From IndianaMat.com

The 2009-10 wrestling season is almost upon us, and the crispness of the fall air will soon be turning into a cold and dreary Indiana winter. While it may be cold outside, wrestling rooms and gyms across the state will be heating up full of hard-working athletes beating each other up for the same goal: to wrestle under the lights at Conseco Fieldhouse. 

This year, 118 wrestlers return that have wrestled at Conseco, with 14 of them having experienced wrestling under the spotlight. The champions from last year face the formidable task of parading around with a bull’s eye on their back all season long. One by one, wrestlers across the state will try to knock off the returning champion – with very few, if any, succeeding. 

The wrestler with the biggest bull’s eye is probably Portage’s Sean McMurray. He recently committed to wrestle for Michigan State next year and is looking to bring home state title No. 3 this year to put him in some very elite company. 

Another returning champion to look out for is Union County’s Cody Phillips. He was undefeated en route to his 103-pound championship last year and looks to continue that streak this season.

Senior Brandon Wright, formerly of Indianapolis Cathedral but now wrestling for Warren Central, will be fun to watch. He has wrestled under the lights all three years but has only won once under them. He will look to close out his spectacular career with one last victory under the lights. 

Last year’s freshmen sensation, Jason Tsirtsis, will look to continue to follow in the enormous shadow his older brother left for him. Last year, Tsirtsis upended the hands-on favorite in the semifinals. This year, however, he will be the hands-on favorite.

Frankie Porras of Hobart is returning this year looking to defend his title from last year. He faced stiff competition all year long and came away with a title. 

Another Crown Point wrestler, Anthony Hawkins, is looking to capture his second straight title after coming away with the 112 championship in a loaded weight class last year. He will most likely have to beat some of the same faces this year that he did last year on his way to a championship. 

Last, but not least, is another Union County wrestler, Michael Duckworth. Duckworth is extremely talented and looks to close out his career with yet another title.

Here are the preseason rankings (listed by name, grade, school, state tournament experience, and notable wins/losses), preceded by a breakdown of significant returners from last year:

103
Fourteen state qualifiers return, including all of last year’s state placers. You can also add in Brenden Campbell of New Castle, who was undefeated before bowing out of the state tournament due to appendicitis. Returning champion Cody Phillips will look to not only defend his title but keep his unbeaten streak alive.

1. Cody Phillips 10 Union County 1st at 103 in '09 
2. Brenden Campbell 10 New Castle 
3. Dustin Kief 11 Franklin 2nd at 103 in '09 
4. Kyle Ayersman 10 Lake Central 3rd at 103 in '09 
5. Zach Stevens 12 Merrillville 4th at 103 in '09, SQ at 103 in '08 
6. Brian Kuhn 12 Evansville Reitz 5th at 103 in '09 
7. Cameron Halsted 10 Crown Point 7th at 103 in '09 
8. Brian Harvey 10 Indianapolis Cathedral 6th at 103 in '09 
9. Aurelio Medina 11 Munster 8th at 103 in '09 
10. Jared McKinley 10 Perry Meridian SQ at 103 in '09 
11. Dominique Price 11 Indianapolis Tech 
12. Dylan Hall 12 Evansville Harrison SQ at 103 in '09, SQ at 103 in '08 
13. Mason Todd 10 Pendleton Heights SQ at 103 in '09 
14. Jacob Boomsma 11 Bloomington South SQ at 103 in '09 
15. Jarred Brooks 10 Warsaw 
16. Paul Petrov 10 Hanover Central 
 
112 
Sixteen wrestlers return here that have previous experience at Conseco Fieldhouse. Included in the returners are the first- through seventh-place finishers from last year. Anthony Hawkins of Crown Point leads the way, but with the talent in this weight class, nothing is a given.

