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gsmith58

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    gsmith58 reacted to Y2CJ41 for a article, #MondayMatness with Steve Krah: Union City’s Daniels raises his game, heading to State Finals   
    By STEVE KRAH
    stvkrh905@gmail.com
     
    Bradin Daniels became the first Union City Junior/City wrestler to qualify for the IHSAA State Finals in a dozen years when the junior won the 126-pound title at the 2024 Fort Wayne Semi-State.
     
    Before the Feb. 10 accomplishment, the last Indian to punch his ticket to the state tournament’s last stage was Kyle Walters at 160 in 2011-12, a season in which he want 40-4.
     
    As a Union City assistant coach, Walters has been in Daniels’ corner along with Indians head coach Kevin Lawrence.
     
    “He’s just a hard worker,” says Walters of Daniels. “He’s worked for it all season.”
     
    Away from the mat, Lawrence owns a construction company and Walters is a software engineer.
     
    Because of NBA All-Star Game activities, the site of the State Finals has been moved this year from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis to the Ford Center in Evansville.
     
    The first round is Friday, Feb. 16. There will be two sessions (152-285 and 106-144). First-round survivors compete Saturday, Feb. 17.
     
    Daniels heads to the Pocket City at 38-2 on the season.
     
    Union City is a Randolph County school with an enrollment around 250.
     
    “I did it for these guys over here,” says Daniels, who pointed to the UC faithful that came to cheer Saturday at Allen County Memorial Coliseum and saw him defeat NorthWood junior Will Hahn (pin in 2:42), Marion freshman Hixon Love (6-0 decision), Delta senior Neal Mosier (6-5 overtime decision) and Jay County senior Cody Rowles (8-4 decision). “I did it for my coaches. I did it for me. I did it for my family (including parents Devon and Samantha Daniels and brothers Gage and Blayne).
     
    “They all knew I had it in me. This year it changed.”
     
    Says Lawrence, “it was more the way he wrestled. He’s more patient now then he was before. He now knows that all he has to do is win a match. He doesn’t necessarily have to do it all in the first period.
     
    “He can wrestle a three-period match now and go six minutes.”
     
    Daniels said he became serious about wrestle in sixth grade.
     
    “I placed second at Middle School State and I was like ‘Wow!,’” says Daniels. “My freshman year I missed weight at sectional and last year I got in my head because I had to face the No. 1 seed.”
     
    Daniels gave himself a pep talk going into 2023-24.
     
    “I told myself there’s nothing stopping me this year,” says Daniels. “You’re going to go and win it whether you like it or not.”
     
    Gage and Blayne Daniels both wrestled for UC.
     
    “They’re over there rooting me on,” says Bradin. “They tell me that no matter what else is going on, just wrestle.”
     
    Other season highlights for the youngest Daniels boy include winning his second Tri-Eastern Conference championship (pinning Winchester junior Isaiah Spurlin in the finals) and placing first for the second straight Bill Kerbel Invitational at New Haven (beating Northfield freshman Elijah Gahl by 13-0 major decision for the crown).
     
    Daniels also earned his first Jay County Sectional title (besting Rowles 4-0 in the championship bout). He placed second at the Jay County Regional (losing to Rowles by fall in the finals) then won the Fort Wayne Semi-State.
     
    As a sophomore, Daniels was a sectional runner-up and came in fourth at regional and did not place at semi-state.
     
    Bradin came in third at the past two East Central Indiana Classic tournaments.
     
    “He’s always had the ability,” says Lawrence. “Little things here and there he was able to put together this year.
     
    “That’s been the difference.”
     
    The past two seasons, Daniels competed at 126. He began the current season at 132, but continued to lose weight and went back to 126.
     
    Union City’s Matt Taylor placed fourth at the State Finals in 1991.
     
    Besides Taylor in 1990 and Walters in 2012, other state qualifiers include Kyle Anderson in 2007, Zach Woodbury in 2004, Jim Garrett in 1992 and Rob Bousman in 1987.
     
     
  2. Like
    gsmith58 reacted to Y2CJ41 for a article, #WrestlingWednesday with Jeremy Hines: Feeler's ready for one last ride   
    By JEREMY HINES
    Thehines7@gmail.com
     
    No matter what happens in the next couple of weeks, Brandon and Donnie Feeler are going to end a journey the same way they started it – together.
     
    Donnie Feeler is a senior 106-pounder from Crawford County. Brandon is his father and the only coach he has ever had.
     
