Hamilton County wrestlers put together a strong performance Saturday at the Frankfort regional, with 39 wrestlers qualifying for the semi-state.
Carmel led the way, comfortably winning the team championship with a score of 198.5 points. The Greyhounds triumphed for the third consecutive year and 18th time overall, and had 11 wrestlers advance to next Saturday’s New Castle semi-state.
Five Carmel wrestlers won individual championships. Gavin Thompson went first, taking the 106-pound title with a 14-11 decision over Hamilton Southeastern’s Mat Benson. Isaac Ward was next, and he won at 113 in an ultimate tiebreak, edging out Westfield’s Dylan Driver 2-1.
Brac Hooper took the 132-pound blue ribbon with a second-period pin over the Shamrocks’ Ike O’Neill. Nathan Powell was the 152-pound winner with an 8-5 decision over Zionsville’s Chase Wagner, and Robert Major continued his unbeaten season by pinning the Eagles’ Luke Penola in the second period of the 160-pound championship.
Four more Greyhounds were runners-up: Eitan Halevi at 120, Luke Farling at 126, Jake Shafer at 170 and Billy Kepler at 220.
Westfield was the regional runner-up by scoring 147 points, but the Shamrocks also qualified 11 wrestlers to the semi-state. Westfield picked up two individual champions: Braxton Vest won at 120 by a 15-2 major decision over Halevi, and 285-pounder Mihail Platonov was the 285-pound champion with an 8-2 decision over Southeastern’s Dom Burgett.
The Shamrocks had three runners-up: Driver, O’Neill and Alec McLaren at 138. Westfield had three more third-place finishers: Thadeus O’Neill at 126, Jason Rooney at 152 and Dakota Arvin at 220, and had three additional fourth-place finishers, Ian Watson at 145, Austin McClure at 170 and Gabe Arvin at 195.
Southeastern placed fourth as a team with 118 points, just behind third-place Zionsville’s 125. The Royals also had nine semi-state qualifiers, led by 195-pound champion Max Broom. The junior won the title with a second-period fall over Southmont’s Wyatt Woodall.
Benson and Burgett were the Royals’ two runners-up. Ryan Cast placed third at 170 pounds, and Southeastern had five wrestlers place fourth: Riley Fredericksen at 132, Zach Lang at 138, Travon Ternoir at 152, Zach Wagner at 160 and Devin Dudley at 220.
Fishers scored 72 points to take fifth place as a team and had seven semi-state qualifiers. Tyler Lindamood finished second at 145 pounds, followed by three third-place finishers for the Tigers: Griffin Ingalls at 120, Zach Streuder at 132 and James Carroll at 160. Three more Tigers wrestlers took fourth place: Quenton Riley at 106, Tye Linser at 113 and Dylan Parodi at 126.
Sheridan’s Jacob Jones finished fourth at 182 pounds, also qualifying for the semi-state.
AT FRANKFORT
Team scores: Carmel 198.5, Westfield 147, Zionsville 125, Hamilton Southeastern 118, Fishers 72, Southmont 47, Frankfort 22, South Vermillion 20, Clinton Central 18, Lebanon 11, Covington 8, Fountain Central 8, Sheridan 8.
106 pounds: 1. Gavin Thompson (C), 2. Mat Benson (HSE), 4. Quenton Riley (F).
113 pounds: 1. Isaac Ward (C), 2. Dylan Driver (W), 4. Tye Linser (F).
120 pounds: 1. Braxton Vest (W), 2. Eitan Halevi (C), 3. Griffin Ingalls (F).
126 pounds: 2. Luke Farling (C), 3. Thadeus O’Neill (W), 4. Dylan Parodi (F).
132 pounds: 1. Brac Hooper (C), 2. Ike O’Neill (W), 3. Zach Streuder (F), 4. Riley Fredericksen (HSE).
138 pounds: 2. Alec McLaren (W), 3. AJ Gunn (C), 4. Zach Lang (HSE).
145 pounds: 2. Tyler Lindamood (F), 3. Jake Lemieux (HSE), 4. Ian Watson (W).
152 pounds: 1. Nathan Powell (C), 3. Jason Rooney (W), 4. Travon Ternoir (HSE).
160 pounds: 1. Robert Major (C), 3. James Carroll (F), 4. Zach Wagner (HSE).
170 pounds: 2. Jake Shafer (C), 3. Ryan Cast (HSE), 4. Austin McClure (W).
182 pounds: 4. Jacob Jones (S).
195 pounds: 1. Max Broom (HSE), 3. Zach White (C), 4. Gabe Arvin (W).
220 pounds: 2. Billy Kepler (C), 3. Dakota Arvin (W), 4. Devin Dudley (HSE).
285 pounds: 1. Mihail Platonov (W), 2. Dom Burgett (HSE).
At Pendleton Heights, Noblesville placed third as a team with 79 points, while Hamilton Heights finished eighth with 50 points. Cathedral dominated the meet, scoring 239.5 points, and had nine individual champions.
The Millers qualified six wrestlers on to the New Castle semi-state. Noblesville had three runners-up: Tim Alexander at 152, Joseph Kitko at 170 and Seth Stone at 182. The other three Millers wrestlers all placed fourth: Cesar Sierra at 160, Austin Hastings at 195 and Ben Decker at 285.
The Huskies advanced five wrestlers to the semi-state, led by Evan Tilton, the runner-up at 160 pounds. Isaac Khun (at 113) and Cooper Mansfield (at 145) both placed third for Heights, with Ryan Armstrong (at 106) and Isaiah Rodriguez (at 120) both taking fourth.
AT PENDLETON HEIGHTS
Team scores: Cathedral 239.5, Mount Vernon 88, Noblesville 79, Frankton 62, North Central 58, Pendleton Heights 54, Alexandria 53, Hamilton Heights 50, Anderson 41, Lawrence North 35.5, Elwood 16, Bishop Chatard 10.5, Lawrence Central 8.
106 pounds: 4. Ryan Armstrong (HH).
113 pounds: 3. Isaac Khun (HH).
120 pounds: 4. Isaiah Rodriguez (HH).
145 pounds: 3. Cooper Mansfield (HH).
152 pounds: 2. Tim Alexander (N).
160 pounds: 2. Evan Tilton (HH), 4. Cesar Sierra (N).
170 pounds: 2. Joseph Kitko (N).
182 pounds: 2. Seth Stone (N).
195 pounds: 4. Austin Hastings (N).
285 pounds: 4. Ben Decker (N).