Y2CJ41

By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
 
Real adversity meets opportunity.
 
That’s the story of Jacob Linky.
 
The wrestling room at Warsaw Community High School is filled with pulsing music and coaches barking instructions as more than three dozen Tigers get after it.
 
One wrestler — junior Linky — goes through the workout, rehearsing his moves with his workout partner, cranking out pull-ups and running laps around the room.
 
But without the sounds heard by the others.
 
Linky lives in a world that is mostly silent.
 
Without his cochlear implants, Linky can’t hear much of anything.
 
There was one incident where smoke alarms went off all over the house where Jacob now resides with Nrian and Brenda Linky. It was 3 a.m.
 
“Jacob slept through the alarm,” says Brian Linky, Jacob’s legal guardian. “I woke him in the morning.”
 
The young man was not born deaf.
 
Now 18, Jacob was about 5 and in native Africa — Lake Volta, Ghana, to be exact — when he lost his hearing at the hands of his father.
 
“We were slaves,” says Jacob, speaking of his early childhood through interpreter Rebecca Black. “We helped my dad in his fishing business.
 
“I didn’t used to be deaf. My dad hit by head a whole bunch. That’s how I became the way I am.”
 
His father demanded that young Jacob dive into very deep waters full of dangerous creatures.
 
“I felt a pop in my ears,” says Jacob. “I was a kid.”
 
His native language was Twi, but he didn’t hear much that after his hearing was gone.
 
Growing up the second oldest of seven children, Jacob has a brother who was born to another family, rejected and traded to his father.
 
It was a life that is difficult to imagine for those in the U.S.
 
“My mom didn’t do anything wrong,” says Jacob. “She fed me.”
 
Wanting the best for Jacob, his mother placed him in an orphanage. He eventually came to live in Warsaw when he was adopted by Andy and Dawn Marie Bass and began attending the fifth grade at Jefferson Elementary in Warsaw. He received hearing aids and then implants.
 
“I’m thankful the Basses adopted me and brought me here,” says Jacob.
 
“I now live with the Linky family.”
 
Following grade school, Jacob went on to Edgewood Middle School in Warsaw and was introduced to wrestling.
 
“I knew nothing (about the sport),” says Jacob. “I played around.”
 
Drive and athletic prowess allow Jacob to excel on the high school mat.
 
“At times his feisty side comes out because of that past,” says Warsaw head coach Kris Hueber. “He’s channeled it well and we’ve been able to harness well most of the time.
 
“He has days where he is cranky and fired up, You know that he’s drawing from stuff that no one else has.”
 
After missing his freshmen season, Jacob made an impact with the Tigers as a 145-pound sophomore, advancing to the East Chicago Semistate.
 
“This year, I’d like to go all the way to State,” says Jacob, who spent the summer pumping iron and continues to eat a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables and protein while packing more muscle on a  5-foot-7, 160-pound frame.
 
“(Jacob) fell in love with the weight room,” says Hueber. “There is not much on him that is not muscular. He’s one of those guys with his energy level he needs to be active. As an athlete, he is a remarkably gifted human being. He’s able to do things no one else in the room can do. Between strength, balance and agility, he is uniquely gifted.”
 
Ask Jacob what his best quality is as a wrestler and says speed. His quickness and and strength come into play in the practice room with larger practice partners — 170-pound Brandon Estepp, 182-pound junior Mario Cortes and 195-pound senior Brock Hueber.
 
“I don’t like to wrestle light persons,” says Jacob. “It makes me work hard to wrestle the big guys.”
 
Warsaw opened the 2019-20 season Saturday with the Warsaw Invitational and Jacob went 5-0 with four pins.
 
Sign language and lip-reading help him navigate life as a teenager and athlete. When Jacob wrestles, Black circles the mat to maintain eye contact and relay information to him.
 
“She always looks where my head is,” says Jacob. “She always gets sweaty.”
 
Who gets sweatier during a match? “Me,” says Jacob, thrusting a thumb at his chest. “I’m a harder worker.”
 
Black has been around Jacob since he was in eighth grade.
 
“I feel privileged to be involved in his life,” says Black. “He’s an amazing person. He just is.”
 
Hueber has come to appreciate that Jacob has the ability to be both competitive and light-hearted.
 
“He’s ornery still, but in a good way,” says Hueber. “He has not been able to out-grow being a kid. I love that.”
 
While Jacob’s background and circumstance are different than his Tiger mates, Hueber says he’s “just one of the guys.”
 
“(They) don’t treat him differently in any way,” says Hueber. “They love being around him because of his charisma and personality. He’s a really great teammate.”
 
Hueber says working with Jacob has helped others recognize their influence.
 
“They might be able to goof off for two minutes and snap right back,” says Hueber. “If (Jacob) misses one line of communication, there’s a lot that he’s got to recover from.”
 
This means that workout partners need to be focused and attentive as well — not just for themselves but to also help Jacob. Hueber notes that Jacob has to concentrate and keep focused on his interpreter in class (his current favorite class in English and he is looking forward to Building Trades in the future) and practice.
 
“There are probably times when he’s looking for a break,” says Hueber.
 
“He’s on and he’s full-wired all day. That’s taxing mentally for sure.”
 
Brian Linky works in payment processing at PayProTec in Warsaw and Brenda Linky is the special needs coordinator for Warsaw Community Schools. The Linkys have two sons who played basketball at Warsaw — Zack (now 28 and living in Calfiornia) and Ben (now 22 and attending Indiana University).
 
Taking in Jacob means they have a teenager in the house again.
 
“He’s been nothing but polite,” says Brian Linky. “He’s hard-working around the house (mowing the lawn, making his bed, walking the dog and cooking his own meals). He has friends over. He’s very happy.”
 
As for the future, Jacob is considering joining the football team next year (he has never played the sport). He turns 19 in May.
 
A brother, Christian, lives in Virginia and communicates with Jacob and family in Africa through text.
 
“We’re going to save up so we can visit our parents in Africa,” says Jacob.
 
Right now, he is doing life as an Indiana teenager and wrestling is a big part of it.
 
Real adversity meets opportunity.

By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
 
Real adversity meets opportunity.
 
That’s the story of Jacob Linky.
 
The wrestling room at Warsaw Community High School is filled with pulsing music and coaches barking instructions as more than three dozen Tigers get after it.
 
One wrestler — junior Linky — goes through the workout, rehearsing his moves with his workout partner, cranking out pull-ups and running laps around the room.
 
But without the sounds heard by the others.
 
Linky lives in a world that is mostly silent.
 
Without his cochlear implants, Linky can’t hear much of anything.
 
There was one incident where smoke alarms went off all over the house where Jacob now resides with Nrian and Brenda Linky. It was 3 a.m.
 
“Jacob slept through the alarm,” says Brian Linky, Jacob’s legal guardian. “I woke him in the morning.”
 
The young man was not born deaf.
 
Now 18, Jacob was about 5 and in native Africa — Lake Volta, Ghana, to be exact — when he lost his hearing at the hands of his father.
 
“We were slaves,” says Jacob, speaking of his early childhood through interpreter Rebecca Black. “We helped my dad in his fishing business.
 
“I didn’t used to be deaf. My dad hit by head a whole bunch. That’s how I became the way I am.”
 
His father demanded that young Jacob dive into very deep waters full of dangerous creatures.
 
“I felt a pop in my ears,” says Jacob. “I was a kid.”
 
His native language was Twi, but he didn’t hear much that after his hearing was gone.
 
Growing up the second oldest of seven children, Jacob has a brother who was born to another family, rejected and traded to his father.
 
It was a life that is difficult to imagine for those in the U.S.
 
“My mom didn’t do anything wrong,” says Jacob. “She fed me.”
 
Wanting the best for Jacob, his mother placed him in an orphanage. He eventually came to live in Warsaw when he was adopted by Andy and Dawn Marie Bass and began attending the fifth grade at Jefferson Elementary in Warsaw. He received hearing aids and then implants.
 
“I’m thankful the Basses adopted me and brought me here,” says Jacob.
 
“I now live with the Linky family.”
 
Following grade school, Jacob went on to Edgewood Middle School in Warsaw and was introduced to wrestling.
 
“I knew nothing (about the sport),” says Jacob. “I played around.”
 
Drive and athletic prowess allow Jacob to excel on the high school mat.
 
“At times his feisty side comes out because of that past,” says Warsaw head coach Kris Hueber. “He’s channeled it well and we’ve been able to harness well most of the time.
 
“He has days where he is cranky and fired up, You know that he’s drawing from stuff that no one else has.”
 
After missing his freshmen season, Jacob made an impact with the Tigers as a 145-pound sophomore, advancing to the East Chicago Semistate.
 
“This year, I’d like to go all the way to State,” says Jacob, who spent the summer pumping iron and continues to eat a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables and protein while packing more muscle on a  5-foot-7, 160-pound frame.
 
“(Jacob) fell in love with the weight room,” says Hueber. “There is not much on him that is not muscular. He’s one of those guys with his energy level he needs to be active. As an athlete, he is a remarkably gifted human being. He’s able to do things no one else in the room can do. Between strength, balance and agility, he is uniquely gifted.”
 
Ask Jacob what his best quality is as a wrestler and says speed. His quickness and and strength come into play in the practice room with larger practice partners — 170-pound Brandon Estepp, 182-pound junior Mario Cortes and 195-pound senior Brock Hueber.
 
“I don’t like to wrestle light persons,” says Jacob. “It makes me work hard to wrestle the big guys.”
 
Warsaw opened the 2019-20 season Saturday with the Warsaw Invitational and Jacob went 5-0 with four pins.
 
Sign language and lip-reading help him navigate life as a teenager and athlete. When Jacob wrestles, Black circles the mat to maintain eye contact and relay information to him.
 
“She always looks where my head is,” says Jacob. “She always gets sweaty.”
 
Who gets sweatier during a match? “Me,” says Jacob, thrusting a thumb at his chest. “I’m a harder worker.”
 
Black has been around Jacob since he was in eighth grade.
 
“I feel privileged to be involved in his life,” says Black. “He’s an amazing person. He just is.”
 
Hueber has come to appreciate that Jacob has the ability to be both competitive and light-hearted.
 
“He’s ornery still, but in a good way,” says Hueber. “He has not been able to out-grow being a kid. I love that.”
 
While Jacob’s background and circumstance are different than his Tiger mates, Hueber says he’s “just one of the guys.”
 
“(They) don’t treat him differently in any way,” says Hueber. “They love being around him because of his charisma and personality. He’s a really great teammate.”
 
Hueber says working with Jacob has helped others recognize their influence.
 
“They might be able to goof off for two minutes and snap right back,” says Hueber. “If (Jacob) misses one line of communication, there’s a lot that he’s got to recover from.”
 
This means that workout partners need to be focused and attentive as well — not just for themselves but to also help Jacob. Hueber notes that Jacob has to concentrate and keep focused on his interpreter in class (his current favorite class in English and he is looking forward to Building Trades in the future) and practice.
 
“There are probably times when he’s looking for a break,” says Hueber.
 
“He’s on and he’s full-wired all day. That’s taxing mentally for sure.”
 
Brian Linky works in payment processing at PayProTec in Warsaw and Brenda Linky is the special needs coordinator for Warsaw Community Schools. The Linkys have two sons who played basketball at Warsaw — Zack (now 28 and living in Calfiornia) and Ben (now 22 and attending Indiana University).
 
Taking in Jacob means they have a teenager in the house again.
 
“He’s been nothing but polite,” says Brian Linky. “He’s hard-working around the house (mowing the lawn, making his bed, walking the dog and cooking his own meals). He has friends over. He’s very happy.”
 
As for the future, Jacob is considering joining the football team next year (he has never played the sport). He turns 19 in May.
 
A brother, Christian, lives in Virginia and communicates with Jacob and family in Africa through text.
 
“We’re going to save up so we can visit our parents in Africa,” says Jacob.
 
Right now, he is doing life as an Indiana teenager and wrestling is a big part of it.
 
Real adversity meets opportunity.

By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
 
Real adversity meets opportunity.
 
That’s the story of Jacob Linky.
 
The wrestling room at Warsaw Community High School is filled with pulsing music and coaches barking instructions as more than three dozen Tigers get after it.
 
One wrestler — junior Linky — goes through the workout, rehearsing his moves with his workout partner, cranking out pull-ups and running laps around the room.
 
But without the sounds heard by the others.
 
Linky lives in a world that is mostly silent.
 
Without his cochlear implants, Linky can’t hear much of anything.
 
There was one incident where smoke alarms went off all over the house where Jacob now resides with Nrian and Brenda Linky. It was 3 a.m.
 
“Jacob slept through the alarm,” says Brian Linky, Jacob’s legal guardian. “I woke him in the morning.”
 
The young man was not born deaf.
 
Now 18, Jacob was about 5 and in native Africa — Lake Volta, Ghana, to be exact — when he lost his hearing at the hands of his father.
 
“We were slaves,” says Jacob, speaking of his early childhood through interpreter Rebecca Black. “We helped my dad in his fishing business.
 
“I didn’t used to be deaf. My dad hit by head a whole bunch. That’s how I became the way I am.”
 
His father demanded that young Jacob dive into very deep waters full of dangerous creatures.
 
“I felt a pop in my ears,” says Jacob. “I was a kid.”
 
His native language was Twi, but he didn’t hear much that after his hearing was gone.
 
Growing up the second oldest of seven children, Jacob has a brother who was born to another family, rejected and traded to his father.
 
It was a life that is difficult to imagine for those in the U.S.
 
“My mom didn’t do anything wrong,” says Jacob. “She fed me.”
 
Wanting the best for Jacob, his mother placed him in an orphanage. He eventually came to live in Warsaw when he was adopted by Andy and Dawn Marie Bass and began attending the fifth grade at Jefferson Elementary in Warsaw. He received hearing aids and then implants.
 
“I’m thankful the Basses adopted me and brought me here,” says Jacob.
 
“I now live with the Linky family.”
 
Following grade school, Jacob went on to Edgewood Middle School in Warsaw and was introduced to wrestling.
 
“I knew nothing (about the sport),” says Jacob. “I played around.”
 
Drive and athletic prowess allow Jacob to excel on the high school mat.
 
