Thank You to our Sponsors!

Altoona Junior High finishes nearly flawless season

Altoona Junior High won every tournament they entered this season.  Those included the Huntingdon Tournament, Big 7 League Tournament, Juniata Tournament, Shikellamy Duals, and the Connellsville Duals.  The only loss they suffered this season was the last match of the Connellsville Duals (which they finished as the first-place team) to Chestnut Ridge by a score of 40-37.  Two of their starters got hurt earlier in the day and were not able to wrestle in that match.  In fact at the Connellsville Duals they had convincing wins over North Allegheny (54-13), Connellsville (who hadn’t been defeated in 2 years) (42-23), and Cathedral Prep (45-29).  Other impressive dual victories for Altoona were over Clearfield, Dubois, and Miffllinburg.  In the 3 individually bracketed tournaments they entered they won all by a wide margin.  At Big 7 they won by nearly 80 points over 2^nd place State College.  They won Juniata by over 100 points and Huntingdon by nearly 45 points, both over 2^nd place Mifflin County.  They finished the season with 16 wins and 1 loss.

Individually Altoona Area had a total of 9 wrestlers with 20 or more wins and 9 wrestlers with 13 or more pins. 

Deklan Barr 28-0, 21 pins, Keystone State runner up, PJW State Qualifier

Dominic Verticelli 26-2, 22 pins, PJW State 7^th place, Keystone State Qualifier

Reese Hite 25-3, 18 pins, Keystone State Qualifier 

Dominic Picciotti 24-2, 14 pins, Keystone State 7^th, PJW State Qualifier

Mike Colyer 23-2, 20 pins, PJW State 5^th place, Keystone State 7^th place

 Brandt Hite 23-5, 14 pins, Keystone State and PJW State Qualifier

Brayden Wible 23-5, 16 pins, PJW State Qualifier

Caleb Darpino 22-6, 20 pins,

Liam Chirdon 20-8, 13 pins, Keystone State Qualifier

Mikey Nardozza was both a PJW and Keystone State Qualifier

Bryson Montgomery and Gavyn Weamer were Keystone State Qualifiers. 

Dante Bradshaw was a PJW State Qualifier

Sarah Glenny was a Girls PJW JH State Qualifier 

Altoona Area junior high is led by head coach Ryan Barr.  Barr wrestled for Penn Cambria from 1992-96 and compiled a career record of 99 wins with just 18 losses.  He was ranked #2 in PIAA going into the regional tournament his senior year before a shoulder injury ended his season prematurely.  He then went on to wrestle under Hall of Fame Coach Pat Pecora at the University of Pittsburgh Johnstown (UPJ).  He was a member of the 1999 Division II National Championship team at UPJ.  He started coaching directly after college.  He began at Richland High School from 2001-2005, then onto Penn Cambria from 2005-2009.  He stepped away from coaching when his son Deklan was born in July 2009. He then decided to become a PIAA official from 2009-2015 so he could spend more time with his son as well as his daughter Delaney (who happens to be a standout gymnast and an amazing cheerleader).  When his son Deklan began wrestling at the age of 6, Barr got back into coaching.  From 2015-2021 Barr coached the Altoona youth program and also was an assistant coach at Young Guns in Altoona (John and Jody Strittmatter were college teammates of Barr’s). He began coaching Altoona Area Junior high in 2021.  His teams have finished with records of 16-7, 21-6, and 16-1 in the past 3 seasons.  Coach Barr was awarded the District 6 AAA Junior High Coach of the Year in both 2022-23 and 2023-24.  He was also recently named 2023-24 Pennsylvania AAA Junior High Coach of the Year.  “The last 3 seasons have been so memorable due to the drive and toughness of the kids in the room.  They were eager to learn and totally bought into the idea of being champions both on the mat and in life.  They loved the philosophy of a “brotherhood” that we as coaches instilled in them.  They believed in living the complete life of a successful wrestler, which in turn has taught them so much about being successful in their personal life too, which is important to me.  We preached to this team that we were coaching them as if they would all be wrestling at the Division I level someday, and they totally fed off that idea.  They did extra practices, strength training, film study, and reflections on their own wrestling.  They learned to eat, sleep, and dream the sport.  While they may not understand it now, this will most definitely make them driven and successful in their adult lives” Altoona Junior High Head Coach Ryan Barr.

