INDIANAPOLIS – In the state wrestling tournament Friday evening at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, four area competitors advanced to today’s placement rounds. Warsaw’s Kyle Hatch, a 120-pound sophomore, won his first-round match against Isaac Gomez, a junior from Plainfield. In the first period, Hatch and Gomez traded half a dozen unsuccessful takedown attempts. Then in period two, Gomez scored a quick reversal, but Hatch followed up immediately with an escape and a takedown to go up 3-2. Through the remainder of the period, Hatch was in control and maneuvered to a nearfall to end the period at 6-2. At the outset of the third period, Hatch was awarded an escape point, then scored a slick takedown and got the fall at 5:11. Hatch takes a record of 43-2 into the placement rounds and will face Sawyer Miller, a senior from South Adams who is unbeaten at 42-0. Other area wrestlers advancing include Northwood’s Tanner DeMein, who pinned Cainan Schaefer of South Dearborn in 5:14 in the 106-pound class. Also from the Northern Lakes Conference, David Eli of Elkhart Memorial (182) moved to day two with an 8-3 decision over Matthew Hayes of Providence. From Rochester, Jordan Shaffer won at 285 with a 3-1 decision over Matthew Swartz of Fort Wayne Snider. Manchester’s Clayton Moore (138) lost a 7-3 decision to Kasper McIntosh of Portage. Moore completes his senior season with a record of 35-2. All wrestlers advancing to today’s competition will wrestle through three rounds to the championship, which takes place at 7:30 pm.