“At times his feisty side comes out because of that past,” says Warsaw head coach Kris Hueber. “He’s channeled it well and we’ve been able to harness well most of the time.
 
“He has days where he is cranky and fired up, You know that he’s drawing from stuff that no one else has.”
 
After missing his freshmen season, Jacob made an impact with the Tigers as a 145-pound sophomore, advancing to the East Chicago Semistate.
 
“This year, I’d like to go all the way to State,” says Jacob, who spent the summer pumping iron and continues to eat a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables and protein while packing more muscle on a  5-foot-7, 160-pound frame.
 
“(Jacob) fell in love with the weight room,” says Hueber. “There is not much on him that is not muscular. He’s one of those guys with his energy level he needs to be active. As an athlete, he is a remarkably gifted human being. He’s able to do things no one else in the room can do. Between strength, balance and agility, he is uniquely gifted.”
 
Ask Jacob what his best quality is as a wrestler and says speed. His quickness and and strength come into play in the practice room with larger practice partners — 170-pound Brandon Estepp, 182-pound junior Mario Cortes and 195-pound senior Brock Hueber.
 
“I don’t like to wrestle light persons,” says Jacob. “It makes me work hard to wrestle the big guys.”
 
Warsaw opened the 2019-20 season Saturday with the Warsaw Invitational and Jacob went 5-0 with four pins.
 
Sign language and lip-reading help him navigate life as a teenager and athlete. When Jacob wrestles, Black circles the mat to maintain eye contact and relay information to him.
 
“She always looks where my head is,” says Jacob. “She always gets sweaty.”
 
Who gets sweatier during a match? “Me,” says Jacob, thrusting a thumb at his chest. “I’m a harder worker.”
 
Black has been around Jacob since he was in eighth grade.
 
“I feel privileged to be involved in his life,” says Black. “He’s an amazing person. He just is.”
 
Hueber has come to appreciate that Jacob has the ability to be both competitive and light-hearted.
 
“He’s ornery still, but in a good way,” says Hueber. “He has not been able to out-grow being a kid. I love that.”
 
While Jacob’s background and circumstance are different than his Tiger mates, Hueber says he’s “just one of the guys.”
 
“(They) don’t treat him differently in any way,” says Hueber. “They love being around him because of his charisma and personality. He’s a really great teammate.”
 
Hueber says working with Jacob has helped others recognize their influence.
 
“They might be able to goof off for two minutes and snap right back,” says Hueber. “If (Jacob) misses one line of communication, there’s a lot that he’s got to recover from.”
 
This means that workout partners need to be focused and attentive as well — not just for themselves but to also help Jacob. Hueber notes that Jacob has to concentrate and keep focused on his interpreter in class (his current favorite class in English and he is looking forward to Building Trades in the future) and practice.
 
“There are probably times when he’s looking for a break,” says Hueber.
 
“He’s on and he’s full-wired all day. That’s taxing mentally for sure.”
 
Brian Linky works in payment processing at PayProTec in Warsaw and Brenda Linky is the special needs coordinator for Warsaw Community Schools. The Linkys have two sons who played basketball at Warsaw — Zack (now 28 and living in Calfiornia) and Ben (now 22 and attending Indiana University).
 
Taking in Jacob means they have a teenager in the house again.
 
“He’s been nothing but polite,” says Brian Linky. “He’s hard-working around the house (mowing the lawn, making his bed, walking the dog and cooking his own meals). He has friends over. He’s very happy.”
 
As for the future, Jacob is considering joining the football team next year (he has never played the sport). He turns 19 in May.
 
A brother, Christian, lives in Virginia and communicates with Jacob and family in Africa through text.
 
“We’re going to save up so we can visit our parents in Africa,” says Jacob.
 
Right now, he is doing life as an Indiana teenager and wrestling is a big part of it.
 
Real adversity meets opportunity.

By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
 
Real adversity meets opportunity.
 
That’s the story of Jacob Linky.
 
The wrestling room at Warsaw Community High School is filled with pulsing music and coaches barking instructions as more than three dozen Tigers get after it.
 
One wrestler — junior Linky — goes through the workout, rehearsing his moves with his workout partner, cranking out pull-ups and running laps around the room.
 
But without the sounds heard by the others.
 
Linky lives in a world that is mostly silent.
 
Without his cochlear implants, Linky can’t hear much of anything.
 
There was one incident where smoke alarms went off all over the house where Jacob now resides with Nrian and Brenda Linky. It was 3 a.m.
 
“Jacob slept through the alarm,” says Brian Linky, Jacob’s legal guardian. “I woke him in the morning.”
 
The young man was not born deaf.
 
Now 18, Jacob was about 5 and in native Africa — Lake Volta, Ghana, to be exact — when he lost his hearing at the hands of his father.
 
“We were slaves,” says Jacob, speaking of his early childhood through interpreter Rebecca Black. “We helped my dad in his fishing business.
 
“I didn’t used to be deaf. My dad hit by head a whole bunch. That’s how I became the way I am.”
 
His father demanded that young Jacob dive into very deep waters full of dangerous creatures.
 
“I felt a pop in my ears,” says Jacob. “I was a kid.”
 
His native language was Twi, but he didn’t hear much that after his hearing was gone.
 
Growing up the second oldest of seven children, Jacob has a brother who was born to another family, rejected and traded to his father.
 
It was a life that is difficult to imagine for those in the U.S.
 
“My mom didn’t do anything wrong,” says Jacob. “She fed me.”
 
Wanting the best for Jacob, his mother placed him in an orphanage. He eventually came to live in Warsaw when he was adopted by Andy and Dawn Marie Bass and began attending the fifth grade at Jefferson Elementary in Warsaw. He received hearing aids and then implants.
 
“I’m thankful the Basses adopted me and brought me here,” says Jacob.
 
“I now live with the Linky family.”
 
Following grade school, Jacob went on to Edgewood Middle School in Warsaw and was introduced to wrestling.
 
“I knew nothing (about the sport),” says Jacob. “I played around.”
 
Drive and athletic prowess allow Jacob to excel on the high school mat.
 
“At times his feisty side comes out because of that past,” says Warsaw head coach Kris Hueber. “He’s channeled it well and we’ve been able to harness well most of the time.
 
“He has days where he is cranky and fired up, You know that he’s drawing from stuff that no one else has.”
 
After missing his freshmen season, Jacob made an impact with the Tigers as a 145-pound sophomore, advancing to the East Chicago Semistate.
 
“This year, I’d like to go all the way to State,” says Jacob, who spent the summer pumping iron and continues to eat a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables and protein while packing more muscle on a  5-foot-7, 160-pound frame.
 
“(Jacob) fell in love with the weight room,” says Hueber. “There is not much on him that is not muscular. He’s one of those guys with his energy level he needs to be active. As an athlete, he is a remarkably gifted human being. He’s able to do things no one else in the room can do. Between strength, balance and agility, he is uniquely gifted.”
 
Ask Jacob what his best quality is as a wrestler and says speed. His quickness and and strength come into play in the practice room with larger practice partners — 170-pound Brandon Estepp, 182-pound junior Mario Cortes and 195-pound senior Brock Hueber.
 
“I don’t like to wrestle light persons,” says Jacob. “It makes me work hard to wrestle the big guys.”
 
Warsaw opened the 2019-20 season Saturday with the Warsaw Invitational and Jacob went 5-0 with four pins.
 
Sign language and lip-reading help him navigate life as a teenager and athlete. When Jacob wrestles, Black circles the mat to maintain eye contact and relay information to him.
 
“She always looks where my head is,” says Jacob. “She always gets sweaty.”
 
Who gets sweatier during a match? “Me,” says Jacob, thrusting a thumb at his chest. “I’m a harder worker.”
 
Black has been around Jacob since he was in eighth grade.
 
“I feel privileged to be involved in his life,” says Black. “He’s an amazing person. He just is.”
 
Hueber has come to appreciate that Jacob has the ability to be both competitive and light-hearted.
 
“He’s ornery still, but in a good way,” says Hueber. “He has not been able to out-grow being a kid. I love that.”
 
While Jacob’s background and circumstance are different than his Tiger mates, Hueber says he’s “just one of the guys.”
 
“(They) don’t treat him differently in any way,” says Hueber. “They love being around him because of his charisma and personality. He’s a really great teammate.”
 
Hueber says working with Jacob has helped others recognize their influence.
 
“They might be able to goof off for two minutes and snap right back,” says Hueber. “If (Jacob) misses one line of communication, there’s a lot that he’s got to recover from.”
 
This means that workout partners need to be focused and attentive as well — not just for themselves but to also help Jacob. Hueber notes that Jacob has to concentrate and keep focused on his interpreter in class (his current favorite class in English and he is looking forward to Building Trades in the future) and practice.
 
“There are probably times when he’s looking for a break,” says Hueber.
 
“He’s on and he’s full-wired all day. That’s taxing mentally for sure.”
 
Brian Linky works in payment processing at PayProTec in Warsaw and Brenda Linky is the special needs coordinator for Warsaw Community Schools. The Linkys have two sons who played basketball at Warsaw — Zack (now 28 and living in Calfiornia) and Ben (now 22 and attending Indiana University).
 
Taking in Jacob means they have a teenager in the house again.
 
“He’s been nothing but polite,” says Brian Linky. “He’s hard-working around the house (mowing the lawn, making his bed, walking the dog and cooking his own meals). He has friends over. He’s very happy.”
 
As for the future, Jacob is considering joining the football team next year (he has never played the sport). He turns 19 in May.
 
A brother, Christian, lives in Virginia and communicates with Jacob and family in Africa through text.
 
“We’re going to save up so we can visit our parents in Africa,” says Jacob.
 
Right now, he is doing life as an Indiana teenager and wrestling is a big part of it.
 
Real adversity meets opportunity.

By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
 
Real adversity meets opportunity.
 
That’s the story of Jacob Linky.
 
The wrestling room at Warsaw Community High School is filled with pulsing music and coaches barking instructions as more than three dozen Tigers get after it.
 
One wrestler — junior Linky — goes through the workout, rehearsing his moves with his workout partner, cranking out pull-ups and running laps around the room.
 
But without the sounds heard by the others.
 
Linky lives in a world that is mostly silent.
 
Without his cochlear implants, Linky can’t hear much of anything.
 
There was one incident where smoke alarms went off all over the house where Jacob now resides with Nrian and Brenda Linky. It was 3 a.m.
 
“Jacob slept through the alarm,” says Brian Linky, Jacob’s legal guardian. “I woke him in the morning.”
 
The young man was not born deaf.
 
Now 18, Jacob was about 5 and in native Africa — Lake Volta, Ghana, to be exact — when he lost his hearing at the hands of his father.
 
“We were slaves,” says Jacob, speaking of his early childhood through interpreter Rebecca Black. “We helped my dad in his fishing business.
 
“I didn’t used to be deaf. My dad hit by head a whole bunch. That’s how I became the way I am.”
 
His father demanded that young Jacob dive into very deep waters full of dangerous creatures.
 
“I felt a pop in my ears,” says Jacob. “I was a kid.”
 
His native language was Twi, but he didn’t hear much that after his hearing was gone.
 
Growing up the second oldest of seven children, Jacob has a brother who was born to another family, rejected and traded to his father.
 
It was a life that is difficult to imagine for those in the U.S.
 
“My mom didn’t do anything wrong,” says Jacob. “She fed me.”
 
Wanting the best for Jacob, his mother placed him in an orphanage. He eventually came to live in Warsaw when he was adopted by Andy and Dawn Marie Bass and began attending the fifth grade at Jefferson Elementary in Warsaw. He received hearing aids and then implants.
 
“I’m thankful the Basses adopted me and brought me here,” says Jacob.
 
“I now live with the Linky family.”
 
Following grade school, Jacob went on to Edgewood Middle School in Warsaw and was introduced to wrestling.
 
“I knew nothing (about the sport),” says Jacob. “I played around.”
 
Drive and athletic prowess allow Jacob to excel on the high school mat.
 
“At times his feisty side comes out because of that past,” says Warsaw head coach Kris Hueber. “He’s channeled it well and we’ve been able to harness well most of the time.
 
“He has days where he is cranky and fired up, You know that he’s drawing from stuff that no one else has.”
 
After missing his freshmen season, Jacob made an impact with the Tigers as a 145-pound sophomore, advancing to the East Chicago Semistate.
 
“This year, I’d like to go all the way to State,” says Jacob, who spent the summer pumping iron and continues to eat a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables and protein while packing more muscle on a  5-foot-7, 160-pound frame.
 
“(Jacob) fell in love with the weight room,” says Hueber. “There is not much on him that is not muscular. He’s one of those guys with his energy level he needs to be active. As an athlete, he is a remarkably gifted human being. He’s able to do things no one else in the room can do. Between strength, balance and agility, he is uniquely gifted.”
 
Ask Jacob what his best quality is as a wrestler and says speed. His quickness and and strength come into play in the practice room with larger practice partners — 170-pound Brandon Estepp, 182-pound junior Mario Cortes and 195-pound senior Brock Hueber.
 
“I don’t like to wrestle light persons,” says Jacob. “It makes me work hard to wrestle the big guys.”
 
Warsaw opened the 2019-20 season Saturday with the Warsaw Invitational and Jacob went 5-0 with four pins.
 
Sign language and lip-reading help him navigate life as a teenager and athlete. When Jacob wrestles, Black circles the mat to maintain eye contact and relay information to him.
 
“She always looks where my head is,” says Jacob. “She always gets sweaty.”
 
Who gets sweatier during a match? “Me,” says Jacob, thrusting a thumb at his chest. “I’m a harder worker.”
 
Black has been around Jacob since he was in eighth grade.
 
“I feel privileged to be involved in his life,” says Black. “He’s an amazing person. He just is.”
 
Hueber has come to appreciate that Jacob has the ability to be both competitive and light-hearted.
 
“He’s ornery still, but in a good way,” says Hueber. “He has not been able to out-grow being a kid. I love that.”
 
While Jacob’s background and circumstance are different than his Tiger mates, Hueber says he’s “just one of the guys.”
 
“(They) don’t treat him differently in any way,” says Hueber. “They love being around him because of his charisma and personality. He’s a really great teammate.”
 
