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 1021/2 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 401/2 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 160-pound 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."
Danville senior Neal Molloy edged Yorktown's Eli Walker 4-3 at 145 pounds to give Molloy (43-0) his second title; Molloy won at 130 in 2011. Walker (43-2) took down Molloy as the buzzer sounded, and the officials signaled a takedown but then waved it off after determining it came after time expired.
"My sophomore year I got one, and my junior year I got upset," Molloy said. "It feels great for me in my last high school match to go out on top."
New Palestine freshman Chad Red capped a 48-0 season with a dominant 4-0 win against East Noble's Garrett Pepple at 106 pounds. Red took down Pepple 52 seconds into the match, rode him out the entire second period and then reversed the East Noble sophomore 9 seconds into the third period. Red followed his win with a back flip and an embrace with his namesake, NP coach Chad Red.
"I felt if I came out tough and got on him early, he wouldn't want to wrestle me the last two periods or however long the match lasted," the younger Red said. "This has been my goal all year."
Warren Central junior Deondre Wilson, in just his third year wrestling, showed what a quick study he is by winning the 120-pound title. Wilson (38-0) got takedowns in all three periods of a 6-2 win against Lowell's Drew Hughes (39-2).
"I knew I had to get the early takedown on him because I'd be tough to score on," Wilson said.
Greenfield-Central senior Josh Farrell improved to 48-0 overall and 3-0 against Vinny Corsaro, beating the Cathedral wrestler 3-2 in the 152-pound final. Farrell took down Corsaro with 1:37 to go in the match for the clinching points, picking up his third one-point win against the Irish junior.
Perry Meridian senior Jake Masengale lost 9-4 to 48-0 Matt Hurford of Culver Community in the 182-pound final.
Corydon Central's Bailey LaHue dropped a heartbreaking 6-3 decision to the second-ranked Wilson in the semifinals -- giving up a takedown and near-fall as time ran down -- and went on to finish fourth at 120 pounds. LaHue, who placed fifth in the state at 113 pounds in 2012, finished 40-4.
"It was pretty tough," LaHue said of the Wilson loss. "This is definitely not where I wanted to be. My goal now is to win state next year."
Team scores
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
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.
