Centre County wrestlers — and a PSU commit — shined in M2 Training Center’s NLWC event
While the high school wrestling season might be over, some of the region’s top high school and youth wrestlers got to compete Wednesday night in a dual meet-style event at C3 Sports Complex.
Former Penn State great and current Olympian David Taylor’s M2 Training Center club team took on Apex Wrestling School from New Jersey in a dual presented by the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club and livestreamed on Rokfin.
More than 40 youth and high school-level wrestlers — including five from Centre County and a Penn State commit — competed under the spotlight.
“I have to thank the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club for providing the opportunity for these guys to wrestle on the Rokfin channel,” Taylor said. “Wrestling has really made strides during the pandemic, having these different opportunities. It started at the senior level and now it has come down. To have this and represent an entire club with Apex and M2 Training Center, from little guys all the way up through high school, is a great experience for them.”
Added Apex coach Cory Cooperman: “It was a great environment. They (M2 and Nittany Lion Wrestling Club) did a great job. I’m really looking forward to see what it looks like on the other end (video content). The opportunity to wrestle on the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club’s Rokfin, in State College and train with M2, it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up for my guys. Being here, I know a lot of these parents were very thankful for the opportunity. This was phenomenal.”
Representing Centre County were State College wrestlers Owen Woolcott, Lance Urbas and Nick Pavlechko, along with Bald Eagle Area’s Grace Stem and Philipsburg-Osceola’s Parker Moore. Reigning PIAA Class 2A 145-pound champion and Nittany Lions commit Levi Haines was also part of the card. M2 won the dual, 52-30.
The card also had wrestlers from the junior-high level with a pair of Centre County athletes in Penns Valley’s Max Dinges and BEA’s Tanner Guenot.
“It was exciting,” Taylor said. “It’s great to watch the kids wrestle. I think we spend so much time training and getting ready for some of the bigger tournaments, but to be able to get a match here, and see the things we are working on and some things we need to continue to work on is great. Now, we go back to the drawing board and make those adjustments.”
Woolcott was the first wrestler to hit the mat, midway through the event at 130 pounds. He took on Apex’s Ryan Messick, and wasted no time in showing he hasn’t skipped a beat since his high school career ended in March.
The Little Lions grad picked up a quick takedown and put Messick on his back for exposure points. Woolcott earned a push-out point for a 5-0 lead.
“I thought tonight was the best I’ve seen Owen Woolcott wrestle maybe in his entire career,” Taylor said. “He came out with a lot of fire and excitement. We talk about making the most of your opportunities, he did that tonight.”
Woolcott kept pouring it on Messick with another takedown. He locked up a leg lace and rolled Messick over for two sets of exposure points in an 11-0 technical fall in 59 seconds.
Woolcot said he was just happy for the chance to compete.
“It was really exciting, especially dual meet-wise,” Woolcott said. “From here on, I got Disney Duals and Fargo, so it’s all just tournaments. I thought after high school, that would be my last dual meet. So ,it was cool to come out here in this environment again.”
Urbas was the only other county wrestler on the main card. He took on Apex’s George Rhoades at 180 pounds.
The Penn commit scored 20 seconds into the match with a takedown. Urbas added two push-out points and one more takedown to hold a 6-0 lead after one period of wrestling.
“Lance has been making so much improvement, especially over the last year,” Taylor said. “He just keeps getting better and better.”
Urbas opened the scoring in the second period with another push-out point. He went feet-to-back for a four-point score to secure an 11-1 technical fall in 3:29.
“It was sweet,” Urbas said of being on the mat again. “Coming off a few weeks of rest, it felt good to get my lungs burned again and preparing for Fargo.”
Stem took part in one of four exhibition matches. She took on Sarah Henckel at 145 pounds in the second-to-last match of the night.
The Eagles’ wrestler just secured a spot on the U.S. Cadet World Team in May, which means she’ll compete next month in Budapest, and claimed a girls state title in March. Stem stayed hot in her match on Wednesday.
“She’s been in our program for a couple of years. She’s doing a great job,” Taylor said. “It’s exciting to see her get a match on the card. She wrestled on one of the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club’s cards earlier this year. It was a huge opportunity for her.”
Stem secured three takedowns and two sets of exposure points to rack up a 10-0 technical fall in 2:47.
