Page 23 - 2017-18 Wrestling State Finals Program

Outstanding Official Award

Steven Anslinger Named Top Wrestling Official

Steven Anslinger of Evansville, IN is the recipi- Steven competed in the IHSAA Wrestling State
ent of the 2018 Interscholastic Athletic Official Award Finals as a senior in 1983. He has now been a
for excellence in the sport of wrestling. licensed official for 25 years, and has worked 23
Each year, the Indiana sectional, 20 regional, 17 semi-state, and 10 state
High School Athletic As- finals assignments. A member of the Southern
sociation, in cooperation Officials Association, Steven has served as a local
with the National Federation rules interpreter, clinician, and chairperson.
of Interscholastic Officials Steven was selected for this honor by a com-
Association, recognizes and mittee representing the official’s associations. In
honors an outstanding official Indiana there are 24 associations made up of men
in each of 11 sports during and women who give up much of their personal
the school year. Officials time to assist in providing wholesome, worthwhile,
selected for this distinction and healthy activities for the student athletes in
have gone above and beyond our state. Statewide, there are more than 8,000
to serve their association, community, and the officials licensed by the IHSAA in 11 sports.
IHSAA. Each have shown exceptional qualities of A Tool and Die Journeyman for Berry Plastics,
leadership, dedication, and loyalty to their sport, our Steven and his wife, Keri, have been married for
student-athletes, and their fellow officials. 24 years. They have three children, Chase (21),
A graduate of Evansville Mater Dei High School, Carlee (17), and Chloe (17).
Tournament History

Many changes have been made to the Indiana state the number of schools participating. That forced the IHSAA to
wrestling tournament since its inception, and to this day it drop wrestling from its sponsorship from 1944 to 1949. During
remains one of the most exciting and best-attended state this period, various participating schools kept the tournament
finals events on the IHSAA calendar. going by holding an annual invitational state tournament.
While not officially sponsored by the IHSAA, but held The IHSAA resumed sponsorship of the tournament in
with special permission, the first state high school wrestling 1950 and continues to do so today. From 1950 to 1959,
tournament took place in 1922 at Indiana University. A total of Bloomington and Lafayette Jefferson high schools alternated
19 wrestlers from seven schools participated in the first tourna- as the host school before the finals were moved in 1960 to
ment. From 1922 to1935, a regulation high school wrestling Southport High School’s 7,200-seat fieldhouse.
match called for one eight-minute period with both wrestlers The finals eventually required even more seating and from
starting in the neutral position on their feet. No point system 1981 to 1999 were held at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis
was in place, and the winner was determined solely on riding before moving to what is now Bankers Life Fieldhouse in 2000.
time or by a fall. For the 1935-36 season, a point system was From 1996 to 2012, a separate team tournament was
installed and periods were added to make the matches more conducted in dual format to determine an overall team state
interesting for fans. champion. The state finals were conducted at Southport High
From 1922 to 1951, the only IHSAA rules for wrestling School in 1996 and then culminated at Center Grove High
were the same ones that applied to all sports in the state, School for the next 16 years.
mainly eligibility and age requirements. During this time, so- Beginning in 2013, the state championship team was again
called gentlemens’ agreements were decided upon before determined by points accumulated by individual wrestlers as
meets by the coaches and these rules were enforced by it had been from 1936 to 1995.
the officials.
A new set of rules, written by coaches Chauncey McDaniel
of Southport High School and Clifford Myers of Bloomington
High School, were adopted by the IHSAA beginning with the
1951-52 season. Modifications in the standing rules, most
notably those that helped to prevent excessive weight loss,
were made in time for the 1957-58 wrestling season. Finally in
1973, using Indiana’s rules as a measuring stick, the National
Wrestling Federation Rules were written and adopted.
Due to the sport’s rapid growth, the IHSAA took over
sponsorship of the tournament from 1933 to 1943, though
the state finals were still held at Indiana University. However,
as the Great Depression gripped the country and the United
States entered World War II, there was a gradual decline in
IHSAA - Pure Spirit. Pure Sport! 23