The format for determining the team state wrestling champion may have changed, but one fact remained the same: Perry Meridian still is the dominant high school wrestling program in Indiana.
The Falcons made it three straight titles Saturday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, rolling up 102½ points to cruise to the championship. The Indiana High School Athletic Association eliminated the dual-meet team tourney in the offseason, switching to an invitational-style format at the individual state meet. It didn't matter. The Falcons placed seven wrestlers seventh or higher, including three champs. Second-place Yorktown finished 40½ points back. "This feels awesome," said Falcons junior Cody Lecount, who won the 132-pound title. "It shows that we can come together as a team and win any way we need to." "This proves we're just as good of a tournament team as we are a dual-meet team," added Falcons senior Riley McClurg, who edged Western Boone's Austin McCloskey 2-1 in double overtime of the 160pound final. "Some people said, 'Oh, they're only a good dual team.' I think we proved them wrong." McClurg led 2-1 in the second overtime session, then rode out McCloskey over the final 30 seconds to hold on for the win, his second against McCloskey in a week. Lecount dominated his finals match, taking down Mishawaka's Grant Martsolf four times on the way to a 16-1 technical fall. Perry Meridian senior Donte Winfield capped things off appropriately, downing Rushville's Joe Garland 5-1 in the 285-pound final. Winfield's takedown and near-fall late in the second period provided all the points he needed. Fishers senior Mitch Sliga finished off a dominating two years with a 31-second pin of South Bend Clay's Jaylin Allen in the 195-pound final. Sliga (49-0) ended his high school career with two straight titles, 99 straight wins and he had just one match this year -- a 13-4 semifinal win against Bloomington South's Clayton Fiddler -- not end in a pin, technical fall or forfeit. "Coming off last year, I really wanted to dominate this year," Sliga said. "I was just glad I was able to go out the way I did."
Team scores
Perry Meridian 102.5, York town 62, Mishawaka 53, Cathedral 45, Franklin 41, Warren Central 40, Fishers 36, New Palestine 36, Bloomington South 31, Merrillville 31, Danville 30, Hanover 30, East Noble 26, Muncie South 24, Greenfield-Central 23, Lake Central 21, Culver Community 20, Hamilton Southeastern 20, Jimtown 20, Lowell 20, Car- roll 18, Kokomo 18, Rushville 18, South Bend Clay 18, Penn 17, Alexandria 16, Castle 16, Western Boone 16, FW North 15, Jay County 12, South Adams 12, Indian Creek 11, North Posey 11, South Spencer 11, DeKalb 10, Evansville Central 10, Connersville 9, Corydon Central 9, Frankfort 9, Highland 9, Heritage Hills 7, Ben Davis 6, Benton Central 6, Culver Academies 6, Garrett 6, LaPorte 6, Milan 6, Brownsburg 4, Concord 4, Crown Point 4, Franklin Central 4, Lawrence Central 4, Law- rence North 4, Northeastern 4, Portage 4, SB St. Joseph 4, Zionsville 4, Center Grove 2, North Montgomery 2, Roncalli 2, Avon 1, Delphi 1, Elkhart Central 1, Evansville Memorial 1, Evansville Reitz 1, Greenwood 1, Huntington North 1, Peru 1.
Individual scores