Hueber says working with Jacob has helped others recognize their influence.
 
“They might be able to goof off for two minutes and snap right back,” says Hueber. “If (Jacob) misses one line of communication, there’s a lot that he’s got to recover from.”
 
This means that workout partners need to be focused and attentive as well — not just for themselves but to also help Jacob. Hueber notes that Jacob has to concentrate and keep focused on his interpreter in class (his current favorite class in English and he is looking forward to Building Trades in the future) and practice.
 
“There are probably times when he’s looking for a break,” says Hueber.
 
“He’s on and he’s full-wired all day. That’s taxing mentally for sure.”
 
Brian Linky works in payment processing at PayProTec in Warsaw and Brenda Linky is the special needs coordinator for Warsaw Community Schools. The Linkys have two sons who played basketball at Warsaw — Zack (now 28 and living in Calfiornia) and Ben (now 22 and attending Indiana University).
 
Taking in Jacob means they have a teenager in the house again.
 
“He’s been nothing but polite,” says Brian Linky. “He’s hard-working around the house (mowing the lawn, making his bed, walking the dog and cooking his own meals). He has friends over. He’s very happy.”
 
As for the future, Jacob is considering joining the football team next year (he has never played the sport). He turns 19 in May.
 
A brother, Christian, lives in Virginia and communicates with Jacob and family in Africa through text.
 
“We’re going to save up so we can visit our parents in Africa,” says Jacob.
 
Right now, he is doing life as an Indiana teenager and wrestling is a big part of it.
 
Real adversity meets opportunity.

By STEVE KRAH
stvkrh905@gmail.com
 
Real adversity meets opportunity.
 
That’s the story of Jacob Linky.
 
The wrestling room at Warsaw Community High School is filled with pulsing music and coaches barking instructions as more than three dozen Tigers get after it.
 
One wrestler — junior Linky — goes through the workout, rehearsing his moves with his workout partner, cranking out pull-ups and running laps around the room.
 
But without the sounds heard by the others.
 
Linky lives in a world that is mostly silent.
 
Without his cochlear implants, Linky can’t hear much of anything.
 
There was one incident where smoke alarms went off all over the house where Jacob now resides with Nrian and Brenda Linky. It was 3 a.m.
 
“Jacob slept through the alarm,” says Brian Linky, Jacob’s legal guardian. “I woke him in the morning.”
 
The young man was not born deaf.
 
Now 18, Jacob was about 5 and in native Africa — Lake Volta, Ghana, to be exact — when he lost his hearing at the hands of his father.
 
“We were slaves,” says Jacob, speaking of his early childhood through interpreter Rebecca Black. “We helped my dad in his fishing business.
 
“I didn’t used to be deaf. My dad hit by head a whole bunch. That’s how I became the way I am.”
 
His father demanded that young Jacob dive into very deep waters full of dangerous creatures.
 
“I felt a pop in my ears,” says Jacob. “I was a kid.”
 
His native language was Twi, but he didn’t hear much that after his hearing was gone.
 
Growing up the second oldest of seven children, Jacob has a brother who was born to another family, rejected and traded to his father.
 
It was a life that is difficult to imagine for those in the U.S.
 
“My mom didn’t do anything wrong,” says Jacob. “She fed me.”
 
Wanting the best for Jacob, his mother placed him in an orphanage. He eventually came to live in Warsaw when he was adopted by Andy and Dawn Marie Bass and began attending the fifth grade at Jefferson Elementary in Warsaw. He received hearing aids and then implants.
 
“I’m thankful the Basses adopted me and brought me here,” says Jacob.
 
“I now live with the Linky family.”
 
Following grade school, Jacob went on to Edgewood Middle School in Warsaw and was introduced to wrestling.
 
“I knew nothing (about the sport),” says Jacob. “I played around.”
 
Drive and athletic prowess allow Jacob to excel on the high school mat.
 
“At times his feisty side comes out because of that past,” says Warsaw head coach Kris Hueber. “He’s channeled it well and we’ve been able to harness well most of the time.
 
“He has days where he is cranky and fired up, You know that he’s drawing from stuff that no one else has.”
 
After missing his freshmen season, Jacob made an impact with the Tigers as a 145-pound sophomore, advancing to the East Chicago Semistate.
 
“This year, I’d like to go all the way to State,” says Jacob, who spent the summer pumping iron and continues to eat a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables and protein while packing more muscle on a  5-foot-7, 160-pound frame.
 
“(Jacob) fell in love with the weight room,” says Hueber. “There is not much on him that is not muscular. He’s one of those guys with his energy level he needs to be active. As an athlete, he is a remarkably gifted human being. He’s able to do things no one else in the room can do. Between strength, balance and agility, he is uniquely gifted.”
 
Ask Jacob what his best quality is as a wrestler and says speed. His quickness and and strength come into play in the practice room with larger practice partners — 170-pound Brandon Estepp, 182-pound junior Mario Cortes and 195-pound senior Brock Hueber.
 
“I don’t like to wrestle light persons,” says Jacob. “It makes me work hard to wrestle the big guys.”
 
Warsaw opened the 2019-20 season Saturday with the Warsaw Invitational and Jacob went 5-0 with four pins.
 
Sign language and lip-reading help him navigate life as a teenager and athlete. When Jacob wrestles, Black circles the mat to maintain eye contact and relay information to him.
 
“She always looks where my head is,” says Jacob. “She always gets sweaty.”
 
Who gets sweatier during a match? “Me,” says Jacob, thrusting a thumb at his chest. “I’m a harder worker.”
 
Black has been around Jacob since he was in eighth grade.
 
“I feel privileged to be involved in his life,” says Black. “He’s an amazing person. He just is.”
 
Hueber has come to appreciate that Jacob has the ability to be both competitive and light-hearted.
 
“He’s ornery still, but in a good way,” says Hueber. “He has not been able to out-grow being a kid. I love that.”
 
While Jacob’s background and circumstance are different than his Tiger mates, Hueber says he’s “just one of the guys.”
 
“(They) don’t treat him differently in any way,” says Hueber. “They love being around him because of his charisma and personality. He’s a really great teammate.”
 
Hueber says working with Jacob has helped others recognize their influence.
 
“They might be able to goof off for two minutes and snap right back,” says Hueber. “If (Jacob) misses one line of communication, there’s a lot that he’s got to recover from.”
 
This means that workout partners need to be focused and attentive as well — not just for themselves but to also help Jacob. Hueber notes that Jacob has to concentrate and keep focused on his interpreter in class (his current favorite class in English and he is looking forward to Building Trades in the future) and practice.
 
“There are probably times when he’s looking for a break,” says Hueber.
 
“He’s on and he’s full-wired all day. That’s taxing mentally for sure.”
 
Brian Linky works in payment processing at PayProTec in Warsaw and Brenda Linky is the special needs coordinator for Warsaw Community Schools. The Linkys have two sons who played basketball at Warsaw — Zack (now 28 and living in Calfiornia) and Ben (now 22 and attending Indiana University).
 
Taking in Jacob means they have a teenager in the house again.
 
“He’s been nothing but polite,” says Brian Linky. “He’s hard-working around the house (mowing the lawn, making his bed, walking the dog and cooking his own meals). He has friends over. He’s very happy.”
 
As for the future, Jacob is considering joining the football team next year (he has never played the sport). He turns 19 in May.
 
A brother, Christian, lives in Virginia and communicates with Jacob and family in Africa through text.
 
“We’re going to save up so we can visit our parents in Africa,” says Jacob.
 
Right now, he is doing life as an Indiana teenager and wrestling is a big part of it.
 
Real adversity meets opportunity.

Our newest weekly article is a quick hit look at the week ahead and a recap of the previous week. TripleB will give you three things you need to know, three events to watch for this week, and three questions with someone in wrestling. 
 
3 Things You Need to Know
1. New Coaches look to make an impact
40 programs have new coaches at the helm this season, including 5 ranked teams. will it be business as usual or will there be a disruption in the force??
 
#7 1A Eastern(Greentown)- Zach Pence
#2 1A Southridge- Kurt Collins
#18 Franklin- Jim Tonte
#17 Portage- Andrew Bradbury
#5 Warren Central- Matt Krulik
                
2. Post Season Dynasties
There’s dominant, then there’s #PainTrain dominant. Brownsburg is a phenomenal 16-0 at IHSWCA Dual Team State Championships and have won the last 4 in a row. Can the Bulldogs add a ring to their thumbs this year??
 
Brownsburg Coach Darrick Snyder, “At Brownsburg we take a lot of pride in our performance at dual state. We want to be the best team in the state. We put a huge emphasis on dual state because we know that shows the best team”
 
Cathedral needed 4 leaf clovers and all the luck of the Irish last year as Jordan Slvika and Elliott Rodgers turned in monumental efforts to lock up individual state championships and help Cathedral rally for a 3rd consecutive big old Indiana plaque at Bankers Life. Will the luck of the Irish be on their side for a fourth consecutive title?
 
Indianapolis Cathedral Coach Sean McGinley, “Look for the Irish to struggle a bit out of the gate.  However, if we do our jobs and keep getting better each week, by tournament time we feel we will be one of the few teams that people are talking about with a chance to bring home a team state championship.”
 
3. How will the football runs impact early season matches?
7 of the top 10 preseason ranked teams are still alive as Indianapolis Cathedral, Evansville Mater Dei, Warren Central, Roncalli, Carmel, Merriville, and Hobart all played in regional games on Friday night. Will these ranked hammers stumble out of the gate as teams patiently wait for football players to wrap up, get healed, and get in wrestling shape? Look for the holiday tournaments before some of these teams are fully loaded. Merrillville, Carmel, Mount Vernon(Fortville), Hobart, and Adams Central will all be playing this week at semi-state.
 
3 Feature Matches
1. Opening dual of the season! 
The Battle for the Paddle; Madison at Southwestern
 
Since the incarnation of the Battle, Madison has ran the tables winning all nine duals. What this match has lacked is over all dual excitement as forfeits on both sides have been an issue, but the scuttlebutt is that this year both teams will be bringing full line ups into the Dual and Southwestern is hoping to keep the paddles in Hanover!
 
2. Crown Point vs Portage  
Portage graduates 4 state qualifiers and new coach Andrew Bradbury jumps right into the frying pan in this Region kick off dual.  Returning state qualifiers Ty Haskins and Damari Dancy will look to keep this dual close but on paper Crown Point appears to be too strong. Lead by returning state champ Jesse Mendez, with 5 freshman and 2 sophomores in starting lineup, the Bulldogs will look to rack up bonus team points early and often!
 
3. Capital City Classic 
Through the years Triple C is one of the toughest opening weekend tournaments with teams like Beech Grove, Perry, Warren, Bloomington North, Mishawaka, and North Central winning the very first one. Perry Meridian looks to be the front-runner for the 38th annual Capital City Classic.This years line up includes - Beech Grove, Franklin Central, Greenwood, Indian Creek, Jeffersonville, Perry Meridian, Plainfield, Westfield
 
3 Questions with Mike Reiser
1. What is your background in wrestling? 
I wrestled for Coach Jim Wadkins at Calumet High school.  I graduated in 2001 and was a part of some successful teams. We were three-time team sectional champs, two-time regional champs, and two-time Lake Athletic Conference champs. Individually I was a two-time sectional champ and two-time semi state qualifier.
 
2. Why do rankings, it seem very stressful and thankless, what drives you to do rankings? 
There are times that the rankings can be stressful, but I learned early on that you can’t make everyone happy. I love doing the rankings both semi state and state. I think it is the best job in the state it has given me a lot of opportunities to broadcast and do the gorilla radio. 
 
3. What do you do when you are not neck deep in wrestling? 
When I am not doing the rankings and going over results, I work my actual job which is a Project Manager for an Environmental Company. I also coach my 2 daughters in softball which is becoming a full time job also.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - After going three seasons without a weekly honor from the conference, the Purdue wrestling team has now seen an individual recognized in back-to-back weeks to open 2019-20 as senior Dylan Lydy was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week on Tuesday. Lydy posted a 3-0 mark at the Journeymen Duals on Saturday, including wins over a pair of top-15 ranked wrestlers to guide Purdue to a 2-1 dual record for the weekend.
Lydy opened his trip to New York with his third bonus-point victory of the season, a 12-3 major decision over Buffalo’s Jake Lanning. The Boilermaker senior followed with two wins in dramatic fashion, going to overtime for a 4-2 victory over No. 12 Kimball Bastian of Utah Valley and gutting out a 3-1 decision over No. 10 Anthony Valencia of Arizona State.
After trading escapes in regulation, and going scoreless through a minute of sudden victory, Lydy and Bastian went to a pair of 30-second tiebreaker rounds. Both wrestlers escaped quickly in their opportunities off bottom, but Lydy finished the second period with a takedown to account for the final difference.
Lydy’s final match of the day appeared to be headed in the same direction, sitting tied 1-1 after both wrestlers escaped to start the second and third periods. However Lydy began creating action in the final minute of the third, nearly getting a takedown in front of the Arizona State bench and beating the buzzer with a takedown on the edge to seal the win.
Following freshman teammate Kendall Coleman sharing Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honors last week, Lydy makes it two straight.
The Boilermakers continue dual action Sunday, heading to North Dakota State University for a 1 p.m. CT contest at the Scheels Center. The dual will air live on GoBison.com and FloWrestling.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - After going three seasons without a weekly honor from the conference, the Purdue wrestling team has now seen an individual recognized in back-to-back weeks to open 2019-20 as senior Dylan Lydy was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week on Tuesday. Lydy posted a 3-0 mark at the Journeymen Duals on Saturday, including wins over a pair of top-15 ranked wrestlers to guide Purdue to a 2-1 dual record for the weekend.
Lydy opened his trip to New York with his third bonus-point victory of the season, a 12-3 major decision over Buffalo’s Jake Lanning. The Boilermaker senior followed with two wins in dramatic fashion, going to overtime for a 4-2 victory over No. 12 Kimball Bastian of Utah Valley and gutting out a 3-1 decision over No. 10 Anthony Valencia of Arizona State.
After trading escapes in regulation, and going scoreless through a minute of sudden victory, Lydy and Bastian went to a pair of 30-second tiebreaker rounds. Both wrestlers escaped quickly in their opportunities off bottom, but Lydy finished the second period with a takedown to account for the final difference.
Lydy’s final match of the day appeared to be headed in the same direction, sitting tied 1-1 after both wrestlers escaped to start the second and third periods. However Lydy began creating action in the final minute of the third, nearly getting a takedown in front of the Arizona State bench and beating the buzzer with a takedown on the edge to seal the win.
Following freshman teammate Kendall Coleman sharing Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honors last week, Lydy makes it two straight.
The Boilermakers continue dual action Sunday, heading to North Dakota State University for a 1 p.m. CT contest at the Scheels Center. The dual will air live on GoBison.com and FloWrestling.

