Lafayette Sectional Preview

[CoachM]

Last Years Top 3 Teams 

 

Harrison - 246

McCutcheon - 206.5 

Lafayette Jefferson - 152

 

While the team race will most likely be decided among 3 teams, Individually this sectional is loaded with returners with 62 of the 84 place winners returning. Those numbers include 9 of the 14 champions from last year. 

 

Almost half of those returning place winners, including 5 of the champions, come from the 3 front runners: 

11 time defending champion Harrison returns 9 including Champions Tiernen Tuttle (132), Carlos Perez-Xochipa(160), and Ethan Popp(170) 

 

McCutcheon returns a sectional most 10 place winners including champions Aiden Dallinger(106) and  Cole Chicoine (220) 

 

Lafayette Jefferson returns 9 place winners and also Alex Lopez who was a semi state qualifier the previous year but was injured in his first match and had to default out of the tournament 

 

While the top 3 teams battle for the title, a huge deciding factor might actually be Attica who returns 5 place winners. Of those 5 returning 4 of them made the finals and 2, Logan McClimans (126) and Ray Townsend(182) left the Crawley Center as champions. 

 

Top returning wrestlers: 

 

With the graduation of West Lafayette state runner up Connor Barkett, Harrison’s Tristen Hood, and Delphi’s Kooper Kinsler the Lafayette Sectional returns only one state qualifier: Harrison’s Ethan Popp, the sophomore won sectional and regional titles on his way to a 4th place finish at East Chicago and fell to the eventual state runner up Friday in Indianapolis. 

 

Other top wrestlers 

 

Aiden Dallinger (McCutcheon) won the sectional and regional before falling in a 2-1 match in the ticket round. Dallinger went on this summer to place 3rd at ISWA cadet folkstyle state, 5th at freestyle state, and 3rd at greco state. He competed at Cadet Fargo nationals where he went 2-2 in both freestyle and greco 

 

Jordan Lear (West Lafayette) won his second sectional title and qualified for semi state for the 3rd time last year,  where he eventually fell in the ticket round. Jordan placed 7th at ISWA junior state in the off season

 

Carlos Perez-Xochipa (Harrison) claimed his 3rd sectional title and 2nd regional title last year. The 3 time semi-state qualifier lost a close ticket round match at East Chicago to end his junior campaign. 

 

Ray Townsend (Attica) won a sectional title, placed 3rd at regionals, and made the ticket round last year for Attica at 182. 

 

Josh McKelvin (Harrison) was 2nd at both sectional and regionals at 182, falling to eventual state qualifier, Delphi”s Kooper Kinsler. McKelvin also made the ticket round at East Chicago 

 

Daveon Cheeks (Laf. Jeff) was runner up to Barkett at both sectional and regionals. Cheeks made the ticket round for the 2nd straight year last year. Word has it he will actually be moving down a weight class or two for his final season. 

 

Cole Chicoine (McCutcheon) won his first sectional title last year and finished 3rd at the regional tournament. In the off season Chicoine placed 4th at frosh/soph state, 5th at ISWA cadet folkstyle state, 2nd at freestyle state, and was a cadet Greco state champion. Chicoine also wrestled at Cadet Fargo nationals where he went 2-2 in freestyle and 1-2 in greco. 

 

Luke Amann (West Laf.) Amann continued the tradition of West Lafayette heavyweights by winning sectional and regional titles last year.