Four more wrestlers finish top eight at state

The REPORTER

In addition to Carmel senior Michael Major’s runner-up finish at 165 pounds, four more Hamilton County wrestlers placed at the IHSAA state meet last Saturday.

Westfield freshman Connor Maddox finished fourth at 106 pounds. He beat Fort Wayne Carroll freshman Joey Warner by a 16-1 technical fall in the quarterfinals to earn his 40^th match win of the season.

Maddox lost to the eventual state champion, Brownsburg freshman Traevon Ducking in the semifinals by an 11-4 decision. Maddox dropped the third-place match to Crown Point junior Sam Westfall with a 15-3 major decision. Maddox completed his season with a 40-3 record.

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Hamilton Heights senior Michael Cain placed fifth at 165 pounds. In the quarterfinals, Cain dropped a close match to Bellmont senior Gavin Davis, who edged him out with a 7-5 decision.

Cain came back in the wrestleback round, beating Terre Haute South junior Jesus Lopez with a 7-2 decision. That sent Cain to the fifth-place match, where he defeated Elkhart senior Chance McCollough in a 13-8 decision. Cain finished his season 48-3.

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Fishers junior Xavier Smith also placed fifth, at 175 pounds. Smith dropped his quarterfinal match to Penn junior Vincent Freeman by a 12-9 decision.

Smith rolled through his next two matches, first beating Roncalli’s Michael Morton in the wrestleback round with a 21-6 technical fall. In the fifth-place match, Smith again won by technical fall, beating Tri-Central senior Landon Terry 15-0. Smith completed his season with a 42-5 record.

Fishers senior Chayce Yant placed seventh at 126 pounds. Yant lost in the quarterfinals to Avon junior Nathan Rioux by fall in the first period; Rioux went on to win the state title.

That sent Yant to the wrestleback round, where he dropped an 8-5 decision to Monrovia senior Isaac Ash. Yant came back to win the seventh-place match, beating Eastern Hancock sophomore Bradyn Volz with a 16-0 technical fall.