106 pounds Quarterfinals: Chad Red (NP) pin Drew Hildebrandt (Penn), 1:40; D.J. Smith (Frank.) def. Hayden Lee (Garrett), 3-1 OT; Garrett Pepple (E. Noble) def. Brock Hudkins (Dan.), 2-0; Cael McCor mick (York.) pin Jake Sinkovics (Mish.), 3:57. Semifinals, consolations: Red def. Smith, 5-2; Pepple def. McCormick, 2-1; Lee pin Hildebrandt, 1:37; Hudkins def. Sinkovics, 7-3. First-, third-, fifth- and seventh-place matches: (1) Red def. Pepple, 4-0; (3) Smith def. Mc- Cormick, 5-0; (5) Hudkins def, Lee, 2-0; (7) Sin kovics def. Hildebrandt, 24-12. 113 pounds Quarterfinals: Connor Knapp (EN) def. Gaige Torres (Port.), 12-3; Zachary Davis (Penn) def. Jacob Cottey (PM), 3-1; Sawyer Miller (S. Adams) def. Damon Kuhn (Evans. Reitz), 4-3; Stevan Micic (HC) pin DeLawrence Gayfield (Concord), 1:22. Semifinals, consolations: Davis def. Knapp, 3-0; Micic pin Miller, :47; Cottey pin Torres, 1:54; Gayfield def. Kuhn, 10-6. First-, third-, fifth- and seventh-place matches: (1) Micic def. Davis, 9-7; (3) Knapp def. Mil ler, 5-3 OT; (5) Cottey pin Gayfield, 4:00; (7) Torres pin Kuhn, 2:33. 120 pounds Quarterfinals: Schuyler Phillips (York.) def. Andrice Martin (Franklin Cent.), 6-3; Drew Hughes (Lowell) pin Preston Mantel (Z), 4:15; Bailey LaHue (Corydon Cent.) def. L.J. Moser (S. Adams), 7-2; Deondre Wilson (WC) def. Adam Garcia (Merrill.), 7-2. Semifinals, consolations: Hughes def. Phillips, 2-0; Wilson def. LaHue, 6-3; Mantel def. Martin, 5-0; Garcia def. Mos er, 3-0. First-, third-, fifth- and seventh-place matches (1) Wilson def. Hughes, 6-2; (3) Phillips def. LaHue, 7-4 (5) Garcia def. Mantel, 5-3 OT; (7) Martin pin Moser, 4:48. 126 pounds Quarterfinals: Luke Welch (Castle) def. Brandon James (PM), 5-2; Ben Harvey (Cath.) def. Bailey Schober (Greenwood), 4-2; Tom Gettinger (Conners.) def. Josh Fuqua (CP), 5-3; Nick Crume (Jimtown) def. Tyler Flenner (CG), 8-1. Semifinals, consolations: Welch def. Harvey, 9-4; Crume def. Gettin ger, 5-1; James pin Schober, :47; Fuqua def. Fleener, 3-0. First-, third-, fifth- and seventh-place matches: (1) Crume def. Welch, 3-1 OT; (3) Harvey def. Gettinger, 4-3 in 3 OT; (5) James def. Fuqua, in- jury default; (7) Fleener def. Schober, 9-4. 132 pounds Quarterfinals: Skyler Lykins (Franklin) def. Mitch Snyder (HSE), 9-3; Cody Lecount (PM) pin Devin Brou kal (Bloom. S.), 5:59; Hugo Perez (Frankf.) def. Levi Moss (BD), 5-3; Grant Martsolf (Mish.) def. Logan Wedding (Evans. Mem.), 1-0. Semifinals, consolations: Lecount def. Lykins, 8-4; Martsolf def. Perez, 12-2; Snyder def. Broukal, 4-2; Moss def. Wedding, 8-6. First-, third-, fifth- and seventh-place matches: (1) Lecount technical fall Martsolf, 16-1; (3) Lykins def. Perez, 15-6; (5) Moss def. Snyder, 7-0; (7) Broukal def. Wedding, 3-1. 138 pounds Quarterfinals: Tyler Hupp (IC) def. Evan Loe (Peru), 6-3; Luke Blanton (Alex.) def. Anthony McHugh (Culver Acad.), 4-0; Chandler Carroll (York.) def. Nick Bova (PM), 9-3; Tommy Forte (Mish.) def. Juwan Bartlett (LN), 15-1. Semifinals, consolations: Blanton def. Hupp, 6-1; Forte def. Carroll, 7-1; McHugh def. Loe, 3-2; Bartlett def. Bova, 8-6. First-, third-, fifth- and seventh-place matches: (1) Forte def. Blanton, 12-7; (3) Hupp def. Carroll, 6-5 2OT; (5) McHugh def. Bartlett, 6-2; (7) Bova def. Loe, 3-0. 145 pounds Quarterfinals: Tristan Macri (Mish.) def. Robbie Elsea (NP), 10-1; Neal Molloy (Dan.) def. Shabaka Johns (WC), 10-3; Brendon Kelley (Evans. Cent.) def. Cody Handley (N'eastern), 15-5; Eli Walker (York.) def. Mitchell Roadruck (Lowell), 4-2. Semifinals, consolations: Molloy def. Macri, 10-4; Walker def. Kelley, 6-4; Johns def. Elsea, 2-1; Handley def. Roa druck, 2-1. First-, third-, fifth- and seventh-place matches: (1) Molloy def. Walker, 4-3; (3) Macri def. Kelley, 3-1; (5) Johns pin Handley, 4:18; (7) Roadruck def. Elsea, 7-1. 152 pounds Quarterfinals: Josh Farrell (G-C) def. Sebastian Eckert (Hunt. N.), 20-7; Connor Brummett (DeKalb) def. Jackson Bennett (HSE), 9-0; Isaiah Brad ley (Muncie S.) def. Nick Borta (N. Mont.), 15- 10, Vinny Corsaro (Cath.) def. Brayden Mont gomery (Dan.), 3-0. Semifinals, consolations: Farrell def. Brummett, injury default; Corsa ro def. Bradley, 4-3 2OT; Bennett def. Eckert, 12-4; Montgomery def. Borta, 4-2. First-, third-, fifth- and seventh-place matches: (1) Farrell def. Corsaro, 3-2; (3) Bradley def. Brummett, injury default; (5) Bennett def. Montgomery, 5-3; (7) Borta def. Eckert, 10-4. 