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Cathedral Bests the Field for Third Straight Year

Posted: February 22, 2020

Indianapolis Cathedral wrestlers won two weight classes and three other wrestlers earned their second state championships during the 82nd Annual IHSAA Wrestling State Finals at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Cathedral advanced three of its nine weekend contestants to the championship matches and the top-ranked Irish claimed the school's third consecutive team title under coach Sean McGinley. Crown Point took runner-up honors with 93.5 points, Evansville Mater Dei placed third with 85, Brownsburg was fourth with 63.5, and Roncalli rounded out the top five with 63 points.

Zeke Seltzer finished undefeated at 43-0 winning the 120 pound class and Holden Parsons took the heavyweight division (38-4) to account for Cathedral's two champions. Logan Bailey settled for runner-up at 138.

Three wrestlers won the second state championship of their careers led by a pair of unbeatens.

Alec Viduya, Roncalli senior, won the 145 pound weight class after taking a 6-4 sudden victory decision from JaJuan Anderson of Warren Central to finish 45-0. Viduya won the 113 title as a freshman in 2017 and was the 132 runner-up last year.

Shenandoah senior Silas Allred wrestled his way to his second straight 195 pound title with four consecutive pins this weekend including one at the 5:12 mark of the final match against Jacob LaPlace of Mishawaka. Allred closed 39-0.

Crown Point senior Jesse Mendez collected the 132 pound crown with a major decision victory over Perry Meridian's Matthew Koontz under the spotlight. Mendez completed his senior campaign 40-1 after winning the 126 bracket in 2019.

The 82nd Annual IHSAA Wrestling State Finals
Feb. 21-22, 2020
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

Top 10 Teams
1.   Indianapolis Cathedral: 102
2.   Crown Point: 93.5
3.   Evansville Mater Dei: 85
4.   Brownsburg: 63.5
5.   Roncalli: 63
6.   Perry Meridian: 59
7.   Avon: 58
T8. Chesterton: 45
T8. Mishawaka: 45
10. Warren Central: 39

State Championship Match Results
106: Logan Miller (10) Brownsburg (43-2) def. Isaac Ruble (10) Bellmont (40-2) 5-3.
113: Alex Cottey (11) Perry Meridian (42-1) def. Cheaney Schoeff (9) Avon (37-5) 9-5.
120: Zeke Seltzer (10) Indianapolis Cathedral (43-0) def. Carson Eldred (12) Westfield (42-3) 7-2.
126: Brayden Lowery (12) Roncalli (40-2) def. Ray Rioux (12) Avon (41-2) 3-1.
132: Jesse Mendez (10) Crown Point (40-1) def. Matthew Koontz ((10) Perry Meridian (27-4) Major Decision 25-13.
138: Blake Boarman (11) Evansville Mater Dei (39-3) def. Logan Bailey (12) Indianapolis Cathedral (39-3) 6-3.
145: Alec Viduya (12) Roncalli (45-0) def. JaJuan Anderson (11) Warren Central (36-5) Sudden Victory-1 6-4.
152: Jonathan Kervin (12) Floyd Central (44-2) def. Bryer Hall (11) East Central (43-2) 9-7.
160: Eli Dickens (12) Evansville Mater Dei (41-2) def. Noah Hollendonner (12) Crown Point (40-5) 9-3.
170: Robert Deters (12) Castle (45-1) def. Clayton Fielden (12) Garrett (42-2) 11-5.
182: Joseph Walker (12) Mishawaka (33-2) def. Jake Lone (12) NorthWood (41-3) 5-2.
195: Silas Allred (12) Shenandoah (39-0) def. Jacob LaPlace (12) Mishawaka (45-1) Fall 5:12.
220: Evan Bates (11) Chesterton (41-1) def. William Crider (12) Harrison (West Lafayette) (35-5) Major Decision 9-0.
285: Holden Parsons (12) Indianapolis Cathedral (38-4) def. Andrew Irick (12) Hamilton Southeastern (37-2) Sudden Victory-1 3-1.

Jacob Maldonado of Merrillville Wins Ward E. Brown Mental Attitude Award
Senior Jacob Maldonado of Merrillville High School was recognized following the state finals by the IHSAA Executive Committee as this year’s winner of the Mental Attitude Award, named in honor of Ward E. Brown.

Maldonado is a 3-time sectional champion, 2-time regional champion, and 2-time state qualifier.  He capped off his career at the state finals with a 6th place finish in the 145-pound weight class.  Maldonado has received a number of awards during his high school career including the Leadership and Sportsmanship awards for the Merrillville wrestling team and the Merrillville soccer team.  He was also named team captain for both wrestling and soccer during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons and was recognized as the soccer team’s Most Valuable Player this past fall.

Jacob is highly involved within his school and community, taking up positions with multiple different organizations including the Merrillville Pirate Athletic Counsel, Key Club, Environmental Club, Spanish Club, and National Honors Society, where he holds the title of vice president.  Outside of school, he’s involved with the Pirate Youth Wrestling Club, serving as a volunteer coach for elementary and middle school wrestlers, and the Y.E.S. Interact Club, where he received the Rotary Youth Leadership Award in 2018.

Maldonado ranks 4th in his class of 500 students with a 3.94 GPA.  He was awarded the Foreign Languages Award of Excellence from the Indiana University Study Abroad Honors Program and received 1st Team Academic All-State honors from the IHSWCA and the IHSSCA.
Jacob is the son of David and Veronica Maldonado of Griffith, Indiana.  He plans to attend Wabash College to major in Accounting with minors in Spanish and Film/Digital Media.

Each year the IHSAA Executive Committee selects a senior who was nominated by his principal and coach and was determined to have best demonstrated mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability.

Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, the proud corporate partner of the IHSAA, presented $1,000 to Merrillville High School’s general scholarship fund in the name of Jacob Maldonado. The award is named in honor of the IHSAA's fourth commissioner who served from 1969-76.