Kokomo Athletics

The Wildkats stepped into the Lake Harvest Classic on Saturday still far from full strength, yet they continued to show grit against some of the toughest programs in the state. Battling highly ranked teams such as No. 10 Portage, No. 12 Hobart, No. 15 Penn, and No. 18 Hanover Central, Kokomo pushed through every round with determination. Despite missing key pieces of their lineup, the Kats proved they were ready to compete with anyone on the mat. Senior leadership showed up in a big way, highlighted by 132-lb veteran X’Avion Ford, who fought his way to a 6th-place finish. Matching that result were Junior 175-lb Devon Rush and Sophomore 157-lb Joelle Nieto, both of whom battled deep into their brackets to secure podium spots. Their performances were strong statements that Kokomo’s core wrestlers can hang with some of the most talented athletes across Indiana. Rounding out the placers were Senior 106-lb Dorian Barbour and Freshman 138-lb backup Treydon Walker, each finishing in 8th place. Barbour’s steady competitiveness and Walker’s impressive showing as a freshman fill-in were bright spots for the Wildkats. Even without a full roster, Kokomo showed they are progressing, competing hard, and building momentum as the season moves forward. We are still not 100% and for us to take 12 wrestlers up there and place five in one of the toughest tournaments around is great ground to build on. Our guys saw how the top teams in the state handle things both on and off the mat and I think that in of itself was work the 2.5hr trip. We will focus on improving our mistakes this week before we battle NCC Rival Marion on Wednesday. We then travel to Western High School on Saturday to take on sectional schools such as Oak Hill, Western, Eastern, and Marion.