the mental side of wrestling as well.
Throughout the state series, Snyder reminded his wrestlers that regardless of the arena or the stakes attached to the tournament, it was just another wrestling match.
The State Finals was no different.
“I’ve been to other pretty big tournaments equal to this, so it had kind of already prepared me for this big tournament,” Dickman said. “I had to keep a good mindset going into this and I was excited. My mindset was good so I wrestled good.”
Dickman was the first of three Brownsburg wrestlers to win their respective brackets at the State Finals, setting a school record.
“We just ran out of room in our wrestling room for our wall of state champions, so that will be a fun problem to figure out,” Snyder said. “We wrestled lights out, and overall, it was an outstanding tournament. Any time three of your guys accomplish their goal, it’s pretty awesome to be a part of.”
1529Bulldog Breakdown: Mental Side of Hockaday’s Game Propels Two-Time Champ
By Anna Kayser
Mere seconds after securing his second consecutive IHSAA State Wrestling title in February, No. 2 Jake Hockaday ran over to his coaches’ corner, hugged assistant coach Kyle Ayersman… and flipped him down onto the mat.
“We planned that far before,” Hockaday said. “I had to win it first, but right after I won I called him over and we had to do that. That was the first time [I had ever done that], I saw it on TikTok, so I thought I had to hit it.”
With his Saturday night victory over No. 1 Ashton Jackson of LaPorte, Hockaday became Brownsburg’s second two-time state champion following now-Minnesota standout after being the first freshman in school history to win it all in 2022. As part of a cohort of a program-record four finalists, Hockaday’s win followed freshman 106-pounder Revin Dickman’s title, marking the first time in school history that Brownsburg has crowned multiple champions in a year.
As someone all too familiar with the spotlight on the center mat at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Hockaday’s confidence shined. He looked strong and light on his feet all still sets that are vital to coming out on top following a grueling wrestling season.
“First of all, we were thinking of going 113 [before the season], but I decided to make the jump to 120 to not cut and just train as hard as I could all year,” Hockaday said. “I felt pretty good not cutting a lot of weight. I felt like I was quick, I was strong, and I had a huge advantage over the other guys who were cutting weight.”
Hockaday looked strong, light on his feet and in his mind – all skillsets that are vital to coming out on top following a grueling wrestling season. Leading up to his 2022 run to become Brownsburg’s first freshman in school history to win a state title, that confidence wasn’t always there.
At the Avon Sectional a year ago, Hockaday rolled through the bracket to the title match against conference rival Luke Rioux of the host school, an opponent he was beyond familiar with. He lost that match, 10-6.
“He looked like a deer in headlights, he had no facial expression, and his face was just pale,” head coach Darrick Snyder said. “He had the pressure of the world on him. So we did a lot of work with him the next few weeks about getting his head right and trying to get him to understand that those feelings are normal.”
As the No. 1 ranked wrestler at 106 pounds during the 2022 season, all eyes on the Brownsburg side were on him to win the title as a freshman. All eyes on opposing sides, however, were to take him down.
“It was kind of hard being ranked No. 1, everyone was kind of giving me their all,” Hockaday said. “After that [loss] we had to turn the jets on, and I had to get my mental right. That’s really all we looked forward to, winning the state title.”
The mental side of wrestling is something that Snyder and his coaching staff continue to put an emphasis on with their wrestlers, setting them up for success as they start to wrestle on the biggest stages not only in Indiana, but in the country.
This past season, they took a number of wrestlers to the Walsh Ironman tournament to face some of the best nationally ranked competition.
“The longer I coach, the more time we spend on the mental side of [wrestling],” Snyder said. “For a lot of our kids, it’s not physical. They’ve got the skills and the ability… a lot of times it’s just dealing with the pressure.”
Snyder preached the same thing throughout the state series, so much so that when asked about it, Hockaday nearly recited it word-for-word: It’s just a wrestling match, that doesn’t change regardless of the scenario.
“It’s helped me realize that it’s a match – I’ve wrestled thousands of them,” Hockaday said. “The only thing that’s changing is they put it in a cool venue and call it the State Finals. Really, I just had to wrestle my match and win.”
And it paid off. He took what he learned last year with that lesson this season and used it to his advantage again, staying confident in himself no matter what the situation.
He’s an electric wrestler when he’s on his game, and now there’s very little that makes him forget it.
“I learned that I can’t wrestle [other] people’s style,” Hockaday said. “I just have to stay calm, breathe, force my style and not do anything stupid.”
6953 12023 IndianaMat Preview Magazine is RELEASED!
