Centre County is bringing home 12 medals from the PIAA wrestling championships
The PIAA wrestling championships finished up Saturday night with plenty of success for Centre County. Three wrestlers won state titles while nine others finished on the medal stand. St. Joseph’s placed four wrestlers to lead the county, while Philipsburg-Osceola placed three.
Here’s how the 12 wrestlers fared.
Class 2A
Bald Eagle Area
Champions: Gage McClenahan (145)
Medalists: None
Team score: 12th, 43 points
Recap: McClenahan, a senior, took on Gavin D’Amato in the 145-pound state title match Saturday afternoon and left with the program’s first state title since 2013.
The senior missed his junior season because of a knee injury, but was a finalist the last time he was healthy as a sophomore. The moment was more special than usual for McClenahan because of his long road to recovery.
“My friends and family were here for me,” he said. “My teammates, my coaches, they were here. We knew we could make it happen. We thought last year was going to be the year but I got hurt. So we had to make it happen here. It’s been an awesome journey.”
Bald Eagle Area head coach Ron Guenot was thrilled to see his star senior end his career on top.
“Words can’t describe what I’m feeling,” Guenot said. “This place is full of so many tough moments and a moment like that makes it all worth it. I’m so proud that it’s Gage. I thought we were going to have him for four years and we only got him for three. I’m so happy for him. I thought with about 1:30 left that he was going to ride him out. When Gage puts his mind to something he follows through.”
Penns Valley
Champions: None
Medalists: Malachi DuVall (3rd, 152) and Andrew Sharer (4th, 182)
Team score: 11th, 44 points
Recap: Penns Valley had two wrestlers left Saturday with both battling for third place and they went 1-1 in their chase for bronze medals.
Junior 152-pounder Malachi DuVall defeated Southern Columbia’s Wesley Barnes 4-0 to earn a decision and walk away from Hershey with a bronze medal and a chance to improve next season.
Penns Valley head coach Joel Brinker said the junior wrestled a smart match.
“I’m very happy he ended the tournament with a win,” he said.
Sharer, a senior 182-pounder, was unable to win his third-place match and finished fourth in his weight class. He lost a 12-9 decision to Saucon Valley’s Dane Csencsits to end his tournament.
“I think Andrew let it all go,” Brinker said. “He threw everything he could at the kid and just came up short. But I’m proud. I’m really proud.”
The Rams’ head coach said the weekend was a successful one for his wrestlers.
“To go 4-0 on the first day was remarkable for our three wrestlers,” he said. “To get two medals out of Hershey is always a great thing.”
Philipsburg-Osceola
Champions: None
Medalists: Chase Chapman (8th, 138), Hunter Weitoish (8th, 160) and Parker Moore (6th, 195)
Team score: 21st, 27 points
Recap: Philipsburg-Osceola set a program record with three medalists Friday and all three battled for podium position Saturday. However, none of the three were able to improve their position on the medal stand Saturday afternoon.
That didn’t stop Brad Pataky, the team’s head coach, from showing pride in their week.
“We came in with three guys and exited with three on the podium which is something our school hasn’t done in a very long time,” he said. “I’m extremely proud of the fight and the effort the kids gave this week. Each one of them finished above their ranking so it was really cool to see the fight they had coming into the weekend.”
Chapman couldn’t overcome Biglerville’s Jake Showers to earn seventh place in his final bout of his high school career. The senior dropped a 10-7 contest that featured plenty of scrambles and attacking from the two 138-pounders.
“It was awesome to see Chase go out with a place on the podium,” Pataky said.
Weitoish also fell by a decision, but his was much lower scoring. He lost to Montoursville’s Isaac Cory, 4-1, in his seventh place match.
Moore was the only Mountie in a fifth-place match, but fell short like his teammates, dropping his match to Union CIty’s Marshall Vantassel by a major decision, 11-2.
Pataky said both Moore and Weitoish should be back next year in their senior campaigns, but the success can help in more ways than one.
“It’s a continuing promise to our program that Parker and Hunter will be back,” he said. “Anytime you have success you’re going to have people that want to buy in. I think if the elementary kids see what the high school guys are doing, that may entice them to want to get to that level and work hard.”
St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy
Champions: Caleb Dowling (152) and Tyler Stoltzfus (170)
Medalists (3rd-8th): Zack Witmer (5th, 138) and Keegan Rothrock (6th, 160)
Team score: 5th, 75.5 points
Recap: St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy had two of Centre County’s three finalists Saturday and came away with gold medals for both.
