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2190 40 12022 Evansville Semi-State Preview
After a year away, WE ARE BACK AT THE FORD CENTER!!! Like true lovers - Triple B and The Crescent City couldn’t be kept apart!!!
Without further ado - WELCOME TO TRIPLEB’s EVANSVILLE SEMI-STATE SPECTACULAR PREVIEW House keeping items -
Here is the link for the Indianamat Semi-State Hub -
From our former inside man Markio - Ford Arena info:
● Parking and general information about the arena can be found at www.thefordcenter.com ● Wrestlers can enter the arena at 7:30am for weigh ins. Wrestlers and coaches will enter at the interior ticket office lobby (to the far right of the main lobby doors) to check in and head back. You will pick up your credentials here.
● The only coolers allowed are for wrestlers and must enter at the check in table through the interior ticket lobby. NO OUTSIDE FOOD OR DRINK for anyone else is allowed inside unfortunately. Not my rules, just standard building policy.
● Public doors open at 8:00am CST. Enter on Main Street through the main lobby. We will look to create a separate door/entrance for those that already have tickets. $12 dollars for all session ticket, $10 for finals only.
● There is NO onsite parking. Please do not have any team vehicles attempt to park in the loading dock or attached outer lot. These are reserved spots.
● There is no public Wi-Fi.
● Please do not jump over the dasher walls to access the floor. They try to control access to the floor, so you need to enter from the lower level hallway under section 103. You wouldn't jump the wall at Banker's Life would you? lol
● The hospitality room for officials, etc. will be in the Corner Club. Enter from the main lobby and hang a right at lower level hallway.
● If you are going to set up a camera please do not have the cord running across the aisle. You will be made to unplug any cords running across an aisle.
● We will have full concessions available throughout the day. Coffee and hot chocolate are also available all day as well. (get the bbq pork nachos, huge and awesome)
● There is no smoking on or in the Ford Center property, this includes e-cigarettes. ● Brackets will be updated throughout the day and posted on several of the 170 or so TVs located all over the arena. The brackets end up kind of small, but hey, they are everywhere and pretty cool.
● Lastly,if you are a wrestler that loses please don't kick,throw,or punch Ford Center property. We had a kid break off a door handle last year.Sent the bill to the school.
Nestled between two days of absolute Love (3B’s birthday on Thursday and Valentine’s Day on Monday) 224 grapplers will be battling to GAIN 56 tickets to the Bridge in Indianapolis next weekend!!
Let’s not pull any punches, Evansville is the toughest Semi-State in the state. There were kids getting sent home at regionals that could have placed at state and the same will happen this weekend. It will be absolute Carnage, Chaos, and Heartbreak. 176 Semi-State ranked wrestlers, 107 of whom are also state ranked will take to the Ford Center Saturday with more excitement than the pre-teens at the Jo-Jo concert the night before. We have the potential to feature, 4, yes 4 #1 vs. #2 state ranked wrestlers. We also have 7 of the 14 #1 ranked wrestlers in the state in our semi-state.
How does this work - The exclusive Evansville Championship Selection Committee (ECSC) spent 2 days in hard deliberations over their Ford Fab 4 picks. Each member selected their ballot, points were accumulated, and from there the picks started falling into place.
Article features:
The Charles Barkley “Turrible” Draws - ticket round matches that shouldn’t be happening in the ticket round!
The Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerkers - Best first round matches!
The Built Ford Tough Locks - Any weight class where the pick for champion was unanimous, makes it a Ford Tough Lock. This year we have, what may be a record, 6 yes 6 FORD TOUGH LOCKS!
Ford Fab 4 - After the picks were gathered, points distributed, and the dust settled, we’ll have the Ford Fab 4.
A big shout out to Navy80, BigToe19, Grenadier12, and The DONNIE BAKER for their contributions. I will add some commentary throughout from our great pickers.
What if I didn’t agree with the ECSC or I thought they made a terrible error? Then have no fear - The TripleB Guarantee will help you sort out the madness.
Without further ado—--------LET’S FREAKIN’ GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
106: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 9/12
106 is usually dubbed the future stars weight and this year is no different as 3 wrestlers from 3 blue blood programs look to get the action going early . Jake Hockaday has been #1 ranked all year but fell to Avon’s Luke Rioux at Sectionals. Rioux also won a wild match at team state over Mater Dei freshman Isaiah Schaefer, who’s dad won a state title as a freshman at 100lbs. Remember the NWO Wolfpack and their song that went - Don’t turn your back on the Wolfpac, you might end up in a body bag. A little extreme but don’t turn your back on Donnie Feeler of the Crawford County Wolfpack, or you’ll end up on your back! The senior will look to spoil the 3 way feature.
Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - Feeler might get tested right out of the gates against #20 Brennan Leonard of Martinsville. In the lower bracket Floyd Central’s Rollin Douglas will clash against Reitz’s Caleb Reed. 2 great opening round matches at 106!
Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - There will be a lot of Mooresville Regionals messing up brackets and our first turrible draw is #6 Schaefer vs #10 Charlie LaRocca of Center Grove. Being stuck behind Hockaday and Rioux has done this Trojan no favors. Both of these guys are podium placers, and one will be buying a ticket next weekend. That’s turrible!
Don’t sleep on…. Big Toe says don’t sleep on Larocca and Vincenne’s Ty Henderson, Henderson is a gamer and wrestles all year long. Henderson will have the winner of Feeler/Leonard
Ford Fab 4 - Hock gets the nod, with Rioux/Schaefer tied for second. Feeler slides in at 4th
1st - Jake Hockaday Brownsburg, 2nd - Luke Rioux Avon(gets the nod for holding a W already), 3rd - Isaiah Schaefer Evansville Mater Dei 4th - Donnie Feeler Crawford County
113: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 5/14
113 has 14 ranked Semi-State grapplers locking up, and our first FORD TOUGH LOCK in Brownsburg Sophomore Preston Haines. Currently ranked 3rd in the state, the Bulldog hopes to keep Brownsburg’s Semi-State and State championship aspirations rolling with a semi-state championship. 4 top ten wrestlers, outside of Haines, will be hot on his heels as this weight
class is absolutely loaded. Mater Dei’s Evan Seng is a returning state placer, Liam Krueger from Columbus East is a returning state qualifier.
Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - Two state ranked wrestlers will go at it in round one with the winner being the favorite to advance out of the quarter bracket. Both #6 Jackson Heaston of Indiana Creek and #23 Logan Bickel of Cascade has had great years but one of them will come to halt early, another bracket of Mooresville playing games.
Charles Barkley Turrible Draw - Whenever two top ten kids are going at it for a spot at state on the line, I’m sorry, but it’s a turrible draw. Corydon Central Senior Bryson Rowley was undefeated heading into last weekend. A match up with Krueger from East ended in a nightmare for Rowley as he now has Haines in the ticket round!!
Don’t sleep on…. Close to a Turrible draw but not making the cut was Center Grove’s Eddie Goss and Liam Krueger. The #14 ranked Goss would be a favorite to make state at some other semi-states and even in another quarter bracket, but the tough draw of Krueger might be too much here.
Ford Fab 4 - LOCK Haines, followed by Seng, with Krueger and Heaston splitting votes.
1st - Preston Haines Brownsburg, 2nd - Evan Seng Evansville Mater Dei, 3rd Liam Krueger Columbus East, 4th - Jackson Heaston Indian Creek
120: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 10/14
You thought 113 looked good? 120 is dirty….. A state champ and #1 ranked wrestler not favored to win. 14 semi state ranked wrestlers. 10 state ranked wrestlers. Multi state medalists and qualifiers. A quarter bracket to die for. Logan Miller looks to put a stamp on his high school career, Lane Gilbert looks to make that next step. This could be a preview of next weekend, under the lights!
Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker: Let’s just go to the bottom half of the bracket; Gilbert, Ellis, Courtney, Lykins, Kessinger, Syra, Egli. All 7 ARE RANKED IN THE STATE!! 3 ARE IN THE TOP 10 Here comes the BOOM!! Castle’s Logan Ellis and Center Grove’s Reese Courtney will get things going, congrats winner you just have a world medalist waiting for you in the quarters. Then in a rematch of the Hoosier Hills Conference Championship, Noah Lykins and Vince Kessinger. Lykins owns a convincing W, but Hitman Kessinger can deliver a death blow in a second! The last opening match is Avon Freshman Seth Syra and Mater Dei Senior Reed Egli. Both have been
wrestling since they came out of diapers, both come from blue blood programs, this match should be good’un.
Charles Barkley Turrible Draw - Just stay put, you are looking at potentially SSR #3 Courtney vs SSR#2 Gilbert in the blood round and SSR#4 Lykins vs #5 Egli also in the blood round. Turrible, Turrible, Turrible…. But guess what? Would either be favored against Miller or Blake Zirkelbach? I don’t know, this weight class is just too much!
