EAST CHICAGO | Munster coach Dan Gelarden knows the key for a successful wrestling team starts with having balance at every weight class.
The balance was on display Saturday afternoon as Munster rolled to a fourth straight E.C. Central sectional title by racking up 285 points and seven individual sectional champions.
Repeat champs for the Mustangs included Santo Marciano (103), Aurelio Medina (112), Luke Smith (152), and Jack Seamon (215).
"When we go through the program, we have to make sure we have a complete and solid team," Gelarden said. "Kids have made sacrifices like Matt (Henderson) moving down to 145 and Mike (Briette) moving to 130. What might have been problem areas were turned into sectional champions today."
New champions for Munster included Dominic Fimbianti (171), Henderson (145), and, in perhaps the most entertaining match of the day, Mike Briette defeated Lake Central's Jake Sebahar 2-0 at 130 pounds by recording the only two points in the final 20 seconds of the match.
"I just tried to keep up the intensity throughout the match," said Briette, who has only wrestled for a year and a half. "The hard work in practice has definitely paid off."
Kyle Ayersman may need to get a trophy case the size of his house after his career is all said and done.
The Lake Central junior and No. 1 wrestler in the state at 119 pounds won his third consecutive sectional crown. It was also his third title at a different weight class, as he won at 103 as a freshman and at 112 last year.
"The third one is pretty special," said Ayersman, who moved his record to 41-0. "I've been getting better every day with my conditioning and practice. I have to get rid of all my medals I won as a kid."
Ayersman's triumph highlighted a strong second-place effort for Lake Central, which notched 237 total points and four sectional champions, including Brandon Lopez (125), Brad Wartman (140) and Pat Biancardi (heavyweight).
The other champs were Gavit's Chris Pajdzik (135), Morton's Josh Green (160), and Highland's Eric Johnson (189).
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