Platonov 2nd at 285, Vest 3rd at 120…Huskies’ Tilton 8th at 182
Westfield had a successful day at the IHSAA state wrestling finals, as two Shamrocks wrestlers finished in the top three at the meet, which took place Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Senior Mihail Platonov made his way to the state championship match, winning two tough decision to get to the final at 285 pounds. Platonov first beat New Prairie senior Hunter Whitenack in the quarter-finals by a 4-2 decision, then defeated Brownsburg junior Leighton Jones in the semi-finals in an 8-5 decision.
In the championship match, Platonov took on Rochester senior Marshall Fishback. The two went through six minutes of regulation, eventually going to an ultimate tiebreak, which Fishback won 3-2. Platonov thus finished as runner-up, completing his season with a 39-8 record.
Westfield senior Braxton Vest took third place at 120 pounds. Vest beat Bellmont senior Isaac Ruble in a 10-8 decision to win his quarter-final match, but fell to Warren Central sophomore Kyrel Leavell (the eventual 120-pound champion), in a 5-2 semi-final decision. That sent Vest to the third-place match, and he would finish third by getting a third-period fall over Garrett junior Hayden Brady. Vest finished his senior season 41-7.
Those two performances helped the Shamrocks to a strong finish in the team standings. Westfield tied for 11th place, scoring 33 points. Crown Point won the team state championship with 178 points, well ahead of runner-up Brownsburg’s 105 points.
Hamilton Heights junior Evan Tilton finished eighth in the 182-pound class. Tilton dropped his quarter-final match to Fort Wayne Snider freshman De’Alcapo Veazy in a first-round pin. In the wrestleback round, Tilton lost to Hobart senior Jacob Simpson in a 5-4 decision, then fell to Roncalli junior Luke Hansen in a 7-4 decision in the seventh-place match.
Tilton completed his season with a 46-4 record. He scored three team points for the Huskies, which tied them for 60th place.
Congratulations to two outstanding Westfield Wrestlers! Great job!