Columbus East High School

The Orange Pit saw plenty of intensity Thursday night as the Columbus East girls wrestling team hosted Bloomington South in a dual that came down to a deadlock on the scoreboard. After both squads finished the evening tied, the final outcome rested on criteria — but the night ultimately ended with East choosing sportsmanship over technicalities in a close, competitive battle. Columbus East and Bloomington South each walked away with a 36–36 split, but the Olympians elected to tip the result toward the Panthers. The decision followed a pair of respectful gestures from Bloomington South earlier in the evening, including allowing East’s lone senior, Luci Morales — sidelined for the season with an injury — to be honored with a forfeit on Senior Night. Later, the Panthers bumped a wrestler up a weight class to ensure the final match could be wrestled instead of going uncontested. East’s coaches felt those choices merited recognition. On the mat, the Panthers edged the Olympians in contested bouts, taking four of six by fall. East battled through the lineup challenges of missing multiple injured standouts, including two returning state qualifiers, and still produced a pair of strong wins. Gloria Cloud secured a pin at 125 pounds, and Izzy Wakefield capped the night by earning a second-period fall at 155 in a hard-fought scrap. East collected four wins by forfeit — earned by Lia Tomlinson (110), Breylin Rodriguez (115), Morales (130), and Annie Redman (170), who currently holds the No. 4 ranking in the state. Bloomington South added two forfeits of its own, while two weight classes went uncontested by both teams. Despite being shorthanded and putting several new wrestlers under the lights for the first time, the Olympians competed with spirit and poise. Many of East’s newer athletes stepped into the lineup with limited mat time, and the experience of wrestling at home in front of a crowd offered valuable growth. East continues to weather early-season injuries, but the team is staying focused on steady improvement and getting healthier as the schedule rolls on. The effort, attitude, and willingness to battle — even with a depleted lineup — gave the home crowd plenty to appreciate.