Dual Schedule
Date/Time Event Nov 18 06:00 pm Madison at Southwestern (Hanover) Nov 19 06:30 pm Franklin Central at Fishers Nov 20 07:00 am Hammond Clark at Highland Nov 20 07:30 am Hobart at Munster Nov 20 05:30 pm Mount Vernon (Fortville) at Decatur Central Nov 20 06:00 pm Cascade at South Putnam Nov 20 06:30 pm Prairie Heights at Columbia City Nov 20 06:30 pm Indian Creek at Martinsville Nov 21 05:30 pm Providence Cristo Rey at Indianapolis George Washington Nov 21 06:00 pm Greencastle at Crawfordsville Nov 21 06:00 pm East Chicago Central at River Forest Nov 21 06:00 pm Rossville at Caston Nov 21 06:30 pm Wabash at Peru Nov 21 07:30 pm Oak Hill at Huntington North Nov 22 06:00 pm Jeffersonville at Franklin Community Nov 22 07:30 pm Crown Point at Portage   Multi-Dual Schedule
Date/Time Event Teams Nov 22 06:00 pm Triple Dual at Switzerland County at Switzerland County Teams: Greensburg Madison Salem Switzerland County Nov 23 08:00 am Taylor Invite at Taylor Teams: Carroll (Flora) Frontier Lafayette Jefferson Madison-Grant Marion North Miami Taylor Nov 23 08:00 am CMA Early Bird Duals at Culver Academies Teams: Concord Culver Academies Knox Plymouth Rochester South Bend Adams Nov 23 08:30 am Elwood Invitational at Elwood Teams: Alexandria Delta Elwood Frankton Greenfield-Central Lapel McCutcheon Shenandoah South Dearborn Tri Union County Nov 23 09:00 am Lawrence Township Wrestlemania at Lawrence North Teams: Connersville Hagerstown Lawrence Central Lawrence North Mount Vernon (Fortville) Pike Nov 23 09:00 am Parke Heritage Invitational at Parke Heritage Teams: North Montgomery North Vermillion Parke Heritage South Vermillion Western Boone Nov 23 09:00 am Dave Kiley Duals at Cloverdale Teams: Cloverdale Indianapolis Cathedral Indianapolis Crispus Attucks Indianapolis Emmerich Manual Sheridan South Putnam Nov 23 09:00 am Bronco Super Duals at Daleville Teams: Blackford Daleville Northeastern Union City Wapahani Nov 23 09:00 am Hamilton Heights Super Six at Hamilton Heights Teams: Cascade Hamilton Heights Noblesville North Central Pendleton Heights Tipton Nov 23 09:00 am Mooresville Invite at Mooresville Teams: Indian Creek Mooresville Nov 23 09:00 am Bedford Duals at Bedford North Lawrence Teams: Bedford North Lawrence Bloomington North Forest Park Madison New Albany North Harrison Nov 23 09:00 am Bluffton Invitational at Bluffton Teams: Bluffton Central Noble Fort Wayne Concordia Fremont Leo Wes-Del Nov 23 09:00 am Warsaw Invitational at Warsaw Teams: Calumet Elkhart Memorial Warsaw Nov 23 09:00 am Double Dual at Scottsburg at Scottsburg Teams: Brown County Scottsburg Southwestern (Hanover) Nov 23 09:30 am South Bend Clay Super Dual at South Bend Clay Teams: Culver Community South Bend Clay Westview Nov 23 10:00 am Lake Station Duals at Lake Station Edison Teams: Andrean Boone Grove Hammond Hammond Morton Lake Station Edison North Newton South Bend Washington Whiting Nov 23 10:00 am Boonville Invitational at Boonville Teams: Boonville Crawford County Evansville Harrison Mitchell New Washington Owen Valley Tournament Schedule
Date/Time Event Teams Nov 23 09:00 am John Hurrle at Indianapolis Arsenal Tech Teams: Eastern Hancock Fishers Hamilton Southeastern Indianapolis Arsenal Tech Kokomo Lebanon Monrovia Purdue Polytechnic Richmond Southport Warren Central Nov 23 09:00 am Capital City Classic at Beech Grove Teams: Beech Grove Franklin Central Greenwood Indian Creek Jeffersonville Perry Meridian Plainfield Westfield

Dual Schedule
Date/Time Event Nov 18 06:00 pm Madison at Southwestern (Hanover) Nov 19 06:30 pm Franklin Central at Fishers Nov 20 07:00 am Hammond Clark at Highland Nov 20 07:30 am Hobart at Munster Nov 20 05:30 pm Mount Vernon (Fortville) at Decatur Central Nov 20 06:00 pm Cascade at South Putnam Nov 20 06:30 pm Prairie Heights at Columbia City Nov 20 06:30 pm Indian Creek at Martinsville Nov 21 05:30 pm Providence Cristo Rey at Indianapolis George Washington Nov 21 06:00 pm Greencastle at Crawfordsville Nov 21 06:00 pm East Chicago Central at River Forest Nov 21 06:00 pm Rossville at Caston Nov 21 06:30 pm Wabash at Peru Nov 21 07:30 pm Oak Hill at Huntington North Nov 22 06:00 pm Jeffersonville at Franklin Community Nov 22 07:30 pm Crown Point at Portage   Multi-Dual Schedule
Date/Time Event Teams Nov 22 06:00 pm Triple Dual at Switzerland County at Switzerland County Teams: Greensburg Madison Salem Switzerland County Nov 23 08:00 am Taylor Invite at Taylor Teams: Carroll (Flora) Frontier Lafayette Jefferson Madison-Grant Marion North Miami Taylor Nov 23 08:00 am CMA Early Bird Duals at Culver Academies Teams: Concord Culver Academies Knox Plymouth Rochester South Bend Adams Nov 23 08:30 am Elwood Invitational at Elwood Teams: Alexandria Delta Elwood Frankton Greenfield-Central Lapel McCutcheon Shenandoah South Dearborn Tri Union County Nov 23 09:00 am Lawrence Township Wrestlemania at Lawrence North Teams: Connersville Hagerstown Lawrence Central Lawrence North Mount Vernon (Fortville) Pike Nov 23 09:00 am Parke Heritage Invitational at Parke Heritage Teams: North Montgomery North Vermillion Parke Heritage South Vermillion Western Boone Nov 23 09:00 am Dave Kiley Duals at Cloverdale Teams: Cloverdale Indianapolis Cathedral Indianapolis Crispus Attucks Indianapolis Emmerich Manual Sheridan South Putnam Nov 23 09:00 am Bronco Super Duals at Daleville Teams: Blackford Daleville Northeastern Union City Wapahani Nov 23 09:00 am Hamilton Heights Super Six at Hamilton Heights Teams: Cascade Hamilton Heights Noblesville North Central Pendleton Heights Tipton Nov 23 09:00 am Mooresville Invite at Mooresville Teams: Indian Creek Mooresville Nov 23 09:00 am Bedford Duals at Bedford North Lawrence Teams: Bedford North Lawrence Bloomington North Forest Park Madison New Albany North Harrison Nov 23 09:00 am Bluffton Invitational at Bluffton Teams: Bluffton Central Noble Fort Wayne Concordia Fremont Leo Wes-Del Nov 23 09:00 am Warsaw Invitational at Warsaw Teams: Calumet Elkhart Memorial Warsaw Nov 23 09:00 am Double Dual at Scottsburg at Scottsburg Teams: Brown County Scottsburg Southwestern (Hanover) Nov 23 09:30 am South Bend Clay Super Dual at South Bend Clay Teams: Culver Community South Bend Clay Westview Nov 23 10:00 am Lake Station Duals at Lake Station Edison Teams: Andrean Boone Grove Hammond Hammond Morton Lake Station Edison North Newton South Bend Washington Whiting Nov 23 10:00 am Boonville Invitational at Boonville Teams: Boonville Crawford County Evansville Harrison Mitchell New Washington Owen Valley Tournament Schedule
Date/Time Event Teams Nov 23 09:00 am John Hurrle at Indianapolis Arsenal Tech Teams: Eastern Hancock Fishers Hamilton Southeastern Indianapolis Arsenal Tech Kokomo Lebanon Monrovia Purdue Polytechnic Richmond Southport Warren Central Nov 23 09:00 am Capital City Classic at Beech Grove Teams: Beech Grove Franklin Central Greenwood Indian Creek Jeffersonville Perry Meridian Plainfield Westfield

Platteville Wis.-   University of Wisconsin-Plattville sophomore Alexander Strueder (Fisher, Indiana) scored a takedown in sudden victory to win the 157 pound championship in the annual Super 8 Invitaional in the Pioneers’ Williams Fieldhouse.
With the score tied 3-3  late in the third period, Strueder needed a take down due to the point for riding time that Jessy Diaz of the University of Dubuque would have been rewarded.  Stueder got the take down and what was thought to be for the championship as time ran out.   The officials got together and determined that Strueder let go of Diaz with one second on the clock and rewarded Diaz with a point for escaping and the extra point for riding time to force sudden victory period.
Starting in neutral position, Stueder made short work as the aggresser in the sudden victory  period recording the takedown 10 seconds into the period to officaly be crowned the champion.
“Coach (Mike) DeRoehn always preaches to fight your butt off, how hard can you fight. I gave up a takedown early, but came back and got the takedown with a second left, going in to overtime I knew I was prepared, we been working our butts off in the (wrestling) room,”  Strueder said. “I knew I had an opportunity to go out there and make a statement and not leave it in the hands of the officials and take the match in my hands.  I went back to what was working for me, my double underhooks, and took him down and that was the match.”
“Mindset was the difference maker for Strueder today. Throughout the tournament, he did a great job of listening to the coaches and then executed some crucial in-match technical adjustments,” DeRoehn said.  “It was outstanding to see him keep his composure under pressure in the championship match and we’re really proud of his fight out there today.”
The Pioneers return to the mat Nov. 20 at UW-Whitewater.
Written by: Jason Piddington, Public Relations Writer-Athletics, Communications, 608-342-7645, piddingj@uwplatt.edu
Photo taken by: Andy McNeill, Campus Photographer, Communications

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.– The Indiana wrestling team begins the season this week with the Michigan State Open on Nov. 2. The Hoosiers will host their first dual on Nov. 22 against North Dakota State.
 
IU head coach Angel Escobedo said he has been pleased with the energy at the start of the season.
 
"We have a new focus," he said. "When you get a lot of new guys they are hungry. They want to change the program and elevate it and elevate themselves. That has been the theme of the room, how great can I be and that has been great to see. They are putting in extra work because they want to be great. We have fresh bodies and fresh mind and they are motivated."
 
125 POUNDS
125 will be very competitive between returner Liam Cronin and transfer Brock Hudkins. Cronin finished with a 17-13 overall record and was in and out of the lineup with Elijah Oliver. Cronin finished fourth at the Hokie Open and second at the Cleveland State Open. This past summer he was one spot away from making the U23 World Team in Greco Roman. Hudkins is a transfer from Northern Illinois and a two-time national qualifier. Hudkins was ranked No. 26 by TrackWrestling. Both guys are motivated and hungry, are putting in extra work and they understand someone is right behind them. They are trying to outwork each other and it is creating a good dynamic with good competition.
 
133 POUNDS
133 is a little up in the air. Kyle Luigs will be coming down from 141. Luigs went 19-16 last season with a highlight win by fall at Iowa against No. 12 Max Murin. Luigs wrestled for the Hoosiers at the Big Ten Championships. Cayden Rooks will be redshirting at 133. Jonathan Moran will also be in the mix. Moran redshirted last season.
 
141 POUNDS
Paul Konrath will be moving up from 133. He cut a lot of weight last year and this is more of his natural weight. Konrath posted a record of 20-11 last season with a 5-5 dual match record. At the South Beach duals Konrath beat No. 4 Tariq Wilson of NC State. The Hoosiers are looking for Konrath to have a great season. Konrath was ranked No. 27 by TrackWrestling.
 
149 POUNDS
Graham Rooks will be the starter at 149. Rooks was the best freshman last year, as he posted a record of 15-7. Rooks won the Cleveland State Open at 149 last season. He beat multiple guys that qualified for NCAAs on the season last year.
 
157 POUNDS
Fernie Silva will be going up from 149. Joey Sanchez will also be in the mix after coming off a redshirt. The plan is to use the first few tournaments to determine a starter. Also Diego Lemley will compete for a spot at 157.  Sanchez finished in third place at the Greyhound Open. Silva lost a tight 8-7 decision against No. 1 Anthony Ashnault.
 
Tomorrow look for 165-Heavyweight in our season preview part two.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.– The Indiana wrestling team begins the season this week with the Michigan State Open on Nov. 2. The Hoosiers will host their first dual on Nov. 22 against North Dakota State.
 
IU head coach Angel Escobedo said he has been pleased with the dynamic between the freshmen and upperclassmen.  
 
"The one thing we have been trying to gain in the program is for it to be a lot more competitive to make the team," Escobedo said. "Our freshmen are pushing our upperclassmen and knocking on the door of beating them, which is good. It is going to elevate everyone and that is what we are looking for this season."
 
165 POUNDS
165 will likely be Davey Tunon or Dillon Hoey. Both have experience in the lineup. The Hoosiers will look for one of these guys to step up and be the guy at this spot. Tunon tallied a record of 10-5 last season and Hoey went 4-11 on the season. The Hoosiers will be looking to fill the void left by national qualifier Bryce Martin, who graduated.
 