Don’t sleep on…. Hey…. don’t go anywhere yet…. If I haven’t hyped it enough, Big Toe says “The whole group. **Loaded**
Ford Fab 4: Gilbert got the nod, barely, followed by Miller with Lykins and Zirkelbach splitting
1st - Lane Gilbert Sullivan, 2nd - Logan Miller Brownsburg, 3rd Noah Lykins (higher state ranking) Columbus East, 4th Blake Zirkelbach North Posey
TripleB GUARANTEE - Logan Miller…. Champ…. Bank on it
126: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 9/12
2 significant things about 126. The first was that many years ago I was in a bar in Crawfordsville Indiana with my running mate Tyson Skinner when I was called over to a table. The group asked me if my name was TripleB and then told us to have a seat. I drank free, listened to Castle and Mater Dei parents rib each other and learned about the next great Castle run, they had these kids that would fuel the re-emergence of Castle on the state scene. They told me to remember the names KT Nelson, Ashton Hayhurst, and John Purdy (A very true story). And while it’s taken some time for it to sort out, here we are and Coach Bob Harmon has his 3 hammers altogether.
The other significance of 126 is that after acting like he was asleep, strumming through used boat books, Donnie Baker came alive, and I mean A-L-I-V-E! “Justice Thornton, TripleB, Justice Thornton! The greatest thing to come out of Columbus Indiana since Thadeus Douglas Baby!”
Yeah weird, anyway, the match everyone will be watching will be the semi-final of returning state placer and SSR #1 Joey Buttler (oh and Donnie just chanted “ Joey! Joey! Joey” over and over as we discussed this match) and Castle’s KT Nelson who medaled as a freshman.
Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - 3 matches featuring state ranked dudes will be in the first round of 126. #16 Michael Tharpe vs #23 Landon Horning with winner the favorite to punch their ticket (but the TripleB Guarantee will be an unraked upset - just wait). #13 Donnie Baker’s upset special Justice Thornton of Columbus North vs. #20 Branson Weaver of Owen Valley will
duke it out to see who gets Braden Haines in the ticket round. Lastly #5 KT Nelson vs. #18 Caleb Wyss. Wyss has already shown he’s game with a win at sectionals over Buttler. A scrappy Nelson vs a scrappy Wyss could prove to be the opening match of the day.
Charles Barkley Turrible Draw - SSR #4 Justice Thornton vs SSR #2 Braden Haines is unfortunate, both of these dudes could be on the podium next week and both would be favored if they fell in some other quarter brackets. Sir Charles is not pleased!
Don’t sleep on…. Thornton has been mentioned several times but the fact that he’s got a grinder to even get to the semis means you should sleep on him. Also Tell City’s Kelby Glenn has been a mainstay in Southern Indiana for 3 years now, he would need a big win over Joey Buttler, can the Tell City grappler do it?!?!?!
Ford Fab 4: A grinder of a bracket, both Nelson and Buttler recieved 2 first place votes with Haines getting the 5th. Nelson just barely nudged Buttler out in the voting.
1st - KT Nelson, Castle 2nd Braden Haines, Brownsburg 3rd Joey Buttler, Whiteland, 4th Michael Tharpe Center Grove
TripleBGuarantee - I have a trusted confidant named “The Professor” and when The Professor goes out of his way to text me about a kid, I listen. Harrison May will upset the upper bracket and punch his ticket to GainBridge!
132: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 7/12
Let’s just cut to it…. This weight is all about NC State signee and 2x state runner up Avon’s Cheaney Schoeff and his big rival Brady Ison of Brownsburg. It’s the battle of #TheCounty rivals. Ever since Darrick Snyder took the reins of Brownsburg wrestling, Brownsburg and Avon matches have been lit. Ison/Schoeff embodies all that is Brownsburg/Avon. And who knows it the outcome even matters. Last year Ison wins at Semi-State and Schoeff again achieves state runner up?!?!?!? Why is that? Because Zeke Setlzer was waiting at state and guess who’s waiting this year? Zeke Fricking Seltzer! All of that being said, Coy Hammack is a returning state semi-finalist and 2x state qualifier. I wouldn’t overlook him.
Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerkers - Upset Alert - unranked regional champ Nathan Anderson has under the radar Eli Brooks of Whiteland. Brooks is ranked #6 in the semi-state but injuries have cost him most of his junior season. Can Brooks pull the Saturday Upset Special?
Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - Ayden Amento, now a 2x Turrible draw victim, and Odin Fortune are the Castle Regional Champ and runner up and both are state caliber wrestlers. But in a land of “bad draws” they got the worst draws ever, Schoeff and Ison. What a gut punch! Also Center Grove Sophomore Wayne Kresja has had a great year, any time you got 33-4 for a team like Center Grove, that’s nails. Will that schedule and room have him ready for Coy Hammack in the ticket round? We will find out!
Don’t sleep on…. Kresja, as mentioned above, Center Grove wrestles a murders row of a schedule. Hammack will earn every point in that match. Also Bloomington South Senior Ethan Roudebush is ranked in the state and should be the “favorite” vs Brooks, but the voters like Brooks.
Ford Fab 4 - Ison just outscored Schoeff and Brooks just outscored Roudebush
1st - Brady Ison Brownsburg, 2nd - Cheaney Schoeff Avon, 3rd - Coy Hammack Tell City, 4th Eli Brooks Whiteland
138: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 7/12
For a number of reasons, we could label 138 as REDEMPTION! The first reason being 3 of the favorites were all victims of turrible draws a year ago - Reese Fisher was a regional champ and hit state champ Kysen Montgomery in the ticket round. Cash Turner was also a regional champ a year ago and drew state semi-finalist Brady Ison and Ashton Hayhurst, another regional champ a year ago, ran into eventual state runner up, Hayden Watson. See why Evansville is the toughest semi-state?
The rest of the weight class features it all - a wide open quarterbracket, turrible draws, curtain jerkers, and hammers. This weight might be the most competitive, open weight in the field.
Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - The top/middle quarterbracket is the bracket up for grabs and we get started early as SSR #8 Silas Stits and SSR #9 Evan Roudebush (A Donnie Baker Super Frosh) kicks things off. Stits owns a 8-2 win over Roudebush already, but Roudebush owns a win over Fisher, and Fisher has beaten Stits, now you see why this quarterbracket is no joke!
Charles Barkley Turrible Draw - Floyd Central Junior Lou Knable has had a great season, going 30-4 and only losing the best of the best. Ranked #4 in the semi-state, he should be prohibitive favorite for state but runs into Ashton Hayhurst in the quarters. Turrible, turrible, turrible
Don’t sleep on…. Along with Knable, #10 ranked Keegan Williams is battle tested, ford tough some might even say, but has #4 ranked Gavin Garcia in the quarters. The hometown kid pull an upset Saturday??
Ford Fab 4 - Another close vote, a testament to the toughness of Eville, Garcia nips Hayhurst, followed by Turner, Fisher/Stits/Roudebush all tie!
1st - Gavin Garcia Brownsburg, 2nd Ashton Hayhurst Castle, 3rd Cash Turner Edgewood, 4th Reece Fisher Columbus East
145: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 7/12
Our next lock, Center Grove’s Hayden Watson takes center state at 145. 145 also features another prediction of an unranked wrestler getting out over ranked wrestlers. The top of this bracket is loaded with 5 of the 8 wrestlers state ranked. That should make for some good matches!
Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - State ranked wrestlers right off the bat! #13 Afernee Oliver and #11 Alex Smith will have to put it all on the line to get a W Saturday. On paper the winner will be the favorite out the quarterbracket, but the ECSC went a different route. In another battle of state ranked wrestlers, #7 Blaze Garcia will wrestle #20 Nick Akers of North Posey. Garcia was the recipient of a Turrible draw last year and hopes to be the turrible draw this year! Another #4 over #1 has been predicted also, SSR #14 and Regional Champ Lee Spencer (nice name) takes on SSR #3 Braedon Spears.
Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - Bloomington South Senior Nicholas Castellucio is 19-2 and a regional champ but a draw with Blaze Garcia couldn’t be what the BHSS team was hoping for. This match isn’t a lock, either wrestler can win!
Don’t sleep on…. Anfernee Oliver, Ben Davis both Oliver and his opponent Alex Smith are state ranked but the ECSC like Lody Cheatham or Borden. Also the bottom bracket is really wide open and don’t be too surprised to see Nate Lommock punching his ticket also.
Ford Fab 4 - Our second LOCK Hayden Watson gets all the love, even though I barely talked about him in the preview. Sorry Hayden! Blaze Garcia was a clear 2nd and after that 4 different wrestlers got votes with Spears and Cheatham leading the way.
1st - Hayden Watson Center Grove, 2nd - Blaze Garcia Brownsburg, 3rd - Braedon Spears (My Boy! #TripleBTrained!) Plainfield, 4th - Lody Cheatham Borden
152: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 7/11
A returning State runner up and state semifinalist highlights the field at 152. This was also almost the first chalk weight (where all the voters pick the same 4) but Donnie Baker always has to be the outlier. Also look out for late starter Andre Merritt, the Whiteland transfer to Center Grove in mid season has jumped out onto the scene. 4 very serious medal contenders next weekend kind of take the flames out of hype discussion. May and Ruhlman should be a banger!
Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - Before May gets there, the Wildcat will have to go through the always game Jude Barger of Franklin. Coach Tonte will have his Grizzly Cubs ready to go, can Barger pull off the upset of the tourney? Another 4 over 1 alert and Coach Coop is on the clock
again, #14 ranked Tyce DuPont of Tell City will take on unranked, regional champ Eli Pollitt of Columbus East. East has had tons of changes to their lineup all season long. Pollitt wasn’t even in the original sectional bracket and his teammate, Tony Ruiz-Tapya, was ranked in the SS. Dupont is the favorite, can Pollitt pull it off?
Charles Barkley Turrible Draw - 1 Turrible Draw as SSR #4 Luke Robards loses to Hunter May last week and draws Delaney Ruhlman in the ticket round. I mean really, when will the IHSAA just let me seed the brackets? This is robbery!
Don’t sleep on…. Both have been mentioned but BT19 has pointed out that Robards and Barger are both upperclassmen who won’t go down without a fight.
Ford Fab 4 - Ruhlman out points May followed by Cicciarelli and Merritt
1st - Delaney Ruhlman Bloomington South, 2nd - Hunter May Evansville Mater Dei, 3rd Nick Cicciarelli Brownsburg, 4th Andre Merritt Center Grove
TripleB GUARANTEE: Wouldn’t it be sweet if Hunter May came out in a Mater Dei/Floyd Central inspired Plaid singlet w/ Maroon and yellow color Scheme? Don’t bank on that though, but do bank on Hunter May Semi-State Champ baby!!!!
160: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 9/15
There’s loaded weight classes and then there’s 160lbs. Not only does 160 feature a tournament high 15 SS ranked kids (good job TripleB, you animal) but also features the #1, #2, and #4 ranked wrestlers in the STATE!! Sound the Sirens!! #1 and defending state champion J Conway has already battled #2 Kade Law this season and Law’s Panther-like speed wasn’t fast enough as Conway escaped like a Pirate with his gold in OT. Now throw in Landon Boe and this weight is off the chain. Can Boe cause a QUAKE? Would it be an upset? All 3 are multi-time state qualifiers and have 4 medals between them.
Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - No bathroom breaks at the halfway point, b/c this weight features 3 curtain jerkers and a first round Turrible draw as we have #1 vs #5 in the STATE going at it in the first round….. Did I mention this weight is crazy good? We’ll slow ourselves into things with #20 Aiden Reynolds vs. #25 Michael Hutchinson, Hutch upset #5 Weems at sectionals. Does he have more of that magic? I think I remember a kid that wasn’t favored to go to state back in the day, Quinn Harris maybe?? If anybody knows how to pull the upsets, it’s coach Harris! Next we have SSR #12 Griffin Ison of Brownsburg and state ranked #12 Jeb Pretchel of Jasper this is only brought up b/c of team points. Snyder will have the Bulldogs ready to go don’t be surprised to see an upset here. The last match is the one on paper that looks most shocking, #1 Conway vs #5 Weems. Weems seems to be battling an injury, and that’s unfortunate b/c that landed him in the this killer draw
Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - Two top ten state ranked wrestlers will go at it in the ticket round. Luke Kemper put together an undefeated regular season but the last two weeks he hasn’t been able to solve Chris Newman from Mt. Vernon, that leaves the Evansville Central Junior with Landon Boe in the quarters.
Don’t sleep on…. Hutchinson has a tall task in Newman, but never count him out. Pretchel is ranked in the state also and does anybody remember Jordy Faulks?
Ford Fab 4 - Conway was almost a lock but one voter likes Law in the rematch. Boe is a clearcut third favorite, followed by Newman.
1st - J Conway Floyd Central, 2nd - Kade Law Columbus East, 3rd - Landon Boe Avon, 4th - Chris Newman Mt. Vernon
170: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 8/12
Was last year’s 160lb state championship not one of the best finishes ever? Champ Brody Baumann is up a weight and back to defend his crown. He’s also our third FORD TOUGH LOCK! We also have another chance at the top two wrestlers in the state going at it as Floyd Central’s Codei Khawja will look to get some revenge on Baumann after Baumann won 8-3 at the Mater Dei classic. This will be a semi final match…. Yes we are so good at Evansville we get #1 vs #2 in the semis. Ben Phillips is another returning medalist and should meet the winner in the finals. Can the Pirate pull off the W? This also just the third weight where #1, #2, #3, and #4 ranked SS guys are predicted to get out.
Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerkers - Two seniors that probably feel like they got the best draw they could are Ian Madden of Evansville Central and Chase Hostetler of Bloomington North. Both have put together solid senior campaigns and both want one more chance to be on the
floor in Indy! Two state ranked wrestlers will also be going at it in the first round; Whiteland’s #19 Vincent Tinoco will take on #21 Tristan Statler with the winner getting Khawja.
Charles Barkley Turrible Draw - Not sure it’s a Turrible Draw, when seeding an 8 man tournament this would be the correct quarterfinal match up, so along with the SSR #1,#2,#3, and #4 wrestlers predicted to get out we also have SSR #4 vs SSR #5 in a match up for birth to state! Evansville Memorial Senior Aiden Farmer is a returning state qualifier and ranked 9th in the state vs. Freshman hammer Caden Brewer who’s ranked 10th in the state. This match will be great and Trips might have taken the Freshman, but I was the only one. Mattyb remember that!!!
Don’t sleep on…. Madden, Brewer, Tinoco - anything can happen at Evansville. I haven’t said that yet but we’ve witnessed crazy upsets over the years! Also don’t sleep on Ben Phillips. I think him and Joey Buttler have been slept on over and over and all they have done is get on the podium at state and then follow that up with solid senior years. Call them the Dangerfield Twins, No Respect!
Ford Fab 4 - Our third of a possible record 6 LOCKS Wildcat Brody Baumann leads the field, followed by Phillips, Khawja, and Farmer
1st -Brody Baumann Evansville Mater Dei, 2nd - Ben Phillips Charlestown, 3rd - Codei Khawja Floyd Central, 4th - Aiden Farmer Evansville Memorial
182: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 8/12
182 brings us a big rematch, now Brownsburg fans keep your pants on, as the prohibitive favorite actually lost last weekend. Center Grove’s Drake Buchanan is a returning state runner-up and was humming along until running into Brownsburg’s Gunnar Henry last weekend at Regionals. Henry, another Donnie Baker Super Frosh, knocked off Buchanan. Despite that, ECSC still went with Buchanan in the rematch. Buchanan was almost a lock but Donnie Baker looked up from his boats-4-sale catalog and quietly and confidently said “Henry”. 3 former state qualifiers highlight this field, that after hammers Henry and Buchanan, could be wide open.
Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - A quarterbracket of fun! Semi State Champ Clay Martin from Mater Dei, #24 Luke Bullock of Mooresville, #17 Jerry McBee of Owen Valley, and unranked but dangerous Jared Slocum of Columbus North will all be going after that golden ticket!
Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - Floyd’s Bray Emerine was a SQ has a frosh last year. He’s been hampered by injuries and in battles of returning State Qualifiers the last two weeks, Bray has
came up short to Reid Schroeder. That has set up, what could be, an exciting blood round match between Bray and Gunnar Henry. Both are ranked top 10 in the state and up until last weekend Emerine would have been the favorite. Throw in the fact that they are former training partners at Invicta and long time friends and this match will have it all. Don’t think for a minute either will have a hard time going after it b/c they are friends.
Columbus East’s Jaden Durnil has had some big wins this year and all of his losses are close. Last year he lost to SQ Dominic Pugliese 9-8. After wrestling 195 most of the year, he dropped to 182 for the state tournament and has won sectionals and regionals and appeared to be cruising to state. Then Henry/Buchanan happened and then the draws of stupidity happened and now Durnil has returning state runner up Drake Buchanan. Turrible, turrible, turrible
Don’t sleep on…. Along with Emerine, BigToe says don’t look past Cascade Junior Liam Farmer, Farmer has cut his teeth in the tough Hendricks County area and definitely be game. He’ll have to get through Reid Schroeder and Mitchel Happe if he wants to get to the Big Show!
Ford Fab 4 - Another close “chalk” weight, aside from one vote for Mater Dei’s Clay Martin. The ECSC likes Buchanan, Henry, Schroeder, and McBee
1st - Drake Buchanan Center Grove, 2nd - Gunnar Henry Brownsburg, 3rd - Reid Schroeder Southridge, 4th - Jerry McBee Owen Valley
Donnie Baker Bet the Boat Guarantee - Gunnar Henry wins the rematch
195: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 7/13
Our next LOCK comes at 195 in returning state champ, Evansville Mater Dei’s Gabe Sollars. We will also see the next chapter in #1 vs #2 as Sollars and Castle’s John Purdy has been tearing up the Southwest part of the state this year. Purdy won the first match 4-3 with Sollars winning the last 2 by scores of 9-4 and 5-0. Butttttt don’t count out returning medalist Wyatt Willman, who dropped a tight 2-1 match to Purdy last weekend.
Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - Gotta plug my boy….who’s had a run of absolutely awful draws - Sollars, Sollars, and now Purdy, but Madison Junior Van Skinner is very capable of winning any match. A frosh/soph state champ, Skinner will have to be very game to knock off Purdy!
Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - Did I mention Skinner? Okay moving on, SSR #4 and SR #10 Sammy Saunders hit a roadblock last weekend in unranked Colten Hubbell of Edgewood. This
has now set up a ticket round match with Saunders and Jeffersonville Senior Evan Clayton whos SR #12 and SSR #5. Two seniors, one goes to state and one goes home!
Don’t sleep on…. Whiteland Junior Sam Allen. He’s just gained eligibility and is definitely state worthy, can he knock off Willman in the ticket round? Also Jakobe Leavell of Pike is 22-4 and has a win over #22 Bryce Crump. Admittedly, most Northern schools don’t get the love they deserve as I never get info about them. Is Leavell a sleeping monster???
Ford Fab 4 - Another flirtation with a “chalk” weight but a solo vote for Clayton stopped it from happening. Sollars (LOCK), Purdy, Willman, Saunders
1st - Gabe Sollars Evansville Mater Dei, 2nd - John Purdy Castle, 3rd - Wyatt Willman North Posey, 4th - Sammy Saunders Terre Haute North
220: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 8/12
ATTENTION ALL READERS, ATTENTION ALL READERS after 12 weights we finally have a “chalk” weight! *EDIT* Donnie Baker woke up from his nap, snorted, yelled “Garron By God Jenkins” and fell back asleep…. No chalk…. 4 state top ten ranked wrestlers highlight this field and 2 of them will be going at it in the ticket round! Indiana newcomer Nathan Critchfield has been causing damage all over The Crescent city and surrounding areas. The Mater Dei senior looks to keep it going this weekend, can anybody stop him?
Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerker - #11 Zac Inzerello, a senior from Castle steps on the line against #25 Nolan Skaggs, a senior from Franklin and returning state qualifier. Skaggs has went back and forth with Royce Deckard 3 from Center Grove. After dropping last weekend, Skaggs finds himself behind the 8 ball this weekend. Whoever wins this match has the Mammoth from Columbus, Tommy Morrill.
Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - Jasper’s Ashton Schuetter is ranked 8th in the state and only had two losses heading into the state tournament to Inzerello and Critchfield. A loss to Floyd Central’s Garron Jenkins last weekend set up the ticket round match of Schuetter and Critchfield. A turrible draw for the Jasper Senior.
Don’t sleep on…. The aforementioned Jenkins, the Floyd Senior, hasn't been around a lot in High School but has been a wrestler for years. After stepping back on the mat this year, he’s had some big wins and a great senior campaign. He has Memorial Junior Kelton Farmer. They were supposed to wrestle at The Mater Dei Classic, but an injury to Jenkins prevented that. Keep an eye on this match.
After reading through this bracket I can see any of 9 guys qualifying for state, after Critchfield it’s really wide open. These ticket round matches could be good ones.
Ford Fab 4 - The LOCK Critchfield, Morrill and Deckard were all unanimous and Farmer was close
1st - Nathan Crichfield Evansville Mater Dei, 2nd - Tommy Morrill Columbus East, 3rd - Kelton Farmer Evansville Memorial , 4th - Royce Deckard 3 Center Grove
Donnie Baker Bet the Boat Guarantee Garron Jenkins senior run lasts more weekend as he joins his Floyd teammates in Indianapolis
285: State ranked/Semi State ranked = 6/11
Our last weight and we get our last lock and our first chalk! Leighton Jones dropped a tough state semi-finals match last year and seems dialed in to win a state title this year, the ECSC agree! This is a competitive field, but all seems to be spread out. Can Evansville’s James Ralph spoil the Mooresville love fest? The Wildcat has some big wins, but appears to be the sleeper in this field as others love the Johnson and Johnson crew from the Mooresvile Regional.
Barry Horowitz Best Curtain Jerkers - No Curtain jerkers! Wow! Go grab some pork nachos and get ready for the quarters!
Charles Barkley Turrible Draws - Another Nah…….
Don’t sleep on…. James Ralph/Nate Johnson - a great SSR#4 vs SSR#5 match Ralph is the favorite but Nate Johnson could easily win this match as well.
Undefeated Beau Noland has slid under the radar, can this North Knox senior crash the party Saturday? This will be his third trip to Evansville, so he has experience!
Ford Fab 4 - Our last LOCK, Leighton Jones of Brownsburg leads an incredibly tough field. You might find all 4 of these guys on the podium next week.
1st - Leighton Jones Brownsburg, 2nd - Jacob Johnson Franklin, 3rd - James Ralph Evansville Mater Dei, 4th - Ashton Hartwell Columbus East (TripleBTrained!)
Man we made it…….let’s end w my favorite - food recommendations
Hilltop Inn - Fried Brain sandwiches. Brains aren’t your thing? Turonis is a local pizza place that’s dynamite. Like German? Gerst Haus is phenomenal. Want to head out for some adult beverages? Go to Franklin St, Gerst Haus is there and a number of other watering holes and
great restaurants. I’m never up early enough for Breakfast so I have no clue. I hear the nachos at the Ford are great and worth the $. And a tradition on the way home is Stoll’s Country Diner - lights out fried chicken and down home buffet.
Have a great time Saturday, I thoroughly enjoy the Evansville Semi-State experience. I’ll be there slumming around, feel free to say hey, you can’t miss me! Good luck to all my coaching buddies and all 224 grapplers. Use this to pump you up and get mad bc you were slighted and parents have fun with this as we at IndianaMat are just trying to bring attention to our favorite sport, wrestling!
See everybody at the FORD and onto The Bridge!
16296 222022 State Finals Info Center
Schedule
Friday, Feb. 18, 2022
Session 1 | First Round Weight Classes 152 - 285 | 11 am ET (Gates open at 10am)
Session 2 | First Round Weight Classes 106 - 145 | 7 pm ET (Gates open at 6pm)
Saturday, Feb. , 2022
Session 3 | Quarterfinals with Semifinals to follow | 9:30 am ET (Gates open at 8:30am)
Session 4 | Consolations at 5 pm ET with Championships to follow at 7:30 pm ET (Gates open at 4pm)
Other Pertinent Schedule Times
Parade of Champions
Friday, Feb. 18, 2022
Session 1 | 10:35am
Session 2 | 6:35pm
Weigh-Ins
Friday, Feb. 18, 2022
Session 1 | 10:00am
Session 2 | 6:00pm
Saturday, Feb. , 2022
Session 3 | 8:00am
**Tickets**
Friday Tickets | $10 per person (good all day) | On sale beginning Wed, Feb. 16 at 10 am ET / 9 am CT | Ticketmaster.com
Saturday Tickets | $15 per person (good all day) | On sale beginning Fri, Feb. 18 at 10 pm ET / 9 pm CT | Ticketmaster.com
State Finals Hashtag: #INWRState22
Social Media
IHSAA on Twiiter
IndianaMat on Twitter
Brackets
TrackWrestling.com
IndianaMat Brackets with State and Semi-State Rankings
Statev2.pdf
IndianaMat Brackets with State Rankings
State-StateRankingsOnlyv2.pdf
State Finals Pairings Show
The brackets in each weight class will be announced exclusively via IHSAAtv.org on Sunday, February 13, 2022 at 4 pm ET / 3 pm CT (1 hour).
East Chicago Semi-State Results
Evansville Semi-State Results
New Castle Semi-State Results
New Haven(Fort Wayne) Semi-State Results
Pick'em Contests
State Finals Pick'ems
Current Pick'em Standings
Gorilla Radio
Episode 129 talking about 106lbs-145lbs
Episode 130 talking about 152lbs-285lbs
High School Wrestling Weekly
Friday Night IndianaMat/WZBD Preview Show
*Coming soon*
Featured Articles
2022 By the Numbers(rankings breakdown)
WAYL2(Who are your losses to?)
State Finals Media Guide
Who do you want in your corner?
Other Information
Site: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis
**New** Admission: Reserved seating only (no general admission). All tickets are digital only through your mobile phone and may be purchased via Ticketmaster.com (service fees apply). All purchased tickets will be sent as mobile tickets to the purchaser's smart phone and that verification should be shown at the admission gate.
Television: Saturday's state championship bouts in each weight class will air live on Bally Sports Indiana.
Livestream: Friday's first round and Saturday's quarterfinals, semifinals and consolation matches may be viewed via live stream for a subscription fee of $15 via IHSAAtv.org. For Saturday night's championship round, viewers outside of the Bally Sports Indiana (BSI) coverage area, a live stream will be available at IHSAAtv.org. For those within the BSI coverage area, the stream will be available only on delayed basis following the conclusion of the telecast. If you have a FloPro+ plan, you may also view the livestream at FloWrestling.com.
State.pdf State-StateRankingsOnlly.pdf
12524 13 12022 Regional Wrestling Brackets
1. Hobart | 9 am CT
Feeder Sectionals: East Chicago Central, Portage.
Hobart-1.pdf
2. Crown Point | 8 am CT
Feeder Sectionals: Crown Point, LaPorte.
