INDIANAPOLIS – Plymouth junior Carolina Balica entered the IHSAA Girls Wrestling State Finals ranked No. 2 at 130 pounds. She made that ranking count after finishing runner-up in the championship match Friday night at Corteva Coliseum on the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
Crown Point sophomore Ava Strayer, a state champion at 125 in 2025, completed a perfect season with a late first-period pinfall over Balica in the championship.
Strayer finished 33-0. Balica closed out her season at 22-2.
Photo: Plymouth junior Carolina Balica maintains control of Hagerstown’s Abigail Gilbert during the quarterfinal match at 130 pounds. Balica defeated Gilbert, 7-3.
A state qualifier in 2025, Balica opened the state finals with a 12-4 win over Southridge’s Kori Hunefeld. She followed with a 7-3 win over Hagerstown’s Abigail Gilbert and reached the championship match with an 11-1 win over Logansport’s Olivia Gibson.
All three of Balica’s wins came against state-ranked opposition.
Balica followed Angel Smith’s championship match at 125.
The Plymouth junior was pinned in the second round by Hobart freshman Corabella Wesley, who capped off her inaugural high school season with a 42-0 record.
Smith, who finished third at the 2025 state championship meet, defeated Northview’s Silas Graf (17-11), North Posey’s Adelyn Gamblin (8-5) and Garrett’s Maya Hammond (pinfall 5:34) to advance to the state championship match. Gamblin and Hammond were both ranked in the top eight in the state rankings.
The success of Balica and Smith landed Plymouth eighth overall in the team standings.
Rochester
Rochester senior Laine Peppler’s run to the state championship at 170 pounds ended with a semifinal loss to eventual state champion Annabelle Redman of Columbus East.
Peppler, ranked No. 2 in her weight class, produced pinfall wins over Southridge’s Jocelyn Dubon (3:07) and Munster’s Allyson Compton (1:47) to reach the semifinals.
Redman, a freshman, stayed in control against Peppler and scored a 3-1 victory to reach the championship where she pinned Crown Point’s Jayda Miller.
Peppler returned to the mat late Friday afternoon and defeated Tipton’s Emersyn Adkins with a first-period pinfall to finish third overall. She was 32-2 this season.
At 130 pounds, Rochester junior Makenna McKee was pinned in the second round by Lapel’s Paige Stires to close out her season at 23-8.
Rochester sophomore Elise Enyart was pinned in the first round at 145 pounds by Silver Creek’s Ava Allen, who finished as state runner-up. Enyart was 23-12 this season.
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