1. Anthony Hawkins 12 Crown Point 1st at 112 in '09, 4th at 103 in '08, SQ at 103 in '07 
2. Brandon Nelsen 12 Lawrence North 3rd at 112 in '09, 3rd at 103 in '08, 4th at 103 in '07 
3. Josh Kieffer 11 Roncalli 2nd at 112 in '09, 5th at 103 in '08 
4. Paul Beck 12 Mishawaka 7th at 103 in '08 
5. Alex Gregory 11 Penn 4th at 112 in '09 
6. Connor Mullins 10 New Castle 5th at 112 in '09 
7. Josh Julian 11 Lebanon 6th at 112 in '09 
8. Derick Fisher 12 Martinsville 7th at 112 in '09 
9. Devon Jackson 10 Yorktown SQ at 112 in '09 
10. Steven Ross 12 Concord SQ at 112 in '09 8th at 112 in '08 
11. Steve Gonzales 11 Delta SQ at 112 in '09 8th at 103 in '08 
12. Garth Simpson 11 Rochester SQ at 112 in '09 
13. Trevor Moody 10 Evansville Reitz SQ at 112 in '09 
14. Jacob Armantrout 12 Muncie South SQ at 112 in '09, SQ at 103 in '07 
15. Travis Barroquillo 11 Prairie Heights SQ at 103 in '08 
16. Cody Kendle 11 Pike Central SQ at 112 in '09 
 
119 
Eleven wrestlers with previous experience return to 119. Only four wrestlers return that placed at this weight last year, however. Brandon Wright is the consensus No. 1 after his arch-nemesis Camden Eppert graduated.

1. Brandon Wright 12 Warren Central 2nd at 119 in '09, 1st at 112 in '08, 2nd at 103 in '07 
2. Derek Bevans 12 Yorktown 6th at 119 in '09, 5th at 112 in '08, SQ at 112 in '07 
3. Justin Kieffer 11 Roncalli 7th at 119 in '09, 7th at 112 in '08 
4. Ethan Raley 11 Indian Creek SQ at 119 in '09, 1st at 103 in '08 
5. Danny Bradley 12 Knox 8th at 119 in '09 
6. John Petrov 12 Hanover Central SQ at 119 in '09, SQ at 112 in '08 
7. Jeff Stotridge 12 Charlestown SQ at 119 in '09 
8. Matt Milton 12 Center Grove 6th at 103 in '08 
9. Seve Duncan 12 Beech Grove SQ at 119 in '09 
10. Justin Fuller 12 Brownsburg SQ at 119 in '09 
11. Storm Cosby 12 Indianapolis Tech 
12. Jacob McCarthy 12 Mt. Vernon (Fortville) SQ at 103 in '08 
13. Jordan Jensen 11 Terre Haute South 
14. Matt Guerra 12 Mishawaka 
15. Alex Catron 11 New Castle 
16. Justin Eshelman 12 Pendleton Heights 
 
125 
Eleven wrestlers also return to 125 with experience at state, with five of them returning with medals from last year. Jason Tsirtsis of Crown Point is the returning champ looking for his second title.

1. Jason Tsirtsis 10 Crown Point 1st at 125 in '09 
2. Mason Berryman 12 Anderson Highland 4th at 125 in '09 
3. Tony Lovejoy 12 Fort Wayne Luers 5th at 125 in '09, 7th at 119 in '08 
4. Anthony Napules 12 Merrillville SQ at 125 in '09, 4th at 119 in '08 
5. Andrew Heistand 11 Yorktown 6th at 125 in '09 
6. Daniel Rothgeb 12 Whitko 8th at 125 in '09 
7. Tyler Clark 12 South Dearborn SQ at 125 in '09, SQ at 119 in '08 
8. Tim Martin 12 New Albany SQ at 125 in '09 
9. Blake Rueger 10 Evansville Reitz SQ at 125 in '09 
10. Nick Schrader 12 Mishawaka SQ at 125 in '09 
11. Cole Van Horn 11 Franklin SQ at 125 in '09 
12. Zach Henderson 11 Evansville Mater Dei 
13. Luis Acuna 11 Portage 
14. Cameryn Brady 12 Lowell 
15. Joe Kieffer 10 Roncalli 
16. Kirk Johnson 10 Perry Meridian 
 
130
An amazing 14 wrestlers return to 130 with state experience this season. Only three, however, have wrestled on Saturday. Defending champion Frankie Porras of Hobart will look to continue the strong Brickie wrestling tradition with his second title this season.

