Four individual state champions at two separate events
The IHSAA wrestling season finished three weeks ago, but the competition isn’t stopping.
Local wrestlers competed in two big tournaments over the past couple weeks, with Hamilton Heights making a major impact in both of those events. The Huskies picked up two individual championships in both the Indiana Frosh-Soph State Championships, which took place Feb. 25 and 26 at Southport, then at the Indiana 1A/2A Individual State Championships, which were hosted by Southmont March 4 and 5.
Three falls
Kendall Moe got the first win for Heights, thoroughly dominating the Girls 101-pound division. Moe won her first three matches by falls, all in the first period. Moe then took on Portage’s Madisyn Mikels in the championship, where she breezed to a 9-0 major decision victory.
Michael Cain got the Huskies’ other win, in the Boys 160-pound class. Cain had to win five matches for the championship. He toughed out two decisions in the last two round, beating Bishop Chatard’s Charlie Rushenberg 5-2 in the semi-finals and Fishers’ Xavier Smith 6-3 in the championship.
Another Heights wrestler finished as runner-up. Zoe Pugh, competing in the Girls 123-pound class, won two matches by pin to reach the semi-finals, where she beat Mishawaka’s Kaylee Smith in a 3-1 decision. Angola’s Nevaeh Wilson stopped Pugh’s run with a 2-0 decision in the championship, but Pugh would bounce back next week.
Top 20 teams
Three Hamilton County teams finished in the top 20 at the meet. Fishers placed ninth with 91.5 points, while the Huskies scored 82 points to tie for 13th. Hamilton Southeastern took 16th with 76 points. A total of 209 schools and clubs were represented at the meet.
Smith led the Tigers at 160 pounds, winning four matches to get to the final. He won two of those bouts by fall after opening with a technical fall. Smith reached the semis with a 10-8 decision win over Bellmont’s Xavior Palacios.
Christopher Quarles took second at 182 pounds. He easily pinned his first two opponents, in 37 and 34 seconds respectively, then picked up two decision wins to get to the final, where he fell to Heritage Hills’ Jett Goldsberry in a second-period fall.
Chayce Yant finished seventh, clinching that place with a 12-3 major-decision win over Tate Barlow of Spartans Wrestling Club.
The Royals also had three place winners. Nick Anderson took fourth at 120 pounds, reaching the semi-finals with a 15-4 major decision win against Hobart’s Daniel Mata in the quarterfinals.
Fanta Sall placed fifth in the Girls 195-pound class. Sall won the fifth-place match by beating Terre Haute North’s Shelbie Hancock with a second-period pin.
Evan Lawhead was sixth in the Boys 182-pound division. Lawhead won four matches in his class, including two decision victories in the consolation round to clinch a spot in the top six.
Noblesville’s Aden Widget finished eighth in the Boys 170-pound class. Widget got three decision wins in the consolation round to earn a place in the top eight.
Rebound victory
When wrestling reconvened at Southmont, Pugh rebounded from her runner-up finish to claim the Girls 120/126 championship at the 1A/2A State meet. Pugh finished the day with an 8-4 decision win over Cowan’s Emma Jones.
The Huskies’ boys were well-represented, too. Carson Fettig was the winner in the Boys 152-pound division, claiming the title with a 5-3 decision against Beech Grove’s Alex Hernandez. Cain was the 160-pound runner-up, edged out by Cowan’s Levi Abbott 5-4 in the final.
In total, Heights had six boys place in the top eight. Jaylyn Pugh was fourth at 132 pounds, getting a fall over Oak Hill’s Devon Adkins to clinch a top-four place. Jimmy Lacey took fifth at 170 pounds, winning the fifth-place bout with a 14-second pin. Alex Furst clinched seventh-place at 145 pounds with a 4-3 decision, and Logan Hickman was eighth at 152 pounds.
As a team, the Huskies scored 111.5 points to finish as runners-up. Bishop Chatard won the meet by scoring 128 points.
“We’ve been at it,” said Heights coach Gary Myers. “We haven’t stopped.”
The Huskies had a fine IHSAA season, but are already looking ahead to next year. Myers said Heights changed around its schedule for next year. That includes a dual meet with Center Grove and a Super 8 that features teams such as Westfield and Carmel.
“We’ve made it really tough on the kids next year just to get them used to these guys at semi-state,” said Myers.
Sheridan results
Sheridan also competed at the 1A/2A tournament and finished with four place-winners, two boys and two girls. The Blackhawks scored 49 points to take 27th; a total of 79 teams competed at the meet.
Jacob Jones took fourth in the Boys 182-pound division, winning a 9-2 decision over Calumet’s Reichen Reeder to earn a place in the top four. Avery Hayden was fourth in the Girls 145/152 class.
Jace Warren finished sixth in the Boys 195 class; he made three pins in the consolation round to make his way to the top six. Adrianna Hamersley placed eighth in the Girls 120/126 division.