Our annual preview magazine is now live.
**Note Girls Rankings will be out later tonight**
The magazine features the following.
Individual Rankings Team Rankings Girls Rankings Regional Previews Grade Rankings
Digital format is available immediately and the physical version will be mailed in the coming weeks.
You can purchase it in our store at the following link.
https://indianamat.com/index.php?/store/category/17-preview-magazine/
1393 515 Years of IndianaMat
By Anna Kayser
In 2008, IndianaMat emerged as an informational resource for high school wrestling across the state of Indiana, filling a communication void and connecting the wrestling community from border to border. Fifteen years later, it continues to serve as the epicenter of the Indiana wrestling community, from providing feature stories on prominent athletes to weekly rankings across regions.
This is the story of how it began.
For years, a message board run by the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association (IHSWCA) served as the main source of communications for wrestlers, fans and coaches – both high school and college coaches looking to recruit – on lineups, rankings (loose rankings, if any at all) and results.
It was late-November, peak holiday and weight-cutting season for wrestlers across the state with less than one month of official practice under their belts, when the message board got hacked and effectively rendered useless. There was no Twitter – or X, as it’s now known – to provide instantaneous information like there is today. Facebook was just gaining traction, officially surpassing MySpace as the most used social media app earlier that year.
“[The message board] was your go-to place to get wrestling information,” Joe Caprino, creator of IndianaMat, said. “You didn’t have access to cell phones and such – everyone was communicating that way. It was really popping at times, especially during the season.”
The old message board served as an initial connection for wrestling fans in the state, which is how the trio of Caprino, Chad Hollenbaugh (who had previously coached with Caprino) and Eric McGill (a former two-time state champion at Munster High School and Cornell University wrestler) formed to create a new information center.
With the first week of competition looming, there was a frenzy for information and no resource to turn to. Caprino, Hollenbaugh and McGill knew something new was needed – and quickly.
“Everyone was just needing information,” Caprino said. “Matches were starting and they wanted to know who won where. Everyone was looking for lineups. For about a week or 10 days, people were just going nuts trying to figure out how to get results and everything.”
It took some encouraging on Hollenbaugh and McGill’s part to convince Caprino to create the website and provide a new alternative for fans to turn to, but that encouragement quickly turned to action. After going back and forth on the possibility of creating a website, Caprino pulled the trigger on Dec. 2, with help from the two that convinced him in the first place.
“[The old message board] was a really convenient way for people to chat and keep in touch with their friends, so when that website went down it kind of created a void,” McGill said. “I think my role was more of just offering support and being willing to help out wherever it was needed.”
McGill – who was then in his sophomore year at Cornell – took over the rankings in between practice and schoolwork. Hollenbaugh wrote articles early on and was instrumental in getting the word out about the website by placing an advertisement in a program for upcoming duals.
News traveled quickly, and within 24 hours of the site being up, Caprino had to replace the server to keep up with the traffic they were experiencing. Word of mouth helped as well, with fans who were aware of the site sending out information to the masses.
Within the first few days, Caprino estimates that the website had hundreds of members, something that never could have been reached without the goals they set and exceeded in the early days.
“[We just wanted to] provide great coverage: Rankings, articles and obviously results. Put everyone onto the encyclopedia of [Indiana] wrestling, is what it’s kind of evolved into,” Caprino said. “The goal is to just continue to get information and results, and then to obviously promote the sport. We wanted to give recognition to kids and coaches for all of their work.”
Over the years, the website has grown beyond the borders Indiana – and the internet. Caprino has continued to build on the website’s foundation for years, becoming recognized nationally through tournaments and college coaches seeking information.
“I know that the website now is extremely popular in terms of college coaches going and checking the rankings and making decisions about recruiting based on those things, so it’s really been taken to new heights,” McGill said. “It’s just kind of a cool thing to be a part of in the beginning because I know what IndianaMat has become, and to have just a small part in getting started is pretty cool to reflect back on.”
Now, the website and growth of IndianaMat and the wrestling community can only continue to move forward.
With the evolution of social media and the reach that’s possible, the ceiling for IndianaMat and the sport in Indiana is sky-high. However, the goals haven’t necessarily changed.
“The goal is just to keep doing a lot of great coverage and promotion of the kids.” Caprino said. “I think [the sport] has grown a lot in the 15 years and it’s pretty neat to see that growth with the kids and how people use IndianaMat.”
2716 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.”