Crown Point-1.pdf
3. Penn | 8 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Mishawaka, Plymouth.
Penn-1.pdf
4. Logansport | 8 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Lafayette Jefferson, Twin Lakes.
Logansport-1.pdf
5. Goshen | 8 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Elkhart, West Noble.
Goshen-1.pdf
6. Carroll (Fort Wayne) | 8 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Carroll (Fort Wayne), New Haven.
Carroll-2.pdf
7. Maconaquah | 9:30 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Peru, Oak Hill.
Maconaquah-1.pdf
8. Jay County | 8:30 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Delta, Jay County.
Jay County-1.pdf
9. North Montgomery | 9 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Crawfordsville, Frankfort.
North Montgomery-1.pdf
10. Pendleton Heights | 8 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Elwood, Indianapolis Arsenal Technical.
Pendleton Heights-1.pdf
11. Perry Meridian | 8 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Shelbyville, Southport.
Perry Meridian-1.pdf
12. Richmond | 8 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: South Dearborn, Tri.
Richmond-1.pdf
13. Mooresville | 8 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Avon, Mooresville.
Mooresville-1.pdf
14. Bloomington South | 8 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Bloomington North, Southridge.
Bloomington South-1.pdf
15. Jeffersonville | 9 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Jeffersonville, Jennings County.
Jeffersonville-1.pdf
16. Castle | 8 am CT
Feeder Sectionals: Castle, Evansville Central.
Castle-1.pdf
Pendleton Heights.pdf Penn.pdf Perry Meridian.pdf Richmond.pdf Bloomington South.pdf Carroll.pdf Castle.pdf Crown Point.pdf Goshen.pdf Hobart.pdf Jay County.pdf Jeffersonville.pdf Logansport.pdf Maconaquah.pdf Mooresville.pdf North Montgomery.pdf Maconaquah-1.pdf
22036 47 32022 Semi-State Information Center
Date: Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022.
Admission: $10 (Final session only); $12 (Season ticket).
Advancement: The top four place winners in each weight class advance to the state finals.
Videostream: 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 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.
State Finals Pairings Show
The brackets in each weight class will be announced exclusively via IHSAAtv.org on Sunday, February 13, 2022 at 4 pm ET / 3 pm CT (one hour). Hosted by Greg Rakestraw and Mike Goebel.
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. New Haven (Allen County War Memorial Coliseum) | 8:30 am ET
Feeder Regionals: Carroll (Fort Wayne), Goshen, Jay County, Maconaquah.
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) | 8 am CT
Feeder Regionals: Bloomington South, Castle, Jeffersonville, Mooresville.
TrackWrestling Brackets
IndianaMat Brackets
Evansville.pdf
Pick'ems Link
All-Time Pick'em History
Click here to see where you stand in the all-time history of IndianaMat(and even BEFORE) pick'ems
Podcasts
Gorilla Radio Episode 126 talking about East Chicago
Gorilla Radio Episode 127 talking about Evansville and 106-145 at New Castle
Gorilla Radio Episode 128 talking about 152-285 at New Castle and Fort Wayne
Articles
Evansville Preview by Dustin Bentz
2988 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.”
1834#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.
4524 2 12022 IHSWCA Team State Information
Date: January 8th, 2022
Qualification Procedures
Click here to see the qualification procedures for teams participating
Qualification Leaderboard
Click here to see the leaderboard throughout the state series
Locations
1A and 2A- Martinsville 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
1A: Adams Central, Cascade, Centerville, Cowan, Daleville, North Posey, Prairie Heights, Rensselaer Central, Rochester, Southmont, Southridge, Tell City
Vote In: Cascade
2A Event Link
2A: Bellmont, Charlestown, Delta, Garrett, Hamilton Heights, Jay County, Monrovia, New Prairie, Oak Hill, Peru, Wawasee, Western
Vote In: Delta and Monrovia(Tippecanoe Valley withdrew from the event)
3A Event Link
3A: Columbus East, East Central, Floyd Central, Franklin Community, Hobart, Mishawaka, Roncalli, Terre Haute South
Vote In: Hobart and Roncalli(Columbia City withdrew from the event)
4A Event Link
4A: Brownsburg, Carmel, Cathedral, Center Grove, Evansville Mater Dei, Perry Meridian, Penn, and Crown Point
Vote In: Carmel
TrackWrestling Link
****Including Streaming Info****
Streaming is through TrackWrestling/FloWrestling and cost is a yearly subscription of $150.
Click here to access the event
*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.
Brackets
1638 4 1Indiana heading back to the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic
Official Press Release from the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic
Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic 2022 Date Announcement Press Release 1 v1 12-10-2021.pdf
The Steel City is known for having great sports teams and the Rose Bowl of Wrestling the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic. For the second time Indiana has been invited to participate and take on the WPIAL. A team of 12 seniors will face off with a team from Pennsylvania on March 25th in Pittsburgh. This is a first-class event from start to finish with a banquet on Thursday night and team activities planned for during the day on Friday. As coach Trent McCormick said after the event in 2016, “Our wrestlers were treated like royalty leading up to the dual.”
As organizer of this once again I am extremely excited to take another group of Indiana hammers to this event. The organizers are some of the best people in the sport and profits from the event go to charity. The kids are treated great with a nice banquet on Thursday evening with team announcements along with a guest speaker. On Friday plans are being worked out for a team activity. The last time we were there we had a boat ride and lunch along the river and got to see the city of Pittsburgh.
Our seniors this year are loaded from top to bottom. We will have matches in 12 weights that we are working together with the PWC committee to align in the best way possible. Pennsylvania high schools currently utilize 13 weights with the major differences from 170 on up.
Last time out we lost the WPIAL beat us 27-18 winning 7 matches by two points or less! I think it’s time we roll into Pittsburgh looking to dominate and come away with a big win in hostile territory. That was on top of having to make a couple last minute replacements due to injuries the week of the event.
In the main event Indiana is 8-1 with wins from greats like Alex and Jason Tsirtsis, Stevan Micic, Blake Mauer and more! This year both Jesse Mendez and Zeke Seltzer are likely both on the short list for an invitation to wrestle for Team USA in the event.
Once tickets are on sale I will post information on the website. The last time we brought a big contingent and the PWC committee was extremely impressed with how well we traveled. I told them we want to fill up half the gym and make it a home match this time!
Stay up to date with Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic information on social media and their website. Web site is www.papowerwrestling.com/pittsburgh-wrestling-classic/
Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PWrClassic and Twitter @PWrClassic
2016 Indiana vs. WPIAL
WPIAL 27, Indiana 18
113: Aaron Burkett (WPIAL) dec. Geoffrey Davis (Indiana), 2-0 OT.
120: Ethan McCoy (WPIAL) dec. Drew Hildebrandt (Indiana), 7-4.
126: Chris Eddins (WPIAL) dec. Gaige Torres (Indiana), 6-3.
132: Mike Heinl (WPIAL) dec. Owen Doster (Indiana), 6-4.
138: Shaun Wilson (WPIAL) dec. Evan Eldred (Indiana), 8-4.
145: Damon Greenwald (WPIAL) dec. Jordan Vaughn (Indiana), 5-4.
152: Steven Lawrence (Indiana) FALL Derek Verkleeren (WPIAL).
160: Mitch Hartman (WPIAL) dec. Cael McCormick (Indiana), 2-1.
170: Drew Hughes (Indiana) FALL Anthony Welsh (WPIAL), :33.
182: Blake Rypel (Indiana) dec. Milton Kobaly (WPIAL), 10-5.
195: Jake Kleimola (Indiana) dec. Drew Phipps (WPIAL), 4-3.
220: Mike McAleavey (WPIAL) dec. Nick Fox (Indiana), 2-1.
285: Hayden Rice (WPIAL) dec. Sean Galligar (Indiana), 2-1.
Past Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic participants and their results
2016 285- Shawn Streck (USA) vs. Jacob Beistel (PA), 8-4.
2016 132- Luke Pletcher (PA) tech fall Owen Doster (USA), 23-8.
2016 160- Drew Hughes (USA) dec. Jake Wentzel (PA), 6-0.
*Hughes won the Turning Point award for winning the match that sealed the dual for Team USA
2014 126 - Stevan Micic Hanover Central, Indiana MD Zeke Moisey, Bethlehem Catholic 13-4
*Micic was selected as the Outstanding Wrestler for Team USA
2012 113- Jarred Brooks Warsaw, Indiana DEC Billy Rappo, Council Rock South 8-5
2021 145- Jason Tsirtsis Crown Point, Indiana MD Zach Beitz, Juniata 13-4
2004 140- Alex Tsirtsis Griffith, Indiana DEC Isaiah Britton, Loyalsock 6-4
2004 171- Blake Maurer Mater Dei, Indiana DEC Kurt Brenner, Freedom 8-6
1998 130- Steven Bradley, Beech Grove, Indiana, DEC. Mark Conley, Dennington, 5-3
2721#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.”
