W STATE FINALS: Crown Point's Tsirtsis makes history with fourth title

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From ihsaa.org

Crown Point senior Jason Tsirtsis made history Feb. 18, becoming the eighth individual in Indiana history to win four straight wrestling state championships.

CHECK OUT THE MARGINAL PHOTO GALLERY PLUS THREE SUPER-COOL CHAMPION VIDEO INTERVIEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS FROM EACH MATCH (THREE OF 14 SO FAR!!) IN THE PLAYER TO THE RIGHT OF THE PAGE!!

Tsirtsis won all four of his matches at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis in dominating fashion throughout the weekend, including a 22-7 technical fall over Indianapolis Cathedral sophomore Vinny Corsaro in the 145-pound final. He joins his brother, Alex, who also won four state crowns while at Griffith from 2001-04. 

Tsirtsis adds the 145 crown to his resume after winning at 125 pounds as a freshman, 130 as a sophomore, and at 140 last year. He owns a perfect 42-0 record this season, including a 170-2 career mark heading into Crown Point’s appearance in next weekend’s team state finals.

He was one of two Bulldogs to stand at the top of the awards stand, the other being 220-pound classmate Tyler Kral (41-2), who defeated South Bend Clay senior Joe Gallegos (45-3), 3-2.

Matching Crown Point’s haul was another Lake County school, Hanover Central, which saw sophomore Stevan Micic and senior Paul Petrov win two of the first three title matches of the evening.

Micic (47-0) defeated defending 103-pound state champ sophomore Nathan Boston (44-1) of Lawrence North in the 106-pound title match by a 5-1 score, while Petrov (47-0) rallied to top New Castle senior Brenden Campbell (53-3) at 120 pounds, 14-11.

Lake Central senior Kyle Ayersman (52-0) earned his third straight championship, winning the 126-pound class with a 1-0 decision over Perry Meridian sophomore Cody LeCount (46-1).

State championship match results
106 – Stevan Micic 10 Hanover Central (47-0) def. Nathan Boston 10 Lawrence North (44-1), dec. 5-1
113 – Jarred Brooks 12 Warsaw (35-0) def. Schuyler Phillips 11 Yorktown (47-2), major dec. 18-6
120 – Paul Petrov 12 Hanover Central (47-0) def. Brenden Campbell 12 New Castle (53-3), dec. 14-11
126 – Kyle Ayersman 12 Lake Central (52-0) def. Cody LeCount 10 Perry Meridian (46-1), dec. 1-0
132 – Jared McKinley 12 Perry Meridian (48-1) def. Todd Batt 12 South Adams (45-3), dec. 9-2
138 – Devon Jackson 12 Yorktown (52-0) def. Josh Farrell 11 Greenfield-Central (39-4), major dec. 12-2
145 – Jason Tsirtsis 12 Crown Point (42-0) def. Vincent Corsaro 10 Indianapolis Cathedral (35-4), tech fall, 22-7
152 – Isaiah Bradley 11 Muncie South (44-0) def. Luke Kriech 11 Franklin Community (35-6), dec. 2-1
160 – Brian Harvey 12 Indianapolis Cathedral (47-0) def. Connor Robinson 12 New Palestine (39-9), major dec. 12-4
170 – Sean Mappes 12 Center Grove (46-0) def. Jake Masengale 11 Perry Meridian (47-2), dec. 7-6
182 – Tanner Lynde 12 Delphi (52-0) def. Lukas Schaeffer 12 Westfield (53-1), dec. 8-1
195 – Mitch Sliga 11 Fishers (49-0) def. Kourtney Berry 12 Merrillville (32-1), pin 3:20
220 – Tyler Kral 12 Crown Point (41-2) def. Joe Gallegos 12 South Bend Clay (45-3), dec. 3-2
285 – Abraham Hall 12 Bremen (50-0) def. Dominique Stauffer 12 Elkhart Central (38-2), dec. 3-1

Bremen’s Hall wins Ward E. Brown Mental Attitude Award
Following the state tournament, the IHSAA Executive Committee named Abraham Hall of Bremen High School as the recipient of the Ward E. Brown Mental Attitude Award. Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, corporate sponsor of the IHSAA, presented a $1,000 scholarship to the school in his name.

The award was named in 1985 to honor of the IHSAA’s fourth commissioner (1976-1983). Recipients of the award must be nominated by their principal and coach and must excel in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership, and athletic ability in the sport.

Hall ranks eighth in his senior class, was a junior and senior Academic All-State selection, and was a team captain this year. He capped his senior season with the 285-pound state championship.

The son of Wade and Eileen Hall of Bremen plans to study political science at the University of Indianapolis.