Mind on a medal

For nearly a year, a picture on Andy Kohler’s phone has been a constant reminder.
It was the worst day of his wrestling career.
Tucked away in the hallway at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, flanked by his coaches, Kohler wept in disappointment after losing in the opening round of the IHSAA Wrestling State Finals. It put an end to his junior season and left a state medal just outside his grasp.
The memento has been the driving force for the Jay County High School senior. It’s a feeling he doesn’t want to experience again.
“The mindset is totally different,” said Kohler, who begins the state tournament at 6 p.m. Friday. “Last year it was like, ‘Yeah I’m going to state.’ This year I don’t even care.”
The fifth-ranked Kohler continued to be frank.
“I want to medal. I want to medal bad,” he said. “I don’t want an (eighth-place) medal. I want something better.”
To secure a medal though, the 182-pound Kohler (44-2) has to win Friday when he hits the mat against Bloomington North senior Hunter Dalton (40-3).
A victory Friday would guarantee he finishes eighth or better, and the top eight places in each weight class earn medals.
The quarterfinal, semifinal, consolation and championship matches resume Saturday.
“Knowing I could have had a medal last year … I just want to change that this year and definitely stand on the podium with everybody else,” Kohler said.
Dalton, who is ranked 13th, has one common opponent with Kohler this year in Wyatt Clem of Homestead. Dalton defeated Clem by a 4-3 decision. Kohler, however, beat Clem 9-3 earlier in the season before leading 11-3 and pinning him in the third period in the ticket round at semi-state.
Both Kohler and JCHS coach Eric Myers have watched film on Dalton, and Kohler feels he has an advantage when they are both standing.
“He tries to muscle his way in,” Kohler said, adding Dalton likes to tie up his opponents and take them to the mat. “When he comes in for that time, just double, sweep or high crotch; get him to the ground.”
Since he got to experience the atmosphere of the state tournament as a junior, Kohler and Myers aren’t worried about getting caught up in the atmosphere. That’s why Myers, who has been a head coach or assistant to state-qualifying wrestlers in each of the last eight seasons, is ensuring Kohler is focused on the one thing standing in his way of stepping on the podium.
Hunter Dalton.
“I’ve told him that I’ve coached several state qualifiers and several state placers … especially when you’re going to state by yourself it is hard to stay focused,” Myers said, adding that teammates in the practice room helping prepare may not have the same mentality as someone preparing for state. “It is tough to maintain that focus, but he is as focused as anyone I’ve ever coached, and is as driven as anyone I’ve coached in this week leading up to (state).
“He’s doing an excellent job. I talked to him about putting the blinders on and staying focused on what he has to do.”
Aside from being set on Friday’s task, Kohler is in no way lacking confidence.
He’s come a long way from his freshman season, during which he went 1-2. As a sophomore he was a respectable 24-17 and qualified for regional.
“I don’t know what happened, but overnight I just turned into an animal,” Kohler said.
Then things really took off for him during his junior season. He was 36-7, lost a close match in the Allen County Athletic Conference championship, won a sectional title and qualified for state. He did all that with a new frame of mind — take it one match at a time.
Qualifying for state as a junior gave a boost to Kohler’s confidence, and it showed throughout his senior campaign.
He entered the year ranked fourth in the state by IndianaMat, and that’s where he remained until the final regular-season poll. He slipped one spot, but he didn’t let it bring him down.
After repeating as sectional champion, Kohler won his first two regional matches to reach the title bout and qualify for semi-state. He had totaled 41 victories without a defeat. The wining streak ended when he gave up a late takedown in the regional title match and lost to Bellmont’s Caleb Hankenson, a state qualifier this year who Kohler had beaten a week before.
It was a loss he felt he needed, a reality check of sorts.
Seven days later Kohler lost again, this time in the semifinal of the semi-state tournament, after he had already punched his return trip to the state finals.
“One difference between this year and last year is I’m really not the underdog this year,” he said. “Gives (me) more confidence than what I did last year.”
Should Kohler win Friday, he will meet either No. 16 Spencer Irick (29-6) of Hamilton Southeastern or second-ranked Andrew Davison (38-0) of Chesterton in Saturday’s quarterfinal round. The rest of the bracket features nine other wrestlers ranked in the top 20, including the rest of the top 10.
Cathedral’s Blake Rypel, who won the 195-pound championship last season, is the top-ranked wrestler at 182 and is also fifth in the country. Kohler could meet Rypel in the semifinal.
But Kohler and Myers aren’t letting themselves look that far ahead.
“Really, with Andy, what I discussed with him is taking it one match at a time,” Myers said. “We win that Friday night match and we’ll worry about (Saturday) whenever we get there.”