Columbus East High School

The Columbus East wrestling team competed at the IHSAA Semi-State tournament at the Ford Center in Evansville, facing some of the top wrestlers in the state on Saturday. While the Olympians had high hopes, they found tough competition throughout the brackets and were only able to advance one wrestler to the state finals. Leading the way for Columbus East was Colin McMahon (190 lbs.), who finished in 4th place and secured a spot at the IHSAA State Finals. McMahon started strong with a dominant 16-0 tech fall win in the opening round and followed up with a 7-0 decision in the quarterfinals. Despite falling in the semifinals and the third-place match, his performance was enough to keep his season alive. Other Olympians picked up wins in their opening rounds but fell short of advancing further. Gage Rutan (132 lbs.), Lincoln Cooper (150 lbs.), and Hank Redman (175 lbs.) each picked up victories before being eliminated in the quarterfinals. Rutan secured an impressive first-period pin, while Cooper dominated with a tech fall in his opener. Redman earned a major decision before being edged out in the second round. Unfortunately, the rest of the Columbus East squad faced early exits, with Caleb Kirkpatrick (138 lbs.), Aiden Miller (157 lbs.), Clayton Miller (165 lbs.), James Moss (215 lbs.), and Dominic Piper (285 lbs.) all bowing out in the first round. Though the results were not what the Olympians had hoped for, the experience at Semi-State will serve as valuable motivation for the returning wrestlers. McMahon will now set his sights on the IHSAA State Finals, where he’ll represent Columbus East on the biggest stage of the season. The state tournament is set to take place this Friday & Saturday (2/21-2/22) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.