1853 2 2West Vigo's Torieonna Buchanan working to make history
By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
Torrieanna Buchanan’s wrestling coach, Brian Otte, gave her a choice about an upcoming tournament. He told her she could wrestle at 106 pounds and probably win the tournament, or she could wrestle at 113 pounds and face a few ranked wrestlers. The decision was an easy one for the West Vigo senior – she wanted to face the ranked guys.
“I want to wrestle all the ranked kids I can in my weight class,” Buchanan said. “Even if I get beat by them, they’re going to make me a better wrestler. You don’t get better wrestling kids you know you can beat. I want to wrestle the ones that are up there, that are going to push me the most.”
That mindset is what has fueled Buchanan since she started wrestling at just 4-years-old. She challenges herself to get better every day. That’s led her to three consecutive girls state titles. She also became West Vigo’s first-ever female to reach the IHSAA semistate tournament.
“Torrie never backs down from anything,” Otte said. “She is willing to outwork anyone. She’s not been treated as a girl ever in our room. She proves herself every single day.”
For Buchanan, the key to her success is in her technique. She believes her strength will help her compete against girls, but it’s her technique that gives her the edge against the guys.
“I really have to rely on technique,” Buchanan said. “Technique is the most important thing to me. You can have strength, but the person with the better technique is going to win almost every time. Technique has helped me more than anything else.”
Coach Otte also believes Buchanan’s mental toughness is the key to her success.
“Her best strength is her mental toughness,” Otte said. “She’s one of the toughest kids I’ve ever been around, mentally. She’s willing to do whatever it takes to become better. She trains here in the spring and summer, then she’ll go over to Red Cobra and train with Coach Red on the same day. She’s willing to work harder than anyone else.”
That work ethic helped her with her college search as well. She has committed to wrestle for Campbellsville University. There she will wrestle for Coach Lee Miracle, the father of one of the wrestlers Buchanan has been a fan of for a long time – Kayla Miracle.
Miracle was on hand when Buchanan signed with Campbellsville. She was also there when Buchanan tried out for the World Team.
“She talked to me and told me I need to have fun in wrestling,” Buchanan said. “I need to go out there with the mentality that I want to win. She talked about not cutting wait and being the best version of me that I can be.”
Miracle is one of the wrestlers Buchanan has always looked up to. She is the only female in Indiana to qualify for the state tournament, a goal Buchanan says would be her dream.
“I really want to win girls state for the fourth time,” Buchanan said. “But I also want to make a run for boys state. I know Kayla was the last girl to make it to Friday night, and I want to make it past Friday night.”
Buchanan has changed her perspective on her losses this season. In the past she would get frustrated at losing. Now she uses those losses to learn how to do better the next time.
“I used to think that I sucked after a loss,” she said. “Now I take them as a win and I learn from them. They make me get better. The next time I wrestle the same kid, I’m hoping I can learn from that loss and go out and beat them.”
Buchanan would like to get into coaching after college, and ultimately would love to represent the United States at the Olympic level.
“She’s a great kid,” Otte said. “You really couldn’t ask for anything better. My wife and I call her one of our daughters. She’s polite and willing to help anyone with anything. She’s been raised right.
“She’s the only girl in our room but she’s also the one that I use to demonstrate any move I’m teaching. She’s a leader on our team.”
1404 17 2IndianaMat Silverback Subscription Plan
The increasing reality of the internet is subscription plans. Looking at other state websites almost all of them have some sort of subscription in order to view most of the content. IndianaMat has bucked the trend and continued to be a free site utilizing other revenue streams that pay the bills. One of our revenue streams over the past few years has been our extremely popular preseason magazine. This year we set a record with the sales which will help us add staff members and equipment to better cover the sport.
However, with increasing coverage and content comes higher bills and expenses. This year we are going to implement our Silverback subscription program. Many of you may have noticed that some people are tagged as Silverbacks on the forum. That basically means they have purchased a magazine whether a physical or digital copy. With that perk comes the ability to view our preseason rankings. We are not going to stop there though. We are giving early access to all of our rankings to these people for the first 24 hours after each individual ranking set is released. As we move along this season there will be more perks added to this membership.
If you do not want to purchase a magazine you can become a subscriber by going to the subscriptions tab at the top or in the mobile menu and subscribe. Once you purchase a subscription plan or a magazine you will be upgraded to the Silverback group.
The cost is $10 and will give you access to our Silverback subscription plan for a year. There will be more perks later this year for members as we add more features to the website.
Click here to purchase a subscription
https://indianamat.com/index.php?/subscriptions/
Any questions can be directed to me via private message.
Thanks!
Other wrestling websites and their costs
Michigan Grappler- $74.99/year or $11.99/month
Illinois Matmen- $9.99/month on Rokfin
Missouri Wrestling- $9.99/month on Rokfin
HuskerMat(Nebraska)- $9.99/month on Rokfin
Kabra Wrestling(Florida)- $70/year or $7/month
Southeast Wrestling(Southeast)- $60/year or $8/month
893 1 1Lucas Davison earns Big 10 Wrestler of the Week honors
Wildcats’ Davison earns Wrestler of the Week plaudit after posting a 4-0 record to claim the heavyweight title at the MSU Open
Wrestler of the Week
Lucas Davison, Northwestern
Heavyweight – Jr. – Chesterton, Ind. – Chesterton
Went 4-0 by a combined margin of 30-7 to take the heavyweight division title at the Michigan State Open The unranked 285 pounder started the tournament with a 5-0 decision over Cal Poly’s Trevor Tinker before earning a 10-4 decision over Illinois' No. 25 Luke Luffman Earned bonus points in a 13-3 major decision over Northern Illinois’ Terrese Aaron and followed it up with a 2-0 decision over No. 22 Josh Heindselman of Oklahoma in the finals The two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree earns the first Wrestler of the Week Award of his career Last Northwestern Wrestler of the Week: Sebastian Rivera (Jan. 2, 2019)
2021-22 Wrestlers of the Week
Nov. 10: Lucas Davison, Jr., NU
1139 1Mendez chooses Ohio State
The top wrestler in the class of 2022, Jesse Mendez, has made it official. He will head from Crown Point to Columbus, Ohio next fall for college. Mendez has won about everything under the sun. He has made two world teams in 2019 and 2021 and participated in Who's #1 for three straight years.
Mendez projects as a 141lber in college and 65kg(143lbs) for international. This year he will attempt to be only the tenth wrestler from the state with four state titles.
Congratulations to Jesse and his family!
Mendez's Resume
State
2021 138 State 1st
2020 132 State 1st
2019 126 State 1st
National
2019 132 16U Folkstyle Nationals 1st
2019 60kg FloNationals 1st
2019 60kg UWW Cadet Freestyle Nationals 1st
2019 132 Super 32 5th
2018 118 FloNationals 3rd
2018 120 16U Folkstyle Nationals 2nd
Other
2020 141 IndianaMat Hoosier Preseason Open 1st
2019 135 IndianaMat Hoosier Preseason Open 1st
2018 125 Middle School State 1st
2018 123 IndianaMat Hoosier Preseason Open 1st
2017 109 IndianaMat Hoosier Preseason Open 1st
2017 102 Middle School State 1st
2016 85 Middle School State 1st
World
2019 60kg Freestyle Cadet World Championship 9th
Awards
2021 4A Wrestler of the Year
729 3Tom Clark being inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
Courtesy of the NWHOF – Link
STILLWATER, Okla. – The National Wrestling Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday that the Class of 2022 is Distinguished Members Clarissa Chun, Sara McMann, Andy Rein and Jake Varner, Meritorious Official Tom Clark (posthumously), Order of Merit Recipient Mike Moyer, and Medal of Courage recipient Melissa Simmons.
“Following an extensive screening and selection process, I am excited to announce such a notable and deserving group of honorees for 2022,” said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. “We are fortunate to be able to spotlight these inductees who have transcended our sport’s heritage over the past 40 years. It is also a class that represents the positive transformational impact females are realizing in wrestling, with two female Distinguished Members and our first female Medal of Courage recipient.”
The Hall of Fame Board of Governors approved the selections at their meeting in Waterloo, Iowa on October 25.
The Hall of Fame will announce its Outstanding American honoree at a later date.
The induction ceremony will be held at the 45th Honors Weekend on June 3-4, 2022 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. For more information on Honors Weekend, please telephone (405) 377-5243.
The Meritorious Official award recognizes outstanding service as a referee, judge, or pairing official.
Tom Clark, who passed away in 2017 at 58 years old, officiated for 35 years, beginning while attending Ohio State and continuing in Indiana. The Bluffton, Ohio native was selected as a referee for the Olympics in 2008 and worked dozens of World Championships and major international competitions at the senior level. Named Official of the Year by USA Wrestling in 1988, Clark retired after the Olympics to open up opportunities at the highest level for young, talented officials. A top high school wrestling official, he received the Indiana Interscholastic Athletic Officials Association Award for excellence in wrestling in 2007 and was the Indiana Wrestling Association Official of the Year in 2005. Clark served as a board member for the U.S. Wrestling Officials Association and was vice president of the organization at the time of his death. His commitment to wrestling was at every level, from youth to high school and on to the international level.
