INDIANAPOLIS -- First, Anthony Hawkins celebrated by jumping into the arms of long-time Crown Point coach Scott Vlink -- "he doesn't like that at all," Hawkins said with a smile.
Next, he plans to continue the celebration by jumping out of an airplane with his father, Bill, something they agreed upon if he won.
Hawkins, a Bulldogs junior, edged Indianapolis Roncalli sophomore Josh Kieffer 2-1 in overtime to win the 112-pound state title, Crown Point's first state title since 1975, when Jonathon Maile won at 155.
And it wasn't Crown Point's last on Saturday night at Conseco Fieldhouse before a crowd of 10,033, as freshman 125-pounder Jason Tsirtsis and senior 189-pounder Marcus Shrewsbury also emerged as champions -- the Bulldogs had won two state titles in their history entering this weekend, according to IHSAA records.
In all, area wrestlers claimed five state titles, with Hobart junior 130-pounder Frankie Porras and Portage junior 152-pounder Sean McMurray -- in an all-region final, defeating Chesterton freshman Anthony Quiroz yet again -- also ascending to the top step of the podium, as McMurray added to his 135 crown from last season.
Hawkins pulled out his title, after placing fourth at 103 last season. After neither he nor Kieffer scored in the first OT, Hawkins escaped in the second. When Kieffer got his chance, he couldn't get away, with Hawkins narrowly preventing the escape.
"I was still on his leg,"said Hawkins, who improved to 42-0. "He got a little distance. Snag the legs, man."
Bill Hawkins was a state runner-up for the Bulldogs in 1990 at 152 pounds, breaking his nose in that match. Now Anthony has accomplished something his father didn't.
"I did it for him, everything for him," Anthony Hawkins said.
"It feels awesome. I'm glad I could do it for my dad. He means the whole world to me. I'm going to put it on a plaque so me and him can share it."
Hawkins also had a key match in the semifinals, defeating Lawrence North's Brandon Nelsen 8-6 on a takedown with seven seconds left. It has been a rivalry over the last two seasons, with Hawkins edging Nelsen 6-5 earlier this season at Calumet's Traicoff Invitational; last season, Hawkins lost to Nelsen 6-4 in the state meet's third-place match at 103, after having beaten him 6-2 at the Traicoff.
Tsirtsis made his final against Indianapolis Cathedral senior John Grey anticlimactic, dominating for an impressive 16-3 victory to push his record to 40-2.
"I love my brother (Alex, a four-time undefeated state champion at Griffith who is now at Iowa) and all, but it's what I wanted to do," Tsirtsis said. "This was my goal. It's great to follow in his footsteps -- they're tough to fill, it would be nice to fill them. But I just wanted to do it for myself. It's nice not to be called 'Little Alex' anymore. I want to make my own marks in history. It's overwhelming."
It was in the semifinals where Tsirtsis really won his title.
In one of the marquee matches of the tournament, he topped previously undefeated Lawrence North senior Cashe Quiroga 5-4, getting off to a fast start with a takedown 37 seconds into the match and going on to avenge one of his two losses. Tsirtsis had lost 3-2 to Quiroga, last season's 119-pound state champ and the runner-up at 112 in 2007, at the Traicoff earlier this season. Tsirtsis' only other loss this season came to Merrillville's Anthony Napules, 3-2 at team regionals, beating him three other times, including in a semistate final.
Tsirtsis said he was nervous in his first match against Quiroga, as a state champion with a long list of accomplishments, and was feeling things out. This time was a different situation, though.
"I just went out there and did what I could do," Tsirtsis said. "I wasn't nervous. I felt real confident."
Shrewsbury completed Crown Point's triumvirate, topping previously undefeated Northridge senior Drew Graber 6-3.
"Awesome," said Shrewsbury, 42-0 on the season. "It's surreal, man. All that work, all that time -- five seconds of glory with your hand raised, and it's more than that."
Shrewsbury was last season's runner-up at 189, breaking through this time against last season's 171 runner-up in Graber.
"It would've been awesome to win four state titles,"said Shrewsbury, who also placed seventh at 189 in 2007. "But being a runner-up your junior year, with one year to go, it makes it even better. You get a little taste and come up short. It pushes you, too."
Shrewsbury had come away with a tight victory in Saturday's semifinals, getting a takedown with 21 seconds left in overtime for a 6-4 victory over Indian Creek's Aaron Stevenson. The previously undefeated sophomore had taken a 4-3 lead on a takedown with 53 seconds left in the third period, before Shrewsbury escaped with 23 seconds.
"I just tried to wrestle how I've been wrestling all year," said Shrewsbury, a Northwestern recruit. "I had a little slip-up in my semis, but I kept my composure."
Porras was in control throughout his 4-1 victory over Indianapolis Pike senior D'Marcus Spencer. He was last season's runner-up at 125, losing 3-2 to Mishawaka's three-time state champion Josh Harper, making this title even sweeter. Spencer topped Harper, who lost 4-2 to Porras in a semistate final last weekend, 3-0 in Saturday's semifinals, preventing the Michigan State recruit from having a chance to become Indiana's eighth four-time state champ. Porras finished this season 40-1, with his only loss coming 10-5 to Quiroga at 125.
"It feels great," Porras said. "After last year, I put in so much work to get back here. I wanted to win so bad. To know all the work paid off is the best feeling in the world.
"I like to bring the match to them. I keep attacking so they can't do their offense."
McMurray defeated Quiroz 8-5, after he had upset Hobart's Eric Galka for last season's state title at 135. This season, he was the hunted, not the hunter, and responded throughout.
"Last year was nuts; this year was, I had to get the job done," said McMurray, who threw two fingers in the air, representing his two titles, and already "just can't wait for next year."
The 49-0 McMurray figured Quiroz wouldn't be able to outpoint him, so he focused on not doing anything "stupid" and getting caught with a big move in the intensity of the state finals setting. "I was just trying to wrestle smart," he said.
McMurray beat Quiroz four straight weekends -- in the finals of sectionals, regionals, semistate and now the state meet -- and five of the last six weekends, including the finals of the Duneland Conference meet.
McMurray's respect for Quiroz has grown. "He's a stud," he said. "He's getting better. I really congratulate him."
It was a remarkable run for Quiroz, the only freshman at 152 to make the state meet. And his record, with 12 losses, was deceiving, with most of them coming early in the season and with so many -- six in all -- to McMurray. Quiroz developed over the course of the season, opening up more to go along with his strong defense.
"In the beginning, I don't think anyone expected me to come as close as I did," said Quiroz, who avenged three of his losses, suffered two losses at 160 and two more at 140. "I watched film, I tried to correct my mistakes. I felt like I could be up there this year. But I'm glad I placed second as a freshman. My goal was just to place, so I overachieved. I left it all on the mat, I did all I could. I wanted to win. But congratulations to Sean McMurray."
Contact Michael Osipoff at 648-3137 or mosipoff@post-trib.com. Comment on this story at www.post-trib.com.
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