By RICHIE HALL
INDIANAPOLIS – Carmel’s Daniela Ramirez-Zarate finished her high school career with a state medal.
The Greyhounds senior placed seventh at 145 pounds at the IHSAA state finals, which took place Friday, Jan. 16 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds’ Corteva Coliseum. Ramirez-Zarate improved her standing from last year’s inaugural IHSAA state tournament, where she lost in the first round.
This year, No. 9-ranked Ramirez-Zarate won her first-round match, beating Highland sophomore No. 8 Melody Vazquez with a first-period pin. That guaranteed Ramirez-Zarate a top-eight finish at state.
Ramirez-Zarate took on Silver Creek senior Ava Allen in the quarterfinals, the top-ranked wrestler at 145. Allen won by fall in the third period, but Ramirez-Zarate pointed out that she was the “first person to make her wrestle a third period.”
Allen beat Huntington North junior, No. 5 Aubrey Troutner in the semifinals by an 8-0 major decision, then was upset by Merrillville’s No. 2 Charisma Lawrence in a 3-2 decision in the state championship match.
“That made me feel very proud because even though I wasn’t able to get a single shot on her, I was able to be very defensive,” said Ramirez-Zarate. “Even though she pinned me, it was third period. And I didn’t give up any points [in the] second period, so that made me very happy to know that I was able to last till the third period.”
Ramirez-Zarate lost a consolation match to La Porte senior No. 12 Aubrey Klettke by a 10-5 decision, which sent her to the seventh-place match. In that bout, Ramirez-Zarate beat New Haven’s No. 6 Lanessa Ocampo by a 6-4 decision, jumping out to a 6-0 lead and holding off Ocampo’s last-second surge.
Ramirez-Zarate finished her season 23-4. She dealt with injuries throughout her career, including not being able to finish her first two seasons, but said that the last two years made up for not being able to wrestle the first two.
“It was great,” said Ramirez-Zarate. “I loved it. And this was definitely the best one and the most enjoyable and stressful.”
Two other wrestlers from Hamilton County schools competed at state. Hamilton Southeastern senior No. 16 Lindsey Lannen took on Benton Central senior No. 10 Sienna Holscher in the first round at 120 pounds, with Holscher winning after a second-period fall. Lannen finished her season 30-9.
Sheridan senior Devyn Pewarski wrestled at 135 pounds, going up against New Palestine junior No. 5 June Wagner-Gilbert in the first round. Wagner-Gilbert won by a 9-0 major decision. Pewarski completed her season 26-10.