26 East Central Indiana wrestlers to watch in the 2022-23 season

MUNCIE, Ind. — Last season was a great one for East Central Indiana wrestlers.

Twelve area athletes competed in the state finals, with five earning podium finishes. Although several of them graduated last spring, there are still plenty of returning stars and up-and-comers to be excited about.

Here are 26 ECI wrestlers to watch in the 2022-23 season, as nominated by their coaches:

More:Meet The Star Press' 2022 East Central Indiana fall sports Athletes of the Year

Levi Abbott (Cowan, junior, 160 pounds)

Although his older brother, Toby, graduated, Levi will continue the Abbott wrestling legacy at Cowan. He enjoyed a strong sophomore season, going 21-8 with a Delaware County championship and qualified for semistate, and he'll look to build on his experience now as an upperclassman.

Ayden Bollinger (Delta, sophomore, 106 pounds)

Bollinger made an immediate impact as a freshman and is a reason why the Eagles are currently ranked No. 4 in the Class 2A preseason rankings. He earned a 31-3 record and was an IHSAA state qualifier, a sectional and county champion, and runner-up at the regional and semistate meets.

Head coach Cody LeCount said Bollinger, who is ranked No. 4 in the state on Indianamat.com, finished second at USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals. He should be in for another big year.

More:20 East Central Indiana girls basketball players to watch in 2022-23

Reed Brandenburg (Winchester, senior, 145 pounds)

Brandenburg went 28-7 as a junior en route to qualifying for semistate. He was a top-3 finisher at both sectionals and regionals and should contend for those titles again.

Dawson Brooks (Daleville, senior, 126 pounds)

Brooks had a good junior season, notching a 21-8 record and making it to the regional meet as the sectional runner-up. He is a former semistate qualifier who will be aiming to advance at least that far in his final campaign.

Cameron Clark (Jay County, junior, 138 pounds)

Despite suffering a midseason injury last year, Clark finished seventh at the state meet with an 18-3 record and was semistate and ACAC champion, and sectional and regional runner-up. He enters this season ranked No. 4 in the state, and if he can stay healthy, expect him to make another deep postseason run.

Angel Deloney (Shenandoah, junior, 126 pounds)

Deloney went 25-6 as a sophomore and qualified for the semistate meet, and head coach Jason Barbosa expects him to be one of the team's leaders again in 2022-23.

Jon Eberhart (New Castle, senior, 160 pounds)

Eberhart went 26-5, finishing his junior year ranked No. 6 in his semistate. He's gotten to the semistate round twice but yet to advance to state, so that will be his goal this winter.

Jayden Jett (Cowan, junior, 145 pounds)

Jett enjoyed a great 2021-22 season, going 26-2 with a sectional championship and county runner-up finish before losing in the ticket round at his semistate meet. Jett moves up to the very competitive 145-pound division this year, according to Indianamat, but he's proven himself as a consistent winner.

Quentin Keen (Winchester, junior, 106 pounds)

Keen went 26-8 last year, was the sectional and Tri-Eastern Conference runner-up and qualified for semistate. He should be able to build on that success as an upperclassman.

Bowen Keith (Cowan, junior, 120 pounds)

Keith's overall record last season (24-9) might not be the best on this list, but he performed his best when it mattered most. He was county champion, sectional runner-up and made it all the way to the state meet, finishing the season ranked No. 6 in his semistate.

He enters this winter ranked No. 15 in the state and should build upon his postseason experience.

Mayson Lewis (Shenandoah, senior, 182 pounds)

Lewis hopes to translate his success on the football field to the mat, and he should have a good chance to do so. He went 30-4 as a junior on his way to qualifying for semistate, and he finished the year ranked No. 6 in his semistate.

Wyatt Maiden (New Castle, senior, 170 pounds)

Wyatt went 27-5 last year and is a two-time semistate qualifier. He's part of a strong group of Trojans, and he'll want to breakthrough and reach the state meet this year.

Neal Mosier (Delta, junior, 120 pounds)

Mosier is one of just two returning ECI wrestlers to place in the state finals last season, finishing sixth in his division and with a 33-2 record on the year. The county and sectional champion, and regional and semistate runner-up, is ranked No. 5 in the state, looking to place even higher in the state finals as an upperclassman.

Jackson New (Yorktown, senior, 220 pounds)

Although going 20-5 with a county title and making it to regionals would be a memorable season for most, New wasn't fully healthy and couldn't regain the form that made him a sectional and regional champion as a sophomore.

