Columbus East High School

Fresh off a hard-earned sixth-place finish at one of Indiana’s premier holiday tournaments—the Al Smith Invitational in Mishawaka—the 3A No. 2 Columbus East wrestling team had little time to exhale. The focus quickly shifted to another measuring-stick matchup, a Tuesday night road dual against perennial power Cathedral, ranked No. 5 in 4A. The challenge was clear going in. Cathedral placed third at the Al Smith Invitational, finishing 24 points ahead of the Olympians. On paper, it was a tall order. On the mat, Columbus East proved it belonged every bit in the conversation. The Olympians came to wrestle—and did exactly that—pushing the Irish to the final bout before narrowly falling, 36–32, in a dual that swung on just a handful of moments. “We almost got ’em,” said head coach Cooper. “We had some monster wins. Cam Coop beat an Al Smith placer, Aiden Miller turned around a 9–0 loss from last weekend into an overtime win, and Colin McMahon locked up a body lock and buried the Al Smith champ for a 9–3 win.” Columbus East jumped out early with momentum, highlighted by Cameron Cooper’s statement 14–7 decision at 144 and Caleb Kirkpatrick’s quick pin at 150. The middle weights delivered in a big way, as Aiden Miller’s sudden-victory win at 165, Lincoln Cooper’s technical fall at 175, and Colin McMahon’s poised 9–3 decision at 190 kept the dual tight throughout the night. Bonus points proved critical for both sides, with Cathedral capitalizing in the lower and upper weights, while the Olympians answered with key falls from Clayton Miller (forfeit at 215) and Hank Redman at heavyweight. Notable Olympian Wins Cameron Cooper (144) – Decision over Al Smith placer Caleb Kirkpatrick (150) – Fall (1:46) Aiden Miller (165) – Sudden victory OT win Lincoln Cooper (175) – Technical fall, 19–4 Colin McMahon (190) – Decision over Al Smith champion Hank Redman (285) – Fall (3:57) Final Score: Cathedral 36, Columbus East 32 There’s no time to dwell on the result. The Olympians now have just three days to reset before another major test—this time at the IHSWCA Team State Duals on Saturday at Franklin Community High School. As the No. 2 seed, Columbus East earns a first-round bye and will face the winner of the Plainfield vs. New Palestine dual. The margin was slim, the effort unquestioned, and the message clear: this group is right where it needs to be heading into January. Good luck, Olympians.