W STATE FINALS: #1 Perry Meridian 3-peats with three individual champs

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From ihsaa.org

Behind three individual state champions, top-ranked Perry Meridian ran away with the overall team title Feb. 16 at the 75th Annual IHSAA Wrestling State Finals held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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It was the third consecutive state championship for the Falcons under head coach Jim Tonte and the school’s first under the new scoring format, which was used at this event for the first time since 1995.

Junior Cody LeCount (40-0), senior Riley McClurg (37-3), and senior Donte Winfield (41-2) each captured their respective crowns for Perry Meridian.

LeCount bested senior Grant Martsolf of Mishawaka at 132 pounds on a technical fall 16-1, McClurg outlasted top-ranked junior Austin McCloskey of Western Boone at 160 with a 2-1 tiebreaker in overtime – the championship round’s only upset – and Winfield won a 5-1 decision from Rushville senior Joseph Garland in the 285 battle.

Senior Jake Masengale (40-3), who lost 9-4 in the 182 final to senior Matt Hurford of Culver Community, was the only Perry wrestler to come up short in his last match of the weekend.

A trio of wrestlers won their second state crowns.

Fishers senior Mitch Sliga wasted no time repeating as state champion at 195, pinning South Bend Clay senior Jaylin Allen in 31 seconds.

Junior Stevan Micic of Hanover Central won his second consecutive state title, outlasting Penn junior Zachary Davis of Penn, 9-7, for the 113 title. Micic won the 106 crown a year ago.

Danville senior Neal Molloy took home his second 145 crown in three years with a 4-3 decision over Yorktown senior Eli Walker.

Josh Farrell of Greenfield-Central won his first state championship after coming up short a year ago in the 138 final. Farrell completed a 52-0 senior season after edging Indianapolis Cathedral junior Vinny Corsaro, 3-2. Corsaro was last year’s runner-up at 145 and had knocked off top-ranked Isaiah Bradley of Muncie South (last year’s 152 winner) in the semifinals.

Top 10 teams
1. #1 Perry Meridian 102.5
2. #16 Yorktown 62
3. #15 Mishawaka 53
4. Indianapolis Cathedral 45
5. #3 Franklin Community 41
6. #2 Warren Central 40
7. Fishers 36
7. #14 New Palestine 36
9. #4 Bloomington South 31
9. #7 Merrillville 31

State championship matches
106: Chad Red (9) New Palestine (48-0) def. Garrett Pepple (10) East Noble (43-2), dec. 4-0
113: Stevan Micic (11) Hanover Central (48-0) def. Zachary Davis (11) Penn (45-7), dec. 9-7
120: Deondre Wilson (11) Warren Central (38-0) def. Drew Hughes (9) Lowell (39-2), dec. 6-2
126: Nick Crume (12) Jimtown (38-0) def. Luke Welch (12) Castle (47-2), dec. 3-1 (OT)
132: Cody LeCount (11) Perry Meridian (40-0) def. Grant Martsolf (12) Mishawaka (40-7), tech fall 16-1
138: Tommy Forte (10) Mishawaka (46-0) def. Luke Blanton (12) Alexandria (51-1), dec. 12-7
145: Neal Molloy (12) Danville (43-0) def. Eli Walker (12) Yorktown (43-2), dec. 4-3
152: Josh Farrell (12) Greenfield-Central (48-0) def. Vinny Corsaro (11) Indianapolis Cathedral (46-4), dec. 3-2
160: Riley McClurg (12) Perry Meridian (37-3) def. Austin McCloskey (11) Western Boone (45-2), TB-1 2-1
170: Bobby Steveson (10) Merrillville (39-0) def. Riley Lefever (12) Carroll (Fort Wayne) (46-1), dec. 5-4
182: Matt Hurford (12) Culver Community (47-0) def. Jake Masengale (12) Perry Meridian (40-3), dec. 9-4
195: Mitch Sliga (12) Fishers (49-0) def. Jaylin Allen (12) South Bend Clay (45-8), pin 0:31
220: Gelen Robinson (11) Lake Central (49-0) def. Fletcher Miller (11) Kokomo (50-1), dec. 7-2
285: Donte Winfield (12) Perry Meridian (41-2) def. Joseph Garland (12) Rushville (39-4), dec. 5-1

Alexandria Blanton wins Ward E. Brown Mental Attitude Award
Following the state tournament, the IHSAA Executive Committee named Luke Blanton of Alexandria Monroe 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 honor of the IHSAA’s fourth commissioner (1976-1983) in 1985. 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.

Blanton finished as the 138-pound state runner-up following a four-year wrestling career in which has served as team captain for the last three seasons. He also lettered three years in football and captained the team as a junior.

He ranks eighth in his senior class with a 3.84 GPA while pursuing an Academic Honors Diploma. Blanton is a member of the National Honor Society, Athletes of Character, German Club, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (he’s also vice president) as well as the school’s 2012 Homecoming King.

The son of Calvin & Denise Blanton of Gaston and will attend Indiana University, where he’ll continue his wrestling career.