The Friday before State 6A wrestling tournament, the Indians filed into the gym, which would be the last time ever as an Indian for some, to practice and get prepared for State.

“[I was] determined to go out with people knowing and remembering my name,” senior Christian Schlepp said.

After round one, Manhattan was sitting at second as a team and was two points behind Derby High at 43.0 points.

Senior Jake Mitchell, junior Tate Sauder and freshmen Easton Taylor and Blaisen Bammes all won with pins.

Freshman Tucker Brunner had tough competition and held on during the first period but went on to get pinned in the second. Junior Darius Island-Jones went overtime and lost 5-10 while his brother Daron, junior won by pin. Seniors Bubba Wilson, Schlepp, Steven White and Quincy Saddler all won by pins. Senior Robert Houston walked away from round one with a win by decision.

After the quarter finals, Manhattan was still in second place with four points behind Derby.

“We compete our butts off all year…” Sauder said. “To come in second behind them [Derby] is frustrating as heck.”

This sent Wilson, Mitchell, Daron, Taylor, Saddler, White and Schlepp into the semifinals. Brunner and Darius both won a consolation Round 1 with pins which allowed them to go onto the semifinals as well. Manhattan went 3-7 in the semifinals, advancing Wilson, Saddler and Schlepp. At the end of the first day, the Indians had a team score of 131.0.

Sauder, Brunner and Bammes all scored bonus point pins on day two and it put Manhattan up by two over Derby.

Easton got third individually, Daron and Mitchell received fourth, Sauder got sixth and Bammes placed fifth. White ended up getting third in his weight class while Schlepp and Saddler got second at State. Wilson picked up his 150th win while taking home a first-place standing for the second year in a row.

Even though the ending wasn’t what the team was looking for, they ended the season with outstanding records. With a score of 197.0, only three behind Derby, the Manhattan Indians wrestling team took home second place at the 2019 State wrestling tournament.

“[My favorite part was] having my teammates supporting each other throughout the whole tournament,” Schlepp said.