By Chris Parker & Zach Mason
Seneca finished runner-up at the Class 1 State Wrestling Tournament to a historically dominant Whitfield team.
The Indians scored 124 points to Whitfield’s 240 points for the team championship.
“We’re taking home seven medals and a second-place finish and it’s not because of a lack of effort. Everybody’s match matters and every kid wrestled well,” Seneca head coach Jeff Sill said.
Seneca placed three wrestlers in the finals with Levi Connelly (106), Dayton Fields (160) and Kale Schrader (195). All three finished second. In addition, Dalton Hembree (3rd at 138 pounds), Max Roark (4th at 132 pounds), Cole Hatfield (5th at 160 pounds) and Jordan Ishimura (5th at 170 pounds) also placed for the Indians.
Only Roark and Ishimura graduated from that group, which gives the Indians high hopes going into next year.
“We return a lot of experience,” Sill said. “They just need to figure out how to get back here and how to win that final match.”
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Buffalo’s Smith, Warsaw’s Estes fall in title bouts
Buffalo’s Ethan Smith was unable to defend his state title from a year ago as he fell 6-1 to Whitfield’s Jeffrey Ditter in the 132-pound final.
Kolby Estes made it to the finals for the second year in a row and came away with second place again this season. The Warsaw junior fell in a close 6-5 decision to Lawson’s Tyler Ross at 145 pounds.
