Wrestling: Brayton Lee's title highlights Brownsburg's state championship

INDIANAPOLIS— Brayton Lee was waiting down the hallway with his phone in his hand, trying to stay loose and ready for his upcoming state title match, when texts popped up — one from his father, one from his Brownsburg coach.

“The team title is a lock,” read the texts. Lee had just watched two of his teammates fall at 120 and 126 in title matches, which were demoralizing for him considering the No. 1 Bulldogs had qualified a state-high eight wrestlers for the finals.

But none of it mattered now. For the first time in school history, Brownsburg was bringing home the IHSAA state wrestling team title. The team goal was accomplished. All that was left was for him to win one of his own.

“I just went out there and told myself, ‘I’m just going to wrestle how I wrestle and don’t sacrifice anything.’” Lee said.

Lee might not have been able to win on a fall or technical fall as he had in the majority of his matches this season, but the undefeated junior kept his record flawless when he won a 14-6 major decision over Munster’s Jason Crary — seizing his second straight title after winning at 138 last season.

With Lee’s championship, Brownsburg finished with 100 points — just 5.5 away from the all-time state record set last year by Warren Central — and stood victorious on the mats at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday night in numerous respects.

Not only was the team title Brownsburg’s first in wrestling, but it was also Brownsburg's first team title across all sports since the boys basketball team won the Class 4A state title in 2007-08. Prior to that, the baseball team won a championship in 2004-05.

“It’s a lifestyle,” Brownsburg coach Darrick Snyder said of his team’s approach to wrestling. “It’s just what we do. We’re going to enjoy this, (then) we’re going to have open room practice Tuesday. … That’s how we’re able to get three into the finals and place seven, get eight guys here and accomplish what we’ve been able to accomplish.”

Right down the wire, Brownsburg looked like they might have three state champions. Ty Mills dropped a 5-4 decision to Columbus East’s Cayden Rooks after surrendering points in the final 25 seconds of the 120 title match. Then, New Palestine’s Alec White pinned Blake Mulkey with 28 seconds to go in the 126 title match.

“I think once it settles in, I’ll enjoy it a little more,” Snyder said. “But (120) and (126) felt like I just got my heart snatched out. Those were really tough, but it’s exciting.”

Chesterton finished in second place as a team after also sending three wrestlers to championship matches with 80 points. Cathedral finished third with 67.5 points.

Roncalli freshman Alec Viduya won a 7-4 decision and took home the 106 title, capping off his 47-2 season after taking down Avon’s Asa Garcia in a 6-3 decision in the semifinals. “It really is pretty amazing because I still know I have more chances to become a four-time, so that’s pretty cool.”

In his last shot, Cathedral senior Breyden Bailey finally took home a state title after finishing third in each of his previous three seasons. He pinned Yorktown junior Christian Hunt and helped Cathedral finish third as a team, half a point ahead of Yorktown.

“All that adversity I’ve had, those last three years, it’s really pushed me,” Bailey said. “It feels great. Finally, I got over the hump and got it done.”

Despite high expectations, Perry Meridian was unable to crown a state champion after sending one wrestler to Saturday night’s finals. Joe Lee of Evansville Mater Dei handed Falcons junior Noah Warren (45-2) his second loss of the season with a 19-5 major decision at 152.

Warren Central senior Tristen Tonte finished his wrestling career unable to secure a state title, finishing runner-up for a third straight season after Chesteton’s Andrew Davison pinned him in the final second of the match. Tonte is signed to play football for Marian next season.

Avon’s Gunner Larson, who finished third at 220, was named the Mental Attitude Award winner. Larson was a four-time state qualifier at 220 and finished as high as runner-up in his career. He is committed to Army West Point, planning to major in engineering.

Follow IndyStar reporter Jordan J. Wilson on Twitter: @Wilsonable07.

Results 

106: Brayden Curtis (Yorktown) def. Andrew Black (Shenandoah) (Dec 4-3).​

113:Alec Viduya (Roncalli) def. Hunter Watts (Jimtown) (Dec 7-4)​.

120:Cayden Rooks (Columbus East) def. Ty Mills (Brownsburg)(Dec 5-4)​.

126:Alec White (New Palestine) def. Blake Mulkey (Brownsburg) (Fall: 3:32).

132:Breyden Bailey (Cathedral) def. Christian Hunt (Yorktown) (Fall: 1:33).

138:Brendan Black (Hobart) def. Kris Rumph (Portage) (MD 10-2).  

145:Brayton Lee (Brownsburg) def. Jason Crary (Munster) (MD 14-6).

152:Joe Lee (Evansville Mater Dei) def. Noah Warren (Perry Meridian) (MD 19-5). 

160:Brad Laughlin (Yorktown) def. Diego Lemley (Chesterton) (MD 11-3)

170: Eli Stock (Monrovia) def. Tanner Webster (North Montgomery) (Fall: 5:37). 

182:Jacob Gray (Delta) def. Lucas Davison (Chesterton) (Dec 3-1). 

195: Andrew Davison (Chesterton) def. Tristen Tonte (Warren Central) (Fall 5:59).

220:Mason Parris (Lawrenceburg) def. Corbin Maddox (Daleville) (Fall 2:46).

285: Evan Ellis (Eastern) def. Isaiah McWilliams (South Bend Washington) (Dec 5-0).

