Jeffersonville Wrestling Battles to 4th Place Finish at Hoosier Hills Conference Tournament Seated sixth as a team entering the Hoosier Hills Conference Tournament, the Jeffersonville Red Devils fought their way to a 4th place finish, exceeding expectations in a highly competitive field. The tournament was won by Floyd Central, the No. 3-ranked team in Indiana, with Columbus East (No. 4 in the state) finishing as runner-up. New Albany took 3rd place, just 10 points ahead of Jeffersonville, setting the stage for an exciting rematch Thursday night when the Red Devils will host New Albany for Senior Night in their final dual of the season. Ben Land Leads the Way with Conference Title Ben Land (285 lbs.) dominated the tournament, extending his record to 35-1 while pinning his way to his first Hoosier Hills Conference Championship. His victory adds to an already impressive season, which includes titles at the Capital City Classic,Jeff Classic, and Fern Creek Gladiator. Jeffersonville has a rich history of heavyweight success, and Land’s victory continues the program’s dominance at 285 pounds, where Jeff has won more conference titles than any other team over the past two decades. Aidan Stellato Earns Runner-Up Finish Senior Aidan Stellato (126 lbs.) turned in an impressive performance, finishing second despite being seeded third. His runner-up placement was one of several standout performances for the Red Devils, who consistently outperformed their seeds throughout the tournament. Jeffersonville Leads Tournament in Upset Wins and Pins The Red Devils showcased their resilience, recording 12 upset victories over higher-seeded opponents, the most of any team in the tournament. Floyd Central had the second-most upsets with seven. Jeffersonville also led the tournament in total pins with 15, finishing with a total pin time of 24 minutes. “Our kids wrestle an extremely tough schedule,” said Coach Danny Struck. “We take on top-10 teams from three different states, literally facing teams ranked 1 through 10 in those states. So, coming into this tournament, we were seeded low. But our kids have learned that the seed doesn’t always matter—they can overcome it because of the battles they’ve been through. We proved that today.” Jeffersonville’s Full Results • 106 lbs. – Tim Wilkins (5th place) • 113 lbs. – Will Honeker (4th place) • 120 lbs. – John Steele (5th place) • 126 lbs. – Aidan Stellato (Runner-up) • 132 lbs. – Brandon Chestnut (4th place) • 138 lbs. – Elijah Snow (6th place) • 144 lbs. – Isa Moore Santos (4th place) • 150 lbs. – Quintin Smith (3rd place) • 157 lbs. – Mekhi Cooper (Did not place) • 165 lbs. – Adrian Carrillo (5th place) • 175 lbs. – Xander Hobbs (3rd place) • 190 lbs. – Siyour Miniggia (3rd place) • 215 lbs. – James Dyer (6th place) • 285 lbs. – Ben Land (Hoosier Hills Conference Champion) Eyes on Sectionals and Beyond While winning the Hoosier Hills Conference is always a goal, Jeffersonville’s ultimate focus is on the upcoming IHSAA Sectional tournament and beyond. “A theme that has evolved for us is ‘Do Hard Things,’” said Coach Struck. “Wrestling is a struggle, and to win at it, you have to get comfortable doing hard things. Our kids are doing just that at the right time.” The Red Devils will host New Albany on Thursday night at Jeffersonville High School for their final dual meet of the season. With just 10 points separating the two teams at conference, the showdown promises to be an exciting battle, especially on Senior Night.