The Indiana High School Athletic Association State Championship matches took place on Friday, Jan. 16, at Corteva Coliseum on the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The top 16 wrestlers in each weight class converged on the coliseum with dreams of winning a state championship.
Three of the wrestlers in the elite field were from Wayne County high schools.
Junior Abigail Gilbert, representing Hagerstown High School in the 130-pound weight class, won her first-round match over Addison Cline from Kokomo High School by fall to move to the quarterfinals.
In the quarterfinal round, Gilbert lost by decision to Caroline Balica from Plymouth High School, sending her to the placement matches where she defeated Violeta Gomez-Hilerio from Jennings County High School by decision to qualify to wrestle for the fifth-place medal.
In the fifth-place match, Gilbert defeated Paige Stites from Lapel High School by technical fall (22-7) to claim the fifth-place medal. The fifth-place finish tied her with Ryan Ludwig as the highest finisher ever in the state finals for a Hagerstown wrestler. Ludwig finished fifth during the 2003 state finals in the 275-pound weight class.
Gilbert finished her season with a record of 42-2.
Senior Claire Abbitt, representing Richmond High School in the 120-pound weight class, lost her first-round match to Anniston Chesshir from Terre Haute North Vigo High School by fall and was eliminated with a final season record of 18-4.
Senior Shelby Life, representing Centerville High School in the 190-pound weight class, lost her first-round match to Jasmyn Spraggins from Lake Central High School by fall and was eliminated with a final season record of 16-2.
Updated Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at 10:36 a.m. to correct the spelling of Ryan Ludwig’s name.
A version of this article appeared in the January 21 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.