IHSAA Individual Wrestling

1995-96 State Finals in Review

Two repeat champions and 12 first-time winners were crowned in the 58th annual IHSAA Wrestling Championships February 17, 1996 at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis.

Thad Oldham, a senior at Castle, won his second straight title by capturing the 145-pound title by pinning senior Nate Schmucker of NorthWood in 1:47. Senior Eric Kerkhof of Delta captured the 135-pound title in a 3-1 overtime decision over junior Andy Bertsch of Adams Central. Kerkhof won the 134-pound title in 1994. Kerkhof finished his career with 183 victories, second in state history only to Mac Taylor of New Castle (218).

CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES

• Mac Taylor, a senior at New Castle, broke the national career for victories when he took third place in the112-pound class. Taylor moved his career record to 218-8 to eclipse the former record of 217 victories by Matthew Brady of Kearsley High School, Flint, Mich., from 1988-91. Taylor, 58-2 during the season, also broke the state record for season victories.

• For the third straight year, a state finals attendance record was set. The four-session mark of 36,528 broke the previous mark of 36,173 set in 1995. The final session attendance of 10,410 just missed breaking the record of 10,530 set in 1995.

• Derrick Miller of Eastside High School was named the 1996 recipient of the Ward E. Brown Award for Mental Attitude in Wrestling. A senior at Eastside High School, Miller finished as the state runner-up in the 160-pound class with a 3-1 overtime loss to Nick Mayer of Evansville Mater Dei. Miller completed the season with a 42-2 record and his career at 140-8. He was the third-place finisher at 160 pounds in 1995. Academically, Miller ranked eighth in a class of 101 and was a member of the National Honor Society. Farm Bureau Insurance, corporate sponsor of all IHSAA state tournaments, awarded a $1,000 scholarship in Miller's name to Eastside High School.

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH RESULTS

103 -- Leroy Vega (46-0), junior, Portage dec. Ryan Schoettle (39-2), senior, Roncalli, 4-3.

112 -- Nick Hull (39-3), junior, Lawrence Central dec. Scott Hines (38-9), freshman, Lawrence North, 5-3 (OT).

119 -- Steven Bradley (43-0), sophomore, Beech Grove dec. Vince Sessa (41-1), junior, Lake Central, 3-0.

125 -- Jason Baker (42-0), senior, Bellmont, dec. Scott Schaefer (36-3), senior, Evansville Mater Dei, 7-6.

130 -- Bill Maldonado (45-0), junior, East Chicago Central, dec. John Baxter (32-1), senior, Center Grove, 7-5.

135 -- Eric Kerkhof (50-0), senior, Delta, dec. Andy Bertsch (36-3), junior, Adams Central, 3-1 (OT).

140 -- Gabriel Cook (34-0), senior, West Vigo dec. John Hardy (33-3), senior, Beech Grove, 4-3.

145 -- Thad Oldham (40-0), senior, Castle, won by fall over Nate Schmucker (44-3), senior, NorthWood, 1:47.

152 -- T.J. Hays (41-1), junior, Bellmont, dec. Andrew Poe (37-3), senior, South Bend Clay, 12-6.

160 -- Nick Mayer (40-0), senior, Evansville Mater Dei., dec. Derrick Miller (42-2), senior, Eastside, 3-1 (OT).

171 -- Nate Andrews (45-1), senior, NorthWood, dec. Donnie Hale (33-6), junior, Pike, 10-4.

189 -- James Brimm (48-0), senior, Evansville Central, dec. Brent Farrell (39-4), senior, Hamilton Southeastern, 19-8.

215 -- Chad Buntin (39-1), senior, Frankfort, dec. Anton Talamantes (41-1), sophomore, Fort Wayne Dwenger, 4-2.

275 -- Sunungura Rusununguko (41-0), senior, Franklin Central, dec. Jamal Aessa (39-6), senior, Penn, by overtime criteria.