Differing paths, same destination: state

One has been wrestling since middle school. Two just started this season.

The Patriots have their largest number of girls in the wrestling program.

Friday, they’ll be sending their biggest group to the state finals.

“They’ve been up here since day one,” said Jay County High School wrestling coach Eric Myers. “They work right with our team. They work just as hard as everyone else up here.

“They work hard and they really deserve it.”

Lita Chowning, a senior, juniors Lizzie Dollar and Tricia Ison and freshman Mollie Hines will all compete in the fifth iteration of the Indiana High School Girls Wrestling state tournament at 4 p.m. Friday at Hamilton Heights in Arcadia.

“They’ve all come a different way to get there,” said Chad Chowning, Lita’s father and coach of the girls team.

Indeed they have. Lita, who is the school’s first female four-time state qualifier, started wrestling in middle school alongside 2020 graduate Mason Winner and his sister, Mallory, who is currently an eighth grader.

Lita, ranked eighth at 126 pounds, quickly got into a girls-only national team and has spent a ton of time on wrestling mats. She was eighth and seventh at state each of the last two years at 113 pounds and was third as a 98-pound freshman.

Dollar, who is a back-to-back state runner-up at 98 pounds and has the same ranking this year, came through West Jay’s program prior to becoming a high school student, and she joined Lita Chowning on the girls national team.

“Those are two tough competitors,” Chad Chowning said. “They take it seriously. They help others take it to the next level.”

Ison, a 170-pound junior who is ranked third in her weight class, won the regional tournament Friday at Maconaquah, becoming just the second JCHS girl to win a regional title.

Ison doesn’t have the years of experience like Lita and Dollar. She just started wrestling this season. She said she joined the program at the encouragement of her family and the Chownings.

Ison took her lumps to begin the season with losses, but came on strong lately as she became more accustomed to the sport.

“The difference between what she was doing at the beginning … she really didn’t have a clue,” Chowning said. “She was just trying to get through it. She didn’t really have the concept of putting wrestling together. She’s worked a lot with Lita in practice, which has changed a lot of what’s going on.

“She’s understanding she’s got to be in good position. She’s obtained that and has been able to use that. She’s taking her shots with more confidence and she understands the moves.”

Hines came on even later than Ison. The first two matches of her career were at regional. Although they were both losses, she still qualified for state because of a small weight class. The top four in each weight class advance to state, and Hines’ 182-pound bracket only had three competitors.

“It’s just going to take mat time for her to get there,” Chowning said. “She’s just really green. A lot to learn. She was in both of those matches. If she had more mat time and understood what to do it would have been a different outcome.”

Dollar’s opening match pits her against eighth-ranked Eryka Pillion of Frankfort. Potential semifinal opponents are No. 4 Kylie Smith-Foster of Greenfield and seventh-ranked Angelina Clay of Central Noble.

An opening-round win guarantees a top-four finish, and all eight wrestlers in each weight class earn state medals.

Chowning meets fifth-ranked Jasmine Hermosillo of Decatur Central in the quarterfinal, with Crystal Bunch of Maconaquah and top-ranked Catie Campbell of North Montgomery as potential semifinal opponents.

Ison meets No. 8 Jazzman Barnett of North Knox in her first match of the day. Awaiting in the semifinal will be either second-ranked Mercedes Tellechea of Northview or No. 5 Kaitlin Gay of New Prairie.

Hines, who is ranked sixth — there are only seven wrestlers in her weight class — meets No. 2 Hannah Stapleton of Centerville. Third-ranked Kelsey Temple of Delta and No 4 Grace Ann Merchant of Lebanon are potential semifinal opponents.

“I look for a lot of positive from all for of the girls Friday,” Chowning said. “It’s going to be a tough go. All four of them have tough first-round matches.”