    “Our situation is a little unique,” Brandon said. “I’ve coached him since he was five years old. We’ve been on this journey for many, many years. It means a lot to both of us, to say the least.”
     
    Brandon still remembers the day Donnie came home from school, waving a flyer about wrestling around and begging to be able to be part of it.
     
    “Donnie was a big fan of WWF wrestling back then,” Brandon said. “He would constantly watch it on TV. At the time we lived in Scottsburg and he brought home this flyer about wrestling – thinking it was going to be jumping off the ropes like they did in WWF. I explained to him what it was, and he was still really eager to go.”
     
    So, Donnie joined wrestling and Brandon started coaching the sport. Brandon had a background in grappling, but he was learning wrestling at the same time he was teaching it to Donnie.
     
    The two dived headfirst into the sport. Brandon would drive Donnie to tournaments across the country. They would have hours together in the car, in the hotels and in the restaurants. They formed a strong bond through the sport.
     
    “Me and my dad, we’ve had our differences,” Donnie said. “But the sport has really grown us closer. It’s not just me out there. It’s him too. We go through the same emotion and the same stress. It’s not easy being a coach of a son. There are times when I just don’t want to train. But it’s good to have a coach that keeps after me and keeps me going.”
     
    Last year Donnie did something that no other kid in the history of his school has accomplished. He qualified for the state tournament.
     
    “There were a lot of emotions when he won his ticket round match,” Brandon said. “He punched his ticket. That was just a real proud moment.”
     
    Qualifying for state put a new fire in Donnie. He didn’t win his Friday night match, but he started working harder than ever before. He and his dad went to tournament after tournament last summer. They hit the mat hard and pushed like never before. The problem was all that wrestling started to burn Donnie out. He questioned whether he wanted to go on.
     
    “I was just burnt out,” Donnie said. “I was exhausted from the off-season wrestling. I just didn’t want to do it anymore.”
     
    Qualifying for state also came with some high expectations for Donnie. His focus seemed to change, according to his dad.
     
    “To some degree he was wrestling for all the wrong reasons,” Brandon said. “He was trying to be the best wrestler for an audience, not for himself. He contemplated whether he even wanted to wrestle his senior year. He did some soul searching and came back with some confidence. He was ready to unlock his potential.”
     
    Donnie said that renewed vigor came from having some talks with his dad.
     
    “That relationship with my father, and just speaking with him and listening to what he had to say – that really helped me regain my focus,” Donnie said.
     
    This year Donnie is coming off a regional championship. He is Crawford County’s first regional champion, and now he’s a two-time champ. He’s ranked No. 12 at 106 pounds and currently has an unblemished 20-0 record. His goal ultimate goal is to be his school’s first-ever state placer in wrestling.
     
    Crawford County has just a handful of wrestlers on the team. In practice Donnie’s only choice is to go up against guys weighing 120-152. But that’s OK. He embraces the David vs. Goliath philosophy. He likes being the underdog. He likes coming from a small school and wrestling the big programs. He likes being counted out.
     
    “I want to win it all,” Feeler said. “But no matter what happens I’m going to give it my all. If all else fails, we gave it a good run and had a fun four years.”
     
    For Brandon, the next few weeks will mark the end of a journey.
     
    “We started his career together and we’re going to finish it together,” Brandon said. “It’s going to be an emotional time, for sure. But we’ve had a heck of a ride.”
  3. Like
    gsmith58 reacted to Y2CJ41 for a article, #WrestlingWednesday: Gilbert's big dream will not be deterred   
    By JEREMY HINES
    Thehines7@gmail.com
     
    For as long as Sullivan freshman Lane Gilbert can remember he has dreamed about having his hand raised at the Indiana High School wrestling state championships.
     
    He’s done more than dream about it. As a young kid he would go into the wrestling room at Sullivan High School and act out having his hand raised. It didn’t matter that nobody else was around him. In his imaginary scenario he always emerged victorious. No obstacle stood in his way. No opponent could beat him. He was the champ. That dream would never be taken away.
     
    The dream was much different than real life for Gilbert. In real life, he has had far more hardships than one kid should experience. He’s overcome situations that would break others. Through it all, he’s come out stronger.
     
    To get a clear picture of just how tough Lane Gilbert is, it is important to dive into his uncomfortable past.
     
    Gilbert’s mother, Rachel, became Indiana’s first female sectional champion in wrestling. She won the 103-pound class in the North Knox sectional in 2002. Rachel was going places in life. News agencies had reported on her wrestling journey, because at the time, female wrestlers were still very new in the state. She had some colleges showing interest in her.
     