79242024 IHSWCA Team State Information
Bracket Release: January 1st, 2024 at 6pm EST
On WZBD
IndianaMat Facebook Live
IndianaMat YouTube Channel
Date: January 6th, 2024
Qualification Procedures
Click here to see the qualification procedures for teams participating
Qualification Leaderboard
Click here to see the leaderboard throughout the state series
Team State Pick'ems
Coming Soon
Locations
1A- Rochester High School
2A- Jay County High School
3A- Franklin Community High School
4A- Brownsburg High School
Schedule
Weigh-ins 7:30am
Doors open 8:00am
Wrestling beings at 9:00am
Admission
$15- Adults and Students
Preschool and IHSWCA members FREE
Teams
1A Event Link
Adams Central, Bluffton, Cascade, Cowan, North Miami, Prairie Heights, Rochester, Southmont, Tell City, West Central
Vote-In: South Adams and Faith Christian
2A Event Link
Bellmont, Delta, Hamilton Heights, Heritage Hills, Jay County, Maconaquah, Monrovia, New Prairie, Wawasee, Western
Vote-In: Oak Hill and Rensselaer Central
3A Event Link
Columbus East, Dekalb, Fort Wayne Snider, Mishawaka, Roncalli, Terre Haute South
Vote In: East Noble, Floyd Central, Franklin Community, Greenfield-Central, Hobart, New Palestine
4A Event Link
Brownsburg, Center Grove, Crown Point, Indianapolis Cathedral, Perry Meridian, Warren Central
Vote In: Avon and Evansville Mater Dei
TrackWrestling Link
****Including Streaming Info****
Streaming is through TrackWrestling/FloWrestling and cost is a yearly subscription of $150.
Click here to access the event on TrackWrestling
Click here for FloWrestling Streaming page
*Note: If you want a monthly subscription option you can subscribe to FloBowling and utilize that membership to watch wrestling or any other sports they offer. The cost is $30 per month for a monthly option.
43083 72024 Semi-State Information Center
Date: Saturday February 10th, 2024
Admission: $12 per person. Children age 5 and younger admitted free.
Streaming: A bundled package that includes access to all four semi-state sites, as well as next weekend's state finals, is available via IHSAAtv.org and the IHSAAtv suite of apps (iPhone, Android phone, Roku, Amazon Firestick, AppleTV, and Android TV) for $25. Access to all four semi-states only is available for $15. If you have a FloPro+ plan, you may also view the livestream at FloWrestling.com.
1. East Chicago Central (John C. Baratto Athletic Center) | 9 am CT
Feeder Regionals: Crown Point, Hobart, Logansport, Penn.
TrackWrestling Brackets
IndianaMat Brackets
EastChicago.pdf
Pick'ems Link
2. Fort Wayne South Side (Allen County War Memorial Coliseum) | 8:30 am ET
Feeder Regionals: Carroll (Fort Wayne), Goshen, Jay County, Peru.
TrackWrestling Brackets
IndianaMat Brackets
FortWayne.pdf
Pick'ems Link
3. New Castle (New Castle Fieldhouse) | 9 am ET
Feeder Regionals: Frankfort, Pendleton Heights, Perry Meridian, Richmond.
TrackWrestling Brackets
IndianaMat Brackets
NewCastle.pdf
Pick'ems Link
4. Evansville F. J. Reitz (Ford Center) | 9 am CT
Feeder Regionals: Bloomington South, Castle, Jeffersonville, Mooresville.
TrackWrestling Brackets
IndianaMat Brackets
Evansville.pdf
Pick'ems Link
Pick'ems History
Click here for a full pick'ems history
Articles and Podcasts
#MondayMatness with Steve Krah: DeKalb’s Waldon heading back to Fort Wayne Semi-State with focusHigh School Wrestling Weekly
#WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Thornton ready for another trip to state
Lake Central’s Mason Jones Drives Into Potential State Finals Run with Renewed Confidence
Gorilla Radio 172- Fort Wayne Semi-State
Gorilla Radio 173- Evansville Semi-State
Gorilla Radio 174- New Castle Semi-State
Gorilla Radio 175- East Chicago Semi-State
State Finals streak on the line
Gorilla Radio Schedule
Monday- Mike, Joe, and a special guest talking about Fort Wayne Semi-State
Wednesday- Mike, Joe and our southern correspondent talking about Evansville
Thursday- Mike and Joe talking about East Chicago and New Castle
578 32024 IndianaMat Messageboad Hall of Fame Inductees
The first annual IndianaMat MessageBoard Hall of Fame class has been announced. Since this Hall of Fame is run by crooked media members we modified the rules right before the announcement. We are inducting three people posthumously and four via the vote-in process. Don’t be surprised if we change the rules again next year. Before we get into the inductees here are some of the general guidelines we have for this honor.