Paul Picciotti serves as an assistant coach for Altoona Junior High.  Picciotti was a standout football player in high school for Central Bucks West.  He went on to play Division I football for the University of Rhode Island.  He was All-Conference 3 years, held the career tackles record for 15 years (388 tackles), and was an All-American his senior year.  Picciotti began coaching wrestling as an assistant at the youth level in 2016 for Altoona when his sons Dom and Nate began wrestling.  Despite never having wrestled competitively, he picked up the sport very quickly and fell in love with the grind the sport requires to be successful.  “Paul is a great motivator and does an outstanding job with the strength training aspect of the sport,” Altoona Head Coach Ryan Barr.  Coach Picciotti is also an Assistant Coach for the Altoona Area Senior High Football team and teaches Physical education at the High School.  “As Junior High Wrestling Coaches, we are so fortunate to be around kids who are falling in love with the sport and have an understanding that nothing is given, but earned.  I am so proud of these kids!  This year there has been a lot of support and praise from the community for our success.  Hopefully our success as a program becomes addictive throughout the community and future generations want to continue to be a part of it.  Our goal as a program is to become a PA powerhouse!”  Assistant Coach Paul Picciotti. 

Shaun Barr began as an assistant coach for his brother Ryan during the 2022-23 season. Shaun was an outstanding youth wrestler but unfortunately had a career ending back injury at the age of 12 while wrestling freestyle.  Coach Shaun has been instrumental in getting the less experienced kids to a level where his brother can take over and coach them in a more advanced manner.  This progression has worked out very well for the multiple “brand new” kids that Altoona has been able to mold into successful wrestlers. 

Altoona Junior High Wrestling has been trending in the right direction over the past 3 seasons under Head Coach Ryan Barr.  This past season was their pinnacle of success, winning every tournament they entered and having 13 State Qualifiers, 5 medalists, and 1 finalist.  It will be interesting to see how this group does as they move to the varsity level.  If this year was any indication, they should be very successful.  It would also appear that the framework has been laid for the entire Altoona wrestling program to be successful in the years to come.  

82 lbs:  Kooper Deputy (Chestnut Ridge)

89 lbs:  Chase Karenbauer (Grove City)

96 lbs:  Max Dinges (Penns Valley)

103 lbs:  Mateo Gallagos (Dubois)

110 lbs:  Brayden Wenrich (Northampton)

117 lbs:  Austin Carfley (Bishop McCort)

124 lbs:  Kamdyn Borrero (Diocese of Erie)

132 lbs:  Jason Dube (General McLane)

140 lbs:  Geno Orlandi (Beth Center)

147 lbs:  Alek Palko (Jefferson Morgan)

157 lbs:  Samuel Almedina (Mid Valley)

172 lbs:  Mario Hutcherson (Kiski)

192 lbs:  Kendahl Hoare (Dubois)

212 lbs:  Jackson Mickens (Albert Gallatin)

252 lbs:  Khalil Ellerbee (Central Valley)

Pennsylvania Junior High Team Rankings   

1. Trinity
2. Altoona
3. Bishop McCort
4. Norwin
5. Kiski
6. Canon Mac
7. Cathedral Prep
8. Connellsville
9. Northampton
10. Dubois
11. Easton
12. Franklin Regional
13. Central Dauphin
14. Warrior Run
15. Greater Latrobe
16. Nazareth
17. Jersey Shore
18. Wilkes-Barre
19. West Allegheny
20. Chestnut Ridge
21. North Allegheny
22. Mifflin County
23. State College
24. Hollidaysburg
25. Clearfield
26. North Schuylkill
27. Central Mountain
28. Central York
29. Towanda
30. Elco

Girls finally seize Mats in Pennsylvania

By Deborah Lynch

This past spring, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association formally sanctioned girls wrestling as a PIAA sport that includes a state tournament to conclude the season, joining 43 other states to sanction one of the fastest growing high school sports in the country.

Nationally recognized as the best state in the nation for boys wrestling, Pennsylvania long awaited the addition of girls wrestling, which groups like SanctionPA worked diligently to bring to girls across the state.

Some states were quick to sanction the sport, but as Mark Byers, Chief Operating Officer of the PIAA explained, the PIAA has set 100 teams as the required number for any emerging sport to gain full PIAA status. The most recent sport to gain that status was girls flag football this past July. That bar was reached for girls wrestling in February, the PIAA board made it official in May, and to date 184 schools will offer girls wrestling for the 2023-24 season.

