BNL’s Filler falls in regional opener

Jorj Filler

BLOOMINGTON – Bedford North Lawrence junior Jorj Filler finished the 2023 wrestling season with a first-round loss in the IHSAA regional at Bloomington South on Saturday.

Filler (30-10) suffered a 9-1 setback to Northview senior Seth Cowden (25-2) in the opener at 126 pounds.

“Really proud of Jorj’s season,” BNL coach Chris Branam said. “He was able to turn things around after a rough day at conference and get himself back on the right track. It takes a lot of mental strength to do that. I have no doubt that he will have an incredible senior year.

“As far as the match, Jorj left it all out there. Last year that same opponent pinned us, so even going the distance with him shows improvement.”

The top four in each weight class advanced to the semistate in Evansville on Feb. 11. First-round winners automatically qualified for the semistate.