The IHSAA state wrestling finals begin Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and Hamilton County will once again be well-represented.
Fourteen different local wrestlers have qualified for the tournament this year. Carmel has the most wrestlers at state with five, followed by Westfield with three. Hamilton Southeastern has two qualifiers, while Fishers, Guerin Catholic, Hamilton Heights and Noblesville have one each.
There are 16 wrestlers in each of the 14 weight classes. County wrestlers are competing in 12 of the weight divisions, there are two local qualifiers at 113 pounds (Guerin Catholic’s Peter Nguyen and Carmel’s Gavin Thompson) and two at 126 pounds (Fishers’ Griffin Ingalls and Carmel’s Isaac Ward).
In Friday’s first round, wrestlers from weight classes 152 to 285 pounds will compete in Session 1, which begins at 11 a.m. The second session starts at 7 p.m., featuring wrestlers from classes 106 to 145 pounds. Each wrestler competes in one match, with the winners advancing to Saturday action.
The quarter-finals begin in all weight classes at 9 a.m., with semi-finals immediately following. Consolation matches start at 4:30 p.m., with the championship matches beginning under the lights at 7:30 p.m.
Here is a list of all the weight classes involving county wrestlers.
106 pounds
Jake Hockaday, Brownsburg (freshman, 39-2) vs. Tamir Halevi, Carmel (sophomore, 19-6)
Jeffrey Bailey, River Forest (senior, 34-1) vs. Ayden Bollinger, Delta (freshman, 34-4)
Nathan Smith, Southport (senior, 47-0) vs. Donald Feeler, Crawford County (senior, 22-2)
Levi Johns, Bluffton (freshman, 39-1) vs. E’Shawn Tolbert, Portage (sophomore, 24-5)
Gavin Jendrens, Crown Point (freshman, 32-4) vs. Julianna Ocampo, New Haven (freshman, 34-4)
Isaiah Schaefer, Evansville Mater Dei (freshman, 34-3) vs. Oliver Wilson, North Central (junior, 31-5)
Jalen May, Peru (sophomore, 35-3) vs. Seth Aubin, Hobart (freshman, 34-11)
Heather Crull, Northwestern (freshman, 45-3) vs. Luke Rioux, Avon (sophomore, 34-4)
113 pounds
Ashton Jackson, La Porte (junior, 46-0) vs. Peter Nguyen, Guerin Catholic (sophomore, 24-7)
Easton Doster, New Haven (freshman, 40-2) vs. Evan Seng, Evansville Mater Dei (sophomore, 33-4)
Evan Dickey, Cathedral (senior, 37-1) vs. Dylan Bennett, Penn (sophomore, 26-9)
Jackson Heaston, Indian Creek (junior, 40-2) vs. Wyatt Davis, Rochester (freshman, 27-4)
Tanner Tishner, Western (sophomore, 37-0) vs. Eddie Goss, Center Grove (freshman, 31-12)
Johnny Cortez, Lake Central (senior, 34-9) vs. Gavin Thompson, Carmel (junior, 20-4)
Preston Haines, Brownsburg (sophomore, 35-2) vs. Bowen Keith, Cowan (sophomore, 24-8)
Braden Getz, Roncalli (sophomore, 19-1) vs. Trevor Schammert, Hobart (senior, 40-4)
120 pounds
Hayden DeMarco, Chesterton (sophomore, 42-1) vs. Aden Reyes, Cathedral (junior, 31-9)
Hayden Brady, Garrett (junior, 29-4) vs. Jared Dunn, Princeton (senior, 35-5)
Toby Billerman, Perry Meridian (junior, 32-4) vs. Guillermo Rivera, Lake Central (sophomore, 28-10)
Noah Lykins, Columbus East (senior, 36-5) vs. Neil Mosier, Delta (sophomore, 36-3)
Lane Gilbert, Sullivan (junior, 28-1) vs. Elliott Cornewell, Bishop Dwenger (senior, 38-5)
Jayden Lewis, New Prairie (freshman, 36-10) vs. Kyrel Leavell, Warren Central (sophomore, 31-1)