The movement to sanction girls wrestling in Pennsylvania started before Covid with it receiving emerging sport status two years ago. Now that the sport has been approved, the PIAA will hold a girls’ wrestling tournament alongside the boys tournament in March in Hershey. Sixteen qualifiers at each weight will wrestle on mats for girls next to mats for the boys at the state tournament.

“I think this is a great thing for high school athletics,” Byers said. “There was an outcry for girls to be able to participate for their school in wrestling because it has a great deal of prestige, which is one of the things that solidifies the need to have community-based athletics because it’s open to everybody. [PIAA sanctioning] will provide the opportunity for more girls to participate.”

Kevin Franklin, the head coach for girls wrestling at JP McCaskey High School in Lancaster – which in March 2020 had the first girls high school wrestling team to be approved by a school board in the state — who is also a SanctionPA board member and PAUSAW National Team coach, couldn’t agree more. He said SanctionPA’s grassroots effort combined with McCaskey’s official approval helped things get rolling in Pennsylvania.

“Demand was all over the place for girls wrestling,” Franklin said. “Back in March of 2020 when JP McCaskey approved the first public high school girls wrestling team, it was viewed as a huge step for those of us working with SanctionPA. Yet, the PIAA mandate of 100 schools still seemed daunting, particularly, since Covid shut the world down at that very moment. Last year, we could feel the momentum building, and we knew what seemed to be an unrealistic goal to some was only a matter of time.

“Everyone is so thrilled to start this first PIAA season,” Franklin continued. “Now the approved number of high school girls wrestling teams is over 180 and the junior high teams are over 90 … it’s surreal.  Having the honor to be the head coach of the first approved team at JP McCaskey since it was approved in the 2020-2021 season will always be something of which I am very proud. We have an amazing group of girls competing in a small city in an environment that doesn’t typically breed wrestling. Yet they continue to work hard, improve, and most importantly love the sport.”

* * *

Girls could participate in an unsanctioned tournament last season, but this March will be primetime. For many girls, it will be a chance to shine and create even more opportunity as women’s wrestling also begins to gain momentum among colleges. While teams exist mostly at the NAIA, NCAA Division II and III, and Junior College levels, a handful of D1 universities, including Iowa, have also added women’s teams.

Cumberland Valley wrestler Eliana White-Vega is just two years into her wrestling career, but already her technique and skill have afforded her national and international opportunities. This summer, she wrestled at the nationals in Fargo, SD, where she placed fifth.

Because her mother is from Puerto Rico, White-Vega had the opportunity to try out for and make the Puerto Rican women’s team and to represent her mother’s country in the Pan American Championships, where she took the silver in women’s freestyle and the gold in beach wrestling, a sport she had only ever tried once.

“I had zero expectations for myself and zero weight on my shoulders to be incredible at it. The whole night I was laughing and smiling. I was so chill,” White-Vega said. “My mindset was to find a way to make it fun.”

Still, even after the gold medal, she doesn’t like beach wrestling because if the knee touches the ground, the other wrestler gets a point. It has no scramble. The first one to three points wins and the match can go only three minutes. She said wrestling this style did teach her how to get takedowns without having to go to her knees. “I learned to get a powerful snap-down without getting on my knees first.”

After the Pan Am Championships, she got worldwide experience wrestling in the Junior Women’s Freestyle World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, where she had a frustrating outcome when she made some mistakes in her first match and lost a close one. Her competitor had to continue to the finals for White-Vega to advance, but she lost in the semis, ending White-Vega’s hopes, too.

Since then, White-Vega has battled some injuries, and learned some things in several tournaments. She’s set her goals high for the first PIAA sanctioned girls’ season with her Cumberland Valley High School team that’s coached by Ryan Seagreaves with help from her father, Matt White, a former two-time All-American wrestler from Penn State.

White-Vega hopes to win nationals at Fargo, win the Pan Am Championships, and wrestle with the 20-under girls and place at worlds as a stepping stone to the 2028 Olympics.

“I’m still climbing,” she said. “I know it’s a very big goal and a lot of people look at me with wide eyes.”

