Northrop has a chance, and that’s all coach Tom Knudson can ask for as the 2011 girls track co-state champion Bruins should be in the mix for the team title again Friday at Indiana University in Bloomington.Warsaw senior Jared Brooks improved to 33-0, winning his first-round match at the IHSAA wrestling state finals Friday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Wrestling at 113 pounds, Brooks pinned Taylor Fee of New Palestine.
Brooks wasn’t the only area wrestler to win in the first round.
Hayden Lee of Garrett and Sawyer Miller of South Adams won matches at 106 pounds by decision. Lee (41-2) won 4-0 over Culver Academies’ Kayla Miracle, the first female in history to wrestle at the state finals.
Erique Early of Snider won at 120 pounds by decision. Fellow Panther Jared Wilson won by decision at 132 pounds.
Todd Batt (44-2) of South Adams won by pin in the same weight class.
East Noble’s Lucas Riecke won by decision at 138 pounds. Two wrestlers advanced at 145 pounds: Brooks Faurote of Bellmont via pin and Bluffton’s Phillip Gerber by decision. Faurote is 45-1.
North Side’s Anthony Linnear won at 170 pounds by decision.
Bellmont’s Brad Busse (182 pounds) won by decision and Ben Baker (195) advanced by pin. Baker improved to 44-2.
Seth Biberstine of Southern Wells improved to 47-0 with a victory at 220 pounds. He pinned Michael Nickson of Merrillville.