1. Frankie Porras 12 Hobart 1st at 130 in '09, 2nd at 125 in '08, SQ at 119 in '07 
2. Brannigan Barlow 12 Bloomington South SQ at 130 in '09 
3. Brock Norton 12 Carroll (Fort Wayne) 3rd at 130 in '09 
4. Quincy Richey 10 Brown County 8th at 130 in '09 
5. Zach Thornton 12 Chesterton SQ at 130 in '09 
6. Michael Lovitt 12 Noblesville 
7. Nathan McTigue 12 Delphi SQ at 130 in '09 
8. Dallas Schurg 12 Crown Point SQ at 112 in '08 
9. Cody Fellers 12 New Castle SQ at 130 in '09 
10. Josh Ehr 11 South Adams SQ at 130 in '09, SQ at 112 in '08 
11. Jared Schwartz 10 Adams Central SQ at 130 in '09 
12. Quaye Bealmer 12 Tri-West Hendricks SQ at 125 in '08, SQ at 112 in '07 
13. Jordan Legan 12 Center Grove SQ at 119 in '08 
14. Jimmy LaRowe 12 East Noble SQ at 103 in '07 
15. Austin Shepherd 11 Western SQ at 112 in '08 
16. Evan Weinzapfel 11 Evansville Mater Dei 
 
135
Only three previous state qualifiers return to this weight class. Gone is defending champion Taylor March of East Noble. The highest returning placer and preseason No. 1 is Eric Roach of Crown Point.

1. Eric Roach 11 Crown Point 4th at 135 in '09, 2nd at 130 in '08 
2. Doug Welch 11 Castle 5th at 135 in '09 
3. Owen Dorris 11 Pioneer SQ at 135 in '09 
4. Paul Manbu-Thompson 12 Warsaw 
5. Ben Sokol 12 Penn 
6. Jeremy Hill 12 Jimtown 
7. Chase Lewandowski 12 Plymouth 
8. Jeremy Salyers 12 Edgewood 
9. Adam Weinzapfel 11 Evansville Mater Dei 
10. Matt Rassbach 12 Avon 
11. Hayden Buck 12 Tri-Central 
12. Brayden Alley 12 Hamilton Heights 
 
140
Ten wrestlers return with previous state experience at 140, with four of them returning state placers. Gone, however, is two-time champion Steven Sandefer of Mishawaka. Leading the way this year is Ryan Stahl, who now attends Mishawaka.

1. Ryan Stahl 12 Mishawaka 2nd at 140 in '09, SQ at 112 in '07 
2. John Sims 11 Evansville Mater Dei 4th at 140 in '09, 6th at 125 in '08 
3. Alex Surma 12 Munster 6th at 140 in '09 
4. Jacob Tonte 12 Perry Meridian 8th at 140 in '09, 7th at 103 in '07 
5. Chad Welch 11 Castle SQ at 140 in '09, SQ at 135 in '08 
6. Josh Martin 12 Randolph Southern SQ at 140 in '09 
7. Tanner Lynde 10 Delphi SQ at 140 in '09 
8. Justin Beck 12 Leo SQ at 140 in '09 
9. Bryce Schendel 12 Garrett SQ at 135 in '08 
10. Josh Flamme 11 Crown Point 
11. J.R. Corman 12 New Palestine SQ at 135 in '08 
12. Justin Pore 12 Tipton 
13. Dustin Schultz 12 Kankakee Valley 
14. Caleb Smith 12 Princeton 
15. Nathan Witlow 12 Southmont 
16. Jon Decker 10 Warren Central 
 
145
Five wrestlers return to 145 with previous experience at state. Three of them brought home medals last year. Culver Academies’ first state champion, Daniel Young, has graduated, opening the door for preseason No. 1 Sammy Bennett of Anderson Highland.