For a girl her dad held out of wrestling until she learned to better control her movements, who just got her start in October 2020 alongside the boys at D3 Training in Harrisburg, waited out Covid, then moved to the Cumberland Valley School District to wrestle on its girls’ team in 2022-23, and made it all the way to world championships, this goal might not seem so far-fetched. “Last year when I said I wanted to make world championships, all of them looked at me like I was crazy, and I made it,” she said.

“It’s pretty exciting to see how fast she’s been able to gain,” said her dad, Matt White, who trains athletes and others at Visionary Training Systems in Harrisburg. “Eliana wanted to wrestle, but I saw that she had some hypermobility in various joints and really didn’t have a control that I thought would be safe. … There are joints that should be mobile and joints that should be stable. When we train the body to operate within those pathways, the risk of injury goes down and the tolerance goes up.”

* * *

This will be the season for young women to shine, to make their mark alongside the boys, and to grow their sport even more.

In addition to their new high school teams, girls can continue to train alongside boys at clubs like D3 Training in Harrisburg, Primus Wrestling in Dillsburg, Lancaster Alliance Wrestling, and many others across the state.

If the jump in the number of girls attending sessions at D3 is any indication (from 12-15 girls last year to between 20-30 now), the enthusiasm is growing. D3 now offers a time slot just for girls (Monday evenings), but girls are also welcome to join all of its other sessions.

“Girls have been a part of our club since we opened [in 2020],” said Brent Zeiders, owner of D3 Training, who added about the PIAA sanctioning girls wrestling, “I love it.”

Now that the PIAA has sanctioned girls wrestling, girls will wrestle on the girls’ team throughout the season and at the postseason tournaments, Byers of the PIAA said. “Only if a [high school] principal determines that a girl is so good that she would only benefit with participation of the opposite gender” would a girl participate on a boys’ team. Then, he said, should would also have to participate through the boys’ postseason tournament as well.

If a school does not offer a girls’ wrestling team, a girl can still participate on the boys team, but in the postseason could participate in the girls’ tournaments.

White emphasizes the opportunity that wrestling will now offer girls and women – chances to compete against other girls, to compete in college, to compete nationally and internationally. “Last night at a preseason practice, to see the pure joy in the hearts of these girls,” he said. “So many new girls and they’re getting wrestling to life and they’re just so excited and smiling and laughing. … I see them as strong young women … These are people in the future who are going to charge forward with confidence when they’re going to need that confidence to overcome rather than to be timid and back down.”

Many more girls now have the opportunity that White-Vega and up until this year, a small group of others have seized. “I think there are many girls and young women who are warriors at heart and this is a sport that allows that to be developed to another level,” White said.

With the entry of girls wrestling into PIAA sports, an already over-taxed high school sports system needs to find even more coaches and referees. It’s a problem that has been building over the years. Even more, because few women have had the chance to participate in wrestling, finding female mentors for girls’ teams poses an even different challenge.

It’s a challenge that both the PIAA and wrestling clubs have been working to address.

“We are undergoing trying to recruit officials across all sports,” said Mark Byers, PIAA Chief Operating Officer, noting the PIAA started a junior officials’ program that trains people under 18 to officiate at the junior high level.

Byers also credited the National Wrestling Coaches Association for doing “an excellent job at providing mentorship – and now for female coaches” adding that “wrestling is unique. It’s not something that you just try as a coach. It requires a good bit of knowledge and some background in the sport. We do want to see a growth of female coaches and officials getting involved in this sport. We want girls to have females to look up to as well.”

D3 Training Center recognizes that need as well. Theresa Hitchcock works alongside her partner and owner of D3, Brent Zeiders, to provide support for both the boys and girls that train there. Hitchcock grew up with four brothers who wrestled at Juniata High School and has been around and involved with wrestling her whole life.

“It’s nice for the young girls,” Hitchcock said of her being a part of the club. “Even before we had a lot of the older girls coming, it was kind of nice knowing that there’s a female around for some of those girls just getting into it until they’re more confident.”

She said the club will do whatever is needed to make all girls who want to participate comfortable. A sixth-grade girl was interested after watching her brother wrestle for years. The club allowed her brother to come with her for her first practice to help her “get her feet wet a little bit,” Hitchcock said.

D3 Training also brings female technicians in for coaching clinics and enlists other females to help coach and take girls to tournaments. D3 sponsored Gold Star coach from New York Emma Randall for an all-female clinic. Kaitlyn Blosser, the girls wrestling coach for Elizabethtown High School, took an all-girls team from D3 to National High School Coaches Association National Duals and helps at D3 training sessions.