Isaac Ruble, Bellmont (senior, 43-1) vs. Dominic McFeeley, Cascade (junior, 39-8)
Braxton Vest, Westfield (senior, 38-6) vs. Christopher Bohn, Munster (sophomore, 42-1)
126 pounds
Aidan Sprague, East Noble (senior, 39-0) vs. Michael Tharpe, Center Grove (senior, 29-12)
Griffin Ingalls, Fishers (junior, 34-7) vs. Matteo Vargo, Penn (senior, 27-2)
Joey Buttler, Whiteland (junior, 36-1) vs. Gavin Cook, Adams Central (junior, 30-7)
David Maldonado, Merrillville (junior, 33-7) vs. Isaac Ward, Carmel (junior, 25-3)
Blake Wolf, East Central (junior, 46-0) vs. Beau Brabender, Mishawaka (junior, 31-8)
Ka’Mari’Yon Nelson, Castle (senior, 40-1) vs. Tony Wood, Jay County (sophomore, 37-3)
Logan Frazier, Crown Point (junior, 30-1) vs. Keaton Morton, Perry Meridian (junior, 31-7)
Keegan Schlabach, Lakeland (junior, 39-9) vs. Braden Haines, Brownsburg (senior, 35-7)
132 pounds
Cheaney Schoeff, Avon (junior, 30-2) vs. Michael Major, Carmel (freshman, 23-8)
Bryce Denton, Penn (sophomore, 22-6) vs. Logan Uhlman, Adams Central (junor, 18-6)
Zeke Seltzer, Cathedral (senior, 39-1) vs. Elijah Brooks, Whiteland (junior, 9-6)
Landon Bertch, Bluffton (senior, 33-2) vs. Eleazar Walker, Mishawaka (sophomore, 38-4)
Anthony Bahl, Crown Point (junior, 33-4) vs. Jasper Graber, Northridge (senior, 23-6)
Wyatt Krejsa, Center Grove (sophomore, 36-5) vs. Brevan Thine, New Castle (junior, 33-3)
Dylan Stroud, Manchester (senior, 36-0) vs. Mason Stanley, Rensselaer Central (junior, 42-7)
Elijah Anthony, Frankfort (senior, 36-1) vs. Brady Ison, Brownsburg (sophomore, 38-2)
138 pounds
Jessie Mendez, Crown Point (senior, 37-0) vs. Evan Roudebush, Bloomington South (freshman, 26-10)
Julius Gerencser, Daleville (senior, 26-3) vs. Ike O’Neill, Westfield (junior, 30-10)
Gavin Garcia, Brownsburg (senior, 40-2) vs. Wesley Harper, Penn (sophomore, 27-6)
Luke Gonzalez, Cathedral (senior, 32-7) vs. Dillon Tuttle, Delta (senior, 33-6)
Bryce Lowery, Roncalli (junior, 37-0) vs. Allan Maggard, Columbia City (senior, 27-14)
Cash Turner, Edgewood (junior, 32-1) vs. Cole Solomey, Kankakee Valley (junior, 40-3)
Cameron Clark, Jay County (sophomore, 22-3) vs. Carson Johnson, Mount Vernon (senior, 34-4)
Lucas Clement, Merrillville (junior, 21-7) vs. Ashton Hayhurst, Castle (senior, 14-1)
145 pounds
Matthew Koontz, Perry Meridian (senior, 39-0) vs. Nate Lommock, Terre Haute South (senior, 31-6)
Gunnar Krause, Knox (senior, 25-7) vs. Benjamin Miller, Lakeland (senior, 45-4)
Hayden Watson, Center Grove (senior, 39-1) vs. Nayl Sbay, Carmel (junior, 21-13)
Brody Arthur, Oak Hill (senior, 42-1) vs. Nick Tattini, Crown Point (senior, 31-6)
Toby Abbott, Cowan (senior, 33-0) vs. Denny Wendling, Frontier (senior, 35-5)
Anfernee Oliver, Ben Davis (senior, 31-8) vs. Rider Searcy, East Central (junior, 44-2)
Aidan Torres, Chesterton (junior, 40-1) vs. Brayden Baker, Garrett (senior, 32-11)
Brac Hooper, Zionsville (senior, 36-3) vs. Blaze Garcia, Brownsburg (senior, 34-6)
170 pounds
Connor Svantner, Valparaiso (senior, 31-1) vs. Braxton Russell, Delta (sophomore, 21-5)
Clifton Johnson, North Central (senior, 37-6) vs. Aiden Farmer, Evansville Memorial (senior, 36-6)
Brodie Porter, Eastern (senior, 41-1) vs. Ethan Popp, Harrison (sophomore, 36-8)
Codei Khawaja, Floyd Central (senior, 36-2) vs. JJ Braun, Cathedral (senior, 35-7)