“It was awesome. I was really looking forward to it. It’s nice to jump back in,” Stem said.
Pavlechko and Moore squared off against one another in the final match of the night in a 210-pound exhibition matchup. The younger Pavlechko, representing Apex, took control early with a takedown 10 seconds into the bout.
From there, he kept rolling and secured an 11-0 technical fall of Moore in 2:23.
“Parker Moore has had a good career at Philipsburg. He’s been coming consistently and it speaks volumes,” Taylor said. “Nick Pavlechko is one of those guys that his body hadn’t really caught up to where he is competing. I think he took some time off from competing, but now his body is growing into it. He’s always been a talented wrestler, now he’s a talented wrestler in a big weight class.”
Taylor continued to praise the Centre County athletes. He said that the wrestlers from Centre County have been the building blocks ever since he started M2, which is now located in Pleasant Gap.
Now, his club is attracting kids as far west as Johnstown, with the likes of Cornell commit Erik Gibson, his younger brother Mason Gibson and Forest Hills standout Ryan Weyandt.
Haines, who competes for Biglerville High School, makes a two-hour trek to train with M2. The defending PIAA champ and three-time finalist competed at 156 pounds against defending New Jersey state champ in Andrew Troczynski.
The duo were evenly matched through the first period with Haines’ takedown and push-out point giving him a 3-1 lead at the end of the period.
The Nittany Lions commit poured it on though in the second period. Haines secured a takedown, and used three gut wrench tilts for exposure points in an 11-1 technical fall in 3:58.
“The last time that I competed was the Cadet World Team (Trials), so it was nice to get back on the mat and compete against a high-level competitor,” Haines said. “It’s nice to have another match underneath my belt going into the world championships. I’m just excited to keep on getting better and improving.”
Young wrestlers show future is bright
Dinges and Guenot got to showcase their talents on the big stage. Dinges was the lone victor of the pair.
He led 6-2 after one period of wrestling, but was able to secure a 12-2 technical fall in 4:03 at 70 pounds.
Guenot came up short in a 13-2 technical fall loss at 80 pounds.
M2 Training Center 52, Apex Wrestling School 30
Wednesday at State College
117 lbs: Dalton Perry, M2, tech. fall Donny Alymeda, 11-0 (5:00)
149 lbs: Matt Sarbo, M2, tech. fall Michael Cetta, 14-4 (4:22)
70 lbs: Max Dinges, M2, tech. fall Shiloh Joyce, 12-2 (4:03)
75 lbs: Sean Kenny, AW, pinned Chase Wirnsberger, 1:24
80 lbs: Jo Jo Burke, AW, tech. fall Tanner Guenot, 13-2 (1:47)
85 lbs: Nico Desalvo, M2, tech. fall Braden Jones, 10-0 (1:45)
90 lbs: Paul Kenny, AW, tech. fall Aiden Kunes, 10-0 (:27)
95 lbs: Melvin Miller, M2, tech. fall PJ Terranova, 11-0 (2:59)
100 lbs: Vincent Paino, AW, dec. Max Wirnsberger, 4-1
108 lbs: Landon Bainey, M2, tech. fall Gabriel Logan, 14-4 (1:26)
130 lbs: Owen Woolcott, M2, tech. fall Ryan Messick, 11-0 (:59)
136 lbs: Luke Simcox, M2, dec. Joe Davi, 4-1
142 lbs: William Henckel, AW, tech. fall Scott Johnson, 18-8 (4:03)
156 lbs: Levi Haines, M2, tech. fall Andy Troczynski, 11-1 (3:58)
164 lbs: Lou Cerchio, AW, dec. Erik Gibson, 5-4
180 lbs: Lance Urbas, M2, tech. fall George Rhoades, 11-1 (3:29)
186 lbs: Ryan Weyandt, M2, pinned AJ Friccione, 2:14
124 lbs: Perry, M2, tech. fall Joe Manno, 14-4 (2:48)
Exhibition
152 lbs: Sarbo, M2, tech. fall Frankie Debella, 10-0 (1:46)
120 lbs: Trevor Jones, AW, tech. fall Reagan Millheim, 10-0 (1:44)
145 lbs: Grace Stem, M2, tech. fall Sarah Henckel, 10-0 (2;47)
210 lbs: Nick Pavlechko, M2, tech. fall Parker Moore, M2, 11-0 (2:23)