MORE RESULTS

106

1st place: Brayden Curtis (Yorktown)

2nd place: Andrew Black (Shenandoah)

3rd place: Brayden Lowery (Perry Meridian)

4th place: Seth Johnson (North Montgomery)

5th place: Drake Campbell (Brownsburg)

6th place: Ray Rioux (Avon)

7th place: Logan Stephenson (Terre Haute South)

8th place: Logan Boe (Danville)

113

1st place: Alec Viduya (Roncalli)

2nd place: Hunter Watts (Jimtown)

3rd place: Asa Garcia (Avon)

4th place: Brock Peele (Portage)

5th place: Skylour Turner (Warren Central)

6th place: Kory Cavanaugh (Penn)

7th place: Gavin Rose (Greenfield-Central)

8th place: Jose Diaz (Wheeler)

120

1st place: Cayden Rooks (Columbus East)

2nd place: Ty Mills (Brownsburg)

3rd place: Tylor Triana (Hobart)

4th place: Colin Poynter (Portage)

5th place: Christian Mejia (Elkhart Memorial)

6th place: Braxton Alexander (Wawasee)

7th place: Alex Mosconi (Indian Creek)

8th place: Tyce Freije (Roncalli)

126

1st place: Alec White (New Palestine)

2nd place: Blake Mulkey (Brownsburg)

3rd place: Michael DeLaPena (Merrillville)

4th place: Graham Rooks (Columbus East)

5th place: Jordan Slivka (Cathedral)

6th place: Adam Jerde (Carmel)

7th place: Matt Lee (Evansville Mater Dei)

8th place: Noah Hunt (Bloomington South)

132

1st place: Breyden Bailey (Cathedral)

2nd place: Christian Hunt (Yorktown)

3rd place: Dawson Combest (Columbus East)

4th place: Kyle Luigs (Evansville Mater Dei)

5th place: Jeremiah Reitz (Griffith)

6th place: Manzona Bryant (Culver Academies)

7th place: Donald Campbell (Ben Davis)

8th place: Jack Tolin (Chesterton)

138

1st place: Brendan Black (Hobart)

2nd place: Kris Rumph (Portage)

3rd place: Zach Melloh (Cathedral)

4th place: Jacob LaPlace (Mishawaka)

5th place: Tristan Sellmer (Floyd Central)

6th place: Nathan Conley (Avon)

7th place: Graham Calhoun (Plymouth)

8th place: Ryan Surguy (Shenandoah)

145

1st place: Brayton Lee (Brownsburg) 

2nd place: Jason Crary (Munster)

3rd place: Boone Welliever (Southmont)

4th place: Elliot Rodgers (Cathedral)

5th place: Kasper McIntosh (Portage)

6th place: Kain Rust (Perry Meridian)

7th place: Mason Winner (Jay County)

8th place: Xander Stroud (Elkhart Memorial)

152

1st place: Joe Lee (Evansville Mater Dei)

2nd place: Noah Warren (Perry Meridian)

3rd place: Kyle Hatch (Warsaw)

4th place: Kenny Kern (Jimtown)

5th place: Andrew Negangard (East Central)

6th place: Noah LaMore (Crown Point)

7th place: Kassius Breathitt (South Bend Riley)

8th place: Hunter Reed (Columbia City)

160

1st place: Brad Laughlin (Yorktown)

2nd place: Diego Lemley (Chesterton)

3rd place: Alston Bane (Richmond)

4th place: Gleason Mappes (Center Grove)

5th place: Oszkar Kasch (Crown Point)

6th place: Ethan Stock (Monrovia)

7th place: Tony Busse (Bellmont)

8th place: Josh Gee (Shenandoah)

170

1st place: Eli Stock (Monrovia)

2nd place: Tanner Webster (North Montgomery)

3rd place: Tristan Goering (Elkhart Memorial)

4th place: Zack Fattore (Hobart)

5th place: Jarod Swank (Penn)

6th place: Ismael Cornejo (Portage)

7th place: Jake Ruberg (Lawrenceburg)

8th place: Bryce Baumgartner (Bellmont)

182

1st place: Jacob Gray (Delta)

2nd place: Lucas Davison (Chesterton)

3rd place: Nathan Walton (Brownsburg)

4th place: Thomas Dull (Terre Haute North)

5th place: Evan Stambaugh (Lebanon)

6th place: Jake Moore (Franklin)

7th place: Conner Graber (Northridge)

8th place: Alec Jessop (Hamilton Southeastern)

195

1st place: Andrew Davison (Chesterton)

2nd place: Tristen Tonte (Warren Central)

3rd place: Kyle Shaffer (South Putnam)

4th place: Ben Stewart (Cathedral)

5th place: Caleb Hankenson (Bellmont)

6th place: Liam Jagow (Westfield)

7th place: David Eli (Elkhart Memorial)

8th place:  Draven Rasler (West Noble)

220

1st place: Mason Parris (Lawrenceburg)

2nd place: Corbin Maddox (Daleville)

3rd place: Gunnar Larson (Avon)

4th place: Eli Pokorney (Chesterton)

5th place: Garrison Lee (Monrovia)

6th place: Donnie Crider (Harrison)

7th place: Isaac McCormich (Brownsburg)

8th place: Justin Akers (Crown Point)

285

1st place: Evan Ellis (Eastern)

2nd place: Isaiah McWilliams (South Bend Washington)

3rd place: Robert Samuels (Lawrence North)

4th place: Rickie Clark (Brownsburg)

5th place: Elijah Bailey (North Central)

6th place: Brandon Streck (Merrillville)

7th place: Wade Ripple (Mt. Vernon)

8th place: Jacob Rhoades (Yorktown)