Plenty of individual sports highlights from 2023
The year of 2023 was an eventful one, especially for the area’s individual athletes. Sportswriter Ron Haramia highlighted some of the top events of the past year in yesterday’s Pilot News and here are five more.
Argos boys soccer fights through adversity
The Argos boys soccer team suffered through a tough season, but made good on Coach Todd Vanderweele’s prediction that, “I believe in this team. They are going to put it together. I’m just not sure when.”
That they did and maybe in some way as a tribute to their head coach who was forced to leave the team just before the tournament to start his own battle against cancer. The Dragons made an inspired run to the regional finals before falling to Park Tudor in a physical battle 2-0.
Plymouth wrestlers show strong at state
Plymouth’s Wesley Smith and Anthony Popi worked their way to the
state title round of the IHSAA wrestling championship and showed signs of things to come as they continue their pursuit of a state title in their respective weight classes in 2024.
Smith finished with a record of 46-5 and eighth place at state in the 145pound weight class, falling to third-ranked junior Wyatt Krejsa (201) from Center Grove in the Saturday morning session.
Popi lost his opening match at 285 on
Friday night to topranked Leighton Jones of Brownsburg. Jones (37-5) swept through his three matches Saturday to claim the championship in the top weight class. Popi finished his junior season with a record of 42-5.
Record-breaking run at state for Wray
Plymouth High School cross country runner Sophie Wray set a new school record in her state championship appearance at Terre Haute and
claimed a 17th-place finish.
“The plan was to start off fast and then we knew that a lot of people would struggle on the hills, so just being a lot more prepared for that and focusing on the hills,” the PHS senior said. “And I think that’s exactly what I did.”
Jones, Delp finish at state - again
Plymouth has become a hotbed of doubles tennis with multiple teams reaching the state round
over the years.
Ellie Jones and Taylor Delp battled their way to the state finals in individual doubles for a second straight year, but unfortunately their
run was stopped by the team of Amelia Meunier and Elizabeth Banet of Floyd Central, who were the previous year’s state runner-up.
Delp’s father Michael had a similar run playing in the doubles state championship round during his prep days.
Record-breaking season for gymnasts
Plymouth’s Lady Pilgrims continued their climb to be recognized as one of the top programs in the northern half of the state, ending with a sixth-place finish in a very rugged regional at Huntington finishing with a team score of 100.925.
Plymouth’s top finish was on the vault with Tessa Hutchinson taking a seventh-place finish and barely missed advancing to the state finals round with a score of 9.125. Hutchinson was also the top finisher for Plymouth in the floor exercise with a 9.075. Jersey Hunter had a 33.875 all-around score and finished in ninth place.
The Lady Pilgrims broke the team scoring record three times during the season, the last coming at the Wawasee Sectional where they finished second and senior Tessa Hutchinson was the allaround winner. Other season highlights included going undefeated in dual meets, winning the Logansport and Western Invitationals in back-toback years, and winning its home invite for the first time.