Blosser has been attending wrestling matches and tournaments her whole life and got into the sport as a participant in 1998. Her father, Jeff Eason coached her brothers, her older sister, and her, and continues to coach today.

“Being in a wrestling family, my brothers and Dad continue to help as mentors by sending videos and working through new moves at family events, wrestling camps, and really wherever we see each other,” Blosser said, noting that while wrestling programs didn’t exist for her in high school and college, her wrestling experience prepared her to walk onto a D1 college rowing team.

While Blosser acknowledges that males can make amazing coaches for female wrestlers, too, she noted that coaching a female wrestler is different than coaching a male. “There are coaching adjustments that need to be made to account for flexibility through moves, strength, and team culture, etc., and even training certifications offered. Having a coach, male or female, who recognizes this slight difference is important and who is open to having discussions about how to manage being a female wrestler with topics like their period as an athlete, braiding hair, proper eating habits and utilizing weight management strategies, etc.”

Kevin Franklin, the head coach for JP McCaskey High School girls wrestling as well as for Beat the Streets-Lancaster and Lancaster Alliance Wrestling Club says “we need to grow opportunities for female coaches.

“I’ll know I’ve done my job properly if in 10 years I’m retired and you’re taking the sidelines. We need to reach out to women who have never coached who maybe had a little bit of background in wrestling. We need to mentor any female who is interested in it.”

He noted that might mean a lot of rookies for the first few seasons, but like Bob Derr, the Hall of Fame field hockey coach at Warwick High School who came to the traditionally female sport from a wrestling background only to fill in for a few practices, anyone can study and learn the sport. “You may not have been on a wrestling mat, but if you’re good at coaching, who knows how good you can be?”

He knows this trepidation might be something the girls just starting wrestling will need to overcome as well. “There’s this trend with girls where they are skilled, they are talented, they have the ability, yet there’s this fear of ‘I’m not good enough yet.’ We have to not just encourage women to try it, but to get past the acculturation of self-doubt.”

Coach Rob Waller surpises Pizza Joe at Haloween school parade

Grey hair dye $20

Red Addidas pants $30

Red All American hoodie $20

Glasses: $25

Whistle: $10

Dressing up as your wrestling coach and having him show up at your school parade: PRICELESS

*Joe James (age 8, 2nd grade) from Acme, PA dressed up as legendary Coach Rob Waller for Haloween. Pizza Joe, as he is known, is the son of the owners of “The Village” Italian Restraunt in Mt. Pleasant, PA. His parents had Coach Waller as a gym teacher in elementary school.

2023 NWCA All-Star Classic

Nov. 21 @ Penn State’s Rec Hall at 7:00

*The Nittany Lions have six entrants and Lehigh and Lock Haven each have one

125 lbs: #1 Matt Ramos (Purdue) vs. #2 Anthony Noto (Lock Haven)

133 lbs: #4 Sam Latona (Virginia Tech). #8 Connor McGonagle (Lehigh)

141 lbs: #3 Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina) vs. #9 Clay Carlson (South Dakota State)

149 lbs: #2 Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) vs. #3 Kyle Parco (Arizona State)

157 lbs: #1 Levi Haines (Penn State) vs. #4 Jacori Teemer (Arizona State)

165 lbs: #4 Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) vs. #6 Izzak Olejnik (Oklahoma State)

174 lbs: #1 Carter Starocci (Penn State) vs. #3 Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech)

184 lbs: #1 Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) vs. #2 Bernie Truax (Penn State)

197 lbs: #1 Aaron Brooks (Penn State) vs. #2 Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State)

285 lbs: #1 Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) vs. #2 Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force)

Attentionwrestling fans!

 There is a new wrestling book available that tells the story of our great sport in a unique way. Mat Return has over 150 stories about wrestling, and all fifty states are represented. From youth wrestling to Hall of Fame wrestlers, you’ll read how wrestling changes its participants’ lives for the better. There is ample coverage of female wrestling, including its own stand-alone chapter. There is a resource guide and a few surprises sprinkled throughout. You might even find a story about me.

Mat Return:  The Resurgence of Amateur Wrestling in the USA  is as entertaining and transformative as our great sport. It is a fantastic addition to any wrestling library and a terrific gift idea for anyone interested or involved with amateur wrestling. I have been afforded the opportunity to share this advanced notice with you. It is available right now on Amazon. All you have to do is search Mat Return in Amazon’s book section or just click on the book title in this message. All I ask is, once you have received it and read a good portion, that you leave an honest review for the book on Amazon. I am sure you will enjoy it.Have fun and let’s continue to grow wrestling!

