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Wrestling: Ayersman leads Lake Central to victory at Harvest Classic
P-t Top 5
1. Crown Point
2. Merrillville
3. Portage
4. Lake Central
5. Chesterton
Wrestler
of the week
Kyle Ayersman,
Lake Central
The 126-pounder became the eighth wrestler to win four Harvest Classic titles, also earning the meet’s Most Outstanding Wrestler award.
Updated: December 3, 2011 11:56PM
ST. JOHN — When you’re already a two-time state champion, seeking to finish your high school career with a third, you have broader goals.
But that’s not to minimize Kyle Ayersman’s achievement at the Robert Emerick Harvest Classic on Saturday.
The Lake Central senior and Purdue recruit became the eighth four-time champion in the 31-year history of the event, in the process helping the host Indians to their first team championship since 2001.
Ayersman took his latest title with an 8-0 major decision against Hobart’s Aaron Ayala in the 126-pound final. He joins a veritable who’s-who list of four-time winners that also includes Griffith’s Alex Tsirtsis, Angel Escobedo and Andrae Hernandez; Hanover Central’s Andrew Howe; Hobart’s Eric Galka and Brennan Cosgrove; and East Chicago Central’s Billy Maldonado.
“It feels really good,” said Ayersman, also voted the meet’s Most Outstanding Wrestler by the coaches. “All those guys have accomplished something really special.
“I’m not in state condition, not in state shape right now. But I’ll be there soon.”
Said Indians coach Rod Wartman: “Hopefully it’s the beginning of a great senior year for Kyle. It’s not a final goal; it’s a beginning goal.”
Lake Central scored 244.5 points, easily outdistancing second-place Griffith with 188. McCutcheon (183.5), Hanover Central (175) and Hobart (154) rounded out the top five.
The Indians and Wildcats had three individual champions each, as did the Mavericks. The Brickies and Kingsmen had two apiece.
“We’ve always had some good wrestlers, but we couldn’t bring back the team,” said fifth-year LC coach Wartman, whose team placed 12 wrestlers in the top five on Saturday.
“Our goal since we took over was to bring back Lake Central as a team. That’s something we started to accomplish tonight. But it’s an early tournament, and there’s still a long way to go.”
Hanover Central sophomore Stevan Micic could be well on his way to joining Ayersman as a four-time Harvest champion, adding his second title in as many seasons. He pinned South Bend Washington’s Darnell Johnson in 3:04 — all four of his wins on Saturday came by pin — at 106 pounds.
Hanover senior Paul Petrov snagged his third title with an 11-4 decision against McCutcheon’s Seth Carithers at 120. Petrov, a Bucknell recruit who allowed just his second takedown of the season in the final, suffered his only Harvest loss to Ayersman as a freshman in a championship match.
“I’m happy I won — a win’s a win,” said Petrov, who recorded a pin in eight seconds — one of his three pins on the day — against Penn in his second match. “But I wish I would’ve wrestled for myself differently.”
Charlie Mavros gave the Wildcats their third title, pulling out a 4-2 overtime victory against Highland’s Mark Maldonado at 152 pounds, getting a takedown 12 seconds into OT.
Besides Ayersman, a pair of sophomores notched titles for Lake Central. Josh Vandas topped Calumet’s Alec Noworul 3-1 at 113 pounds, and Gelen Robinson broke through at 220 by pinning Lake Station’s Orlando Salas in 3:05.
“Gelen made a mark for himself as a tournament champion,” Wartman said.
For Hobart, freshman Scotty Sopko made his Harvest debut with a 160-pound title, beating McCutcheon’s Caleb Medrano 7-1; and Tony Rodriguez posted a 7-2 win against Penn’s Thomas Demel at 182.
Diego Perez secured the 195-pound title for Morton, rallying for a 5-3 win against Lake Central’s Isaac Popovich.
For McCutcheon, senior heavyweight Blake Ford won his third Harvest title in as many appearances, a forfeit victory against Morton’s Fabian Durant, who suffered an injury in his semifinal match; Alex Griffin pinned Lake Central’s Jake Sebahar in 1:04 at 145 pounds; and Ethan Dale scored a 15-4 major decision against South Bend Washington’s Michael Bates at 170 in the meet’s only final that did not include at least one region wrestler.
Penn won back-to-back titles at 132 pounds and 138, as Joey Mamolentti pinned Hobart’s Patrick Manning in 1:38, and Josh Curcio edged Griffith’s Jose Perez 8-6.
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