Sheridan’s Devyn Pewarski finished fourth at 135 pounds at the Kokomo girls wrestling regional on Saturday, Jan. 10 and qualified for this Friday’s IHSAA state finals. (Richie Hall)
By RICHIE HALL
Carmel’s Daniela Ramirez-Zarate will be making a return trip to the IHSAA state finals.
The senior 145-pounder advanced to state after a second-place finish at the Muncie Central regional on Saturday, Jan. 10. Ramirez-Zarate joins Hamilton Southeastern 120-pounder Lindsey Lannen as wrestlers from Hamilton County schools to advance to state.
Ramirez-Zarate had an easy time reaching the final, winning three matches by fall. She pinned Pendleton Heights’ Addy Niedbalski in 59 seconds for a first-round victory, then got second-period falls over Trtion Central’s Farah Coen in the quarterfinals and Alexandria’s Riley Thomas in the semifinals.
Ramirez-Zarate lost to Beech Grove’s Caitlynn Dibbern in the championship match; Dibbern got a fall midway during the first period. Ramirez-Zarate is 21-2 for the season.
Lannen advanced to the quarterfinals after receiving a first-round forfeit, then pinned Perry Meridian[‘s Valeria Velez in the first period of that match. Lannen took on Frankin Central’s Madison Mink in the semifinals and won a hard-fought 15-12 decision.
Lannen led 11-6 after the first period, but got nearfall points with 17 seconds left in the third period to lead 15-6. Those points helped Lannen hold off a furious comeback by Mink during the final seconds of the match.
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Sheridan’s Devyn Pewarski joined the state qualifier list, advancing from the Kokomo regional on Saturday, Jan. 10 by placing fourth at 135 pounds.
Pewarski won her first match by pinning Columbia City’s Avah Hyden in the second period. That sent her to the quarterfinals, where Pewarski earned a state ticket by defeating Logansport’s Jasmine Perez in a 9-4 decision.
After a scoreless first period, Pewarski started the second period in the down position. She earned an escape point, made a takedown for a 4-0 lead and maintained the lead for the remainder of the match.
Back-and-fourth bout
Pewarski wrestled Kokomo’s Ja’layia Williams in the semifinals in what had to be the wildest match of the day.
Williams went up 3-0 with the first takedown, but Pewarski got two penalty points, then reversed and scored four nearfall points before Williams escaped. That was all just in the first period, which finished with Pewarski ahead 8-4.
Pewarski began the second period on bottom and got two more penalty points. But Williams recovered and picked up four nearfall points, bringing her within 10-8 by the end of the period.
The third period started in the neutral position, and Williams quickly got a takedown and nearfall points to jump ahead 15-10. The two wrestlers traded reversals, then Pewarski made another reversal and got two nearfall points before time ran out. The final score: Williams won 17-16.
Pewarski lost the third-place match to Seeger’s Aubrey Bates by a 9-1 major decision. After receiving her ribbon, she reflected on the tournament.
“I’d day the main goal today was definitely, initially, just to qualify for state,” said Pewarski. “But then the matches keep going and it becomes advancement, advancement and just working as hard as you can.”
The state finals take place this Friday at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum.