Ron Lang, Author

Zain the “Freight Train” Retherford won his first senior wrestling title on Sunday, beating Iran’s Amirmohammad Yazdanicherati of Iran, 8-5, at the World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. Retherford, a three-time NCAA champion at Penn State, went 4-0 at the event at 70kg, and reached the world final for the second year in a row. Yazdanicherati won a world silver medal in 2021; Retherford was second in 2022.  

Retherford won two PIAA titles in high school — one at Line Mountain and one at Benton — before a standout career at Penn State.  He was a three-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American.  He won the Hodge Trophy — awarded to the nation’s top wrestler — twice, in 2017 and 2018.  After losing 3 bouts his freshman year and placing 5th at the NCAA’s, The “Freight Train” won his last 93 matches!

Retherford became only the third World Champ who did his high school wrestling in Pennsylvania, joining Stan Dziedzic (William Allen High School in Bethlehem and Slippery Rock University) and Kurt Angle (Mount Lebanon High School and Clarion University).  Dziedzic won the World Championships in 1977 after winning Olympic Bronze in 1976. Angle won the World Championships in 1995 and followed it up with a Gold Medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

Olympic champion David Taylor won his third world title and second in a row at 86 kg. with a pin over HassanYazdanicharati, (Iran) 5:58.  Taylor was a 4x NCAA finalist and a 2x champion at Penn State and also won the Hodge Trophy twice.  

Ken Chertow was recently named the first Women’s Coach at Misericordia University in Dallas, PA.  Chertow was a 3x All-American at Penn State and a 3x Academic All-American, as a Pre-Med Major.  He was a member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team. 

The school is also in the process of naming a men’s coach for their two new sports at the Div. III School.

• Rob Koll, was recently named the new head coach at the University of North Carolina, where he was an NCAA champion and UNC’s first 4x AA in the mid 80’s for the Tar Heels.  Koll was a PIAA State Champion for State College High School.  

Koll was a highly successful coach at Cornell for 28 years where he took the Big Red to as high as the #2 team in the country and recruited and coached two 4x NCAA champions in Kyle Dake and Yianni Diakomihalis.  Rob Koll spent the past two years at Stanford University.  His Father, Bill Koll, was a 3x NCAA champion (72-0) for Iowa State Teachers College, now known as the University of Northern Iowa.  He was also the first college wrestler to win two Outstanding Wrestler awards at the NCAA tournament.  He was a member of the 1948 Olympic Wrestling Team.  Finally, he was the head coach at Penn State for 13 years.

 

Coleman Scott, the head coach at the University of North Carolina told his team last night that he will be leaving to go back to his alma mater, Oklahoma State, to become the Associate Head Coach alongside legendary coach John Smith.  Coleman won the Bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.  Scott, who earned a pin in the 2008 NCAA finals his senior year for the Cowboys, was a 4x All-American at Oklahoma State.  Scott won 3 PIAA State titles for Waynesburg Central High School (2002, 03,04).

At UNC, Scott coached three All-Americans the past three years at UNC.  Austin O’Connor won his second NCAA title this year and placed 7th under Coach Scott.

**Golden Opportunity for Athletic Departments**

Two dark clouds hang over colleges and their athletic departments, but they combine to create a silver lining.  Athletic departments can exploit that silver lining to help deal with the scarier of the dark clouds – the sharp decline in the college age population.  Beginning in 2025, the number of 18-year-olds will decrease by 15%.  Over the following four years, colleges will lose approximately 576,000 students.

