February 18, 2012

Crown Point’s Jason Tsirtsis Makes History with Fourth State Title
Crown Point's Jason Tsirtsis made history on Saturday becoming the eighth individual in Indiana history to win four straight wrestling state championships at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Tsirtsis won all four of his matches in dominating fashion throughout the weekend including a 22-7 technical fall over Indianapolis Cathedral’s Vinny Corsaro in the 145 pound final. He joins his brother Alex who also won four state crowns while at Griffith from 2001-04.

Tsirtsis adds the 145 pound crown to his resume after winning at 125 pounds as a freshman, 130 as a sophomore and the 140 bracket last year. He owns a perfect 42-0 record this season, including a 170-2 career mark heading into Crown Point’s appearance in next weekend’s Team State Finals.

He was one of two Bulldogs to stand at the top of the awards stand along with 220 pound teammate Tyler Kral (41-2) who defeated South Bend Clay’s Joe Gallegos (45-3), 3-2.

Matching Crown Point’s haul was another Lake County school, Hanover Central, which saw Stevan Micic and Paul Petrov win two of the first three title matches of the evening.

Micic (47-0) defeated Nathan Boston (44-1) of Lawrence North in the 106 pound match, 5-1, while Paul Petrov (47-0) rallied to top Brenden Campbell (53-3) of New Castle at 120 pounds, 14-11.

Lake Central's Kyle Ayersman (52-0) earned his third straight championship winning the 126 pound class with a 1-0 decision over Cody LeCount (46-1) of Perry Meridian.

The 74th Annual IHSAA Individual Wrestling State Finals

Feb. 17-18, 2012
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

State Championship Match Results
106 – Stevan Micic 10 Hanover Central (47-0) def. Nathan Boston 10 Lawrence North (44-1), dec. 5-1.
113 – Jarred Brooks 12 Warsaw (35-0) def. Schuyler Phillips 11 Yorktown (47-2), dec. 18-6.
120 – Paul Petrov 12 Hanover Central (47-0) def. Brenden Campbell 12 New Castle (53-3), dec. 14-11.
126 – Kyle Ayersman 12 Lake Central (52-0) def. Cody LeCount 10 Perry Meridian (46-1), dec. 1-0.
132 – Jared McKinley 12 Perry Meridian (48-1) def. Todd Batt 12 South Adams (45-3), dec. 9-2.
138 – Devon Jackson 12 Yorktown (52-0) def. Josh Farrell 11 Greenfield-Central (39-4), major dec. 12-2.
145 – Jason Tsirtsis 12 Crown Point (42-0) def. Vincent Corsaro 10 Indianapolis Cathedral (35-4), tech. fall, 22-7.
152 – Isaiah Bradley 11 Muncie Southside (44-0) def. Luke Kriech 11 Franklin Community (35-6), dec. 2-1.
160 – Brian Harvey 12 Indianapolis Cathedral (47-0) def. Connor Robinson 12 New Palestine (39-9), major dec. 12-4.
170 – Sean Mappes 12 Center Grove (46-0) def. Jake Masengale 11 Perry Meridian (47-2), dec. 7-6.
182 – Tanner Lynde 12 Delphi (52-0) def. Lukas Schaeffer 12 Westfield (53-1), dec. 8-1.
195 – Mitch Sliga 11 Fishers (49-0) def. Kourtney Berry 12 Merrillville (32-1) Pin 3:20.
220 – Tyler Kral 12 Crown Point (41-2) def. Joe Gallegos 12 South Bend Clay (45-3), dec. 3-2.
285 – Abraham Hall 12 Bremen (50-0) def. Dominique Stauffer 12 Elkhart Central (38-2), dec. 3-1.

Bremen’s Abraham Hall wins Ward E. Brown Mental Attitude Award
Following the state tournament, the IHSAA Executive Committee named Abraham Hall of Bremen High School as the recipient of the Ward E. Brown Mental Attitude Award.

Hall ranks eighth in his senior class, was a junior and senior academic all-state selection, team captain and capped his senior season with the 285 pound state championship.

The son of Wade and Eileen Hall of Bremen, he plans to study political science at the University of Indianapolis.

Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, corporate sponsor of the IHSAA, presented a $1,000 scholarship to Bremen High School in the name of Hall.

The award is named in honor of the IHSAA’s fourth commissioner (1976-1983) in 1985. Recipients of the award must be nominated by their principal and coach and must excel in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability in the sport.

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 Midwest. VSN, which was on site on both Friday and Saturday, has captured thousands of images from this year’s State Finals and will have them ready for viewing and purchase beginning Monday.