160 pounds Quarterfinals: Rhett Hiestand (York.) pin Blake Rypel (Cath.), 4:20; Austin McCloskey (WeBo) def. Luke Kriech (Franklin), 8-5; Riley McClurg (PM) def. Seth Seitzinger (Bloom. S.), 7-3; Mark Maldonado (Highland) def. Johnathan Treadway (Elk. Cent.), 5-3 OT. Semifinals, consolations: McCloskey def. Hiestand, 5-2; McClurg def. Maldonado, 5-4; Kriech def. Rypel, 10-7; Seitzinger def. Tredway, 8-6. First-, third-, fifth- and seventh-place matches: (1) McClurg def. McCloskey, 2-1 2OT; (3) Hiestand pin Maldonado, 2:42; (5) Seitzinger def. Kriech, 2-1 2OT; (7) Rypel def. Tredway, 141-3. 170 pounds Quarterfinals: Anthony Linnear (FW North) pin Jake Rick enbaugh (HH), 3:29; Bobby Steveson (Mer rill.) def. Austin Neibarger (HSE), 8-5; Riley Lefever (FW Carroll) def. Garrett Fentz (Franklin), 4-1; Jacob Reed (Muncie S.) pin Michael Eldridge (LaPorte), 1:39. Semifinals, consolations: Steveson def. Linnear, 10-1; Lefever pin Reed, 4:44; Neibarger def. Rickenbaugh, in- jury default; Eldridge def. Fentz, forfeit. First-, third-, fifth- and seventh-place matches: (1) Steveson def. Lefever, 5-4; (3) Linnear pin Reed, 4:27; (5) Neibarger def. Eldridge, 15-5; (7) Fentz def. Rickenbaugh, injury default. 182 pounds Quarterfinals: Jake Masengale (PM) def. Connor Ludwig (Browns.), 5-0; Seth Riley (Fishers) pin Ryan Jankowski (SB St. Joe), 1:28; Matt Hurford (Culver Comm.) def. Katrell Moss (WC), 7-2; Brian Wagner (NP) def. Dakota Thacker (Bloom. S.), 4-2 OT. Semifinals, consolations: Masengale pin Riley, 5:39; Hurford def. Wagner, 3-0; Jankowski def. Ludwig, 13-9 3OT; Thacker def. Moss, injury default. First-, third-, fifth- and seventh-place matches: (1) Hurford def. Masengale, 9-4; (3) Wagner pin Riley, 2:19; (5) Thacker pin Jankowski, 5:49; (7) Ludwig def. Moss, injury default. 195 pounds Quarterfinals: Jaylin Allen (SB Clay) def. Mason Nickell (Ronc.), 6-0; Kalob Salkhill (S. Spencer) pin Jacob Ricks (Benton Cent.), 3:22; Clayton Fid- dler (Bloom. S.) def. Justin Berumen (Delphi), 11-10; Mitch Sliga (Fishers) pin Kyle Garringer (Jay Co.), 1:12. Semifinals, consolations: Allen def. Salkhill, 9-1; Sliga def. Fiddler, 13-4; Ricks def. Nickell, 8-3; Garringer def. Berumen, 6-3. First-, third-, fifth- and seventh-place matches: (1) Sliga pin Allen, :31; (3) Fiddler pin Salk- hill, :36; (5) Ricks def. Garringer, 7-3; (7) Nick- ell def. Berumen, 10-4. 220 pounds Quarterfinals: Conner Tolley (Franklin) def. Alex Lindemann (Milan), 17-6; Fletcher Miller (Kok.) pin Myron Hamilton (Lawr. Cent.), 3:58; Gelen Robinson (Lake Cent.) def. Dylan Jones (Avon), 7-3; Maximiliano Hernandez (WC) def. Jared Boehm (HH), 3-2. Semifinals, consolations: Miller def. Tolley, 5-3; Robinson def. Her nandez, 11-3; Lindemann def. Hamilton, 8-5; Boehm def. Jones, injury default. First-, third-, fifth- and seventh-place matches: (1) Robinson def. Miller, 7-2; (3) Hernandez def. Tolley, 6-1; (5) Lindemann def. Boehm, 8-7; (7) Hamilton def. Jones, injury default. 285 pounds Quarterfinals: Donte Winfield (PM) def. Shawn Streck (Merrill.), 1-0; Austin Little (N. Posey) pin Eric Hemmelgam (Jay Co.), 5:09; Wesley Bernard (Cath.) pin Shakir Carr (SB Clay), 5:38; Joseph Garland (Rushville) pin Joshua Bartoszek (HC), 2:43. Semifinals, consolations: Winfield def. Little, 8-1; Garland def. Ber nard, 3-2; Hemmelgam def. Streck, 3-1; Bartoszek def. Carr, injury default. First-, third-, fifth- and seventh-place matches: (1) Winfield def. Garland, 5-1; (3) Bernard pin Little, :59; (5) Hemmelgam def. Bartoszek, DQ; (7) Streck def. Carr, injury default.
