PENDLETON — The Pendleton Heights girls wrestling program is no stranger to success in the Indiana High School Girls Wrestling state tournament series.
Last year, the Arabians sent one competitor to the state finals. Now, this year, after sending eight wrestlers through the regional round to semi-state they’ll have an opportunity to one-up that mark.
In Saturday’s IHSGW Regional at Pendleton Heights, the Arabians dominated their home floor to claim the team title by more than 30 points, had six wrestlers advance to the championship round, and won four individual titles.
Pendleton Heights’ 139 points bested runner-up Noblesville (101) who was the only other team in the field to exceed the 100-point mark.
Rounding out the team scores were North Central (83), Bishop Chatard (67), Hamilton Heights (65), Lawrence Central (65), Alexandria Monroe (55), Lapel (42), Lawrence North (28), Tipton (18), Anderson (17), Frankton (16) and Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory (14).
Leading the way to the Arabians 38-point win were four individual champions.
At 125 pounds, Claire Bowman won both her semifinal and championship matches by fall in less than two minutes. She defeated Noblesville’s Sophia Teitsma in 1:54 and then pinned Bishop Chatard’s Andie Adams in 1:21.
Maddie Marsh followed Bowman with a pair of quick pins as well to claim her individual title.
In the semifinal round, Marsh bested North Central’s Paw Paw Htoo in 1:44 and in the championship match defeated Lawrence Central’s Samarrah Swannigan by fall in 1:08.
Helen Wrin defeated three opponents to claim the 145-pound title.
In the quarterfinals, Wrin beat Lawrence Central’s Carlee Wilson by fall, in the semifinals defeated Tipton’s Emersyn Adkins by decision 10-9, and beat Bishop Chatard’s Mackenzie Geise by fall in the championship match.
The Arabians final champion came at 235 pounds. In her lone match, Lillien Faircloth won by fall over Noblesville’s Ruth Tobar.
Placing in the top four and advancing to semistate along with the four champions were Savannah Cope, Gabriela McKinney, Julia Heatherly and Kalli Stock.
At 130 pounds, Cope pinned her first two opponents before falling to Noblesville’s Kyra Tomlinson in the first-place match.
McKinney advanced to the 140-pound championship with a 12-second win by fall over Hamilton Heights’ Morgan Moe before being defeated by Noblesville’s Evangeline Howard in the title match.
Stock, who advanced to last year’s IHSGW state finals, won in sudden victory over North Central’s Kayla Willims in the 190-pound third-place match, and Heatherly defeated North Central’s Desalee Poe by fall in the 115-pound third-place match.
Qiao Angermeier rounded out the Pendleton Heights placements with a fifth-place finish at 125 pounds.
The Arabians weren’t the only South Madison County school to find success at the regional.
Lapel had an individual champion of its own and advanced both of its competitors onto semistate.
Paige Stires, who competed in last year’s IHSGW state finals, defeated both of her opponents by fall to win the 120-pound title.
In the semifinal she won by fall over Noblesville’s Jordan Stevens, and in the first-place match, won by fall over Bishop Chatard’s Jillian Donnelly.
At 170 pounds, Allyson Miller bested North Central’s Douaa Mountassar by fall to advance to the finals before falling to Lawrence Central’s Janiyah Brogan.
Pendleton Heights and Lapel will compete in the Muncie Central Semi-State on Friday.