174 POUNDS
Jacob Covaciu is the expected starter at 174. He is the leader of the team and the only returning NCAA qualifier from last season. Coach Escobedo said he is hungry and working the hardest he has ever seen him work. He wants to be an All-American and a National Champion and he is training for that. Covaciu posted a record of 17-14 last season and won five bouts in dual matches. Covaciu helped the Hoosiers beat No. 12 North Carolina at the South Beach Duals last season with an 18-5 major decision. Covaciu won the Edinboro Open last season and finished second at the Cleveland State Open. Covaciu has been ranked 30 by TrackWrestling in their preseason rankings. 
 
184 POUNDS
Jake Hinz will be moving up from 174. He was in the lineup a couple matches last year. He has made a big jump over the summer and it will be exciting to see what he can do. He has the potential to be an NCAA qualifier. Hinz finished in second at the Greyhound Open last season.
 
197 POUNDS
Jake Kleimola or Spencer Irick will be the expected starters at 197. Kleimola finished in eighth-place at the 2019 Big Ten Championships. Kleimola and Irick are going into their last year of competing and both will be looking to make nationals for the first time in their careers.
 
285 POUNDS
Rudy Streck will start the season at heavyweight. Streck was the starters for the first half of last season. He is experienced and has one year under his belt. The Hoosiers will look for him to build on that experience from last year.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.– The Indiana wrestling team begins the season this week with the Michigan State Open on Nov. 2. The Hoosiers will host their first dual on Nov. 22 against North Dakota State.
 
IU head coach Angel Escobedo said he has been pleased with the energy at the start of the season.
 
"We have a new focus," he said. "When you get a lot of new guys they are hungry. They want to change the program and elevate it and elevate themselves. That has been the theme of the room, how great can I be and that has been great to see. They are putting in extra work because they want to be great. We have fresh bodies and fresh mind and they are motivated."
 
125 POUNDS
125 will be very competitive between returner Liam Cronin and transfer Brock Hudkins. Cronin finished with a 17-13 overall record and was in and out of the lineup with Elijah Oliver. Cronin finished fourth at the Hokie Open and second at the Cleveland State Open. This past summer he was one spot away from making the U23 World Team in Greco Roman. Hudkins is a transfer from Northern Illinois and a two-time national qualifier. Hudkins was ranked No. 26 by TrackWrestling. Both guys are motivated and hungry, are putting in extra work and they understand someone is right behind them. They are trying to outwork each other and it is creating a good dynamic with good competition.
 
133 POUNDS
133 is a little up in the air. Kyle Luigs will be coming down from 141. Luigs went 19-16 last season with a highlight win by fall at Iowa against No. 12 Max Murin. Luigs wrestled for the Hoosiers at the Big Ten Championships. Cayden Rooks will be redshirting at 133. Jonathan Moran will also be in the mix. Moran redshirted last season.
 
141 POUNDS
Paul Konrath will be moving up from 133. He cut a lot of weight last year and this is more of his natural weight. Konrath posted a record of 20-11 last season with a 5-5 dual match record. At the South Beach duals Konrath beat No. 4 Tariq Wilson of NC State. The Hoosiers are looking for Konrath to have a great season. Konrath was ranked No. 27 by TrackWrestling.
 
149 POUNDS
Graham Rooks will be the starter at 149. Rooks was the best freshman last year, as he posted a record of 15-7. Rooks won the Cleveland State Open at 149 last season. He beat multiple guys that qualified for NCAAs on the season last year.
 
157 POUNDS
Fernie Silva will be going up from 149. Joey Sanchez will also be in the mix after coming off a redshirt. The plan is to use the first few tournaments to determine a starter. Also Diego Lemley will compete for a spot at 157.  Sanchez finished in third place at the Greyhound Open. Silva lost a tight 8-7 decision against No. 1 Anthony Ashnault.
 
Tomorrow look for 165-Heavyweight in our season preview part two.

2019-20 Schedule / Always Aggressive Podcast
Preview 125-141 / Preview 149-165
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The final installation of the Purdue wrestling team’s season preview series features a run of successful, familiar faces, and a pair of top-10 preseason ranked wrestlers. The Boilermakers will see a lot of wins from this group and have their sight set on the podium at the NCAA Championships.
174 POUNDS
Senior Dylan Lydy aims to make his final season in West Lafayette one to remember, regarded as one of the top wrestlers in the nation at 174 pounds. He finished seconds shy of an All-America honor in 2019, and looks to correct that in Minneapolis in March. Ranked eighth in the NCAA by TheOpenMat.com and TrackWrestling, No. 9 by Win Magazine and No. 12 by FloWrestling, Lydy has 80 career victories at Purdue, 18 of which came over ranked opponents.
Lydy placed fifth at the 2019 Big Ten Championships and sixth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational before advancing to the blood round at the NCAA Championships. He came back from a first-round loss in Pittsburgh to win three straight and meet Nebraska’s Mikey Labriola in the Round of 12. The pair wrestled a full 11 minutes, finishing tied at 3-3, but granted the nod to the Cornhusker on riding time after the second tiebreaker.
Lydy needs 20 wins in his final season to become just the 17th wrestler in Purdue history to hit the century mark, and the first since Luke Manuel and Logan Brown in 2011. Lydy is also 22 takedowns shy of a spot in Purdue’s all-time top-20, entering the season with 194 to his credit. 
While previously mentioned at 165 pounds, sophomore Tanner Webster will offer support of Lydy at 174 as well.
184 POUNDS
The Boilermakers field another returning national qualifier at 184 in the form of junior Max Lyon. The Dyersville, Iowa native has racked up 43 victories over the last two seasons, including 24 in 2018-19, and is ranked in the top-20 of every preseason poll published to date. Lyon’s top marks came from FloWrestling and WIN Magazine, where he was tabbed the No. 15 wrestler in the country at his weight.
Lyon scored the most points of any Boilermaker on the roster last season, piling up 252 over 38 matches, and logged notable victories over American’s Tanner Webster at the NCAA Tournament, Michigan State’s Cameron Caffey and Michigan’s Jelani Embree at the Big Ten Tournament. He placed at both the Princeton Open, Journeymen Collegiate Classic and Big Ten Championships, in addition to a seventh-place showing at the 2019 U23 Freestyle World Team Trials.
Sophomore Jared Florell offers his skills up at 184 as well, posting a 10-4 mark last season with three tournament placewinning performances. He won the South Beach College Individual title at 184, was second at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic (C-Draw) and third at the Loras Open. In addition, junior Trevor Blue joins the Purdue roster after a four-year stint in the U.S. Navy as a Gunner’s Mate.
197 POUNDS
Purdue head coach Tony Ersland is not lacking options at 197, boasting a three-time returning NCAA Qualifier in addition to a rising star and 2019’s most outstanding freshman. Christian Brunner owns at 73-39 career record at 197 pounds, falling just shy of All-America honors in 2019 with a Round of 12 loss to Fresno State’s Josh Hokit. A second-round upset win over Iowa State’s Willie Miklus made Brunner Purdue’s first NCAA Quarterfinalist since 2010. Brunner has been in the Boilermakers’ starting lineup since he stepped on campus, leaving him eligible for a redshirt season. While he’s yet to announce his intentions, he remains near the top of the 197-pound national rankings, including No.8 marks from TrackWrestling and WIN Magazine and the No. 10 spot from TheOpenMat.com.
Anxious to start his collegiate career, freshman Thomas Penola is ready to go at 197 pounds after a redshirt season spent competing at 184. He won the Maryville Kaufman/Brand/Bayly Open and Indianapolis Greyhound Open, took fourth in the frosh/soph division at Michigan State and placed eight at the prestigious Midlands Championships. In addition, Penola finished sixth at the UWW Junior Freestyle National Championships in April, putting the final touches on an impressive rookie season. 
285 POUNDS
Several individuals will get a shot at the starting heavyweight job for the Boilermakers, including a pair of newcomers and a rising sophomore moving up from 197 pounds to heavyweight. Sophomore David Eli takes his talents to heavyweight, owning the only match experience for the Boilermakers at the top weight. He wrestled 18 matches in 2018-19, placing at the Michigan State Open, Journeymen Collegiate Classic and the Greyhound Open.
Junior Jairus Perry and true freshman Jacob Somlai will throw their respective hats in the ring as well. Perry joins the Boilermaker roster after spending the past few years in the U.S. Army, while Somlai comes to Purdue from Brookfield, Wisconsin, where he won a state championship with an undefeated 52-0 record at 220 pounds.
Freshman Eli Pokorney had a decorated high school career at Chesterton High School in Indiana, winning the 2018 state title and being ranked as high as fourth in the country at heavyweight and No. 74 overall in the class of 2019. However, the Boilermaker rookie will sit out 2019-20 recovering from knee surgery and will be ready to go in 2020-21.

Over 40 of the best wrestlers from Indiana are heading to North Carolina to take on the Super 32 Challenge this weekend. If you have been living under a rock, this is the toughest high school tournament in the country and some brackets that feature over 150 wrestlers. You will see future NCAA All-Americans not place here and even potentially see some future NCAA Finals matches. Indiana’s representatives feature 35 guys that have qualified for state including five state champions.
History Lesson
Indiana has only had four grapplers take home a belt: Ethan Raley in 2010, Jared Brooks in 2011, Chad Red in 2014, and Blake Rypel in 2015. The first placer was in 2008 when Camden Eppert took 3rd. No Indiana native has placed three times in the high school division, but six wrestlers have placed twice(Blake Rypel, Chad Red, Jason Tsirtsis, Brayton Lee, Joe Lee, and Drew Hughes). Since 2015 Indiana has placed five wrestlers each year at the Super 32 with many others being a round or two from placing.
Click here for a listing of all the past Super 32 placers.
https://indianamat.com/index.php?/history/super32placers.html/
The Contenders
This tournament is deep, REALLY deep and placing here is a huge accomplishment. Some of the weights feature as many as 15 of the top 20 ranked kids so placing top 8 is an extreme accomplishment.
The top contender to bring back a belt is #2 ranked Jesse Mendez. He is fresh off an impressive performance at Who’s #1 and the favorite for a title. Potential match with his first opponent from Who’s #1, Ryan Jack, is off as he has pulled out. Jesse will still be challenged by the 13 others that are nationally ranked in this weight class.
State champ and the only returning Super 32 placer, Brayden Littell is going to look to finish higher than 8th this year. He has shown he can bang with the best and is not flying under the radar this year like he was last year. He’ll likely be seeded which should make his path a little easier to finish higher on the podium
Zeke Seltzer is rolling along this spring, summer, and fall with impressive performances throughout the off-season. He was runner-up at Fargo and then won a loaded weight class at this year’s IHPO. He is in the mix to make a deep run this year. The 120lbs weight class is one of the deepest there is, but he is battle tested and ready to do some damage in Greensboro.
Matt Lee is another one to watch from Indiana. While he will be forgoing the high school season he will be taking one more shot at placing at the Super 32. He has the tools to bring back a belt and could make his last high school event memorable with a title.
Under the Radar
Folks in Indiana know these names, but the following guys are ones I have a sneaky feeling will make deep runs and potentially place in this event. Every year Indiana has a few guys surprise everyone with great performances. Look no further than Nick South’s run to the finals last year or Brayden LIttell finishing 8th in a loaded weight.
Elliott Rodgers is someone we all know and know he’s as tough as they come, but nationally he isn’t as well known. Rodgers’ ability to ride is huge in an event with shortened periods on the first day and in the consolations. He also has a knack to find a way to win. Don’t be surprised to see him finishing high here.
Colton Drousias is an Indiana guy that wrestles in Illinois during the high school season. He has had national success placing at Fargo in 2018. He was a state champion in Illinois last year, so he has the tools to make the podium in Greensboro.
Evan Bates has a very good shot at bringing back some hardware. He burst onto the scene at Fargo placing in both styles after a 3rd place finish at state last year. He’s known now and should make a deep run at 195lbs. The upper weights are as loaded as ever, but usually do not field as deep of a field as the lower and middle weights.
Graham Calhoun has wrestled every where and always shown he is a contender at any tournament he enters. He has been in and out of the national rankings and beaten a lot of the best guys in the country. This could be his year to bring back a medal.
Five state runner-ups from this year all should have deep runs here. Alex Cottey, Alec Viduya, Blake Boarman, Ray Rioux, and Cooper Noehre are all solid grapplers that could make a surprise appearance on the podium. Cottey and Boarman have both had some national success and could surprise some people here. Rioux is an extremely dangerous wrestler that cannot be overlooked by the top guys. Viduya has been in the mix nationally and always wins matches at the big events. Noehre had a breakout season last year and is one that has the tools to place here.
Others to watch
There are many others than I’m gonna keep my eye on that may just find their way to day two and the podium after the dust has settled.
Alec Freeman and Eli Dickens from Mater Dei are both solid wrestlers that have shown they can compete with the best. Logan Bailey has had a fantastic off-season and his ability to ride and turn could pose a hazard for his opponents. Mason Winner had a good GFC this past weekend and like others he is good on the mat which can make a huge difference here. Brock Ellis has had national success and going to be down at 145lbs.
Some incoming freshmen to watch are Sam Goin of Crown Point, Christian Carroll of Penn, and Sergio Lemley who will go to Mount Carmel. They will have tough roads to hoe, but should be on the podium in Greensboro during their careers.
Where to Watch
You can watch the action starting on Saturday on FloWrestling.org. Brackets will be on Arena.FloWrestling.org. You can also check out @IndianaMat on Twitter for updates throughout the weekend.
Indiana also has many wrestlers in the elementary and middle school divisions that hit the mat on Sunday. You can find all the entries and other tournament information at Super32.com.
Indiana Entries
Weight Name School 106 Sam Goin Crown Point, IN 113 Alexzander Cottey Perry Meridian H.S. 113 Cole Ross Evansville Mater Dei 113 Sergio Lemley Mount Carmel 120 Braden Haines Brownsburg high school 120 Christian White New Palestine High School 120 Colton Drousias Chicago - Mount Carmel 120 David Pierson Warren Central High School 120 Giovanni Diaz Wheeler high school 120 Landon Bertsch Bluffton 120 Riley Bettich Crown Point High School 120 Zeke Seltzer Indianapolis Cathedral 126 Alecsander Freeman Mater Dei High School 126 Brayden Littell Center grove 126 Hayden Watson Center Grove High School 126 Kysen Montgomery Brownsburg 126 Stephen Roberson Jr Crown Point 132 Blake Boarman Evansville Mater Dei 132 Jesse Mendez Crown Point 132 Raymond Rioux Avon High School 138 Anthony Poindexter Jr. Harrison High School 138 Aundre' Beatty Warren Central High School 138 Drake Campbell Brownsburg 138 Logan Bailey Cathedral High School 145 Alec Viduya Roncalli 145 Brady Mckivitz Perry Meridian High School 145 Brock Ellis Chesterton High School 145 Jaden Reynolds Avon High School 145 Kailan Keith Ben Davis 152 Brice Coleman Warren Central High School 152 Matthew Lee Lee Homeschool 152 Nick Buchanan Coldwater 152 Tristen Hood Harrison (WL) 160 Christian Carroll Penn High School 160 Cooper Noehre Greenfield Central  160 Eli Dickens Mater Dei 160 Elliott Rodgers Indianapolis Cathedral 160 Isiah Levitz Prairie Heights 170 Graham Calhoun Plymouth 182 Joseph Walker Mishawaka High School 182 Mason Winner Jay County High School 195 Evan Bates Chesterton High School 195 Robert Bowman Mount carmel high schol  

