Phone: 317-846-6601
Fax: 317-575-4244 Website:
www.ihsaa.org
____________________________________________________________________
February 16, 2008
HOWE, HARPER WIN THIRD STRAIGHT WRESTLING
CROWNS
Senior
Andrew Howe of Hanover Central and Mishawaka junior Josh Harper both won their third
consecutive state championship and six others finished as undefeated winners
during the 70th annual IHSAA Individual Wrestling State Finals at
Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
At 160 pounds,
Howe jumped out to an early lead on Union County sophomore Michael Duckworth
(41-4) and never looked back in a 22-9 victory completing a third straight
undefeated season (46-0) and finishing his prep career a sparkling 192-1. It
was his fourth straight appearance in a state championship match. He won the
152 crown last year at 48-0; finished 51-0 at 140 as a sophomore and 47-1 at
130 as a freshman. His only loss came in the 2005 state championship match.
Harper
(45-0) held off Hobart sophomore Francisco Porras (41-4), 3-2, to win the 125
pound crown. Harper, who also will wrestle at next weekend’s team state finals
with his Mishawaka teammates, won the 112 championship last year but suffered
the only defeat of his career a week later in the team competition to finish
41-1. He was 49-0 as a freshman at 103 in 2006.
Both became
the first three-time state champ in their school’s history.
Portage
sophomore Sean McMurray (33-4) avoided a reversal in the closing seconds of the
135 pound match and held on for a 4-3 upset of Hobart senior Eric Galka (43-3).
McMurray’s win spoiled Galka’s bid for a third championship in four years.
McMurray had placed seventh in the 112 division last year.
Floyd
Central senior Cooper Samuels and Perry Meridian senior Chico Adams both
finished their prep careers with a second straight state title. Samuels
finished 47-0 with a 7-0 victory over Northridge’s Drew Graber in the 171
final. Samuels was the 160 winner in 2007. Adams (53-0) got a takedown just
before the second period buzzer and the defending 285 pound champ held on for
another with his 3-2 victory over Winchester freshman Adam Chalfant.
Also
finishing unbeaten were: Indian Creek freshman Ethan Raley (33-0) at 103;
Hobart senior Brennan Cosgrove (43-0) at 145 pounds; New Palestine senior Kyle
Ulrey (46-0) at 152 and; Leo senior Justin Woods (33-0) at 215.
Raley
became the first Indian Creek wrestler to win a state championship with a 7-3
victory over Jay County’s Casey Kenney. It was Kenney’s first loss in 48
matches this season. Cosgrove had finished second each of the last two years
but took a 13-5 decision from Anderson Highland’s Sammy Bennett. Ulrey got a
takedown in the last 20 seconds to seal a 10-7 victory over Martinsville’s
Briar Runyan. Woods pinned defending 215 pound champ George Malone in the semis
and then defeated East Noble’s Derrick Shire in the final, 9-2.
The 112
pound final was a rematch from last season’s 103 championship won by Anderson
Highland’s Camden Eppert. Indianapolis Cathedral’s Brandon Wright turned the
tables this year, however, taking a 5-2 decision from Eppert to finish off his
sophomore season 44-2.
Hobart’s
three participants in the championship matches led all teams. Anderson
Highland, Crown Point and Mishawaka had two representatives each.
This year’s
two-day attendance drew 27,233 spectators.
70th Annual IHSAA Individual Wrestling State Finals
Feb. 15-16, 2008
Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
State Championship Match Results
103 – Ethan Raley, 9, Indian Creek (33-0) def. Casey Kenney,
11, Jay County (47-1), dec. 7-3.
112 – Brandon Wright, 10, Indianapolis Cathedral (44-2) def.
Camden Eppert, 11, Anderson Highland
(40-3), dec. 5-2.
119 – Christopher Quiroga, 11, Lawrence North (47-3) def. Alex
Weinzapfel, 12, Evansville Mater Dei
(22-2), dec. 12-6.
125 – Josh Harper, 11, Mishawaka (45-0) def. Francisco Porras,
10, Hobart (41-4), dec. 3-2.
130 – Tom Churchard, 12, Valparaiso (47-2) def. Eric Roach, 9, Crown Point (41-4), dec. 9-8.
135 – Sean McMurray, 10, Portage (33-4) def. Eric Galka, 12, Hobart (43-3), dec, 4-3.
140 – Steven Sandefer, 11, Mishawaka (43-2) def. Chris Mascaro,
12, Carmel (42-3), dec. 8-2.
145 – Brennan Cosgrove, 12, Hobart (43-0) def. Sammy Bennett, 10, Anderson Highland (39-5), dec. 13-5.
152 – Kyle Ulrey, 12, New Palestine (46-0) def. Briar Runyan,
11, Martinsville (38-2), dec. 10-7.
160 – Andrew Howe, 12, Hanover Central (46-0) def. Michael
Duckworth, 10, Union County (41-4), dec.
22-9.
171 – Cooper Samuels, 12, Floyd Central (47-0) def. Drew Graber,
11, Northridge (39-4), dec. 7-0.
189 – Stephen Stahl, 12, Elkhart Memorial (29-4) def. Marcus
Shrewsbury, 11, Crown Point (41-3), dec.
2-1.
215 – Justin Woods, 12, Leo (33-0) def. Derrick Shire, 12, East Noble (26-6), dec. 9-2.
285 – Chico Adams, 12, Perry Meridian (53-0) vs. Adam
Chalfant, 9, Winchester (43-2), dec.
3-2.
HOBART’S ERIC GALKA NAMED MENTAL ATTITUDE RECIPIENT
Members of
the IHSAA Executive Committee selected Eric Galka of Hobart High School as the winner of the 2007-08 Ward E.
Brown Mental Attitude Award for wrestling.
He currently ranks
twenty-third in his class of 264 students. He is a member of Future
Leaders of Amercia and the Varsity Letterman’s Club. Eric has volunteered
in his local community to help the food pantry and has also collected food to
assist the animal hospital. He is a member of the National Honor Society,
twice selected as the most valuable wrestler, and was named Academic All-State
in wrestling.
This season marks Eric’s
fourth trip to the state finals. As a freshman, Eric’s 47-0 season
culminated in a state championship at 103 pounds. He was a state
qualifier as a sophomore and finished 48-0 his junior year with state
championship at 130 pounds.
Eric becomes
Indiana Farm Bureau
Insurance, the IHSAA corporate sponsor, presented a $1,000.00 scholarship to
Hobart High School in the name of Eric Galka.
VSN MEANS ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY
Visit our
friends at Visual Sports Network, the
IHSAA’s official photographer for all state championship events and one of the
leading action photographers in the
CHAMPIONSHIP MERCHANDISE STILL AVAILABLE
For
t-shirts and other merchandise commemorating this year’s tournament or for any
of our events, visit our friends at Morris, Inc.
STATE FINALS PROGRAMS AVAILABLE
Couldn’t be
there for the state finals? You can still purchase a copy of the official
souvenir program while supplies last! Programs are $3.00 if you purchase in
person at the IHSAA Office (