1. Sammy Bennet 12 Anderson Highland 3rd at 145 in '09, 2nd at 145 in '08, SQ at 140 in '07 
2. Zach Corpe 12 Elkhart Memorial 5th at 145 in '09 
3. Dalton Sparks 12 Peru 6th at 145 in '09 
4. Alex White 12 Mishawaka SQ at 145 in '09 
5. Phalen Montgomery 11 Terre Haute South SQ at 145 in '09 
6. Patrick Robinson 12 Hamilton Southeastern 
7. Marcus Waddell 12 Columbus North 
8. Curtis Anderson 11 Carmel 
9. Sean Mappes 10 Center Grove 
10. Ryley Hankenson 11 Bellmont 
11. Pat Davenport 12 Penn 
12. Tom Renn 11 Crown Point 
 
152
Five returning wrestlers are at 152, including four returning placers. Leading the way is two-time champion Sean McMurray of Portage.

1. Sean McMurray 12 Portage 1st at 152 in '09, 1st at 135 in '08, 7th at 112 in '07 
2. Anthony Quiroz 10 Chesterton 2nd at 152 in '09 
3. Drake Stein 11 Princeton 8th at 152 in '09 
4. Jeff Weiss 12 Heritage Hills 7th at 152 in '09 
5. Holden Fudurich 12 Sullivan SQ at 152 in '09 
6. Joey Juliano 11 Mooresville 
7. Zac McCray 12 Garrett 
8. Ryan Kolb 12 Tri-West Hendricks 
9. Trey Reese 11 Indian Creek 
10. Jake Jennings 12 New Palestine 
11. Connor Lefever 11 Carroll (Fort Wayne)
12. Nick Hill 12 Gary West
 
160
Nine wrestlers come back to 160 with experience at Conseco Fieldhouse. Of those wrestlers, only one has some hardware to show for his experience. Gone are seven of the eight placers from last year, including state champion Briar Runyan of Martinsville. Tyler Willis of Indianapolis Cathedral is the preseason No. 1 after a seventh-place finish last year.

1. Tyler Willis 10 Indianapolis Cathedral 7th at 160 in '09 
2. Anthony Bill 12 Indianapolis Chatard SQ at 160 in '09 
3. Jackson Bratcher 11 Eastbrook SQ at 160 in '09 
4. Richard Morin 12 Mishawaka SQ at 160 in '09 
5. Cory Weikel 12 Castle SQ at 160 in '09 
6. Terry Terrell 12 Bloomington South SQ at 160 in '09 
7. Jordan Hamilton 12 Churubusco SQ at 160 in '09 
8. Cheney Dale 12 McCutcheon SQ at 160 in '09 
9. Chris Hines 12 Ben Davis SQ at 152 in '08, SQ at 145 in '07 
10. Trent Castner 12 Yorktown 
11. Von Wassen 12 New Castle 
12. Jacob Felser 12 South Dearborn 
13. Malcolm White 12 South Bend Washington 
14. Jimmy Krause 12 Knox 
 
171
Six wrestlers return to 171 with previous state experience, but only two of them have placed previously. Defending champion Michael Duckworth of Union County returns in hopes of capturing his second straight title.

1. Michael Duckworth 12 Union County 1st at 171 in '09, 2nd at 160 in '08 
2. Braden Atwood 12 Delphi 5th at 171 in '09, 4th at 160 in '08 
3. Cameron Vlahos 12 Harrison (West Lafayette) SQ at 152 in '08 
4. Kevin Moats 12 Tipton SQ at 171 in '09 
5. Cole Brandt 12 Avon SQ at 171 in '09 
6. Michael Smith 11 North Central (Indianapolis) SQ at 171 in '09 
7. Kourtney Berry 10 Merrillville 
8. Ryne Bell 12 South Newton 
9. Caleb Browner 12 Jeffersonville 
10. Jordan Robinson 11 Perry Meridian 
11. Garrett Goldman 11 Bloomington North 
12. Mike Phelps 12 New Palestine 
13. Scott Moore 12 Fountain Central 
14. Robert Molebash 12 Culver Community 
15. Aaron King 12 Portage 
16. Jesse Ford 12 Greencastle 
 