    But Rachel began facing a more formidable opponent than anyone she went up against on the mat. She started battling an addiction with drugs. Lane’s father had his own battles with drug addiction.
     
    For Lane’s father, that addiction would eventually lead to a prison sentence.
     
    Young Lane didn’t want to miss an opportunity to visit his dad, even if that meant going to the prison any time he could.
     
    “Lane worshipped his dad,” Lane’s wrestling coach and grandfather Roy Monroe said. “Lane never failed to go see him. He always wanted to see him.”
     
    Tragically, Lane’s father developed cancer while in prison and ultimately died due to the disease.
     
    “That was really rough on Lane for a while,” Rachel said. “His dad was a drug addict for a long time and Lane always held out hope that one day he would get better. Once he got sick, that was probably the hardest thing. Lane stayed strong through the whole thing.”
     
    At nine-years-old Lane did something no kid his age should ever have to do. He stood up in front during his dad’s funeral and sang a special song.
     
    “I don’t know how he did it,” Monroe said. “That’s almost an impossible thing to get through, and he did it. He toughed it out.”
     
    That’s what Lane always does. He toughs things out. He toughed it out when his mom was having her struggles. He toughed it out seeing his dad in prison, and then watching as cancer slowly took its toll. He toughed it out when his uncle Jordan, who had taught Lane quite a bit about wrestling, died in a fiery car crash. No matter what life threw at Lane, he toughs it out.
     
    Perhaps he gets his fighting spirit from his grandfather. Roy has been a major part of Sullivan wrestling for over 30 years. He’s watched his daughter struggle with drug addiction. He lost his son in that tragic car accident. He’s experienced heartache and he remained the rock Lane needed in his life. Lane could always stay the night at Roy’s house. He could always get the right words from his grandpa. And, on the wrestling mat, he could look to Grandpa Roy for direction as well.
     
    “He’s my role model,” Lane said. “He’s nice to everyone. He’s a good coach. He’s all the things you can think of if you were to make the perfect person – that would be how I describe him.”
     
    But Lane’s toughness also comes from his mom.
     
    In a time when people frowned on girls wrestling against boys, she held her ground. In fact, she and Roy had to go to the Sullivan school board to even get approved to wrestle back in her high school days.
     
    Later, as has already been alluded to, Rachel battled a fierce drug addiction. But, for Lane’s sake – and for her sake, she fought through and emerged victorious. She is currently a Dean’s List student working to become a nurse.
     
    “I am so proud of her,” Roy said. “I’ve been a counselor. I’ve went into the jails and counselled drug addicts. I’ve seen them come in and out of addiction. The real truth is, only about one percent of drug addicts make it to where she is now. It’s so hard to overcome, but she’s done it. And she’s a great mom.”
     
    She is also very, very protective of Lane and worries almost to a fault about the decisions he makes in his own life.
     
    “After having made the decisions at a young age that I made, I saw first-hand what can happen and how quickly everything can just spiral out of control,” Rachel said. “One mistake and everything can be gone. I have that fear in the back of my mind that he’s of the age and he could make the wrong choices. I’m almost too hard on him, but I am terrified because I know what can happen and I keep my eye on him. I do trust him. He’s seen what can happen and how bad things can get.”
     
    Lane knows when his mom tells him to keep on the straight and narrow, it’s because she cares.
     
    “I have so much respect for my mom,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot from her.”
     
    One thing Lane has learned is to never doubt himself. This summer when he was a third alternate for the Pan-American games, he let doubt creep into his psyche. After the first two qualifiers couldn’t attend the games, Lane got the call to participate. But, going into the event, he felt like he really didn’t belong.
     
    Boy was he wrong. Lane went undefeated in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. News of his success quickly spread throughout the town of 6,500 people. When he arrived home, he was given a police escort through the streets.
     
    “Oh my gosh,” Rachel said. “The town put on this whole show when he returned. The police and emergency vehicles all met up on the north end of town. He had no idea it was going to happen. There were fans from all over our town and they all followed him to the high school. It was so cool. He was so surprised.”
     
    Currently Gilbert is 28-1 on the season and ranked No. 5 at 113 pounds. He has carried the confidence he developed during the Pan-American games over to the season. Now he knows he belongs. Now he knows that dream he played through his head so many times growing up isn’t just a dream – it’s an attainable goal.
     
