(LEFT) Gary Myers watches a sectional match. Myers started girls wrestling in Indiana; the Huskies hosted the first IHSGW state tournament in 2017. (RIGHT) Hamilton Heights girls wrestling coach Markaela Pugh was one of the first state champions in 2017. Pugh agrees that seeing the Huskies host an IHSAA-sanctioned sectional is “a full-circle moment.” (Richie Hall)
By RICHIE HALL
Hamilton Heights made history on Friday, Jan. 2, becoming the first Hamilton County school to host an IHSAA-sanctioned post-season event.
The Huskies’ gym was one of 16 sectional sites across Indiana, where champions were crowned and the top four in each weight class earned places at this weekend’s regional tournaments.
One of the people watching was Gary Myers. The longtime Heights boys coach was the man that started girls wrestling in Indiana. The Huskies hosted the first Indiana High School Girls Wrestling (IHSGW) state tournament in 2017.
Myers said there were 87 girls wrestling in that first state championship, comparing that to the 90 girls that competed at this year’s Hamilton Heights sectional. “Just one sectional covers what we used to have 10 years ago for the whole state,” he said.
Myers pointed out that there are 2,700 girls registered to wrestle in Indiana through the IHSAA, calling the growth “unbelievable.”
“Tell me it’s not the fastest-growing sport in America,” he said.
The Heights sectional was a full-circle moment for not just Myers, but for one of the first-ever state champions. Huskies coach Markaela Pugh was the 106-pound champion in that inaugural IHSGW state tournament, winning state as a freshman back in 2017.
Pugh and her assistants were cheering and coaching throughout the day, sending four Heights girls on to the regional at Kokomo, which takes place on Saturday.
“It’s awesome,” said Pugh, who agreed that it was “a full-circle moment.”
“I get to see it from a different perspective now, in the coaches’ corner, which is super exciting,” said Pugh. “Sometimes I get so into it, I feel like I’m wrestling myself, so that’s super awesome and fun to enjoy.”
Pugh earned four state medals before graduating from Hamilton Heights in 2020; winning the Mental Attitude Award her senior year. She went on to wrestle at Indiana Tech before coming home to coach the Huskies.
Pugh said that being a young coach helps, “because I can definitely relate to them. We build a sisterhood, so being close in age helps our bond build.”
