Triton Central's Gray places eighth in IHSAA state championship meet

INDIANAPOLIS – Zoie Gray’s rise as a top wrestler in the state belied her overall relative inexperience.

On Friday at the Second Annual IHSAA Girls Wrestling State Championships at Corteva Coliseum at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, the Triton Central junior’s inexperience proved detrimental to her run to a state championship.

Gray, ranked No. 3 and unbeaten at 29-0 entering the state finals, scored an opening round pinfall win Friday afternoon over Central Noble’s Ellie Clevenger.

While Gray was making her second-straight state championship appearance fresh off a regional championship, Lebanon senior Claira Gramlin (photo, left) was enjoying her fourth state finals experience – the first two coming before the IHSAA sanctioned girls wrestling.

Gramlin, who was crowned state runner-up Friday night, quickly caught Gray with a headlock throw and put her into a pinning predicament. Gray survived the opening round but was pinned just 17 seconds into the second period to drop to the consolation round.

“A lot of these girls she has seen today are wrestling 30-some matches in the offseason,” said Triton Central head coach Keith Smith. “To have that much difference, there is a big experience level for those girls coming in. At 190, that’s a tough weight class to compete in physically.”

Gray closed out her second full season wrestling with pinfall losses to No. 2 ranked Trista Powers of Terre Haute South (photo, right) and No. 13 ranked Jasmyn Spraggins to finish eighth in the bracket.

Gray, a highly regarded softball player at Triton Central, went 30-3 this season.

“I think it’s a terrific season,” said Smith. “I think the odds of her only having two years under her belt and to make it to the state stage twice is a terrific job. She is one of the hardest workers in the (practice) room. We have a good team forming up and she will work hard in the offseason where in the past she has not been completely dedicated to the sport of wrestling. I think this will put her over the top.

“She is going to dedicate her spring and offseason into that which will show next season for her to get that top of the podium finish next year.”

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