Coming off a strong football season, New appears ready to assert his dominance in 2022-23.

Hunter Page (Monroe Central, senior, 182 pounds)

Page is one of the best wrestlers in the area. He enters his senior season ranked No. 7 in the state with a career 110-16 record, and is a three-time Randolph County and Mid-Eastern Conference champion, a two-time sectional champion and state qualifier, and is the returning regional champion.

He finished last year ranked No. 2 in his semistate and No. 5 in the state, and will surely be motivated to dominate after not placing in the state meet as a junior despite finishing sixth in 2020-21.

Ethan Reiley (Jay County, senior, 132 pounds)

Reiley went 30-8 last year but came just short of advancing to the state meet for the second straight year, losing in the ticket round. He made it to state as a freshman and is eager to return, and being ranked No. 20 indicates he has a good chance to do so.

Zac Reno (Wes-Del, sophomore, 113 pounds)

Reno performed well in his first varsity season. He went 16-6 and finished second in the Maconaquah Invite and MEC tournaments, and third in the county tournament before qualifying for regionals. He'll look to continue improving in his second year.

Kolten Rhonemus (Delta, junior, 145 pounds)

One of Delta's "Big 3" of junior wrestlers, Rhonemus' sophomore campaign ended at the semistate meet with a record of 23-10 and fourth-place finishes at sectionals and regionals. He is ranked No. 17 in the state heading into this year, and he'll look to join his classmates at the state finals this time.

Cody Rowles (Jay County, junior, 126 pounds)

Rowles rolled through his sophomore season, going 33-1 and became the ECIC, ACAC, sectional and regional champion before losing 8-4 in the ticket round at semistate. He was a state qualifier in 2020-21 and enters this season ranked No. 11 in the state, so expect Rowles to bounce back with some added motivation.

Braxton Russell (Delta, junior, 170)

Russell enjoyed a terrific sophomore season, highlighted by county and sectional championships, a regional runner-up finish and punching his ticket to the state meet. He notched a 19-3 record and is ranked No. 14 in the state in his division, and should again be a force in every competition.

Cole Stuffel (Yorktown, junior, 120/126 pounds)

Stuffel was solid last season, going 20-6 en route to a sectional title, county runner-up finish and semistate qualification, finishing the season ranked No. 7 in his semistate and No. 25 in the state.

He'll move up from 113 pounds, however, but is still expected to excel.

Brevan Thrine (New Castle, senior, 145 pounds)

Thrine has a case to be ECI's top wrestler. He sports a career record of 105-8 and enters his senior year ranked No. 5 in arguably the most competitive division in the state. He was the 132-pound freshman/sophomore state champion and has enjoyed a storied career dating back to middle school.

As a junior, Thrine went 33-3, was sectional and regional champion, and semistate runner-up, but he'll want to earn a podium finish at the state finals in his last season.

Titus Waters (Muncie Central, senior, 285 pounds)

Coming off a successful football season as the Bearcats' defensive captain, Waters will replace Jason Orr's spot as Central's heavyweight wrestler after competing at 220 pounds as a junior. He made a huge leap from his sophomore season, earning a 30-5 record and qualifying for semistate, but he'll be hoping to go even farther this time.

Waters ranked No. 4 in his semistate and No. 13 in the state, so he should headline the Bearcats on the mat in 2022-23.

Bryce Wenk (Jay County, junior, 182 pounds)

After becoming freshman/sophomore state champion, Wenk was just 11 seconds away from qualifying for the state meet last year before falling short 9-8. Still, he went 33-5, was sectional champion and regional runner-up, and enters his junior season ranked No. 11 in the state and hoping to advance further this postseason.

Tony Wood (Jay County, junior, 138 pounds)

Wood was tremendous as a sophomore, notching a 34-2 record and becoming a sectional and regional champion, as well as a semistate runner-up. Entering this winter ranked No. 5 in the state, he'll look to return to the state meet and earn a podium finish.

Mallory Winner (Jay County girls, sophomore, 160 pounds)

In the up-and-coming sport that is girls wrestling, Winner dominated the landscape as a freshman. She became a state champion and is ranked No. 1 in her division entering this winter, and she's bringing attention and interest to Jay County's program, which is leading the area's charge in the sport's growth.

She is a tremendous athlete with the will to win. Expect her to be a force once again.

Gus Martin is a sports reporter at The Star Press. Follow him on Twitter @GusMartin_SP, and contact him at gmartin@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: IHSAA wrestling: 26 ECI wrestlers to watch in the 2022-23 season