The state qualifiers: Brant Beck

Unhappy after semistate loss, ‘what matters’ to Beck is 4th state finals

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Brant Beck

Rochester senior Brant Beck is going to the boys wrestling state finals for the fourth time after finishing in second place at the East Chicago semistate Saturday.

While some might rejoice at such an accomplishment, Beck was not feeling it after he lost to New Prairie’s Matthew Staples by technical fall 19-3 in 4:23 in the final. Instead, Beck was thinking ahead.

“Same old, same old,” Beck said. “It’s still exciting, but I’ve been there before.”

He understands why he lost, but he does not accept it. He has six days to fix it.

“Not a terrible day,” Beck said. “You can’t get tech-falled though. State’s what matters.”

Beck began his day with falls over Munster’s Kaleb Moore and Harrison (West Lafayette)’s Carter Heriges to clinch his state ticket. He gave up a takedown to Hobart’s ninth-ranked Hayden Mancilla in a 14-5 major decision in the semifinals, but he also closed the match with a reversal from the bottom position and three back points. It was just Mancilla’s second loss of the season.

But the loss to Staples gnawed at him. He also lost to Staples in the semistate final at 157 last year.

“Re-attacks,” Beck said. “He does this year-round. He moves his feet well. He knows how to pressure you and gets to his attacks.”

The loss was just his second in 44 matches this season. (His other loss was a disqualification for an illegal slam at the Chris Traicoff Memorial Invitational at Calumet Dec. 13.) He and teammate Layne Horn will graduate as the two winningest wrestlers in school history, and Beck will have the school record for career takedowns.

In addition to making state for the fourth time, Beck won his third conference title, fourth sectional and third regional over the last month.

Beck lost his Friday night match in 2023, but he took third at 165 in 2024 and seventh at 157 last year.

Beck also ran for over 4,000 career yards in football with the Zebras going 34-10 during his four seasons. And he is a pitcher-second baseman-outfielder for the baseball team that made it to the semistate final in 2024.

“He wrestles every day all year long,” Wilson said comparing Staples to Beck. “Brant  plays three sports at 1A school. He’s the first one to tell you that there’s some levels to this. Not that we can’t close that gap, but we need to see it a couple times before we can really game-plan for some stuff. There are a few things in that match that he wasn’t doing very well that he’s never really been called on before. And it showed. But he didn’t wrestle bad. I hope we see him under the lights next weekend.”

Beck will wrestle Garrett’s Jackson Endsley in the first round of the state finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis today. Beck will wrestle in the afternoon session beginning at 3 p.m. Indian Creek’s Oliver Hallett, ranked sixth, and Noblesville’s Aidan Kincaide, ranked third, are among the obstacles that Beck, ranked second, could face before another chance at Staples.