W AL SMITH: #7 Penn ekes past #4 Merrillville for team title

By E. Shawn Aylsworth
Managing Editor

No. 7 Penn nails down 11 top-eight finishes, slipping past No. 4 Merrillville by one point after the last match of the day Dec. 28 for the 34th Annual Al Smith Classic championship at Mishawaka.

The No. 12 host Cavemen were third at the prestigious 32-team event, followed by No. 13 Center Grove, Elkhart Memorial (two champs), No. 18 South Bend Clay (three champs), Lowell (two champs), Peru, Columbus East, and Bellmont.

The Kingsmen (215 points) prevailed when Merrillville (214) lost the 285-pound final as South Bend Clay senior Shakir Carr (29-2) upset No. 14 Pirates freshman Shawn Streck (19-3) with a pin in 66 seconds.

Undefeated Lowell junior Kenny Hughes was named the meet’s outstanding wrestler after improving to 23-0 in winning at 160 pounds.

Team scores (place followed by school, points, Top 8 finishes)
1. #7 Penn 215 (1 1 5 3 1)
2. #4 Merrillville 214 (1 4 1 1 1)
3. #12 Mishawaka 198 (3 1 1 2 1)
4. #13 Center Grove 171 (1 2 3 2)
5. Elkhart Memorial 151 (2 2 1 2)
6. #18 South Bend Clay 146 (3 1 1 1)
7. Lowell 144.5 (2 2)
8. Peru 133 (1 2 1 1)
9. Columbus East 126.5 (1 1 1 1 1)
10. Bellmont 125 (1 2)
11. South Bend Adams 116 (1 1 1 1 1)
12. Chesterton 115.5 (1 1 1 1)
13. Goshen 109 (1 1 1)
13. #19 Jimtown 109 (1 1 1 1)
15. Hobart 106 (2 1 1)
16. LaPorte 105 (1 1 2)
17. Lake Central 104 (1 1)
18. South Bend Riley 94.5 (1 1 1)
19. Lawrence North 90.5 (2 1 1)
20. Prairie Heights 80 (2 1)
21. Lawrence Central 78 (2 2)
22. Garrett 72 (1)
23. Rochester 61 (2)
24. Munster 58 (1)
25. West Noble 56 (1 1)
26. NorthWood 54 (1)
27. Calumet 46
28. Warsaw 41
29. Michigan City 19
30. Danville 0
30. Jasper 0
30. Princeton 0

Individual results
106
1. #7 Jake Sinkovics MISH (11) 5-0 dec. 6-1 
2. #2 Hayden Lee GARRETT (11) 20-1
3. #4 Michael Garza MERR (11) 21-2 dec. 5-0
4. #13 Drew Hildebrandt PENN (9) 21-4
5. Scotty Huff GOSHEN (11) 24-4
6. Josh Heckathorn ROCH (9) 22-6
7. Ceasar Gonzales CG (12) 14-6
8. Austin Laughlin SBA (9) 21-7

113
1. #15 Jake Hartman SBC (10) 28-3 dec. 4-2
2. Tony Vaughn EM (10) 23-3
3. Connor Quin PERU (11) 19-3 dec. 5-1
4. Daniel Olsen SBA (10) 14-3
5. Dakota Cochran PENN (11) 16-7
6. Daniel Gunsett BELL (9) 4-3
7. Kyle Mockensturm PH (10) 20-5
8. Justin Johnson MERR (10) 14-9

120
1. #11 Drew Hughes LOWELL (9) 19-1 pin 1:22
2. #1 Adam Garcia MERR (12) 20-1
3. #8 Alex Sparks Lawrence North (12) 20-3 dec. 4-2
4. #13 Zach Davis PENN (11) 19-5
5. #6 Anthony Schoettle CG (12) 22-2
6. Konner Chafin JIM 19-5
7. Cody Flickinger EM (12) 20-7
8. Riley Newkirk Lawrence Central (12) 13-5

126
1. #1 Nick Crume JIM 21-0 major dec. 17-4
2. #5 Tyler Fleener CG (11) 21-2
3. Kegan Kern PERU (11) 19-4 dec. 5-3
4. Jermel Moody-Neukom EM (12) 19-10
5. Jonathan Weimer WN 19-3
6. Scott Warner SBR (11) 26-7
7. Doug Levitz PH (9) 22-8
8. Dan Hesch MISH (9) 4-3

132
1. #2 Mitch Hartman SBC (12) 31-0 dec. 3-0
2. #13 Jacob Covaciu MERR (9) 19-2
3. #9 Grant Martsolf MISH (12) 5-1 dec. 5-3
4. Josh Curcio PENN (12) 17-3
5. Nathan Carmichael CG (12) 16-9
6. J. Heckathorn ROCH (10) 21-8
7. Dalton Noblitt CE (11) 19-5
8. Jack Davison CHEST 7-4

