Wrestling: Lake Central’s Kyle Ayersman wins third straight crown

Updated: February 18, 2012 10:56PM

INDIANAPOLIS — No overtime was necessary this time.

Lake Central senior 126-pounder Kyle Ayersman won his third straight state title Saturday, becoming the 25th wrestler with that total.

Hanover Central senior 120-pounder Paul Petrov (47-0), Hanover sophomore 106-pounder Stevan Micic (47-0), and Crown Point senior 220-pounder Tyler Kral (41-2) also won state titles at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Merrillville senior 195-pounder Kourtney Berry (32-1) was a runner-up.

Ayersman (52-0) beat Perry Meridian sophomore Cody LeCount (46-1) 1-0 on an escape 14 seconds into the third period, for his second consecutive undefeated championship. As a sophomore, he won the 112-pound title with a 2-0 overtime win against Mishawaka’s Paul Beck. And as a junior, he won the 119 title with a 10-8 OT win against New Castle’s Brenden Campbell.

“I was thinking, ‘We just won in regulation. We just went six minutes,’” Ayersman said. “That was great.”

Ayersman, a Purdue recruit, ends his high school career with a 193-2 record. His only losses came in the 103 state semifinals, also in overtime, when he placed third as a freshman; and 2-1 to Beck at Mishawaka’s Al Smith Invitational as a sophomore — a loss he reversed two times over that season, in a semistate final as well as the state final.

“Three state championships, it’s just a great job,” Ayersman said. “It would’ve been nice to have won four. But I learned from my mistake. It helped me get No. 3.”

It was a banner night for Hanover, with two state titles. And it was particularly emotional and special for the Wildcats, after the death of beloved and respected assistant coach John Willems during the season. Willems figured prominently in the heart and mind of both Petrov and Micic.

Petrov downed New Castle senior Campbell (53-3) 14-11 in a scintillating, high-paced match. He rallied from a 9-5 second-period deficit to snag his much-coveted title, after he placed fourth at 112 last season and was the runner-up at 103 in 2010.

Petrov said Willems had told him to “burn it in your mind” in regard to the previous state meet losses. And Willems also had told Petrov this was his year — and it was indeed.

“I’ve wanted to win a title since I was a freshman, even before that. ... It’s about time,” Petrov said.

In the semifinals, Petrov came up with a huge second-period pin against previously undefeated Pendleton Heights senior Mason Todd, who had edged Petrov 3-2 in last season’s semifinals on his way to a title.

“I knew if I could beat him, I had to win it,” said Petrov, a Bucknell recruit who is the youngest of three outstanding wrestling brothers, following in the footsteps of George (also an assistant coach) and John (who was in the stands), with proud father Nick the team’s coach. “It’s all been a great experience.”

Micic topped Lawrence North sophomore Nathan Boston (44-1) 6-4, avenging a 5-3 loss from last season’s 103-pound semifinals. Micic, who placed third last season, handed last season’s 103 champion his first high school loss.

“It feels really, really good,” Micic said. “I’ve put so much effort into this. This was my goal last year. .... I had to use it as fuel.

“There was nothing to lose — I already lost to him last year. I was supposed to lose — that’s what everyone said.”

Kral held on for a 3-2 win against South Bend Clay senior Joe Gallegos (45-3), after Kral had lost a 3-1 decision to Gallegos on a questioned takedown at the end of overtime in last weekend’s semistate final.

“It’s not so much I want to call it revenge, it’s just losing sucks,” said Kral, who placed third at 215 last season. “I hate it. I’m back here and I got another shot. This time I came out on top.”

In the semifinals, Kral had beaten Lake Central sophomore Gelen Robinson 6-1 in a disputed match, Kral’s fourth victory in five matches this season against Robinson, including 1-0 in last weekend’s semistate semifinals. Leading 1-0 on Saturday, Robinson initially was ruled to have thrown Kral for a takedown and back points for a 5-0 lead near the end of the second period, before the officials conferred and no additional points were awarded. Kral then got a third-period escape to tie the score at 1-1, then a takedown and back points late for the 6-1 win.

“Gelen’s a tremendous athlete,” said Kral, who in the quarters had handed Jennings County’s Iyan Bass his only loss of the season. “To wrestle someone five times in one season, it’s ridiculous. Going 4-1 against him, that’s pretty good — you can’t win them all. I just kept wrestling. I blocked everything else out.”

Fishers junior Mitch Sliga (49-0) pinned Berry at 3:20. Berry, who had beaten previously undefeated Dane Maurer of Evansville Mater Dei in the semifinals, suffered a total of two losses in his final two seasons; he dropped a 1-0 decision in last season’s quarterfinals to the eventual 189-pound champion, before placing fifth. Sliga had placed third at 189 in each of his first two seasons.

“I didn’t know where I was,” Berry — who has been wrestling all season with a torn right ACL, wearing a bulky brace, and was scheduled to have Donald Shelbourne perform surgery on Monday in Indianapolis — said of the pin. “I didn’t hear my coaches, I didn’t hear the crowd, I didn’t know what was going on until the ref’s hand hit the mat.

“I feel like I did my best. I worked hard. Even though I didn’t win a state title these last two years, I feel like it paid off.”

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