Columbus North’s Liam Phillips, left, competes against Columbus East’s Eric Duncan in the 160-pound weight class at Columbus East, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022.
The Republic file photo
The high school wrestling careers of Liam Phillips and Cody Thurnall didn’t get off to great starts three years ago, but the Columbus North seniors are working on fantastic finishes.
Saturday, Phillips and Thurnall will help lead the Bull Dogs into the Jennings County Sectional. They’ll enter the postseason with far greater confidence than they did as freshmen.
“They’ve bought into what we’re doing, and it’s really changed their wrestling from the time they were freshmen until now as seniors,” North coach Matt Joyce said.
Phillips has made a dramatic turnaround over his four years. He went 1-14 at 132 pounds as a freshman. This year, he is 27-4 at 160 and 170.
Liam Phillips
“My freshman year, there were only so many kids, and the last few years, we’ve had a lot more kids up here, and I’ve seen a lot more techniques,” Phillips said. “Just having a lot more kids around has helped develop me. We’ve been doing a lot more stuff over the offseason the last few years, so I think that’s helped a lot.”
Thurnall has been the Bull Dogs’ heavyweight (285-pounder) all four years. He has gone from 6-22 as a freshman to 17-13 this season.
“Honestly, it’s just keep going to practice every day and doing a little bit extra and listening to the coaches,” Thurnall said.
Cody Thurnall
Thurnall also played football at North and was a starting offensive lineman as a senior. Phillips played football his first two years and has been a pole vaulter in track and field each year, and plans to continue that this spring.
“Going from middle school to high school, I could tell the competition level (in wrestling) was a lot different,” Phillips said. “I played football in ninth and 10th grade, which I think helped my physically. Then I quit football to focus on wrestling, and I think that’s what took me to my next level.”
Phillips made it to regional at 145 as a sophomore and to semistate at 152 last season. He is one of the favorites at 160 for this year’s sectional.
“I just want to focus on sectional and getting a good placement at sectional and a good seed for regional,” Phillips said. “I’m just taking it one tournament at a time.”
Thurnall has been a regional qualifier the past two years. He hopes to go at least one step farther this season.
“I think I have a really good chance,” Thurnall said. “I’ve been doing really well this season. I just have to keep healing up and getting ready. I’m excited to go into the (tournament) series, but it comes with a little bit of nerves. I just want to place high. That’s really my goal.”
“I think both have a good shot,” Joyce added. “Anything can happen. Both of them, semistate is definitely in the picture, and once they get to semistate, those draws are big.”
Neither Phillips nor Thurnall plan to continue wrestling in college. Both plan to major in engineering — Phillips at Purdue and Thurnall at University of Indianapolis.
Joyce said with both wrestlers, the key to their improvement has been their ability to be consistent in making their way to offseason practices.
“Cody is a two-sport athlete, but still finds time to come in a day or two a week to wrestling workouts,” Joyce said. “Liam, after his sophomore year, really dedicated himself to wrestling. He’s also a two-sport athlete, but he finds ways to get in here and work hard all summer. They’ve grown strength-wise and with consistency. That really helps your technique. If you can come in and get that consistent work over a period of time, and you’re paying attention and you’re buying into what we’re doing, the technique takes care of itself.”