Each won their title matches by a single point to take home the gold.
Dowling was up first for the Wolfpack at 152 pounds against Burrell’s A.J. Corrado. The senior scored the match’s lone takedown in the first period. His escape in the third proved to be enough to secure the victory and his school’s first gold medal in program history.
Stoltzfus secured his gold after his opponent, Matthew Arciuolo of Saucon Valley, chose not to go down to start the third period. The senior was able to stave off Arciuolo’s attacks and earn the 1-0 victory to be the program’s second gold medalist in its history.
“I’m super proud of those guys,” St. Joe’s head coach Pat Flynn said. “They trained so hard from last year to today. I’m just ecstatic right now.”
The Wolfpack had two wrestlers in consolation action as well, with Witmer and Rothrock in the fifth-place bouts at 138 pounds and 160 pounds, respectively.
Witmer defeated Zach Holland by a score of 8-0 to earn a major decision for the Wolfpack. Rothrock was unable to overcome Benton’s Nolan Lear and lost his match, 6-5.
Flynn said he was proud of his entire team and the week they had.
“Everyone did their best,” he said. “All my guys put it on the line. It’s been a pretty awesome group of guys to have. I’m super pumped.”
Class 3A
Bellefonte
Champions: None
Medalists: Lane Aikey (7th, 120), Jude Swisher (4th, 126)
Team score: T-19th, 22 points
Recap: Bellefonte left Friday afternoon’s action with zero remaining wrestlers in the championship bracket and only two remaining total. Aikey went 1-1 and Swisher went 2-1 Saturday to finish in their respective seventh and fourth places on the podiums at their weight classes.
Aikey began the day with a 4-0 loss in the consolation quarterfinals to Council Rock North’s Kyle Hauserman, but recovered to defeat Connellsville’s Jace Ross 9-2 and earn seventh place at 120 pounds.
Swisher won his consolation quarterfinal bout over Chartiers Valley’s Dylan Evans, 3-1, and his consolation semifinal match against Josh Miller of Central Dauphin, 4-1.
The sophomore’s run came to an end in the third-place bout where he lost to Council Rock North’s Luke Lucerne, 6-2.
Bellefonte head coach Mike Maney said he was happy with how both wrestlers battled back after losing in Friday’s quarterfinals.
“Getting here is an accomplishment in itself and to place here is another step up,” he said. “Both guys had really tough weight classes so for them to get on the podium is a great success.”
PIAA Championships
Saturday at Hershey
Class 2A
Team key: Allentown Central Catholic (ACC), Annville-Cleona (AC), Athens (A), Bald Eagle Area (BEA), Bedford (B), Bellwood-Antis (B-A), Benton (BT), Berlin-Brothersvalley (BB), Bermudian Springs (BS), Biglerville (BV), Bishop McDevitt (BM), Boiling Springs (BP), Brandywine Heights (BH), Brockway (BW), Brookville (BK), Burgettstown (BTT), Burrell (BU), Cambria Heights (CH), Cambridge Springs (CS), Camp Hill (CH), Canton (C), Carlynton (CY), Catasauqua (CQ), Central (CM), Chestnut Ridge (CR), Church Farm School (CF), Commodore Perry (CP), Conneaut (CT), Conwell Egan (CE), Corry (CY), Curwensville (CW), Delone Catholic (DC), Derry (D), East Pennsboro (EP), Eisenhower (E), Elizabeth Forward (EF), Ellwood City (EC), Fairfield (FF), Faith Christian (FC), Forest Hills (FH), Fort Cherry (FY), Franklin (F), Frazier (FZ), Freedom Area (FA), Fort LeBoeuf (FL), General McCLane (GM), Girard (G), Glendale (GD), Greenville (GV), Grove City (GC), Halifax (H), Hamburg (HB), Harbor Creek (HC), Hickory (HY), Hughesville (HV), Huntingdon (HT), Jamestown (JT), Jefferson-Morgan (JM), Jersey Shore (JS), Johnsonburg (J), Kane (K), Lackawanna Trail (LT), Lake Lehman (LL), Laurel (L), Lewisburg (LB), Line Mountain (LM), Littlestown (LS), Mahanoy (MY), Maplewood (MW), Marion Center (MC), McGuffey (MG), Mercer (M), Meyersdale (MD), Middletown (MT), Midd-West (M-W), Mifflinburg (MB), Milton (MN), Mountoursville (MV), Mount Pleasant (MP), Mount Union (MU), Mount Carmel (Mt. C), Muncy (Mun.), Newport (N), North Schuylkill (NY), North Star (NS), Northeast Bradford (NEB), Northern Bedford (NB), Northern Lebanon (NLB), Northern Lehigh (NL), Notre Dame-Green Pond (ND), Octorara (O), Palisades (P), Pen Argyl (PA), Penns Valley (PV), Philipsburg-Osceola (P-O), Port Allegany (PY), Quaker Valley (Q), Redbank Valley (RV), Reynolds (R), Richland (RL), Saegertown (ST), Saucon Valley (SV), Scranton Prep (SP), Seneca (S), Sharon (SH), Sheffield (SF), Slippery Rock (SR), South Park (SPK), South Williamsport (SW), Southern Columbia (SC), Southmoreland (SM), St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy (SJ), Sullivan County (SY), Susquenita (SQ), Tamaqua (TQ), Titusville (TV), Tri Valley (TV), Trinity (T), Troy (TY), Tunkhannock (TH), Tussey Mountain (TM), Tyrone (TR), Union City (U), Warrior Run (WR), West Perry (WP), Western Wayne (WW), Westmont-Hilltop (WH), Williams Valley (WV), Wilson Area (W), Wyalusing (W), Wyoming Area (WYA)
Team scores: 1. Notre Dame-Green Pond 114, 2. Montoursville 103, 3. Southern Columbia 98.5, 4. Reynolds 84.5, 5. St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy 75.5, 6. Brookeville 74, 7. Chestnut Ridge 69, 8. Saucon Valley 66, 9. Forest Hills 59.5, 10. Burell 53, 11. Penns Valley 44, 12. Bald Eagle Area 43, 21. Philipsburg-Osceola 27
Finals
106: Branden Wentzel, MV, dec. Calan Bollman, CR, 4-2; 113: Gary Steen, R, dec. Fischer, SPK, 4-2 (SV); 120: Sheldon Seymour, TY, dec. Ryan Michaels, EF, 7-4; 126: Ryan Crookham, ND, dec. Levi Haines, BV, 7-2; 132: Brock McMillen, GD, dec. Ian Oswalt, BU, 5-1; 138: Kaden Cassidy, B, dec. Kenny Kiser, ST, 10-6; 145: Gage McClenahan, BEA, dec. Gavin D’Amato, TH, 1-0; 152: Caleb Dowling, SJ, dec. AJ Corrado, BU, 3-2; 160: Andrew Cerniglia, ND, dec. Thayne Lawrence, FZ, 11-8; 170: Tyler Stoltzfus, SJ, dec. Matthew Arciuolo, SV, 1-0; 182: Austin Walley, EC, dec. Dylan Bennett, MV, 6-5; 195: Gaige Garcia, SC, dec. Braydon Herbster, R, 7-0; 220: Cameron Wood, MV, dec. Kolby Flank, WA, 4-3; 285: Colby Whitehill, BV, pinned Emmanuel Lewis, CFS, 1:03
Third-Place Match
152: Malachi DuVall, PV, dec. Wesley Barnes, SC, 4-0; 182: Dane Csencsits, SV, dec. Andrew Sharer, PV, 12-9
Fifth-Place Match
138: Zack Witmer, SJ, major dec. Zach Holland, CW, 8-0; 160: Nolan Lear, BT, dec. Keegan Rothrock, SJ, 6-5; 195: Marshall Vantassel, UC, major dec. Parker Moore, P-O, 11-2
Seventh-Place Match
138: Blake Showers, BV, dec. Chase Chapman, P-O, 10-7; 160: Isaac Cory, MV, dec. Hunter Weitoish, P-O, 4-1
Class 3A