National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum
America’s shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa. The Stillwater, Oklahoma, location reopened in June 2016 following a $3.8 million renovation while the Waterloo, Iowa, location reopened in March 2019 after undergoing a $1.4 million renovation. Both museums now feature interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. Stillwater also has the John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors where the greatest names in wrestling are recognized, including iconic granite plaques presented to Distinguished Members since the Hall of Fame opened in 1976. The museum has the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world, including the most collegiate and Olympic wrestling uniforms. Wrestling truly is for everyone and the diversity and accessibility of the sport continues to be highlighted through exhibits featuring females, African-Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Latino Americans. There is also a library featuring historical documents, including NCAA guides and results, as well as books on the sport.
For more information about the Hall of Fame, please visit www.NWHOF.org.
1454 10Preview Magazine Release November 1st
Well...that's the latest it will come out, maybe sooner!
We are now taking pre-orders for the physical copies of the magazine and have something special in store for everyone. We have SIX different covers, one each featuring the five returning champions that are seniors this year and then one with all five of them together.
We are taking preorders for the individual covers until November 3rd and after that you will only get the one with the five seniors together. So if you want Jesse, Zeke, J, Brody, or Gabe solo you need to order soon!
You can purchase your copy in our store
https://indianamat.com/index.php?/store/category/17-preview-magazine/
After you purchase the magazine you can go to our new downloads section for the digital copy to keep you occupied until the physical copy arrives.
https://indianamat.com/index.php?/files/
Here are the cover previews
745Wrestling Philosophy Show with Joe Caprino
Recently the #800lbGorilla himself was on the Wrestling Philosophy show with Jared Opfer.
You can find other links to the podcast here.
https://linktr.ee/wrestlingphilosophy?fbclid=IwAR2MNIw5hg4TddAIg5mdIhTzVruPvfAE8ymrroLdo10AFw53jFcI-cmkWQI
1790 72021 Super 32 Entries
High School
Name Weight School Jake Hockaday 106 Brownsburg Gavin Jendreas 106 Crown point Isaiah Schaefer 106 Mater Dei High School Tanner Tishner 106 Western Toby Billerman 113 Perry Meridian Evan Dickey 113 Cathedral High School Ashton Jackson 113 Laporte high school Damian Resendez 113 Mount Carmel High School Zane Schreck 113 Corydon Central Evan Cruz 120 Crown Point High School Anthony Bahl 126 Crown Point High School Logan Frazier 126 Crown Point High School Sergio Lemley 126 Mount Carmel Michael Tharpe 126 Center Grove HS Matteo Vargo 126 Penn High School Tony Wood 126 Jay County High School Coy Hammack 132 Tell City High School Brac Hooper 132 Zionsville Cheaney Schoeff 132 Avon High School Zeke Seltzer 132 Indianapolis Cathedral Jesse Mendez 138 Crown Point Matthew Koontz 145 Perry Meridian Hayden Watson 145 Center Grove High School Toby Abbott 152 Cowan High School Toby Abbott 152 Cowan High School Sam Goin 152 Crown Point High school Delaney Ruhlman 152 Bloomington High School South Nick Cicciarelli 160 Brownsburg HS Jeb Prechtel 160 Jasper High School AJ Cashman 170 Warren central Orlando Cruz 170 Crown Point High School Drake Buchanan 182 Center Grove Gunner Henry 195 Brownsburg High School Gabe Sollars 195 Mater Dei High School Christian Carroll 220 New Prairie Nathan Critchfield 220 Mater Dei High School Devin Kendrex 220 Mount Vernon high school
Middle School
Name Weight School Club Alex Huddleston 70 Brownsburg east middle school Red Cobra wrestling Zavier Acuna 75 Willowcreek REGION WRESTLING ACADEMY Revin Dickman 85 Brownsburg Brownsburg Layne Horn 90 Rochester Midwest RTC Justin Williamson 90 Hobart middle Region wrestling academy Logan Haney 95 Colonel Wheeler Midfle School Region Wrestlung Academy Teigan Newell 95 Crown Point Region Wrestling Academy Colin Strayer 95 Trinity Lutheran Region Wrestling Academy Elijah Gahl 100 Northfield middle school Braylon Reynolds 100 Avon Red Cobra Wrestling Academy Landen Haines 105 Brownsburg East MS Red Cobra Sontonio Sessa 105 Crown point Region wrestling academy Clinton Shepherd 105 West central Midwest rtc Jackson Bradley 112 Cowan Cowan Wrestling Club Evan Stanley 112 Lowell Region wrestling academy Griffin Van Tichelt 112 Colonel John Wheeler Region Wrestling Academy Jairo Acuna 120 Mount Carmel Region Wrestling Landon Hawkins 120 Conolel J. Wheeler MS Region Wresting Academy Angelo Vargo 120 Discovery Middle MXW jeffrey huyvaert 128 new prairie middle school midwest rtc Parker Reynolds 128 Brownsburg Red Cobra Sam Howard 136 Boonville Maurer Coughlin WC Miguel Rojas 157 Brownsburg Red cobra
Elementary
Name Weight School Club Antino Acuna 50 Union Center Region wrestling Academy Xavier Flores 80 Center Grove Center Grove Wrestling Club Easton Smith 60 Holy Spirit MCWC Elias Faith 65 Resurrection School Maurer Coughlin Wrestling Club Maverick Hoehn 90 North posey MCWC Suncera Dickman 45 Brownsburg Brownsburg
Girls
Name Weight School Trinity Malave 108 Munster High School Joy Cantu 108 Merrillville Kyra Tomlinson 130 Noblesville High school Rose Kaplan 123 West Lafayette High School Anna Krejsa 123 Center Grove High School Ella Gahl 123 Northfield
1839 12Carroll and Mendez look to dominate at Who’s #1
Jesse Mendez is making his third straight trip to FloWrestling’s Who’s #1 and Christian Carroll is wrestling in his first event. Both are looking to build upon a strong spring and summer and win their respective matches.
Carroll has been nearly unbeatable since last fall when he won the Grappler Fall Classic and followed that up with a Super 32 belt. This spring he was runner-up in freestyle and Greco-roman to eventual world champion Braxton Amos. After that he dominated at Fargo and won a Junior title at 220lbs. Carroll is the first Indiana wrestler to win a Fargo Junior championship and a Super 32 championship.
The match for Carroll will be the main event and a big guy super match. He will face off with the top ranked heavyweight in the country, Nick Feldman. Both “heavyweights” weighed in under 230lbs, so this is closer to a light heavyweight match-up. Feldman has won Beast of the East and National Prep titles to go along with winning at Who’s #1 a year ago. He’s an Ohio State commit and will be a great match-up for Carroll. This will NOT be a boring big guy battle.
Jesse Mendez is making his third trip to Who’s #1 and looking to be the first competitor to four wins in the event. The past two years Mendez has had to wrestle multiple matches, but this year he only has one in Michigan’s Casey Swiderski. Mendez has had quite a busy off-season that has included a trip to Russia for Junior Worlds, recruiting visits, and even being the grand marshal of the Crown Point July 4th parade!
His opponent, Casey Swiderski will look to pull off a big time upset and is likely the only one crazy enough to voluntarily take a match with Mendez. Swiderski is an Iowa State commit and according to everyone in the know has a similar style to Mendez with great technique, high pace, and tenacious attitude. Like Mendez, Swiderski has won three state titles in Michigan for Dundee High School. He was also a Fargo runner-up to Tagen Jamison of Texas. Look for this to be another great match.
The schedule begins on Saturday with wrestling starting at 7pm ET/6pm CT. Mendez will be the 11th match, while Carroll will be the final bout, match #14. You can watch all the action with a loaded card of the top wrestlers in the country on FloWrestling.
19112021 IHPO Petition Information
If you are kicking yourself for not registering for this year's IndianaMat Hoosier Preseason Open, you will have one LAST chance to gain entry. Click the link below and fill out the form with your wrestler's information. We will accept up to 25 wrestlers during this process. The process will only last until 8pm ET on Tuesday September 7th, so do this IMMEDIATELY!
Criteria we will use to select wrestlers for the event include, but are not limited to: weight class need, state and national credentials, and extenuating circumstances.
Due to this being a late registration, the fee will be $50 via a PayPal link you will be given once you are accepted into the event. You will have 24 hours to submit the payment, if you do not pay your spot will be given to the next available wrestler.
You will receive a confirmation by 12pm on Thursday September 9th with more information on finishing your entry.
Thank you
Click here to fill out the petition.
151362021 IndianaMat Hoosier Preseason Open Stud List
Check this page frequently for updates on the studs that are entered at this year's IndianaMat Hoosier Preseason Open. For more information on the tournament follow click the link below.
IndianaMat Hoosier Preseason Open Information
2406Fargo Junior Preview
The Juniors will start on the mat Sunday at Fargo. This is a group that overall might be the deepest group in terms of state placers and champions that Indiana has taken in a long time. Eight wrestlers that have won a state title will be representing the Hoosier state along with over 40 wrestlers that have state level experience.
