All-RTC4 girls wrestling: Peppler reigns again as Wrestler of Year

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

RTC Girls Wrestler of the Year Laine Peppler

Laine Peppler could have rested on her laurels after her junior year.

The Rochester wrestler had just finished sixth at the IHSAA state finals at 170 pounds. Her performance was more than admirable.

Instead, she spent more time in the weight room and worked on her technique to become a better offensive wrestler. Matched with her formidable defensive skills and positioning, she went from being one of the state’s best wrestlers to being an intimidating force on the mat.

She wound up finishing third at state last year. She was about two seconds away from winning state. Grace Hiroms, a 2024 grad who set the standard at Rochester before the sport received IHSAA sponsorship, passed the torch to her, and she set the bar even higher. For her efforts, she is our RTC Girls Wrestler of the Year for the second straight year.

Peppler also headlines our All-RTC4 girls wrestling team. With the growth of the sport, we are growing our all-area team from the top five wrestlers pound-for-pound to the top 10 wrestlers pound-for-pound.

We would like to thank area coaches for helping us out with interviews and statistics. Their insights have helped us create this list.

Having said that, this list is ours and ours alone, and we take full responsibility for it. We place a special emphasis on conference tournaments and postseason advancement. Duals in girls wrestling are not especially commonplace, so the postseason meets carry a little more weight.

First team

• Laine Peppler (Rochester) (Wrestler of the Year) – Peppler’s loss to eventual state champion Annabelle Redman of Columbus East in the state semifinals could have gone either way, and it was the only close match either Peppler or Redman had at the state tournament. What made Peppler even more impressive was that, to the best of our knowledge, she never actually weighed 170 and often gave up a few pounds to many opponents.

• Makenna McKee (Rochester) – McKee made it back to state for the third straight year at 130, combining great athleticism and flexibility with a huge heart.

• Lindsey Pugh (North Miami) – Pugh’s career ended with a loss to Crown Point’s Helene Papadakis in the first round at state, but that was not before she won the Hoosier North, the Hamilton Heights sectional and the Kokomo regional at 125.

• Elise Enyart (Rochester) – Enyart, a sophomore, raised her game and became more confident and technically sound as the season progressed. It culminated with two first-period falls at the Kokomo regional to clinch a spot in the state finals at 145.

• Kyra Doran (Rochester) – Doran is an explosive athlete with an aggressive style, and she maintained her position better this year. She won the TRC and the sectional at 120, and she appears to be on track to make state in 2027.

• Lilly Gerald (Rochester) – Gerald was a state placer as a freshman and as a junior but was eliminated at the regional round this year. Still, she dominated for most of the year in what was usually a loaded weight class. She and Peppler will be teammates at Manchester University next year.

• Madison Beach (Culver) – Beach, a senior, rolled through the field to win the Hoosier North title at 155. She then finished second at the Plymouth sectional before losing in the ticket round at the Plymouth regional.

• Madelyn MacLain (Rochester) – MacLain really did not start her freshman season until right before Christmas, and she steamrolled right through the 125-pound class at the TRC tournament before finishing second at the sectional. She is only going to get better with increased mat time.

• Serenity Howard (Rochester) – Like MacLain, Howard had a very promising freshman season. She has a thoughtful approach in setting up her attacks, eventually winning the TRC at 115 and making it to the regional ticket round.

• Ella Myers (North Miami) – If Howard will have a rival moving forward, it could be Myers, a sophomore who rolled through the Hoosier North and then finished second at the Hamilton Heights sectional at 115.

Honorable mention

• Lexi Haughs (Rochester)

• Emmeline Zabel (Caston)

• Lilly Wallace (Pioneer)

• Karley Hallstrom (Tippecanoe Valley)

• Mikayla Beach (Culver)

• Addy Thomas (North Miami)

• Kayla Doss (Rochester)

• Lizzie Daniels (Tippecanoe Valley)

• Breanna James (Caston)

• Lindey Townsend (North Miami)

RTC Girls Wrestler of the Year

2024 – Grace Hiroms (Rochester)

2025 – Laine Peppler (Rochester)

2026 – Laine Peppler (Rochester)