Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Ryan Johnson isn't the only local grappler who will compete at the wrestling individual state finals this weekend at Market Square Arena.
Six others join him.
Four are from Wawasee, two from Warsaw and one from Whitko.
Wawasee's grapplers besides Johnson include Chet Wortinger (112 pounds), Kevin Carr (145) and Jason Carr (160). Aaron Banks (140) and Chris Wilson (160) wrestle for Warsaw. Ben Watson (119) wrestles for Whitko.
The top four in each class from last Saturday's semistate at Fort Wayne advance to the state finals. The Carr brothers enter as semistate champions. Johnson placed second. Banks, Watson and Wortinger placed third. Wilson placed fourth.
Of these, only Kevin Carr advanced to the state finals last year. He placed fourth. Wawasee also sent Darrell Carr and Shaun Belin, who graduated. Darrell placed second. Belin did not place.
The first session takes place at 6 p.m. Friday. All grapplers wrestle on Friday, and only those who win will compete in Saturday matches. The second session is at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, followed by the third session at 1:30 p.m.
STATE WRESTLING FINALS
When: Feb. 20-21 -Ê6 p.m. Feb. 20; 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Feb. 21
Where: Market Square Arena in Indianapolis
Cost: $10 season ticket, $5 for one session
Weight Classes Involving Local Wrestlers
112
Top bracket
John Labo (Vincennes Lincoln/39-2) vs. Shon Byrum (Winchester/31-9)
Cameron Norris (Huntington North/40-1) vs. Rene Hernandez (Hammond Noll/35-3)
Eric Keith (Portage/44-1) vs. CHET WORTINGER (WAWASEE/38-5)
Jeff Lewis (Franklin Central/34-3) vs. Chris Hinkle (Floyd Central/39-8)
Bottom bracket
Josh Birge (Frankfort/36-1) vs. Craig Adams (Frankton/40-4)
Wes Gibson (Beech Grove/34-4) vs. Matt Howe (Greenwood/32-6)
Curtis Vanness (Evansville Mater Dei/42-1) vs. Aaron Pitzele (Carmel/34-10)
Nick Coons (Bellmont/38-4) vs. Ryan Alb (Lake Central/38-6)
119
Top bracket
Randy Pursley (Bluffton/38-0) vs. Mitchell Robb (New Albany/46-7)
Andrew Bradbury (Portage/39-9) vs. Scott Weaver (Indianapolis Cathedral/44-2)
Gary Lett (Warren Central/31-7) vs. Tony Maddox (Taylor/39-3)
Greg Schaefer (Evansville Mater Dei/41-0) vs. Courtney Hurse (Fort Wayne North Side/26-9)
Bottom bracket
Alex Ramos (Hobart/38-0) vs. Ryan Lee (Avon/24-9)
Jason Beekley (Huntington North/39-4) vs. Shaun Richardson (Perry Meridian/35-3)
Tanner Yates (Center Grove/27-6) vs. BEN WATSON (WHITKO/21-4)
Nathan Challis (Beech Grove/36-1) vs. Joshua Goodwin (Culver Military Academy/34-2)
135
Top bracket
Ben Faurote (Bellmont/42-2) vs. Tony McWilliams (South Bend LaSalle/32-6)
Devin O'Dell (Lawrence Central/34-7) vs. Josh Beals (Mooresville/34-1)
Steven Riney (Evansville Reitz/41-2) vs. Justin Barnhart (Pendleton Heights/32-3)
Patrick Lucio (Frankfort/37-0) vs. Nathan Kuhn (Prairie Heights/26-10)
Bottom bracket
Terry Sanders (Indianapolis North Central/33-0) vs. Mark Koers (Roncalli/32-3)
RYAN JOHNSON (WAWASEE/32-6) vs. Collin Bumgardner (Western/43-4)
Tim Maldonado (East Chicago Central/42-5) vs. Harley New (Wes Del/39-3)
Robert Rosbottom (Jeffersonville/34-0) vs. Brady Tramel (New Castle/43-8)
140
Top bracket
Dan Jankowski (Evansville Mater Dei/41-1) vs. Josh Ross (Columbia City/25-10)
Jose Mercado (East Chicago central/25-4) vs. Josh Holden (Lawrence Central/38-5)
Daniel King (New Castle/39-3) vs. Mathew James (South Bend LaSalle/34-7)
Andrew Yoder (Goshen/40-4) vs. Mitch Napier (Monrovia/31-6)
Bottom bracket
Dan Pitzulo (Decatur Central/30-3) vs. Alfred Debusk (Hobart/30-11)
Aaron Schinbeckler (FW Carroll/30-7) vs. Patrick Fleming (Providence/41-2)
Chad Boukal (Greenwood/31-4) vs. AARON BANKS (WARSAW/34-9)
Jason Tabor (Portage/46-0) vs. Marc Slunaker (Greenfield-Central/35-3)
145
Top bracket
Rick Gardner (Greenfield-Central/34-2) vs. Wes Fassnacht (Delphi/30-5)
Brandon Boots (Evansville Mater Dei/38-3) vs. Dustin Runkle (Carroll/27-9)
Anthony Lapsley (Fort Wayne Snider/34-1) vs. Tom Kirk (Center Grove/30-5)
Fred Joseph (Portage/46-2) vs. Todd Crull (Hagerstown/29-10)
Bottom bracket
Stephen Minton (New Albany/50-4) vs. Todd Mowery (Northfield/37-7)
Wesley Addington (Carmel/41-3) vs. Kevin Stafford (Lafayette Jefferson/36-6)
James Oliver (Rensselaer/39-3) vs. Josh Pope (Blue River Valley/37-2)
KEVIN CARR (WAWASEE/41-1) vs. Nate May (Bloomington South/19-8)
160
Top bracket
Andrew Wolf (East Central/46-0) vs. Adam Alaniz (Portage/39-8)
Jeremiah Craft (Muncie Central/39-2) vs. Adam Cage (Hamilton Heights/46-2)
Joe Kern (Warren Central/35-5) vs. Brian Goss (Goshen/37-9)
Jason Allison (Highland/38-4) vs. Nick Miller (Evansville Mater Dei/37-6)
Bottom bracket
JASON CARR (WAWASEE/40-0) vs. Don Franzen (Sheridan/34-7)
Andrew Patton (Roncalli/28-6) vs. Joel Baker (LaPorte/35-2)
Josh Thieke (Western/47-4) vs. Jake Hughes (Monrovia/35-1)
Lee Dora (Indianapolis Cathedral/42-1) vs. CHRIS WILSON (WARSAW/32-8)