Three wrestlers with Fargo experience that will have high expectations include Evan Bates, Zeke Seltzer, and Drake Buchanan. Both Selzer and Bates were runner-ups in 2019 at the 16U age level and looking to get the big stop sign this year. Bates will be wrestling at Northwestern this winter, while Seltzer recently committed to wrestle at Missouri after completing his senior year. Buchanan was 6th in 2019 and currently looking at finding a school to wrestle at after this year. By now we all know Christian Carroll's story, he'll be in the mix for his second major title during the season after winning the Super 32 last fall.
Sergio Lemley has two state titles in two states during his career and is a threat for a spot in the finals. He struggled a little bit at UWW Cadets, but will be at a more natural weight for Fargo. Three Mater Dei state champs will all look to bring back hardware this year. Blake Boarman will be off to Chattanooga soon, but wants to grab some Fargo hardware before he leaves. Both Brody Baumann and Gabe Sollars will look to impress college coaches as they still have one more year left at Mater Dei.
Floyd Central champ J Conway will be taking the mat at 160lbs. He will surprise some folks as he will come into Fargo without some national credentials. LaPorte little guy Ashton Jackson will take a break from leading local parades and join the fray at 113lbs at Fargo.
Perry Meridian’s Matthew Koontz was 5-0 at the Junior duals and could headlock a few guys in the FargoDome. Other wrestlers with experience under the lights include Evan Dickey, Cheaney Schoeff, Logan Frazier, and Jajuan Anderson. Sullivan’s Lane Gilbert represented the USA at the Pan Ams in the 15U age group and could surprise some folks in Fargo.
Schedule
Saturday, July 17
Junior Freestyle Medical Check and Weigh-in
7:30 PM
Sunday, July 18
Junior Men's Freestyle: Session I - Preliminaries and Consolations
9:00 AM - 1:30 PM
Junior Men's Freestyle: Session II - Preliminaries and Consolations
4:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Monday, July 19
Junior Freestyle 2ND Medical Check and Weigh-in [+ 2 LBS]
7:00 AM
Junior Men's Freestyle: Session III – 1/8 Championships, Quarterfinals & Consolations
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Junior Men's Freestyle: Session IV –- Semifinals, Consolations and Consolation Semifinals
5:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Tuesday, July 20
Junior Freestyle: Session VI - Finals, Medal Matches & Awards
1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Wednesday, July 21
Junior Greco-Roman Medical Check and Weigh-in
4:00 PM
Thursday, July 22
Junior Greco-Roman: Session I - Preliminaries and Consolations
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Junior Greco-Roman: Session II – 1/8 Championship and Consolations
4:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Friday, July 23
Junior Greco-Roman: Session III – Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Consolations
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Junior Greco-Roman: Session IV Finals, Medal Matches & Awards
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Entries from Indiana
Weight Style Name School State FS Duals GR Duals 106 FS/GR Jackson Heaston Indian Creek 106 Freestyle Nathan Smith Southport 2021 7th at 106lbs 6-2 7-0 113 Freestyle Ashton Jackson LaPorte 2021 1st at 106lbs 113 Freestyle Evan Dickey Indianapolis Cathedral 2020 Qualifier at 106lbs
2021 2nd at 106lbs 113 FS/GR Toby Billerman Perry Meridian 2021 3rd at 106lbs 5-1 2-2 120 Freestyle Lane Gilbert Sullivan 2020 4th at 113lbs
2021 3rd at 120lbs 126 Freestyle Anthony Hughes Lawrence North 2020 Qualifier at 120lbs
2021 Qualifier at 132lbs 126 FS/GR Cheaney Schoeff Avon 2020 2nd at 113lbs
2021 2nd at 126lbs 126 Freestyle Logan Frazier Crown Point 2020 3rd at 113lbs
2021 2nd at 120lbs 126 FS/GR Michael Tharpe Center Grove 2021 Qualifier at 126lbs 126 Freestyle Sergio Lemley Chesterton 2020 1st at 113lbs
2021 1st at 120lbs 132 Freestyle Anthony Bahl Crown Point 2021 5th at 113lbs 132 FS/GR Matteo Vargo Penn 2019 2nd at 120lbs
2020 1st at 126lbs
2021 5th at 126lbs 132 FS/GR Zeke Seltzer Indianapolis Cathedral 2019 2nd at 113lbs
2020 1st at 120lbs
2021 1st at 126lbs 138 FS/GR Blake Boarman Evansville Mater Dei 2018 3rd at 113lbs
2019 2nd at 120lbs
2020 1st at 138lbs
2021 3rd at 138lbs 138 FS/GR Brac Hooper Carmel 2020 Qualifier at 113lbs
2021 Qualifier at 132lbs 1-6 3-4 138 Greco-Roman Brandon Kinnick Daleville 138 Freestyle Elijah Anthony Frankfort 2019 Qualifier at 106lbs
2020 Qualifier at 113lbs
2021 Qualifier at 126lbs 138 Greco-Roman Julius Gerencser Daleville 2021 8th at 138lbs 138 FS/GR Reakus Shelton Fort Wayne Snider 2020 8th at 132lbs 138 FS/GR Zach Wilson Roncalli 145 Freestyle Brody Arthur Oak Hill 2020 Qualifier at 132lbs
2021 5th at 138lbs 145 Freestyle Dylan Stroud Manchester 2020 8th at 126lbs
2021 Qualifier at 132lbs 145 Greco-Roman Ethan Jeffery Franklin Community 145 Greco-Roman Ethan Thompson Beech Grove 0-2 1-3 145 Freestyle Kody Glithero Roncalli 2-4 1-2 145 Freestyle Sam Goin Crown Point 2020 5th at 106lbs
2021 4th at 126lbs 152 FS/GR Braedon Spears Plainfield 1-2 1-1 152 Freestyle Jaden Reynolds Avon 2019 5th at 138lbs
2020 3rd at 145lbs
2021 3rd at 145lbs 152 FS/GR Jajuan Anderson Warren Central 2020 2nd at 145lbs
2021 4th at 152lbs 152 Freestyle Matthew Koontz Perry Meridian 2020 2nd at 132lbs
2021 3rd at 152lbs 5-0 4-0 152 Freestyle Riley Rust Center Grove 2020 4th at 145lbs 152 Freestyle Scott Fitts Evansville Mater Dei 2018 Qualifier at 145lbs 160 Freestyle Hayden Shepherd Western 2019 Qualifier at 126lbs
2020 Qualifier at 138lbs
2021 6th at 145lbs 160 Freestyle J Conway Floyd Central 2019 Qualifier at 126lbs
2020 6th at 138lbs
2021 1st at 152lbs 160 Freestyle Kade Law Columbus East 2019 Qualifier at 145lbs
2021 3rd at 160lbs 160 Freestyle Orlando Cruz Crown Point 2020 Qualifier at 145lbs
2021 5th at 160lbs 160 FS/GR Ryan Younger Bloomington South 160 Freestyle Toby Abbott Cowan 2021 8th at 145lbs 4-4 4-3 170 FS/GR Aiden Reynolds Bloomington South 170 FS/GR Brody Baumann Evansville Mater Dei 2020 Qualifier at 145lbs
2021 1st at 160lbs 170 FS/GR Codei Khawaja Floyd Central 2021 Qualifier at 170lbs 170 FS/GR Tyler Fuqua Franklin Community 2018 Qualifier at 120lbs
2021 Qualifier at 170lbs 170 FS/GR Vincent McDonald Zionsville 182 FS/GR Brodie Porter Eastern (Greentown) 2020 Qualifier at 170lbs
2021 Qualifier at 170lbs 1-1 2-3 182 FS/GR Drake Buchanan Center Grove 2020 6th at 182lbs
2021 2nd at 182lbs 2-2 3-1 182 FS/GR Louis Mariacher Zionsville 182 FS/GR Noah Rowlett Lawrenceburg 182 FS/GR Pate Eastin Penn 2019 Qualifier at 145lbs
2020 3rd at 160lbs
2021 7th at 170lbs 195 FS/GR Brandon Hammer Tippecanoe Valley 220 FS/GR Christian Carroll New Prairie 195 FS/GR Connor Barket West Lafayette 2020 Qualifier at 182lbs
2021 7th at 195lbs 195 Freestyle Evan Bates Chesterton 2019 3rd at 182lbs
2020 1st at 220lbs
2021 3rd at 220lbs 195 Freestyle Gabe Sollars Evansville Mater Dei 2019 Qualifier at 160lbs
2020 7th at 170lbs
2021 1st at 182lbs 195 Freestyle Keaton Grider Fort Wayne South Side 195 FS/GR Sam Hesser Center Grove 220 Freestyle Bryce Crump Center Grove 220 FS/GR Josh Howell Terre Haute South 2019 Qualifier at 220lbs
2021 6th at 220lbs 220 Freestyle Nicholas Casad Terre Haute South 285 FS/GR Jacob Johnson Franklin Community 2020 Qualifier at 285lbs
2021 Qualifier at 285lbs 285 FS/GR Ryan Lattimore Purdue Polytech
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