NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. – The No. 4-ranked University of Indianapolis wrestling team took on the Indiana Little State tournament this Saturday on the campus of Manchester University. The Greyhounds took the busses home, loaded with a plethora of tournament champions, taking the crown at 141, 157, 165 and 197.

The big storyline of the day was the senior Owen Zablocki. The New Boston, Mich., native who is graduating this month, picked up the championship at 165 in his final bout of competition as a Greyhound. He picked up fast wins in his first two matches, the first coming by decision and the second a pin in 3:44. He then was matched up against teammate and the No. 6-ranked wrestler at 165, Jack Eiteljorge, who would medically forfeit moving Zablocki into the finals. That is where he shined picking up his second fall of the day, this time in one minute and 22 seconds.
 

2022 165lbs LITTLE STATE CHAMPION Owen Zablocki win by spladle over Sam York (Unattached - Indiana Tech) (Fall 1:22) pic.twitter.com/yi9p3bBz7k

— UIndy Wrestling (@UIndyWrestling) December 3, 2022

Brayden Lowery and Ray Rioux combined for a commanding performance for the sophomore 141s, as they both ran the bracket, eventually deferring to become champions. Lowery picked up three wins by decision on his way to the finals. Rioux's started his day out hot, picking up a pin in 33 seconds in the second round after receiving a bye for the first. He followed that up with yet another crushing win, this time by major decision 12-0. His final match he won 5-3 to claim the tournament victory.

The Cathedral High School product Logan Bailey continued to wow this season, picking up his second tournament championship this season, winning the Findlay Open just two weekends ago. The No. 4-ranked Bailey's day was pin after pin after pin, wrestling a combined two minutes and 55 seconds through the second to the fourth round. He ended his day as champion at 157, winning his final match by medical forfeit, making it back-to-back years he has been atop the podium at Little State.

The final champion of the day was the ever-dominant Derek Blubaugh at 197, making it his third tournament championship this season. After a first-round bye, Blubaugh picked up a pair of pins in the second and the third to move him into the finals where he showed off the motor, he's built a reputation on, winning 3-0. In that same 197 bracket, the young Phoenix Rodgers made another deep tournament run, taking the bronze at this year's little state, his third podium finish of the season.  

Alongside the champions, Aidan Sprague at 125 found himself in his second finals match of the season, this one not falling in his favor, finishing in the runner-up spot. He wasn't the only Hound to hit the silver slot, as after some tightly fought battles Nathan Conley landed in second for 149. He was joined later in the evening by Aidan Petersen at 184, who picked up three pins on the way the championship bout, his first collegiate finals.

Owen Butler (174) and Kyle Saez (184) both landed in the bronze medal spots, with Butler having a terrific day on the mat, claiming four straight tech falls after his first-round loss.

FUN FACT
Out of the 120 matches the UIndy Greyhounds wrestled, 33 of them ended in pinfall.

HOUND BYTES
Head Coach Jason Warthan on Zablocki's final match as a Greyhound…
"This is like absolutely fitting and he got a fall in the finals in, in a move that he's pretty well known, the spladle. It was a pretty fitting end to his career. He has been a big energy guy from day one since he's been with our program. He's graduating in three-and-a-half years, he's an impressive dude. He's worked nights, he's been a full-time student, he's been a student athlete on the wrestling team, this was a storybook ending for him."

Warthan on Bailey's ability to pick up fast pins…
"He just is so aggressive, and he is an outstanding scrambler and then when he gets on top of a good kid after a takedown, he will try to rip somebody's shoulder off to turn them I mean he's got he's really long and strong. So, his leverages, really gives him an advantage from the top position that he's able to crank some power half's that end up in falls for him. He's not one dimensional either. He is just really a complete wrestler."