2023 Top Four Teams
1 Harrison (West Lafayette) 248.0
2 McCutcheon 203.5
3 Lafayette Jefferson 172.5
4 Seeger 133.0
The Lafayette Sectional is shaping up to be a 2 horse race this year with McCutcheon returning 12 wrestlers and sectional highs in champions (5), regional qualifiers (8), and sectional place winners (10). Harrison returns 5 regional qualifiers and one champion but has a knack for reloading in this sectional, they will also get some help via the move in portal. Can the Raiders make it 13 in a row or is it a changing of the guard in Lafayette? The new weight classes will make things more interesting with this sectional returning an overwhelming majority of the place winners up through 160 but less than half of the place winners from 170 through heavyweight.
Top Teams
Harrison won their 12th straight sectional championship last year. Led by state qualifiers Carlos Perez-Xochipa and Ethan Popp the Raiders qualified 10 for regionals with 4 champions and 8 finalists. The Raiders return 9 wrestlers from their sectional roster last year including 2x state qualifier Ethan Popp. Harrison will receive a boost from 2x Kansas State Qualifier Isaac Sinks who moved in this year.
McCutcheon finished in 2nd place for the 2nd straight year, the Mavericks return a sectional high 12 wrestlers including 5 champions, Wyatt Stickler 106, Aiden Dallinger 113, Drew Stall 126, Brock Finney 195, and Cole Chicoine 220. McCutcheon also returns 5 wrestlers who made it to the ticket round at East Chicago including State Place winners Aiden Dallinger 6th at 113 and Cole Chicoine 2nd at 220. The Mavericks haven’t won a sectional championship since 2006, will this finally be their year?
Lafayette Jeff surprised everyone at sectionals and sent 10 wrestlers to regionals. The Broncho’s got hot at a great time and made the most of their post season. The Bronchos graduated talent in regional champion Durya Minor and 2x ticket rounder Daeveon Cheeks. How will the Bronchos rebuild this season and impact the tournament, time will tell what coach Miller can put on the mat.
Faith Christian crowned their first two sectional champions in school history Ethan Seubring (132) and Eli Blossom (145) as well as their first ever regional champion with Blossom bringing home a title at Logansport. The Eagles return 3 semi state qualifiers this season and will look for more titles as both champs and runner up Zach White Jr. (160) all return.
Top Individual Wrestlers:
Last year Cole Chicoine made it 4 years in a row where the Lafayette sectional put a wrestler into a state championship match with West Lafayette having one each of the previous two seasons and Harrison having one in 2020. Chicoine was the 2nd McCutcheon Wrestler to make the finals in school history and will look to be the school’s first ever state champion this year. The Lafayette Sectional hasn’t won an individual state championship since Kevin Wingardner did for Lafayette Jeff in 1994
Aiden Dallinger became the first Maverick to medal at the state tournament since Seth Carithers also placed 6th back in 2014. Dallinger will join fellow Maverick Chicoine in trying to become the first ever 2x state medalists in school history
Ethan Popp is a 2x qualifier who is looking to take the next step onto the podium this year. In his two trips to the state tournament Ethan has run into the eventual runner up and 3rd place finishers.
Isaac Sinks is a 2x Kansas state qualifier and placed 5th last year in the 5A/6A tournament. Will that translate to success in single class Indiana?
Wyatt Strickler won a regional title for the Mavericks last year before falling to eventual state placer Logan Haney in the ticket round. Strickler also took 4th at ISWA JR folkstyle state tournament this offseason.
Returning sectional place winners:
106 Champion Wyatt Strickler – McCutcheon advanced to ticket round at SS
· 3rd Kayden Stonebreaker - Seeger
· 4th Tats Greiner – West Lafayette
· 5th Brice Emery - Harrison
· 6th William Church – Faith
Kayden Stonebreaker was a semi state qualifier for the Patriots taking 3rd at regionals
113 Champion Aiden Dallinger – McCutcheon 6th @ State
2nd Place - DeMarion Chioke of Lafayette Jefferson
3rd Place - Tavien Smith of Faith Christian
4th Place - Isabel Kaplan of West Lafayette
5th Place - Peyton Thayer of Harrison (West Lafayette)
6th Place - Steven Arizmendi of Attica
Demarion Chioke was a semi state qualifier for the Bronchos taking 4th at regionals
120 Champion Alex Thomas – Graduated
· 2nd Rose Kaplan
· 5th Place - Carter Heriges of Harrison (West Lafayette)
· 6th Place - Brandon Terrell of Delphi
Rose Kaplan took 4th at regionals to qualify for semi state and earned All-American honors at Girls Jr. Nationals in Fargo this year.
126 Champion Drew Stall – McCutcheon
2nd Place - Logan McClimans of Attica
3rd Place - Dylan Fernandez of Harrison (West Lafayette)
5th Place - Derrick Preston of Lafayette Jefferson
6th Place - Luke Fordyce of West Lafayette
Logan McClimans qualified for semi state for Attica
132 Champion Ethan Seubring – Faith Christian – advanced to semi state
2nd Place - John Paul Platt of Harrison (West Lafayette)
3rd Place - Grant Watkins of Seeger
4th Place - Mason Sturgeon of Lafayette Jefferson
5th Place - Hayden Foley of McCutcheon
6th Place - Micah Stenberg of West Lafayette
138 Champion Jordan Lear – Graduated
2nd Place - Tyquan Overall of Harrison (West Lafayette)
3rd Place - Jayden Scowden of Lafayette Jefferson
4th Place - Grant Hadley of Faith Christian
5th Place - Isaiah Max of Seeger
6th Place - Rylan Meador of Carroll (Flora)
Tyquan Overall advanced to semi state for the Raiders
145 Champion Eli Blossom – Faith Christian – Regional champion
2nd Place - Nolan Richards of Harrison (West Lafayette)
3rd Place - Waylyn Judy of Carroll (Flora)
5th Place - Logan McTague of West Lafayette
6th Place - Austin Thomas of Seeger
Nolan Richards advanced to semi state
152 Champion Robert Florian – Graduated
2nd Place - Boden Rice of Attica
3rd Place - Matthew Hughes of McCutcheon
4th Place - Brody Ashby of Seeger
6th Place - Aarion Walton of Delphi
Boden Rice is a 2x semi state qualifier for Attica
160 Champion Durya Minor – Graduated
2nd Place - Zachary White Jr of Faith Christian
3rd Place - Porter Mitrione of West Lafayette
4th Place - Hayden Beres of Harrison (West Lafayette)
5th Place - Javon Frost of Delphi
6th Place - Qwentin Cinowski of McCutcheon
Both Zach White and Porter Mitrione qualified for semi state
170 Champion Carlos Perez-Xochipa – Graduated
· 4th Dawson Lee – McCutcheon
182 champion Ethan Popp – Harrison
4th Place - Orlando Castenada of McCutcheon
5th Place - Samual Clem of Seeger
6th Place - Niko Karlaftis of West Lafayette
Orlando Castenada advanced to the ticket round at Semi State
195 Champion Brock Finney – McCutcheon – advanced to the ticket round at semi state
4th Place - Owen Pearson of Lafayette Jefferson
5th Place - Noah Hill of Faith Christian
6th Place - Rothwel Underwood of Carroll (Flora)
While Owen Pearson returns this school year he will be wrestling as a Bison at Benton Central
220 Champion Cole Chicoine – McCutcheon – State Runner UP
5th Place - Lannon Pickering of Delphi
6th Place - William Hupp of Faith Christian
285 Champion Bricker Crum – Graduated
5th Place - Jayden Davis of McCutcheon
6th Place - Ryley Nern of Seeger