Over 40 of the best wrestlers from Indiana are heading to North Carolina to take on the Super 32 Challenge this weekend. If you have been living under a rock, this is the toughest high school tournament in the country and some brackets that feature over 150 wrestlers. You will see future NCAA All-Americans not place here and even potentially see some future NCAA Finals matches. Indiana’s representatives feature 35 guys that have qualified for state including five state champions.
History Lesson
Indiana has only had four grapplers take home a belt: Ethan Raley in 2010, Jared Brooks in 2011, Chad Red in 2014, and Blake Rypel in 2015. The first placer was in 2008 when Camden Eppert took 3rd. No Indiana native has placed three times in the high school division, but six wrestlers have placed twice(Blake Rypel, Chad Red, Jason Tsirtsis, Brayton Lee, Joe Lee, and Drew Hughes). Since 2015 Indiana has placed five wrestlers each year at the Super 32 with many others being a round or two from placing.
Click here for a listing of all the past Super 32 placers.
https://indianamat.com/index.php?/history/super32placers.html/
The Contenders
This tournament is deep, REALLY deep and placing here is a huge accomplishment. Some of the weights feature as many as 15 of the top 20 ranked kids so placing top 8 is an extreme accomplishment.
The top contender to bring back a belt is #2 ranked Jesse Mendez. He is fresh off an impressive performance at Who’s #1 and the favorite for a title. Potential match with his first opponent from Who’s #1, Ryan Jack, is off as he has pulled out. Jesse will still be challenged by the 13 others that are nationally ranked in this weight class.
State champ and the only returning Super 32 placer, Brayden Littell is going to look to finish higher than 8th this year. He has shown he can bang with the best and is not flying under the radar this year like he was last year. He’ll likely be seeded which should make his path a little easier to finish higher on the podium
Zeke Seltzer is rolling along this spring, summer, and fall with impressive performances throughout the off-season. He was runner-up at Fargo and then won a loaded weight class at this year’s IHPO. He is in the mix to make a deep run this year. The 120lbs weight class is one of the deepest there is, but he is battle tested and ready to do some damage in Greensboro.
Matt Lee is another one to watch from Indiana. While he will be forgoing the high school season he will be taking one more shot at placing at the Super 32. He has the tools to bring back a belt and could make his last high school event memorable with a title.
Under the Radar
Folks in Indiana know these names, but the following guys are ones I have a sneaky feeling will make deep runs and potentially place in this event. Every year Indiana has a few guys surprise everyone with great performances. Look no further than Nick South’s run to the finals last year or Brayden LIttell finishing 8th in a loaded weight.
Elliott Rodgers is someone we all know and know he’s as tough as they come, but nationally he isn’t as well known. Rodgers’ ability to ride is huge in an event with shortened periods on the first day and in the consolations. He also has a knack to find a way to win. Don’t be surprised to see him finishing high here.
Colton Drousias is an Indiana guy that wrestles in Illinois during the high school season. He has had national success placing at Fargo in 2018. He was a state champion in Illinois last year, so he has the tools to make the podium in Greensboro.
Evan Bates has a very good shot at bringing back some hardware. He burst onto the scene at Fargo placing in both styles after a 3rd place finish at state last year. He’s known now and should make a deep run at 195lbs. The upper weights are as loaded as ever, but usually do not field as deep of a field as the lower and middle weights.
Graham Calhoun has wrestled every where and always shown he is a contender at any tournament he enters. He has been in and out of the national rankings and beaten a lot of the best guys in the country. This could be his year to bring back a medal.
Five state runner-ups from this year all should have deep runs here. Alex Cottey, Alec Viduya, Blake Boarman, Ray Rioux, and Cooper Noehre are all solid grapplers that could make a surprise appearance on the podium. Cottey and Boarman have both had some national success and could surprise some people here. Rioux is an extremely dangerous wrestler that cannot be overlooked by the top guys. Viduya has been in the mix nationally and always wins matches at the big events. Noehre had a breakout season last year and is one that has the tools to place here.
Others to watch
There are many others than I’m gonna keep my eye on that may just find their way to day two and the podium after the dust has settled.
Alec Freeman and Eli Dickens from Mater Dei are both solid wrestlers that have shown they can compete with the best. Logan Bailey has had a fantastic off-season and his ability to ride and turn could pose a hazard for his opponents. Mason Winner had a good GFC this past weekend and like others he is good on the mat which can make a huge difference here. Brock Ellis has had national success and going to be down at 145lbs.
Some incoming freshmen to watch are Sam Goin of Crown Point, Christian Carroll of Penn, and Sergio Lemley who will go to Mount Carmel. They will have tough roads to hoe, but should be on the podium in Greensboro during their careers.
Where to Watch
You can watch the action starting on Saturday on FloWrestling.org. Brackets will be on Arena.FloWrestling.org. You can also check out @IndianaMat on Twitter for updates throughout the weekend.
Indiana also has many wrestlers in the elementary and middle school divisions that hit the mat on Sunday. You can find all the entries and other tournament information at Super32.com.
Indiana Entries
Weight Name School 106 Sam Goin Crown Point, IN 113 Alexzander Cottey Perry Meridian H.S. 113 Cole Ross Evansville Mater Dei 113 Sergio Lemley Mount Carmel 120 Braden Haines Brownsburg high school 120 Christian White New Palestine High School 120 Colton Drousias Chicago - Mount Carmel 120 David Pierson Warren Central High School 120 Giovanni Diaz Wheeler high school 120 Landon Bertsch Bluffton 120 Riley Bettich Crown Point High School 120 Zeke Seltzer Indianapolis Cathedral 126 Alecsander Freeman Mater Dei High School 126 Brayden Littell Center grove 126 Hayden Watson Center Grove High School 126 Kysen Montgomery Brownsburg 126 Stephen Roberson Jr Crown Point 132 Blake Boarman Evansville Mater Dei 132 Jesse Mendez Crown Point 132 Raymond Rioux Avon High School 138 Anthony Poindexter Jr. Harrison High School 138 Aundre' Beatty Warren Central High School 138 Drake Campbell Brownsburg 138 Logan Bailey Cathedral High School 145 Alec Viduya Roncalli 145 Brady Mckivitz Perry Meridian High School 145 Brock Ellis Chesterton High School 145 Jaden Reynolds Avon High School 145 Kailan Keith Ben Davis 152 Brice Coleman Warren Central High School 152 Matthew Lee Lee Homeschool 152 Nick Buchanan Coldwater 152 Tristen Hood Harrison (WL) 160 Christian Carroll Penn High School 160 Cooper Noehre Greenfield Central  160 Eli Dickens Mater Dei 160 Elliott Rodgers Indianapolis Cathedral 160 Isiah Levitz Prairie Heights 170 Graham Calhoun Plymouth 182 Joseph Walker Mishawaka High School 182 Mason Winner Jay County High School 195 Evan Bates Chesterton High School 195 Robert Bowman Mount carmel high schol  

Over 40 of the best wrestlers from Indiana are heading to North Carolina to take on the Super 32 Challenge this weekend. If you have been living under a rock, this is the toughest high school tournament in the country and some brackets that feature over 150 wrestlers. You will see future NCAA All-Americans not place here and even potentially see some future NCAA Finals matches. Indiana’s representatives feature 35 guys that have qualified for state including five state champions.
History Lesson
Indiana has only had four grapplers take home a belt: Ethan Raley in 2010, Jared Brooks in 2011, Chad Red in 2014, and Blake Rypel in 2015. The first placer was in 2008 when Camden Eppert took 3rd. No Indiana native has placed three times in the high school division, but six wrestlers have placed twice(Blake Rypel, Chad Red, Jason Tsirtsis, Brayton Lee, Joe Lee, and Drew Hughes). Since 2015 Indiana has placed five wrestlers each year at the Super 32 with many others being a round or two from placing.
Click here for a listing of all the past Super 32 placers.
https://indianamat.com/index.php?/history/super32placers.html/
The Contenders
This tournament is deep, REALLY deep and placing here is a huge accomplishment. Some of the weights feature as many as 15 of the top 20 ranked kids so placing top 8 is an extreme accomplishment.
The top contender to bring back a belt is #2 ranked Jesse Mendez. He is fresh off an impressive performance at Who’s #1 and the favorite for a title. Potential match with his first opponent from Who’s #1, Ryan Jack, is off as he has pulled out. Jesse will still be challenged by the 13 others that are nationally ranked in this weight class.
State champ and the only returning Super 32 placer, Brayden Littell is going to look to finish higher than 8th this year. He has shown he can bang with the best and is not flying under the radar this year like he was last year. He’ll likely be seeded which should make his path a little easier to finish higher on the podium
Zeke Seltzer is rolling along this spring, summer, and fall with impressive performances throughout the off-season. He was runner-up at Fargo and then won a loaded weight class at this year’s IHPO. He is in the mix to make a deep run this year. The 120lbs weight class is one of the deepest there is, but he is battle tested and ready to do some damage in Greensboro.
Matt Lee is another one to watch from Indiana. While he will be forgoing the high school season he will be taking one more shot at placing at the Super 32. He has the tools to bring back a belt and could make his last high school event memorable with a title.
Under the Radar
Folks in Indiana know these names, but the following guys are ones I have a sneaky feeling will make deep runs and potentially place in this event. Every year Indiana has a few guys surprise everyone with great performances. Look no further than Nick South’s run to the finals last year or Brayden LIttell finishing 8th in a loaded weight.
Elliott Rodgers is someone we all know and know he’s as tough as they come, but nationally he isn’t as well known. Rodgers’ ability to ride is huge in an event with shortened periods on the first day and in the consolations. He also has a knack to find a way to win. Don’t be surprised to see him finishing high here.
Colton Drousias is an Indiana guy that wrestles in Illinois during the high school season. He has had national success placing at Fargo in 2018. He was a state champion in Illinois last year, so he has the tools to make the podium in Greensboro.
Evan Bates has a very good shot at bringing back some hardware. He burst onto the scene at Fargo placing in both styles after a 3rd place finish at state last year. He’s known now and should make a deep run at 195lbs. The upper weights are as loaded as ever, but usually do not field as deep of a field as the lower and middle weights.
Graham Calhoun has wrestled every where and always shown he is a contender at any tournament he enters. He has been in and out of the national rankings and beaten a lot of the best guys in the country. This could be his year to bring back a medal.
Five state runner-ups from this year all should have deep runs here. Alex Cottey, Alec Viduya, Blake Boarman, Ray Rioux, and Cooper Noehre are all solid grapplers that could make a surprise appearance on the podium. Cottey and Boarman have both had some national success and could surprise some people here. Rioux is an extremely dangerous wrestler that cannot be overlooked by the top guys. Viduya has been in the mix nationally and always wins matches at the big events. Noehre had a breakout season last year and is one that has the tools to place here.
Others to watch
There are many others than I’m gonna keep my eye on that may just find their way to day two and the podium after the dust has settled.
Alec Freeman and Eli Dickens from Mater Dei are both solid wrestlers that have shown they can compete with the best. Logan Bailey has had a fantastic off-season and his ability to ride and turn could pose a hazard for his opponents. Mason Winner had a good GFC this past weekend and like others he is good on the mat which can make a huge difference here. Brock Ellis has had national success and going to be down at 145lbs.
Some incoming freshmen to watch are Sam Goin of Crown Point, Christian Carroll of Penn, and Sergio Lemley who will go to Mount Carmel. They will have tough roads to hoe, but should be on the podium in Greensboro during their careers.
Where to Watch
You can watch the action starting on Saturday on FloWrestling.org. Brackets will be on Arena.FloWrestling.org. You can also check out @IndianaMat on Twitter for updates throughout the weekend.
Indiana also has many wrestlers in the elementary and middle school divisions that hit the mat on Sunday. You can find all the entries and other tournament information at Super32.com.
Indiana Entries
Weight Name School 106 Sam Goin Crown Point, IN 113 Alexzander Cottey Perry Meridian H.S. 113 Cole Ross Evansville Mater Dei 113 Sergio Lemley Mount Carmel 120 Braden Haines Brownsburg high school 120 Christian White New Palestine High School 120 Colton Drousias Chicago - Mount Carmel 120 David Pierson Warren Central High School 120 Giovanni Diaz Wheeler high school 120 Landon Bertsch Bluffton 120 Riley Bettich Crown Point High School 120 Zeke Seltzer Indianapolis Cathedral 126 Alecsander Freeman Mater Dei High School 126 Brayden Littell Center grove 126 Hayden Watson Center Grove High School 126 Kysen Montgomery Brownsburg 126 Stephen Roberson Jr Crown Point 132 Blake Boarman Evansville Mater Dei 132 Jesse Mendez Crown Point 132 Raymond Rioux Avon High School 138 Anthony Poindexter Jr. Harrison High School 138 Aundre' Beatty Warren Central High School 138 Drake Campbell Brownsburg 138 Logan Bailey Cathedral High School 145 Alec Viduya Roncalli 145 Brady Mckivitz Perry Meridian High School 145 Brock Ellis Chesterton High School 145 Jaden Reynolds Avon High School 145 Kailan Keith Ben Davis 152 Brice Coleman Warren Central High School 152 Matthew Lee Lee Homeschool 152 Nick Buchanan Coldwater 152 Tristen Hood Harrison (WL) 160 Christian Carroll Penn High School 160 Cooper Noehre Greenfield Central  160 Eli Dickens Mater Dei 160 Elliott Rodgers Indianapolis Cathedral 160 Isiah Levitz Prairie Heights 170 Graham Calhoun Plymouth 182 Joseph Walker Mishawaka High School 182 Mason Winner Jay County High School 195 Evan Bates Chesterton High School 195 Robert Bowman Mount carmel high schol  

