The REPORTER
Seven Hamilton County wrestlers are competing this week at the U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals in Fargo, N.D.
The list includes five boys wrestlers, starting with two state qualifiers: Westfield’s Connor Maddox and Hamilton Heights’ Michael Cain.
Maddox, wrestling at 106 pounds, began the tournament with a first-round bye, then won two matches to reach the Round of 16 (fourth round). The incoming Shamrocks sophomore got both victories by technical fall, beating Wisconsin’s Max Schroeder 12-0 and Virginia’s Vince von Bernewitz 10-0.
In the fourth round, Maddox fell to fellow Indiana wrestler Traevon Ducking by a 7-4 decision. Maddox rebounded with a consolation win, a 14-6 decision against Pennsylvania’s Lucas Forman. He will wrestle Arizona’s Kash Larkin today in another consolation match.
Cain, competing at 175 pounds, got a first-round win over Minnesota’s Joseph Heim, by an 11-7 decision. Cain dropped his second-round bout to Missouri’s Peyton Westpfahl by a 10-0 technical fall, then lost a 17-8 decision in the consols to North Carolina’s Dominic Blue.
Westfield’s Brayden Head, at 113 pounds, dropped his first match to Illinois’ Nikolas Duarte by an 11-2 decision. He got a first-round bye in the consols, then won his next two matches, beating Rhode Island’s Logan Barry by a tiebreak, and fellow Hoosier Alden Walker 11-6. In the consols sub-round of 32, Arkansas’ Lewis Davis beat Head by a 10-0 technical fall.
Noblesville’s Cale Metzler, at 215 pounds, won a first-round match by fall over Texas’ Kesaun White in the first period. Metzler lost in the second round by a 10-0 tech fall to Montana’s Bruno Pallone. In the consols, Metzler beat Arizona’s Ryan Maher by a forfeit, then fell to Idaho’s Emmit Rivadeneira by a second-period pin.
Another Noblesville wrestler, Brody Weimer, competed at 126 pounds. Weimer beat Colorado’s Colby Payne by a 4-2 decision in the first round before dropping a second-round match to Arizona’s Breidyn Ralls by a 10-0 tech fall.
Weimer won two consolation matches, starting with an 11-0 tech fall over Nebraska’s Cameron Sipp, then edging out Alaska’s Kaden Costigan in a 10-8 decision. Weimer lost to Texas’ Braiden Bartlett by a 10-5 decision in the round of 32.
Girls results
Two local girls wrestlers also competed at Fargo. Hamilton Heights’ Kendall Moe, one of the first IHSAA girls state champions, had an excellent week, placing fourth in the Junior Girls freestyle 110-pound bracket.
Moe cruised to the semifinals with five consecutive wins. That included first-round pins over Pennsylvania’s Anaelis Morales in the second round and Nebraska’s Madelynn Bohnet in the fourth round. Moe also got technical falls over Colorado’s Isabella Smouse in the first round, 14-3, and Illinois’ Ashley Basmajian in the third round, 10-0.
In the quarterfinals, Moe toughed out a 4-2 decision victory against Michigan’s Nakayla Dawson. Connecticut’s Kayla Batres beat Moe by a 10-0 technical fall in the semifinals, but Moe reached the third-place match with a decision win against Missouri’s Jayden Keller in the consolation semis.
Moe faced Dawson in the third-place match, with Dawson winning by an 8-1 decision. Moe finished the tournament with a 6-2 record.
Hamilton Southeastern’s Fanta Sall wrestled in the 235-pound bracket of the Junior Girls freestyle division. After receiving a first-round bye, Sall lost to Pennsylvania’s Brenda Banks by pin. In the consolation round, Sall fell to Iowa’s Haley Armstrong by pin.