For The Daily Journal
EVANSVILLE
Center Grove wrestler Gleason Mappes is no stranger to the state competition.
Mappes just qualified for the third time, but this year will be the first time bringing along his teammates.
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryThe sixth-ranked Mappes will be heading to Indianapolis with three other teammates who qualified for state. He earned his first semistate championship of his career and helped the Trojans place fifth overall.
“As a team, I think we did great,” Mappes said. “The past two years, I’ve went to state by myself, and that was cool to be able to get experience at state, but it’s not the same as having teammates with you.”
Mappes began the day with a pin over Korde Weber of North Knox at 160 pounds before wrestling his way into state with another pin against Floyd Central’s Devon Strikes. Mappes then beat Decatur Central’s Jaylen Adkins 5-0 in the semifinals before squaring off against No. 14 Ethan Stock from Monrovia in a 9-2 championship match win.
Alex Petro (113) defeated Camden Rose of Greensburg in the ticket round to advance to state, but lost in the semifinal round to No. 9 Seth Horty from Evansville Memorial. Petro won his third-place match against No. 17 Kane Egli of Evansville Mater Dei.
Eighth-ranked Logan Coyle (145) will make his first trip to the state finals after advancing the championship round to compete against Brownsburg’s No. 1 Brayton Lee. Lee pinned Coyle, who walked away with a second-place finish.
No. 14 Jonah Hays (170), who is the third Hays brother to wrestle for Center Grove, beat West Vigo’s Joe Creasey in the ticket round before falling to No. 18 Eli Stock from Monrovia in the semifinals. Hays placed fourth after losing in the consolation round, as well.
Center Grove’s Peyton Pruett (126) and Cory Heinrichs (285) lost in the ticket round, both by one point.
Franklin brought two wrestlers, who both placed second. No. 1-ranked Burk VanHorn (170) beat No. 12 Aaron Mosley of New Albany 5-3 in the ticket round and ended up losing to No. 18 Eli Stock from Monrovia for his second-place finish. No. 14 Jake Moore (182) had to get past No. 18-ranked Jeremy McKinley of Tecumseh before losing to No. 1 Nathan Walton from Brownsburg.
“They wrestled hard all day,” Franklin coach Bob Hasseman said. “The top four guys in 170 and 182 are out of our regional. A lot of the guys in our regional are pretty good, which is why I only have two here.”
Indian Creek brought three wrestlers to the semistate and advanced Alex Mosconi (120) to the state competition after he placed second. Mosconi lost 4-2 in the championship round to No. 3 Cayden Rooks of Columbus East.
No. 8 Grant Goforth (195 pounds) won his first match but fell to Southridge’s Jack Michel in the ticket round. Tony Mosconi (145) lost in the first round.
No. 7-ranked Ryan Hammond (195) from Whiteland injured his knee in the ticket round and was unable to advance to the state competition, which will be held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Friday and Saturday.