More people from Indiana have Googled Estonia over the past few days than ever before and with good reason. After this weekend Indiana will have four representatives at the Junior World Championships in Tallinn, Estonia. For those of you that want a little geography lesson, Tallinn is the largest city and capital of Estonia. Estonia is a country that has about 1.3 million people and is about half the size of Indiana. It is a very historical city and sits on the Baltic Sea.  Wikipedia has a lot of great information Tallinn and Estonia, just click here for that info.
Now onto the wrestling part, which is why you’re here. Last week Alara Boyd was dominant in her quest to make her first Junior World Team at Women’s Nationals in Texas. After medaling twice as a cadet she is looking for her third world medal in as many tries this year.
The men duked it out this weekend in Raleigh this past weekend looking to join Boyd in Tallinn. Lucas Davison had an immense advantage sitting out until the second day already in the best of three finals. Brayton Lee was the top seed in the challenge tournament in an extremely deep weight class. Lastly, Mason Parris decided a couple weeks ago to start training for the event and with his Fargo placement last year was given the three seed. The tournament brackets were small due to a limited number of qualifiers. Most brackets were 8 man or less with a couple that had around 10 competitors.
Parris’ path to Estonia was quite unique to say the least. Not only was entering the trials a late decision, the top two wrestlers from the Junior Open did not come to the trials. That left the weight wide open as Anthony Cassioppi was considered a big favorite to win the weight.
Parris had one match on Saturday where he defeated Virginia Tech’s John Borst 7-4. That put him in the best of three finals against Wiconsin’s Trent Hillger with whom he defeated during the NCAA season. In the first match of the best of three series Hillger topped Parris 7-6 after a late flurry of action that almost gave Parris the win. The second an third matches were quite different as Mason go after it early with a tech fall in the second match and a pin in about a minute in the last match.
Lucas Davison saw North Carolina’s Brandon Whitman in the finals. Whitman was an NCAA qualifier last year for the Tar Heels as a true freshman. Davison dominated the first match 9-0 with a big 8 point first period. In the second match he wrestled a little more conservatively and won 5-0. Not only will Davison have Indiana friends on the Junior World Team, his Wildcat teammate Yahya Thomas is also on the team.
Brayton Lee had quite the weekend to say the least. Brayton employed quite a unique strategy all weekend long and while it took a few more hairs off his dad Brett’s head it worked out well in the end. He started Friday out with a late tech fall of Justin McCoy who wrestles for Virginia. After that match the drama began. In the challenge bracket semi-finals he faced off with rival Jacori Teemer. They have wrestled three times before and every match was pure pandemonium. This match would be no different. Teemer raced out to a 7-0 lead in the first period on a couple snatch singles and pushout. At the start of the second period something changed…that being Lee broke the ice. He scored 12 straight points to take the lead and ended up winning 12-9.
In the bracket finals Lee had Peyton Robb who was a redshirt for Nebraska last year. This time Robb raced out to an 8-2 lead late in the first period before rattling of four late points to close the gap to 8-6 at the break. The second period once again was all Lee as he racked up 11 more points to win 17-6.
Next up for Lee would be Ohio State’s Sammy Sasso who made quick work of him in Vegas. Lee was prepared to not give up a leg lace, but early on may have forgotten about leg defense. Sasso came out hungry and was up 6-0 after the first period. Another early score in the second period it looked like the match would be cut early due to a tech fall. However, Mr. Lee had other plans. He kept the pressure on and started to crack the ice with constant pressure and heavy hands. Lee started with one takedown, then another with a turn, then a pushout and for good measure two more takedowns to eventually break Sasso. The final score was 11-8 after 11 straight points by Lee.
The final match had a little less drama as you could tell Sasso was still tired both mentally and physically from the first one. Sasso got an early push-out, but Lee rattled off another 8 points to win convincingly 8-1 and earn his trip to Tallinn. On the weekend Lee scored 47 points in the second period while only allowing 7(3 to McCoy and 2 each to Teemer and Sasso).
This year is the third time we have had multiple representatives in the same age group and style at a World Championships. The two other times were when Angel Escobedo and Reece Humphrey both represented the USA at the University Championships in 2010 and the Senior Championships in 2013. Before this weekend Indiana has had six others qualify for the Junior World Championships: Leroy Vega(1999), Matt Coughlin(2006), Angel Escobedo(2007), Andrew Howe(2009), Jason Tsirtsis(2013), and Stevan Micic(2015). Micic and Howe both brought home bronze medals.
On the senior side of things three Indiana natives had solid days on the mat. Kayla Miracle fresh off claiming her third straight spot on a U23 team made quick work of Desiree Zavala spending less than two minutes on the mat total in two matches. She pinned Zavala in 1:10 in the first match and almost broke a sweat in a 34 second tech in the second. She clinched a spot in Final X where she will face Mallory Velte in the best of three series for a spot on the senior world team. Last year Velte won the series in three matches and went on to win a bronze medal at the World Championships.
On the men’s side of things Riley Lefever and Ben Harvey came into the challenge bracket as a 5 and 7 seed respectively. Both exceeded seed expectations and placed 3rd and 4th. For Lefever he lost to Ohio State’s Kollin Moore in his first bout. He beat three-time All-American Tim Dudley in his first consolation match then avenged his loss to Moore for 3rd place.
Harvey faced Mark Hall first round and dropped that match. He defeated Stacey Davis and Geno Morelli in the consolations before falling to Nick Becker in the 3rd place bout.
Overall Indiana had a great few days on the mat and will be well represented at the world level. Currently we have five representatives on teams with the cadet teams determined in a couple weeks and both Hildebrandt and Miracle two wins from earning their spots at Final X. Both girls will be at Final X in Lincoln on June 15th.

The spring is always “rather throw you than know you’ season and while our state freestyle and Greco championships are complete the regional and national events are just getting started. Last week saw two Indiana natives make the World Team for women. Kayla Miracle, now wrestling out of Iowa City, won the U23 Trials along with Yorktown’s Alara Boyd making her first Junior World Team.
This weekend we will have the Junior World Team Trials and the final spots for the seniors for Final X determined in Raleigh, North Carolina. There will be a handful of Indiana natives looking to make the World Team and we’ll highlight them for you here.
Junior Men’s Freestyle
Bracket Link
Three Indiana natives from the class of 2018 will be looking to join Alara Boyd in Tallinn, Estonia in mid-August. Leading the way will be Lucas Davison who will not wrestle until the best of three series on Saturday. He won the Junior Open, thus giving him an automatic berth in the finals. His biggest competition will be Arizona State’s Kordell Norfleet and North Carolina’s Brandon Whitman. Note that Indiana fans saw Whitman at the Dream Team Classic last year against Mason Parris.
Speaking of Parris, it seems as if he will be entered at heavyweight. He did not wrestle at the open and thus could see his seed affected by that. He also has very limited freestyle credentials, but he is training with Adam Coon, so that should help him. His biggest competition will be Iowa’s Anthony Cassioppi who is sitting until the best of three on Saturday. Cassioppi is also a two-time IHPO champion if you’re keeping track at home.
Brayton Lee is another contender for a trip to Tallinn at 70kg(154lbs). He was second at the open to Ohio State’s Sammy Sasso and should come in as the challenge tournament top seed. Lee’s budding rival, Jacori Teemer, looks to be dropping to 65kg which will make this weight a little “easier.” However, he will have to fend off Missouri true freshman All-American Brock Mauller along with Peyton Robb, and former Dream Teamer Jared Franek. Even without Teemer this is still a really tough weight class.
Thomas Penola had a great redshirt season for Purdue and continued doing well with a 6th place finish in Vegas. At 86kg, he will have to navigate a deep field of top level talent. Currently he is not registered, so we won't know for sure until Friday morning if he is attending the event.
The schedule for Juniors starts on Friday at 10am with the challenge tournament. The winner of the challenge tournament will wrestle Saturday in the best of three series against the Junior Open champion.
Senior Greco-Roman
One former and one current Indiana Hoosier will be wrestling on the Greco side of things. Current Hoosier sophomore Liam Cronin will be at 60kg, while former Former Hoosier upperweight Lucas Sheridan will be at 97kg where he has been one of the top guys in the country recently. 
Senior Women’s Freestyle
With Sarah Hildebrandt automatically advancing to Final X due to her silver medal at last year’s World Championships there is only one Indiana native to watch here. Kayla Miracle made the move from Kentucky to Iowa last year and it seems to have paid dividends. She won the US Open and thus will be in the best of three finals on Sunday. Just last week she earned what seems to be her 100th spot on a World Team by winning the U23 trials. She will be looking to make her first senior world team after advancing to Final X last year and losing to eventual world bronze medalist Mallory Velte.
The schedule for the women’s freestyle portion begins on Saturday with the challenge tournament. The best of three finals will be on Sunday starting at noon.
Senior Men’s Freestyle
Men’s freestyle is always exciting and provides a great crop of dream match-ups throughout the weekend. This weekend we will have four guys with Indiana ties looking to earn a spot in Final X in either Lincoln, Nebraska or Piscataway, New Jersey.
Current college star Ben Harvey is entered at 79kg after finishing 7th at the US Open. Harvey was a state runner-up at Cathedral and made the round of 12 for Army West Point this past season. He is currently a Junior and has one more year of NCAA eligibility left. The 79kg weight class is highlighted by the likes of three-time NCAA champion Alex Dieringer, three-time NCAA finalist Mark Hall, and freestyle extraordinaire Chance Marsteller. Harvey will likely be one of the lower seeds due to his US Open placement.
Another state runner-up still making an impact is Riley Lefever. Before he won four DIII NCAA titles for Wabash he was a runner-up for Carroll High School…the one in Fort Wayne. He has been training in State College, Pennsylvania with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club for the past two years. He placed 6th at the US Open and is likely going to slot in at the 5th seed in the challenge tournament at 92kg. He will likely see Ohio State’s Kollin Moore in the round of 8 and then Hayden Zillmer in the semi-finals.
Two others with ties to Indiana to keep your eye on is Indiana University All-American Nate Jackson. He is being coached by former three-time Indiana state champion Reece Humphrey at the New Jersey RTC. He will be entered at 86kg. Last, but not least we always like to keep tabs on Gable Steveson. Even though he is eligible for the Junior age group he has once again entered the Senior division. He didn’t wrestle at the US Open so he will get knocked down a little with his seed. The winner of the challenge tournament here will see Adam Coon in the best of three finals on Sunday.
The schedule for the men’s freestyle will start with the challenge tournament bracket on Saturday and finish with the best of three finals on Sunday. The challenge tournament should be about a 7-10 man bracket for most weight classes. You can follow along on FloWrestling.com and as always check out our social media, especially Twitter(@IndianaMat) for updates throughout the weekend.
Full Schedule
Friday May 17
Session I
UWW Junior Freestyle: 1st Round, Quarterfinals and Consolation Rd. 1-2
10:00 am – 2:00 pm – UWW Junior Freestyle (2 MATS)
Senior Greco-Roman: 1st Round, Quarterfinals and Consolation Rd. 1-2
10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Senior Greco-Roman (2 MATS)
Session II
UWW Junior Freestyle: Semi-Finals, Finals, Consolation Rd. 3-Semis
4:00 pm – 8:30 pm – UWW Junior Freestyle (2 MATS)
Senior Greco-Roman: Semi-Finals, Finals, Consolation Rd. 3-Semis
4:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Senior Greco-Roman (2 MATS)
Saturday May 18
Session III
Senior Women’s Freestyle: 1st Round, Quarterfinals and Consolation Rd. 1
10:00 am – 12:00 pm – Senior Women’s Freestyle (2 MATS)
Senior Men’s Freestyle: 1st Round, Quarterfinals and Consolation Rd. 1-2
10:00 am – 1:00 pm – Senior Men’s Freestyle (2 MATS)
Session IV
UWW Junior Freestyle: Best 2 out of 3 Championship, 3rd Place, True 3rd (If Necessary)
1:30 pm – 5:15 pm – UWW Junior Freestyle (2 MATS)
Senior Greco-Roman: Best 2 out of 3 Championship, 3rd Place, True 3rd (If Necessary)
1:30 pm – 5:15 pm – Senior Greco-Roman (2 MATS)
Session V
Senior Men’s Freestyle: Semi-Finals, Finals and Consolation Rd. 3, Cons-Semis.
5:30 pm – 9:00 pm – Senior Men’s Freestyle (2 MATS)
Senior Women’s Freestyle: Semi-Finals, Finals and Consolation Rd. 3, Cons-Semis.
5:30 pm – 9:00 pm – Senior Women’s Freestyle (2 MATS)
Sunday May 19
Session VI
Senior Men’s Freestyle: Best 2 out of 3 Championship, 3rd Place, True 3rd (If Necessary)
12:00 pm – 3:45 pm – Senior Men’s Freestyle (2 MATS)
Senior Women’s Freestyle: Best 2 out of 3 Championship, 3rd Place, True 3rd (If Necessary)
12:00 pm – 3:45 pm – Senior Women’s Freestyle (2 MATS) 
 