138
1. #1 Tommy Forte MISH (10) 5-0 major dec. 15-7
2. #6 Evan Loe PERU (11) 19-2
3. #14 Juwan Bartlett Lawrence North (12) 19-3 dec. 5-4
4. #8 Alex Rinehart PENN (11) 16-3
5. Mitch Gilbert CE (12) 20-6
6. Tony Vasquez HOB (12) 16-4
7. Zach Slosser MUN (11) 19-10
8. Antwan Wordlaw LAP (11) 16-5

145
1. #4 Tristan Macri MISH (11) 5-0 dec. 2-1 (OT)
2. #3 Chris Katsafaros CHEST 15-1
3. #11 Mitch Roadruck LOWELL (12) 21-3 dec. 4-2 (OT)
4. Scott Swingle Lawrence Central (12) 19-5
5. #12 Joey Mammolenti PENN (10) 20-4
6. Mike Wayant CE (12) 19-4
7. Jake Sebahar LKC 16-5
8. Dan Reed Lawrence North (11) 12-10

152
1. Kyle Stillinger CE (12) 18-4 dec. 6-2
2. #15 Sammy Ferdig SBA (12) 25-1
3. #7 Trevor Manspeaker PENN (12) 25-1 major dec. 9-1
4. Travis Pickard GOSHEN (12) 23-4
5. Mat Kelly CG (11) 18-8
6. Logan Neher BELL (11) 5-3
7. Sawyer Hallas CHEST 8-5
8. Matt Neeley PH (12) 9-12

160
1. #2 Kenny Hughes LOWELL (11) 23-0 pin 1:22
2. Matt Hollins MERR (11) 13-2
3. Dalton Wheeler CG (12) 19-6 dec. 5-0
4. Chase Hack SBR (12) 28-5
5. Chase Osborn PENN (10) 18-5
6. Clint Proctor MISH (11) 4-3
7. Nick Vaughn EM (12) 20-9
8. Kaleb Hammersley PERU (12) 14-7

170
1. #1 Bobby Steveson MERR (10) 15-1 tech fall 25-9 (4:48)
2. #14 Jeff Wiseman PENN (11) 18-5
3. #3 Scottie Sopko HOB (10) 19-1 major dec. 9-0
4. Kane Rockenbaugh PERU (12) 16-7
5. Tommy Kendall EM (12) 19-4
6. Tanner Bradley MISH (10) 4-3
7. Joe Fowler Lawrence North (12) 10-11
8. Mike Eldridge LAP (11) 17-4

182
1. #3 (at 195) Brad Busse BELL (12) 5-0 injury default
2. #9 Tanner Adams JIM 19-2
3. Tony Rodriguez HOB (12) 17-2 pin 4:44
4. #16 Kain Jenkins EM (12) 23-4
5. Zach Telschow NW (12) 18-3
6. Mike Chaffee PENN (11) 15-11
7. Caleb Stewart LAP (12) 18-3
8. #13 Trey Taylor SBC (12) 7-3

195
1. Dominique Avila SBR (12) 26-2 pin 3:16
2. Tieshawn Johnson EM (11) 23-3
3. Ryan Patterson LOWELL (12) 22-2 dec. 3-1
4. #15 Joey Stasiak PENN (12) 18-4
5. Alex Jara MERR (12) 11-6
6. Zach Goodyear WN 16-5
7. Tyler Schmitt SBC (195) 28-5
8. Quentin Rabin Lawrence Central 3-3

220
1. #1 Gelen Robinson LKC 26-0 dec. 4-2
2. #15 Braxton Eby MISH (12) 4-1
3. #16 Jaylin Allen SBC (12) 29-4 dec. 8-7 (OT)
4. #7 Myron Hamilton Lawrence Central (12) 17-3
5. Kenen Boyd SBA (12) 14-3
6. Ben Standifer LAP (12) 21-4
7. Damien Stone CG (12) 16-6
8. Cody Spurgeon JIM 16-7

285
1. Shakir Carr SBC (12) 29-2 pin 1:06
2. #14 Shawn Streck MERR (9) 19-3
3. #11 Drew Ponder CG (12) 15-3 pin 3:17
4. Rob McKee CE (12) 18-6
5. Ryley Harlow CHEST 15-4
6. Hayden Schmucker GOSHEN (12) 23-5
7. Kali Boyd SBA (12) 20-2
8. Gerald Valenzuela HOB (12) 15-5