1. No admins or staff
2. Can only go in under ONE name
3. Been an active member for 5 years
4. Innovative and fun
5. All in fun
We start the inductees with three people who left an impact on the board and have unfortunately passed away. The first one is grecoref aka Tom Clark. He came to Indiana from his native Ohio and became a full blown Hoosier. On the mat he was a very accomplished referee making his way to the state finals and also to a little tournament called the Olympics. On the board he was known to provide valuable information, sarcasm, wit, and humor. He was a friend to all and a great personality to have on the board.
Our second inductee is The Ancient Elder aka Dick Neal. Mr. Neal was likely the greatest Indiana wrestling historian ever. In the days of paper brackets and snail mail, he acquired everything he could possibly get his hands on to incorporate into his Indiana wrestling book. On the board he always answered the historical questions and reminded us of the best wrestlers and matches of the years gone by.
The last one to be inducted posthumously is Perseverance aka Eric Allred. Allred has a great story of overcoming adversity and making his life right. He was a huge fan of his son Silas and very knowledgeable about the sport and the kids Silas wrestled with. His passion for the sport and supporting others is very much missed.
The currently active members are characters to say the least and have had a fun and important impact on our lively messageboard. It is only fitting that MattyB and Team Garcia are inducted at the same time. Both came on the board at the same time to wreak havoc and promote #TheCounty and mainly the “young guns” of Avon. They have continued to this day due to having sons still involved in wrestling or in the case of Garcia, just loving to stir the pot.
The steel factory in da region kept RegionRat1 off the board for a few years, but he made a comeback this season. While he has stayed relatively anonymous he always loves to promote da region in his very unique regioneese. Most outside of da region likely believe the way he types is how they speak there, and they aren’t wrong.
Last, but not least is the lightning rod they call General Heavy Handz. Of the current inductees he leads the league in most “vacations” from IndianaMat. Luckily for him, Mike talks Joe into letting him come back EVERY SINGLE TIME! He is never shy about promoting the SAC and his beloved Snider Panthers.
8392024 Air Force Special Warfare Folkstyle Nationals Participants from Indiana
Brackets
Click here for brackets on TrackWrestling
Schedule
Friday March 15
Session 1
Junior Boys & Junior Girls – Prelims and Consolation
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Session 2
Junior Boys & Junior Girls – Quarterfinals and Consolation
3:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Saturday March 16
Session 3
Junior Boys – Semifinals, Consolation, and Consolation-Semi
Junior Girls – Consolation, Semifinals, Consolation-Semi and All Medals
16U Boys – Prelims and Consolation
Masters – Prelims and Consolation
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Junior Boys – All Medal Matches
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Session 4
16U Boys – Prelims, Quarters and Consolation
16U Girls – Prelims and Consolation
Masters – If Needed
3:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Sunday March 17
Session 5
16U Boys - Semifinals, Consolation-Semi, All Medals Matches
16U Girls - Quarters, Semifinals, Consolation
9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Session 6
16U Girls – All Medal Matches
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Participants from Indiana
