KOKOMO — For Pendleton Heights freshman Maddie Marsh, Friday’s eighth annual Indiana High School Girls Wrestling state finals couldn’t have gone any better.
To win the first IHSGW state title in school history, the No. 1-ranked wrestler in the 135-pound weight class proved why by steamrolling her competition at Kokomo’s Memorial Gymnasium.
As the top-seeded wrestler in the weight class, Marsh began her day with a second-period win by fall over Wawasee’s Kenidi Nine.
In her quarterfinal and semifinal matches, she got even better.
While her first-round pin took until the second period, her next two wins came even quicker.
To guarantee a top-four spot, Marsh pinned Columbia City’s Alexes Spaulding in 1:31, and then to secure a spot in the championship, she pinned Jay County’s Lina Lingo in just 1:13.
Marsh’s championship meeting came against returning state finalist Katy Vardaman of Homestead.
This time, she couldn’t get the pin, but still was able to control the match.
First- and second-period takedowns, and an escape early in the third period, helped Marsh grab a 5-0 lead. A Vardaman takedown made things 5-2, but to cap her
championship-winning season, Marsh responded with another takedown of her own to seal the 7-2 win by decision.
Marsh capped a season in which she won the Lebanon girls invitational along with regional, semistate and state titles.
Along with Marsh, Lapel sophomore Paige Stires competed in Friday’s tournament. The trip to the state finals was her second after advancing as a freshman a season ago.
After grabbing an early 2-0 lead, Stires dropped an 8-2 match by decision to West Central’s Tia Peter in the opening round of the 120-pound bracket.
She ended her season with a 15-4 record.