189
Four wrestlers return to 189 this year with state experience. Last year’s champion, Marcus Shrewsbury of Crown Point, has graduated and moved on to wrestling in the Big 10. Two of the returning placers have come home with medals, including preseason No. 1 Aaron Stevenson of Indian Creek.

1. Aaron Stevenson 11 Indian Creek 3rd at 189 in '09 
2. Michael Johnson-Jones 12 Warren Central 7th at 189 in '09, SQ at 189 in '08 
3. Darren Eads 12 Bloomington South SQ at 189 in '09 
4. Todd Hacker 12 Mooresville 
5. Darryn Scott 12 Marion SQ at 189 in '09 
6. Andre Richards 10 Perry Meridian 
7. Timmy Buckingham 12 South Bend Riley 
8. Nathan Fowler 12 Calumet 
9. Brock Vermillion 11 Plymouth 
10. Jeremy Wengel 12 Merrillville 
11. Arthur Wright 12 Indianapolis Tech 
12. Patrick Price 12 North Posey 
13. Jeff Fentress 12 Evansville Reitz 
14. Jarrett Brownfield 12 Columbus North 
15. Travis Thatcher 11 Bellmont 
16. Alex Rosebrock 12 Castle 
 
215
Only three wrestlers return to 215 with previous experience, but all three are returning placers. Gone is last year’s champion Billy Baker of Bellmont, but his opponent in the finals last year is back. Christian Lentz of Mishawaka is the preseason No. 1 after a second-place finish last year.

1. Christian Lentz 12 Mishawaka 2nd at 215 in '09 
2. Nathan Cleveland 12 Lowell 3rd at 215 in '09 
3. Dylan Green 12 Kokomo 8th at 215 in '09 
4. Vlade Nacovski 12 Lake Central 
5. Ryan Sandwith 11 Evansville Memorial 
6. Jake Buchanan 12 Indianapolis Cathedral 
7. Eric McDaniel 12 South Bend Washington 
8. Curtis Vice 12 Lafayette Jefferson 
9. Dylan Froehlich 12 Tell City 
10. Joe Peco 12 Hobart 
11. Tyler Jenkins 12 Jasper 
12. Ron Forman 12 South Dearborn 
13. Jacob VanDeventer 12 Bloomington North 
14. Kyle Schneider 12 Southridge 
15. Jessie Boley 12 Lebanon 
16. Zach Wimpelberg 12 Evansville Reitz 
 
Heavyweight
Seven wrestlers return to the heavyweight division with experience at Conseco. Only one of those wrestlers came away with a medal from last year’s experience, however. Gone is champion Adam Chalfant of Winamac. The highest returning placer and preseason No. 1 is James Travis of Merrillville.

1. James Travis 12 Merrillville 5th at 285 in '09 
2. Travis Thomas 12 Mishawaka SQ at 285 in '09 
3. Ross Janney 12 Yorktown SQ at 285 in '09 
4. Dylan McBride 12 Crawfordsville SQ at 285 in '09 
5. Rodney Quicksall 12 Lawrenceburg SQ at 285 in '09 
6. Jim West 12 South Adams SQ at 285 in '09 
7. Daniel Meyer 11 Bellmont SQ at 285 in '09 
8. Pablo Auces 12 South Bend Riley 
9. Alex Boatright 11 Chesterton 
10. Zack VanDeman 12 Whiteland 
11. Ben Jackson 12 Milan 
12. Tyler Daugherty 12 Castle 
13. Caleb Miller 12 North Vermillion 
14. Taylor Hoke 12 New Albany 
15. Damon Howe 11 Plymouth 
16. James Caum 12 Jennings County