The REPORTER
Two Hamilton County wrestlers advanced to the placement round after winning first-round matches at the IHSAA state finals Friday at the Ford Center in Evansville.
The middle to heavyweights wrestled in the afternoon session, including Noblesville 157-pounder Aidan Kincaide. The freshman won a tough match over Bellmont junior Gavin Davis by a 6-3 decision. Kincaide is 36-5 for the season and takes on Columbus North sophomore Asher Ratliff in today’s quarterfinals.
In the evening session, Fishers junior 120-pounder Chayce Yant collected his 40th match win of the season by beating Northwestern sophomore Hunter Douglas by technical fall, 18-3. Yant reached the 15-point tech-fall margin with 14 seconds left to go in the third period. Yant will wrestle Monrovia junior Isaac Ash in the quarterfinals.
Six other county wrestlers lost their opening-round matches on Friday.
In the afternoon session, Hamilton Heights senior Carson Fettig fell to Evansville Mater Dei senior Tyler Vanover by a 2-0 decision. Another Heights wrestler, junior Michael Cain dropped a 7-2 decision to Western senior Mitchell Betz. Fishers sophomore Xavier Smith fell to Brownsburg senior Jesse Derringer by a 14-5 major decision and Noblesville senior Austin Hastings lost by pin to Heritage Hills sophomore Hayden Smith.
In the evening session, Guerin Catholic senior Peter Nguyen fell to Mater Dei junior Isaiah Schaefer in a 16-4 major decision. Hamilton Heights senior Isaac Kuhn lost to Brownsburg junior Jake Hockaday by pin.
Quarterfinal action begins at 10 a.m. Eastern Time (9 a.m. Central Time), with the semifinals and wrestlebacks to follow. Placement matches to determine third through eighth place in each class starts at 5:30 p.m. ET, with the championship matches at 8:30 p.m. ET.