Columbus East’s Annie Redman gets ready to lock up with Franklin’s Eleanor Robertson in a 170-pound final at Saturday’s Bloomington South Regional.
Rob Baker | For The Republic
It’s going to be a busy weekend for the Redman family.
Annie Redman will compete for Columbus East in the Girls Wrestling State Finals Tournament in the Corteva Coliseum at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and Event Center beginning at 10 a.m. Friday. Her brother, Hank is competing in the Hoosier Hills Conference Boys Wrestling Tournament at 9 a.m. Saturday at Jeffersonville.
All it takes is four more wins for Annie Redman to become a state champion, and she’s only a freshman. She faces off against Averie Brooks from West Lafayette Harrison in the Round of 16. Should Annie prevail, she guarantees herself three more matches and a spot on the medals podium. Annie is one of four Olympian girls that qualified for the state finals.
Annie has wrestled for only a couple years. She started in seventh grade, and since there wasn’t a girls wrestling team in middle school, she wrestled on the boys middle school team in eighth grade. It was East girls wrestling coach Ty Olds that convinced her to give wrestling a shot.
Columbus East’s Hank Redman and Columbus North’s Servando Lozano grapple during a 285-pound match Dec. 17 at Columbus North High School.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Hank Redman, a junior at East, began wrestling with his friends at Central Middle School, and like Annie, it was East boys coach Chris Cooper that convinced Hank to wrestle in high school. He mentioned he gave wrestling a shot in elementary school, but quit the sport because he didn’t like it initially. It wasn’t until the seventh grade that he decided to give wrestling another try. Hank was glad he did.
“Everything has gone pretty good. I keep improving each year,” Hank said. “Freshman year, I was on the JV, and I was still in the developmental stage. Once I made varsity my sophomore year, I was coming in every day and working. It’s constantly going up, and I just keep getting better.”
Hank Redman
Hank said their family goes back and forth going to his and Annie’s matches if they’re scheduled to wrestle the same evening. Hank said he will go to Indianapolis to support Annie Friday.
“Sometimes they’ll switch, but for the end of the state run, they’ve mostly been going to hers because it’s her state run. It’s her last few matches,” Hank said. “During my state run, they’re going to go support me after her season is done.”
Annie Redman
Annie has a 30-3 record this year, with all three losses coming against Franklin’s Eleanor Robertson. In the sectional round at 170 pounds, Annie fell to Robertson by a 7-3 decision. In the regional round, Annie turned the tables and defeated Robertson by a 7-1 decision. That is Robertson’s only loss this season.
Annie set many goals for herself this season. Regardless of how her season ends, she said it was a terrific season.
“I want to work hard and do the best that I can do. I definitely want to at least make it to the semifinals, and from there, just keep it going,” Annie said. “I know I’ve been working hard this season, and if I’m working hard, that is all that really matters.”
If Annie makes the state championship match, there is a strong likelihood that Robertson will be waiting there for her.
“I want to get state titles and stuff, so that is what keeps me pushing,” Annie said. “Also, all the coaches here, they run the practices really well. You have to keep going. There is no stopping, there’s no breaks or anything, you have to earn everything.”
Hank will hope to follow his sister in wrestling at the state finals in late February at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The boys wrestling sectionals will be Jan. 31 at Jennings County. Hank wrestled at 175 last year and is wrestling at 285 this season.
Hank was one win away from qualifying for the state final tournament last year, losing in the “ticket round” at the semistate. He hopes for better fortune to make a deeper postseason run. For now, he has the HHC tournament to focus on.
“I have to go out there and wrestle. I tell myself, ‘Go out there and do what you do,’ so I do just that,” Hank said.