Team key: Abington (AB), Abington Heights (AH), Altoona (A), Archbishop Ryan (AR), Armstrong (AS), Belle Vernon (BV), Bellefonte (B), Bensalem (BS), Bethlehem Catholic (BC), Bethel Park (BP), Blue Mountain (BM), Boyertown (BT), Canon-McMillan (CM), Carlisle (C), Cathedral Prep (CP), Cedar Cliff (CCF), Cedar Crest (CC), Central Bucks East (CBE), Central Bucks West (CBW), Central Dauphin (CD), Central Mountain (CM), Central York (CY), Chambersburg (CB), Chartiers Valley (CV), Clearfield (CF), Coatesville (CTV), Conestoga (CG), Connellsville (CNV), Conrad Weiser (CW), Council Rock North (CRN), Council Rock South (CRS), Cumberland Valley (CBV), Dallas (D), Dallastown (DT), Daniel Boone (DB), Delaware Valley (DV), Dieruff (DF), Dover (DV), Downingtown East (DE), Downingtown West (DW), DuBois (DBS), Easton (E), Emmaus (EM), Exeter Township (ET), Father Judge (FJ), Franklin Regional (FR), Freedom (F), Garden Spot (GS), Garnet Valley (GV), Gettysburg (G), Greater Latrobe (GL), Greesnburg Salem (GS), Hampton (H), Hatboro Horsham (HH), Haverford (HF), Hazleton (HT), Hempfield Area (HFA), Hollidaysburg (HA), Interboro (I), JP McCaskey (J), Kennett (K), Kiski Area (KA), Knoch (KN), Lampeter-Strasburg (LS), Liberty (L), Lower Dauphin (LD), Lower Merion (LM), Manheim Central (MC), Manheim Township (MT), Mariana Bracetti (MB), Meadville (MV), Methacton (M), Mifflin County (MCY), Mt. Lebanon (ML), Nazareth (N), Neshaminy (NSY), New Oxford (NO), North Allegheny (NA), North Hills (NH), North Penn (NP), Northampton (NT), Northeastern (NE), Northern York (NY), Norwin (NW), Overbrook (O), Owen J. Roberts (OJR), Oxford Area (OA), Penn Manor (PM), Penn Trafford (PT), Pennridge (PR), Peters Township (PTP), Pine Richland (PRD), Plymouth Whitemarsh (PW), PM East (PME), Pottsville (PV), Quakertown (Q), Red Land (RL), Selinsgrove (SG), Seneca Valley (SV), Shikellamy (SY), Shippensburg (SB), Solanco (SO), South Fayette (SF), South Western (SW), Spring Ford (SFD), Spring Grove (SPG), State College (SC), Strath Haven (SH), Stroudsburg (STB), Sun Valley (SVY), Susquehannock (SQ), Thomas Jefferson (T), Upper Darby (UD), Upper Perkiomen (UP), Waynesburg (WB), WC Henderson (WH), West Allegheny (WA), West Chester Rustin (WCR), William Tennant (WT), Williamsport (WT), Wilson (W), Wissahickon (WC), Wyoming Valley West (WVW), York Suburban (YS)
Team scores: 1. Bethlehem Catholic 110.5, 2. Nazareth 88.5, 3. Waynesburg 88, 4. Cathedral Prep 79, 5. Council Rock North 64, 6. Hempfield Area 58, 7. Mount Lebanon 52.5, 8. Stroudsburg 51, 9. Seneca Valley 49, 10. Central Dauphin 48, T19. Bellefonte 31, T58. State College 10
Finals
106: Vincent Kilkeary, GL, pinned Jacob VanDee, CP, 6:31; 113: Ethan Berginc, HFA, dec. Aiden Lewis, CCF, 3-2; 120: Will Betancourt, MC, dec. Dylan Chappell, SV, 4-2; 126: Kurtis Phipps, NW, dec. Rocco Welsh, WB, 7-6; 132: Kenny Herrmann, BC, dec. Patrick Noonan, SB, 1-0; 138: Wyatt Henson, WB, dec. Sam Hillegas, NH, 4-3; 145: Cole Handlovic, BC, dec. Jagger Condomitti, NT, 3-2; 152: Ed Scott, DBS, dec. Cameron Robinson, CRN, 11-8; 160: Luke Nichter, CB, pinned Clayton Ulrey, LD, 3:43; 170: Lenny Pinto, SB, pinned Maclane Stout, ML, 4:38; 182: Gerrit Nijenhuis, CM, dec. Donovan Mcmillon, PTP, 6-0; 195: Luke Stout, ML, major dec. Luke Montgomery, BP, 12-1; 220: Dorian Crosby, CP, dec. Nate Schon, SG, 3-1; 285: Hunter Catka, SVY, dec. Isaiah Vance HFA, 11-4
Third-Place Match
126: Luke Lucerne, CRN, dec. Jude Swisher, B, 6-2
Seventh-Place Match
120: Lane Aikey, B, dec. Jace Ross, CNV, 9-2
Consolation Semifinals
126: Swisher, B, dec. Josh Miller, CD, 4-1
Consolation Quarterfinals
120: Kyle Hauserman, CRN, dec. Aikey, B, 4-0; 126: Swisher, B, dec. Dylan Evans, CV, 3-1
