Pingleton advacnes to state meet

EVANSVILLE -- Chris Pingleton, a Greencastle High School junior, earned a trip to the big dance in Indianapolis.

Pingleton finished third in the 145-pound division Saturday at the Evansville Reitz Semistate.

Pingleton will be heading to the state meet with a record of 45-1, after losing to the defending State Champion Copper Samuels (42-0) of Floyd Central in the 145-pound class by a 12-3 decision. Pingleton knocked off Chris Dean of Northveiw with a 5-2 decision for third-place.

Pingleton's teammate, Robert Bittles (42-4) who is a junior as well, finished in fifth in the 160-pound division after losing to Paul Young of Bloomington South, who sports a record of 45-0.Bittles lost to Young by a 19-4 tech fall.

The top four finisher's advance to the finals while the fifth place finishers will advance as alternates, meaning Bittles will join Pingleton in Indy Friday.

'In the last four years, we have had a kid at the state meet and for a small school we will take that,' GHS Coach Russ Hesler said. 'If I just had more kids come out for the team, I could put a lot more there.

'Just give me the kids and I can coach them. We have had some good kids and I have had good assistants and good support from the athletic department and that is credit to Doug Miller and Scott Weltz,' Hesler added.

Alex Gardiner of Cloverdale lost to Jimmy Durchholz from Evansville Memorial by decision, 7-5. Gardiner finished the season with a record of 30-6.

Pingleton (45-1) will face off with Mike Sands (32-2) of Hanover Central in the preliminary round of the state finals Friday at 6 p.m.