Division Weight Name State Team 16U Boys 100 lbs Connor Maddox Indiana Contenders Wrestling Academy 16U Boys 100 lbs Reed Wicker Indiana Daleville Broncos Wrestling Club 16U Boys 113 lbs Mason Quarles Indiana Fishers Wrestling Club 16U Boys 120 lbs Colin Strayer Indiana Region Wrestling Academy 16U Boys 120 lbs Faruq Ghaffar Indiana M3 Wrestling Academy 16U Boys 126 lbs Richard Rogers Indiana Franklin Central Wrestling Club 16U Boys 132 lbs Cooper Wilkins Indiana Portage Wrestling Club 16U Boys 132 lbs Steven Hunter Indiana Lawrence North Wrestling Club 16U Boys 138 lbs Amin Mardanzai Indiana Franklin Central Wrestling Club 16U Boys 138 lbs Jaydin Fisher Indiana Franklin Central Wrestling Club 16U Boys 138 lbs Phillip Cospy Indiana 16U Boys 144 lbs Aiden Hutchison Indiana Crawfordsville Wrestling Club 16U Boys 150 lbs Erick Grady Indiana Lawrence North Wrestling Club 16U Boys 150 lbs Moses Stevenson Indiana Franklin Central Wrestling Club 16U Boys 165 lbs Xavier Smith Indiana Fishers Wrestling Club 16U Boys 175 lbs Graham Imes Indiana Fishers Wrestling Club 16U Boys 175 lbs Michael White Indiana Lawrence North Wrestling Club 16U Boys 190 lbs Julian Burgett Indiana Fishers Wrestling Club 16U Boys 215 lbs Kellen Fellure Indiana Franklin Wrestling Club 16U Boys 285 lbs Hayden Smith Indiana Maurer Coughlin Wrestling Club 16U Boys 88 lbs Cameron Schofield Indiana Franklin Wrestling Club 16U Boys 88 lbs Carter Sanford Indiana Dragon Wrestling Club 16U Boys 88 lbs Karson Kahalekomo Indiana Daleville Broncos Wrestling Club 16U Boys 88 lbs Tyler Quarles Indiana Elite Athletic Club 16U Girls 100 lbs Kynlie Keffer Indiana Daleville Broncos Wrestling Club 16U Girls 106 lbs Madisyn Mikels Indiana Portage Wrestling Club 16U Girls 106 lbs Olivia Crull Indiana Northeastern Wrestling Club 16U Girls 118 lbs Georgiana Wallace Indiana 16U Girls 124 lbs Ava Strayer Indiana Region Wrestling Academy 16U Girls 130 lbs Aubrey Troutner Indiana 16U Girls 130 lbs Naima Ghaffar Indiana M3 Wrestling Academy 16U Girls 136 lbs Maddie Marsh Indiana Red Cobra Wrestling Academy Junior Boys 106 lbs Nash Burke Indiana Munster Wrestling Club Junior Boys 120 lbs Dominic Sumner Indiana Junior Boys 120 lbs Nathan Toxqui Indiana Junior Boys 120 lbs Owen Ingalls Indiana Fishers Wrestling Club Junior Boys 120 lbs Seth Aubin Indiana Hobart Wrestling Club Junior Boys 126 lbs Cameron Woods Indiana Junior Boys 126 lbs Daniel Mata Jr Indiana Hobart Wrestling Club Junior Boys 132 lbs DShaeon Wilson Indiana Junior Boys 144 lbs Alexander Smith Indiana Maurer Coughlin Wrestling Club Junior Boys 144 lbs Atticus Finley Indiana Junior Boys 144 lbs Xavier Jackson Indiana Junior Boys 150 lbs Michael Ortega Indiana Portage Wrestling Club Junior Boys 150 lbs Terry Scott Indiana Junior Boys 157 lbs Christopher Bohn Indiana Region Wrestling Academy Junior Boys 157 lbs Jacob Weaver Indiana Central Indiana Academy Of Wrestling Junior Boys 157 lbs Noah Davis-Cornett Indiana Junior Boys 165 lbs Diego Carabano Indiana Fishers Wrestling Club Junior Boys 165 lbs Evan Roudebush Indiana Bloomington South Wrestling Club Junior Boys 165 lbs Hunter Marlow Indiana Franklin Central Wrestling Club Junior Boys 165 lbs KiAun Fields Indiana Junior Boys 175 lbs Aidan Costello Indiana Hobart Wrestling Club Junior Boys 190 lbs Noah Weaver Indiana Central Indiana Academy Of Wrestling Junior Boys 215 lbs Everett Mcclelland Indiana Portage Wrestling Club Junior Boys 285 lbs Triston Meschede Indiana Portage Wrestling Club Junior Girls 100 lbs Kendall Moe Indiana Contenders Wrestling Academy Junior Girls 105 lbs Heather Crull Indiana Northeastern Wrestling Club Junior Girls 110 lbs Makenize Smith Indiana Maurer Coughlin Wrestling Club Junior Girls 130 lbs Hannah Seitzinger Indiana Indian Creek Wrestling Club Junior Girls 130 lbs Naima Ghaffar Indiana M3 Wrestling Academy Junior Girls 135 lbs Samarrah Sswanigan Indiana Junior Girls 140 lbs Aleksandra Bastaic Indiana Highland Wrestling Club Junior Girls 145 lbs Carlee Wilson Indiana Junior Girls 145 lbs Elly Janovsky Indiana Howe Wrestling School, LLC Junior Girls 155 lbs Leila Thomas Indiana Junior Girls 170 lbs Adelmaris L. Collazo Gaud Indiana Junior Girls 170 lbs Janiya Brogan Indiana Masters A 100 kg Darren Eads Indiana Bloomington South Wrestling Club Masters A 78 kg Jordan Vaughn Indiana Franklin Central Wrestling Club Masters B 100 kg Christopher Myers Indiana Carroll Wrestling Club Masters B 100 kg James Haddix Indiana Masters B 78 kg Michael Dieter Indiana
Important Information
We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.