The Columbus East wrestlers celebrate their eighth consecutive regional title Saturday at Jeffersonville.
Submitted photo
JEFFERSONVILLE — Columbus East captured its eighth consecutive regional wrestling championship Saturday at Jeffersonville.
The Olympians racked up 168.5 points to 140 for runner-up Franklin and 130.5 for third-place Columbus North. Jennings County finished sixth with 55 points.
East had 10 wrestlers at regional, and all 10 advanced to Saturday’s Evansville Semistate with top-four finishes. Talon Jessup (106 pounds), Caleb Cooper (144), Nate Anderson (150) and Tyler Lake (175) won their respective weight classes.
The Olympians’ Ethan Poling (113) and Gage Rutan (126) each finished second. Caleb Kirkpatrick (138), Lincoln Cooper (157), and Colin McMahon (190) all took third and Clayton Miller (165) was fourth.
Cohen Long
Justice Thornton
Asher Ratliff
The Bull Dogs advanced nine wrestlers to semistate, including victors Cohen Long (132), Justice Thornton (138) and Asher Ratliff (157). Ratliff set the school records for takedowns and now has 124 for the season.
North’s Keller DeSpain (175) finished second. Luke Spurgeon (150) and Evan Saevre (165) each took third; and Nolan Riley (106), Josiah Green (144) and Jose Ramirez (190) all were fourth.
Four Jennings wrestlers qualified. Luke Kirchner (120), Lane Kirchner (138) and Xavior Gindhart (215) all placed second, and Kamron Carney (285) finished fourth.