Brody Baumann, Evansville Mater Dei (senior, 31-0) vs. Anthony Cashman, Warren Central (sophomore, 38-6)
Eli Johnson, Norwell (senior, 38-1) vs. Isaac Valdez, Mishawaka (junior, 37-6)
Ryan Cast, Hamilton Southeastern (senior, 32-1) vs. Ben Phillips, Charlestown (senior, 40-2)
Jesse Herrera, Highland (senior, 36-4) vs. Landon Buchanan, Jimtown (senior, 39-3)
182 pounds
Luke Hansen, Roncalli (junior, 35-2) vs. Jake Sues, Lake Central (senior, 33-10)
Hunter Page, Monroe Central (junior, 42-2) vs. Gunner Henry, Brownsburg (freshman, 32-2)
Orlando Cruz, Crown Point (junior, 36-1) vs. Tommy Hannon, Bishop Chatard (senior, 21-5)
Reid Schroeder, Southridge (junior, 41-3) vs. Jaquan East, Kokomo (junior, 43-5)
De’Alcapon Veazy, Fort Wayne Snider (freshman, 33-4) vs. Alex Rose, Terre Haute South (junior, 25-7)
Kooper Kinsler, Delphi (senior, 37-5) vs. Evan Tilton, Hamilton Heights (junior, 45-1)
Drake Buchanan, Center Grove (senior, 39-1) vs. Trey Tobias, NorthWood (senior, 29-9)
David Nash, East Central (senior, 42-4) vs. Jacob Simpson, Hobart (senior, 39-4)
195 pounds
Gabe Sollard, Evansville Mater Dei (senior, 34-2) vs. Jackson Ingenito, Daleville (senior, 28-6)
Ronin Hammond, Perry Meridian (junior, 24-11) vs. William Clark, Crown Point (sophomore, 33-4)
Armen Koltookian, Concord (junior, 41-6) vs. Samuel Sanders, Terre Haute North (senior, 36-5)
Gage DeMarco, Chesterton (senior, 42-6) vs. Max Broom, Hamilton Southeastern (senior, 31-6)
Connor Barket, West Lafayette (senior, 51-0) vs. Ryan Bovard, East Central (senior, 38-9)
Wyatt Willman, North Posey (senior, 34-6) vs. Alex Deming, Rochester (sophomore, 41-2)
Aataevon Jordan, Franklin Central (senior, 30-1) vs. Christian Chavez, Mishawaka (junior, 33-5)
Jacob Behm, Fremont (senior, 42-3) vs. John Purdy, Castle (junior, 38-3)
220 pounds
Blake Heyerly, Adams Central (senior, 42-1) vs. Jacob Long, Noblesville (senior, 25-8)
Kelton Farmer, Evansville Memorial (junior, 37-5) vs. Juan Grange, Penn (senior, 26-2)
Jackson Weingart, Cathedral (sophomore, 28-11) vs. Julante Hinton, Fort Wayne Northrop (sophomore, 36-6)
Paul Clark, Crown Point (sophomore, 29-8) vs. Tommy Morrill, Columbus East (junior, 37-2)
Nate Critchfield, Evansville Mater Dei (senior, 33-0) vs. Jordan Cree, Rensselaer Central (junior, 43-7)
Chance Harris, Concordia Lutheran (junior, 33-6) vs. Devin Kendrex, Mount Vernon (freshman, 31-6)
Christian Carroll, New Prairie (junior, 18-0) vs. Royce Deckard III, Center Grove (junior, 34-7)
Justin Lewis, Roncalli (senior, 31-9) vs. Brady Beck, Rochester (sophomore, 40-2)
285 pounds
Leighton Jones, Brownsburg (junior, 41-2) vs. Liam Begley, Crown Point (senior, 21-14)
Josh Clark, New Haven (junior, 24-10) vs. Hosia Smith, Cathedral (sophomore, 29-7)
Hunter Whitenack, New Prairie (senior, 27-0) vs. Nate Johnson, Center Grove (sophomore, 29-6)
Mihail Platonov, Westfield (senior, 36-7) vs. Ian Clifford, Columbia City (senior, 25-2)
Marshall Fishback, Rochester (senior, 41-1) vs. Hunter Branham, Frankton (junior, 28-7)
Ashton Hartwell, Columbus East (senior, 34-3) vs. Trey White, Portage (senior, 31-7)
Makhi Watts, North Central (senior, 35-5) vs. Brayden Jellison, Elkhart (junior, 33-8)
Theodore Sparks, Merrillville (senior, 33-5) vs. Jacob Johnson, Franklin Community (senior, 38-3)