Columbus East High School

** Article corrected for proper scoring - Updated November 8th: 9:13 a.m. ** NEW PALESTINE — When the Columbus East girls wrestling team took the mat at Saturday’s New Palestine Invitational, they didn't just win bouts—they ended them emphatically. In a staggering display of aggression and technique, the Olympians racked up 33 individual victories on the day, with every single one coming by pinfall. That dominance powered Columbus East to a runner-up team finish in a loaded 26-team field featuring many of Indiana's top-ranked programs. East amassed 275 team points, easily outdistancing host and third-place New Palestine (181.5) and finishing behind only tournament champion Franklin Central (303.5). The Olympians' charge was spearheaded by four individual champions—Gloria Cloud, Lexi Burns, Annabelle Redman, and Ellenor Bliton—who combined for a perfect 16-0 record and 16 pins. At 115 pounds, sophomore Gloria Cloud put together an electric 4-0 run. After decking her first two opponents in 32 and 58 seconds, Cloud battled through a 5:11 semifinal fall over Mooresville’s Khloe Weber before pinning Kokomo’s Spencer Martin in 1:20 to capture the 115-pound title. Freshman phenom Lexi Burns dominated the 145-pound division. After pinning her way through the 145B bracket—highlighted by an 18-second fall over Hamilton Southeastern’s Tami Matsika in the pool final—Burns went on to claim the overall 145-pound crown by pinning Franklin Central’s Alia Russell in 4:52. Sophomore Annabelle Redman matched that exact feat at 170 pounds. Redman stormed through the 170A bracket with three consecutive pins under 1:45, including a 1:35 fall against Mooresville's Annabelle Sipos. She then capped her 4-0 day in the crossover championship, pinning Indianapolis Cathedral’s Aanas Gladney in 2:42. At 190 pounds, sophomore Ellenor Bliton was virtually unstoppable. Bliton went 4-0 with four pins—all coming in under 1:32. She pinned Lawrence Central's Raena Moore in 31 seconds, Ben Davis' Emmanuell Gbolabdedeji in 1:08, and New Palestine's Kaycee Ross in 53 seconds before putting Hamilton Southeastern’s Evelyn Loy on her back at 1:31 for the title and a team-high 30 points. Senior Issabel Wakefield gave the Olympians a fifth finalist at 155A. Wakefield collected quick pins over Ben Davis (0:52) and Lawrence Central (2:44) before taking second place in a hard-fought battle against Franklin Central’s Alia Stocker. East’s runner-up team trophy was cemented on the back-side of the brackets, where the Olympians staged multiple gritty consolation runs: Ariella Pope (100 lbs, 3rd Place): After dropping a 15-10 decision in her opener, the freshman tore through the wrestle-backs with four consecutive pins, including lightning-quick falls in 22 seconds (Lafayette Jeff) and 17 seconds (Indy Cathedral), before pinning Perry Meridian’s Eden Lian in 1:52 for bronze. Valerie Barrientos (105 lbs, 3rd Place): Following a heartbreaking 12-11 semifinal defeat to crosstown rival Nitya Hurli of Columbus North, the freshman bounced back with two straight pins, stopping Greenfield-Central's Laserly Dailey in 4:30 to secure third. Kaydence Spradlin (235B, 3rd Place): The junior went 4-1 on the day with four pins, including two separate victories by fall over New Palestine’s Lamiyah Deberry—the latter securing third place in 1:44. Tienica Dits (110 lbs, 5th Place): The senior wrestled a team-high six bouts, going 4-2 and securing four pins, capped by a 2:13 fall over New Pal’s Blakely Reed. Braeleigh Bex (125A, 5th Place) & Thania De Lacruz Diaz (140A, 5th Place): Both secured fifth-place finishes with statement pins—Bex flattening Lebanon’s Chloe Heinold in 1:55, and Diaz taking just 27 seconds to pin Brebeuf's Natalia Geyer. Freshman Nahyla Trinidad added a 2:17 pin in the 130-pound consolation bracket, while freshman Marlee Herald (120) gained valuable early-season tournament experience against high-caliber competition. With four champions, nine top-five podium finishers, and an undefeated record in matches ending by fall, Columbus East turned their first major invitational of the season into a resounding statement across the state. Team Scores: 1st - Franklin Central, IN - 303.5 2nd - Columbus East, IN - 275 3rd - New Palestine, IN - 185.5 4th - North Central (Indianapolis), IN - 172 5th - Perry Meridian, IN - 165 6th - Mooresville, IN - 148.5 7th - Hamilton Southeastern, IN - 131.5 8th - Indianapolis Cathedral, IN - 118 9th - Ben Davis, IN - 106.5 10th - Lawrence Central, IN - 102 10th - Warren Central, IN - 102 12th - Seymour, IN - 94.5 13th - Monrovia, IN - 76 14th - Lebanon, IN - 70 15th - Kokomo, IN - 69.5 16th - Greenfield-Central, IN - 69 17th - Lafayette Jefferson, IN - 51 18th - Columbus North, IN - 48 19th - Hamilton Heights, IN - 47.5 20th - Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory, IN - 41.5 21st - Anderson, IN - 40 21st - North Miami, IN - 40 23rd - Madison-Grant, IN - 28 24th - North Montgomery, IN - 25 25th - Clinton Prairie, IN - 23 26th - New Albany, IN - 4