    “I’ve been coaching at Sullivan for 13 years as head coach and I’ve been there 30 years as an assistant,” Monroe said. “I’ve never seen anything like him. I look at Lane, with his skills and what he’s been through, and I just know that adversity isn’t a problem anymore. He can do whatever he sets his mind to do.”
     
    As for Rachel, well, she says nowadays she’s just like any other wrestler’s mom.
     
    “I’m still up in the stands screaming my head off,” she said. “But when I’m shouting, at least I know which moves to shout. The other moms look at me and ask what they should be yelling.”
  4. Like
    gsmith58 reacted to Y2CJ41 for a article, #WrestlingWednesday: The Floyds Knobs three amigos   
    By JEREMY HINES
    Thehines7@gmail.com
     
    In a town that literally gets its name for being tough and rugged, the Three Amigos personify what Floyds Knobs is all about.
     
    Floyd Central High School, located in Floyds Knobs, is the home of wrestlers Gavinn Alstott, J. Conway and Jonathan Kervin. The trio is known around town as the Three Amigos, primarily for their success on the wrestling mat. They are tough wrestlers that like to grind out wins and be physical. One wouldn’t expect anything less from a Floyds Knobs resident.
     
    Floyds Knobs is named after the Knobstone Escarpment located there (and Colonel Davis Floyd). The Knobstone is the most rugged terrain in Indiana. It has steep hills which are commonly referred to as knobs.
     
    As for the Three Amigos – all three qualified for state last season. Alstott finished fourth and Kervin sixth. This year, all three are ranked in the top 10 in their weight classes.
     
    “The Three Amigos is a term we coined last year and started calling them that,” Floyd Central coach Brandon Sisson said. “I don’t think they mind it. They all three work together and have pushed each other to get better.”
     
    Kervin is the only senior in the trio. He is currently ranked No. 2 at 152 pounds. Last season Kervin finished with a 39-4 record. He won sectional and regional and eventually finished sixth at state in the 145-pound class.
     
    “Jonathan is a really tough wrestler,” Sisson said. “He wrestles hard for all six minutes. He works really closely with is uncle, former two-time state champion Cooper Samuels. Those two have worked together for the past five years and it has really benefited Jonathan.”
     
    Kervin’s goal this season is to win a state title.
     
    “My style is sort of dynamic,” Kervin said. “I like to be a little deranged. I use my length. Last year I felt like I wrestled poorly at state. I didn’t do my normal workout to get ready. I want to get back and show what I can really do.”
     
    Alstott, a junior, finished 42-4 last season. He was a sectional and regional champ and ended up third in the Evansville semistate and would later place fourth at state.
     
    “Gavinn is a grinder,” Sisson said. “He gets out there, gets in your face and pushes the pace non-stop. He’s very business-like on the mat and in the practice room. I’m not ever going to have to see if he’s just messing around. When it’s time to work, it’s time to work. No matter what he does, he puts his head down and goes to work.”
     
    Alstott’s uncle, Craig Alstott, was Floyd Central’s first ever four-time state qualifier. Craig never placed at the state meet, however.
     
    “I think Gavinn got the monkey off his back a little by placing last year,” Sisson said. “But he has his sights set significantly higher this year.”
    Off the mat, Gavinn is an excellent student and has been a team leader since his freshman season.
     
    “He’s a really good kid,” Sisson said. “He gets good grades and is good to the other kids. Even as a freshman I thought of him as a team leader. He’s just a phenomenal kid.”
     
    Conway is the quietest in the group. He had a not-so-quiet season last year, however. Conway went 23-4 on the year and claimed a sectional and a regional title. He finished runner-up in semistate but lost on Friday night at the state tournament.
     
    “He’s a really, really quiet kid,” Sisson said. “I don’t think I heard him say anything at all his freshman year. Now as a sophomore he’s coming out of his shell a little bit. On the mat he’s more open. He is already at 130 takedowns in just 18 matches this season. He’s full throttle. You let him go, and he goes.”
     
    Sisson is pleased with his team this season and hopes the Three Amigos will help lead them to great things.
     
    “There are years where you have a lot of talent, but also a lot of drama,” Sisson said. “Then there are years where you don’t have any drama, but you don’t really have any talent either. This year, I really feel like we have a lot of talent and no drama. I’m lucky this year.”
  5. Like
    gsmith58 reacted to Y2CJ41 for a article, This week in wrestling November 17th-23rd   
    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
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