The spring is always “rather throw you than know you’ season and while our state freestyle and Greco championships are complete the regional and national events are just getting started. Last week saw two Indiana natives make the World Team for women. Kayla Miracle, now wrestling out of Iowa City, won the U23 Trials along with Yorktown’s Alara Boyd making her first Junior World Team.
This weekend we will have the Junior World Team Trials and the final spots for the seniors for Final X determined in Raleigh, North Carolina. There will be a handful of Indiana natives looking to make the World Team and we’ll highlight them for you here.
Junior Men’s Freestyle
Bracket Link
Three Indiana natives from the class of 2018 will be looking to join Alara Boyd in Tallinn, Estonia in mid-August. Leading the way will be Lucas Davison who will not wrestle until the best of three series on Saturday. He won the Junior Open, thus giving him an automatic berth in the finals. His biggest competition will be Arizona State’s Kordell Norfleet and North Carolina’s Brandon Whitman. Note that Indiana fans saw Whitman at the Dream Team Classic last year against Mason Parris.
Speaking of Parris, it seems as if he will be entered at heavyweight. He did not wrestle at the open and thus could see his seed affected by that. He also has very limited freestyle credentials, but he is training with Adam Coon, so that should help him. His biggest competition will be Iowa’s Anthony Cassioppi who is sitting until the best of three on Saturday. Cassioppi is also a two-time IHPO champion if you’re keeping track at home.
Brayton Lee is another contender for a trip to Tallinn at 70kg(154lbs). He was second at the open to Ohio State’s Sammy Sasso and should come in as the challenge tournament top seed. Lee’s budding rival, Jacori Teemer, looks to be dropping to 65kg which will make this weight a little “easier.” However, he will have to fend off Missouri true freshman All-American Brock Mauller along with Peyton Robb, and former Dream Teamer Jared Franek. Even without Teemer this is still a really tough weight class.
Thomas Penola had a great redshirt season for Purdue and continued doing well with a 6th place finish in Vegas. At 86kg, he will have to navigate a deep field of top level talent. Currently he is not registered, so we won't know for sure until Friday morning if he is attending the event.
The schedule for Juniors starts on Friday at 10am with the challenge tournament. The winner of the challenge tournament will wrestle Saturday in the best of three series against the Junior Open champion.
Senior Greco-Roman
One former and one current Indiana Hoosier will be wrestling on the Greco side of things. Current Hoosier sophomore Liam Cronin will be at 60kg, while former Former Hoosier upperweight Lucas Sheridan will be at 97kg where he has been one of the top guys in the country recently. 
Senior Women’s Freestyle
With Sarah Hildebrandt automatically advancing to Final X due to her silver medal at last year’s World Championships there is only one Indiana native to watch here. Kayla Miracle made the move from Kentucky to Iowa last year and it seems to have paid dividends. She won the US Open and thus will be in the best of three finals on Sunday. Just last week she earned what seems to be her 100th spot on a World Team by winning the U23 trials. She will be looking to make her first senior world team after advancing to Final X last year and losing to eventual world bronze medalist Mallory Velte.
The schedule for the women’s freestyle portion begins on Saturday with the challenge tournament. The best of three finals will be on Sunday starting at noon.
Senior Men’s Freestyle
Men’s freestyle is always exciting and provides a great crop of dream match-ups throughout the weekend. This weekend we will have four guys with Indiana ties looking to earn a spot in Final X in either Lincoln, Nebraska or Piscataway, New Jersey.
Current college star Ben Harvey is entered at 79kg after finishing 7th at the US Open. Harvey was a state runner-up at Cathedral and made the round of 12 for Army West Point this past season. He is currently a Junior and has one more year of NCAA eligibility left. The 79kg weight class is highlighted by the likes of three-time NCAA champion Alex Dieringer, three-time NCAA finalist Mark Hall, and freestyle extraordinaire Chance Marsteller. Harvey will likely be one of the lower seeds due to his US Open placement.
Another state runner-up still making an impact is Riley Lefever. Before he won four DIII NCAA titles for Wabash he was a runner-up for Carroll High School…the one in Fort Wayne. He has been training in State College, Pennsylvania with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club for the past two years. He placed 6th at the US Open and is likely going to slot in at the 5th seed in the challenge tournament at 92kg. He will likely see Ohio State’s Kollin Moore in the round of 8 and then Hayden Zillmer in the semi-finals.
Two others with ties to Indiana to keep your eye on is Indiana University All-American Nate Jackson. He is being coached by former three-time Indiana state champion Reece Humphrey at the New Jersey RTC. He will be entered at 86kg. Last, but not least we always like to keep tabs on Gable Steveson. Even though he is eligible for the Junior age group he has once again entered the Senior division. He didn’t wrestle at the US Open so he will get knocked down a little with his seed. The winner of the challenge tournament here will see Adam Coon in the best of three finals on Sunday.
The schedule for the men’s freestyle will start with the challenge tournament bracket on Saturday and finish with the best of three finals on Sunday. The challenge tournament should be about a 7-10 man bracket for most weight classes. You can follow along on FloWrestling.com and as always check out our social media, especially Twitter(@IndianaMat) for updates throughout the weekend.
Full Schedule
Friday May 17
Session I
UWW Junior Freestyle: 1st Round, Quarterfinals and Consolation Rd. 1-2
10:00 am – 2:00 pm – UWW Junior Freestyle (2 MATS)
Senior Greco-Roman: 1st Round, Quarterfinals and Consolation Rd. 1-2
10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Senior Greco-Roman (2 MATS)
Session II
UWW Junior Freestyle: Semi-Finals, Finals, Consolation Rd. 3-Semis
4:00 pm – 8:30 pm – UWW Junior Freestyle (2 MATS)
Senior Greco-Roman: Semi-Finals, Finals, Consolation Rd. 3-Semis
4:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Senior Greco-Roman (2 MATS)
Saturday May 18
Session III
Senior Women’s Freestyle: 1st Round, Quarterfinals and Consolation Rd. 1
10:00 am – 12:00 pm – Senior Women’s Freestyle (2 MATS)
Senior Men’s Freestyle: 1st Round, Quarterfinals and Consolation Rd. 1-2
10:00 am – 1:00 pm – Senior Men’s Freestyle (2 MATS)
Session IV
UWW Junior Freestyle: Best 2 out of 3 Championship, 3rd Place, True 3rd (If Necessary)
1:30 pm – 5:15 pm – UWW Junior Freestyle (2 MATS)
Senior Greco-Roman: Best 2 out of 3 Championship, 3rd Place, True 3rd (If Necessary)
1:30 pm – 5:15 pm – Senior Greco-Roman (2 MATS)
Session V
Senior Men’s Freestyle: Semi-Finals, Finals and Consolation Rd. 3, Cons-Semis.
5:30 pm – 9:00 pm – Senior Men’s Freestyle (2 MATS)
Senior Women’s Freestyle: Semi-Finals, Finals and Consolation Rd. 3, Cons-Semis.
5:30 pm – 9:00 pm – Senior Women’s Freestyle (2 MATS)
Sunday May 19
Session VI
Senior Men’s Freestyle: Best 2 out of 3 Championship, 3rd Place, True 3rd (If Necessary)
12:00 pm – 3:45 pm – Senior Men’s Freestyle (2 MATS)
Senior Women’s Freestyle: Best 2 out of 3 Championship, 3rd Place, True 3rd (If Necessary)
12:00 pm – 3:45 pm – Senior Women’s Freestyle (2 MATS) 
 

By JEREMY HINES
Thehines7@gmail.com
“You’re still in this. It’s not over.”
Elliott Rodgers kept hearing those words coming from his corner Saturday night in the championship match of the 152-pound weight class at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse.
With under a minute to go in the match Rodgers trailed Greenfield’s Cooper Noehre 7-4. Rodgers was wrestling for an individual title and a chance to all but secure a team title for the Irish.
“It was nerve wracking,” Rodgers said. “It’s scary to be trailing like that. I don’t like it. But, you just have to think if you win, you win. If you lose, you lose. The coaches are in my corner yelling that it’s not over. That kept me going.”
Rodgers earned an escape point to cut Noehre’s lead to 7-5. Then, with under 10 seconds remaining, he earned a takedown to tie the score and force overtime. It was the third overtime meeting this season between the two rivals.
This time Rodgers pulled out a move he has been working on in practice but hadn’t shown Noehre yet – an inside trip. The move worked, and Rodgers won the match. The victory gave him his first state title and helped Cathedral win its second team title in as many years.
“Elliott just grinded it out,” Cathedral coach Sean McGinley said. “He was down points but he didn’t panic and he battled back. He didn’t just do it in the finals, he grinded out wins in the quarterfinals and on Friday night.”
Rodger’s teammate, senior Jordan Slivka sealed the team championship for the Irish in the next match.
Slivka took on Portage’s No. 1-ranked Donnell Washington Jr. in the 160-pound championship. Washington beat Slivka 8-3 during the regular season and appeared on his way to beating him again in the final.
Washington took Slivka down early in the match and then cut him (gave him a free escape). Washington continued his dominance for most of the first two periods. Then, in the final minute of the match, Slivka came alive. The Ohio University commit scored seven points in the final minute to win the match 12-7.
That victory ensured no other team could catch the Irish in points. Slivka won his first individual state championship last season, and coincidentally, that victory also sealed the team title for the Irish.
“This title felt better than last year’s,” Slivka said. “My goal wasn’t to be the best wrestler at Cathedral. I didn’t think I could ever accomplish that with guys like Blake Rypel and Lance Ellis. But no other Cathedral team has won two titles, and I wanted to be able to say I was the best team captain.”
Slivka’s wrestling shirt has the word “clutch” on the back of it – one that coach McGinley feels is appropriate for the senior.
“He comes through when people count him out,” McGinley said. “Washington is extremely, extremely talented and tough. He was on us that first period. We just wanted to stay close and ride it out. Slivka never lost faith and he pulled out that win.”
Going into the final Cathedral looked to be in great shape to claim the team title. The Irish had four wrestling for weight-class championships and a small lead in the team standings. But things got a little dicey in the early goings.
Irish freshman sensation Zeke Seltzer lost the 113 pound final to returning state champion, No. 1-ranked senior Jacob Moran of Portage 3-0. Then Cathedral’s Alex Mosconi fell to No. 1-ranked Matt Lee, 5-2 in the 145-pound final.
When Avon’s Asa Garcia earned a pin over Roncalli’s Alec Viduya in the 132 pound final, suddenly things got interesting. Avon still had Carson Brewer to wrestle at 182 pounds. Brewer was the heavy favorite in the match, and if he pinned his opponent, Avon had a chance to take the team title.
That’s when Rodgers and Slivka stepped up and won back-to-back matches to eliminate that possibility.
“If we polled everyone they would have probably said we were an underdog in three of the matches and probably a push in the fourth,” McGinley said. “We knew the odds were against us, and we just needed someone who was going to step up and pull it through.”
In all, Cathedral sent five wrestlers to the state tournament. Rodgers and Slivka won their weight classes. Seltzer and Mosconi placed second and Lukasz Walendzak finished 8th at 126.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana wrestling program and IU head coach Angel Escobedo have announced the addition of Brock Hudkins.  
 
Hudkins, a native of Danville, Ind., started his collegiate career at Northern Illinois where he twice qualified for the NCAA Championships at 125 lb.
 
At Danville Community High School, Hudkins posted a perfect 83-0 record as a junior and a senior. Hudkins was a four-time state qualifier and two-time State Champion.
 
"We are excited to bring Brock Hudkins back to Indiana," IU head coach Angel Escobedo said. "A two-time NCAA qualifier, Brock will add national level experience to our team."
 
Brock Hudkins
Danville, Ind. | Danville Community High School
Weight Class: 125
Intended major at IU: Pre-Physical Therpay
2X NCAA Qualifier
4X State Qualifier in High School
3X State Placer
2X State Champion
Won Sagamore Conference, Hendricks County, Sectional, Regional and Semi-States titles all four years.
Team captain from 2013-16, MVP three years in a row
 
"I think what Angel is doing at Indiana is special," Hudkins said. "I believe in what he is trying to accomplish and I think he's the guy to do it. He can get me to the next level I'm looking for. Angel has been to the highest level and knows what it takes. A big thing that stands out is the culture change he is trying to make. Not many people realize what he had to do as far as isolating himself from the culture he was surrounded by, to accomplish his dreams and how much time and effort he had to put in by himself. I can relate to that on many levels and believe he's making this place better for all the guys who are tired of dreaming and ready to be something greater than their thoughts.
 
 "I really connected with the coaching staff and believe it's the best fit for me," Hudkins added. "When I think about IU I see myself not only accomplishing my degree and graduating, I see myself not pursuing my dream of a national champion, but accomplishing it. I believe with this team, these coaches, the academic staff I will have, I will be put in a situation where I'll have no other choice but to win and be successful in all aspects of life."

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana wrestling program and IU head coach Angel Escobedo have announced the addition of Brock Hudkins.  
 
Hudkins, a native of Danville, Ind., started his collegiate career at Northern Illinois where he twice qualified for the NCAA Championships at 125 lb.
 
At Danville Community High School, Hudkins posted a perfect 83-0 record as a junior and a senior. Hudkins was a four-time state qualifier and two-time State Champion.
 
"We are excited to bring Brock Hudkins back to Indiana," IU head coach Angel Escobedo said. "A two-time NCAA qualifier, Brock will add national level experience to our team."
 
Brock Hudkins
Danville, Ind. | Danville Community High School
Weight Class: 125
Intended major at IU: Pre-Physical Therpay
2X NCAA Qualifier
4X State Qualifier in High School
3X State Placer
2X State Champion
Won Sagamore Conference, Hendricks County, Sectional, Regional and Semi-States titles all four years.
Team captain from 2013-16, MVP three years in a row
 
"I think what Angel is doing at Indiana is special," Hudkins said. "I believe in what he is trying to accomplish and I think he's the guy to do it. He can get me to the next level I'm looking for. Angel has been to the highest level and knows what it takes. A big thing that stands out is the culture change he is trying to make. Not many people realize what he had to do as far as isolating himself from the culture he was surrounded by, to accomplish his dreams and how much time and effort he had to put in by himself. I can relate to that on many levels and believe he's making this place better for all the guys who are tired of dreaming and ready to be something greater than their thoughts.
 
 "I really connected with the coaching staff and believe it's the best fit for me," Hudkins added. "When I think about IU I see myself not only accomplishing my degree and graduating, I see myself not pursuing my dream of a national champion, but accomplishing it. I believe with this team, these coaches, the academic staff I will have, I will be put in a situation where I'll have no other choice but to win and be successful in all aspects of life."