The other dark cloud is the continuing reduction in the number of college wrestling programs.  Since the 1988-89 season, 41 Division I programs have been discontinued; data is not readily available for Divisions II and III separately, but nationwide, only 436 colleges offer varsity wrestling for men.  The reasons are understandable – funding had to be found for Title IX programs.  Yet the sport retains a lot of fan interest and participation, especially at the high school level where 11,000 high schools offer the sport for approximately 240,000 boys.  In fact, high school wrestling is the sixth most participated sport across the country.  Moreover, and this is key, women’s wrestling is one of the fastest growing sports around.  Since 1994, the number of women who wrestle in high school has grown from 804 to more than 50,000; more recently, it increased by 46% from 2022 to 2023.  There are about 150 colleges that offer a women’s team.  Most rosters average 20 to 25 girls, however, Southern Oregon University has a team of 37 girls, while East Stroudsburg (PA) and Life University in Georgia have roster sizes of 27.  The University of Iowa will become the first large university to offer women’s wrestling this fall and just recently, Frostburg State in Maryland, Penn State/Altoona in PA and Bethany College in WV have added or plan to add women’s wrestling.  Allen University in Columbia, SC became the first HBCU School to add a women’s team.  It is fair to say that high school students who wrestle are enthusiastic about their sport – why else put up with the grueling demands?  One does not wrestle because it makes one popular with one’s classmates of the opposite sex.  It is simply a challenge, and the opportunity to prevail over oneself and over the opponent.  Wrestling an elemental sport-it was a big part of the original Olympics for a reason-and it appeals strongly to a certain element of the school age population.

And therein lies the silver lining in this tale of woe.  A wrestling program for both men and women can attract students to a campus.  And because program costs are very small compared to other sports, establishing a wrestling program is a financial investment that yields a measurable return.  It is a chance to do well (putting heads in beds) by doing good (adding a student sport to the campus).

Wrestling, like other sports, attracts students who don’t require a scholarship as long as they can continue in a chosen sport they love and have done for years.  Men’s teams’ average about 30 and women’s about 20 to 25.  The NCAA allows 10 scholarships at any one time.  Assuming max scholarships are awarded, that means 20 men and 10-15 women are paying students the college would not otherwise have.

The marginal cost of each scholarship student depends on the college, of course, but since enrollment will be declining and fixed costs are, well, fixed, here is an example; if a college cost $40,000 per year and 30 student/athletes are paying out of pocket (20 men and 10 women), that comes out to $1,200,000 per year.  One credible study found that each college student cost the university about $5,000 per year.  Adding in the 20 scholarship athletes, that’s $100,000, leaving $1,100,000 to cover program costs.  At, say, $400,000 annual expenses including coaching salaries, travel and equipment, that leaves $800,000 net profit for the venture.  And on top of that, the school now has 50 additional student athletes on campus.

Every college is different, of course, and this analysis could be affected by other factors it does not consider.  But, the case for adding both men’s and women’s wrestling to the athletic program could be compelling.  Athletic directors owe it to their schools to evaluate whether it makes sense for their institutions.

Joe Baranik, Founder/Owner

Pennsylvania Wrestling Newsmagazine

Summer Trivia 2023

Zach Frazier, the starting center for the WVU football team, won 4 state wrestling titles for Fairmont High School and only lost twice in his high school career. The junior has started in 34 straight games and is a Preseason All-American First Team (Athlon Sports).

• Carter Starocci (Erie Prep), who won his third NCAA title in March, was named “Male Athlete of the Year” at Penn State.
• Keeanu Benton, drafted by the Steelers as a defensive end, went 127-8 and won 3 state titles in Wisconsin.
• Dalvin Tomlinson, 29, a 3x state wrestling champion and runner-up for Henry County HS in McDonough, Georgia, has signed on with the Cleveland Browns as a defensive tackle for $57 million over four years and $27.5 million guaranteed.  Tomlinson, who played football at the University of Alabama, earned a 169-2 record in his high school career.  “I feel like wrestling was probably the biggest thing that helped out, just because you learn leverage, and that’s a big key to defensive line-offensive line,” Tomlinson told 247 Sports in 2016. “So I feel like wrestling is probably the biggest sport that helped out.”  Dalvin, who is 6’3 and weighs 325lbs., graduated from high school with a 4.4 GPA, had an academic offer from Harvard.  #94 is also an accomplished musician as he plays the guitar, trumpet and piano.  In addition, he is an excellent artist. 

The top 10 recruiting class for 2023 as ranked by WIN Magazine include:

1. Michigan
2. Oklahoma State
3. Nebraska
4. Virginia Tech
5. Iowa
6. Cornell
7. Penn State
8. Stanford
9. Princeton
10. Illinois
11. WIN Magazine also picked the top 25 pound for pound recruits for 2023 and their choice.  

The top 10 recruits include:

1. Meyer Shapiro-157 lbs.-Woodbine, MD, Wyoming Seminary-Cornell
2. Christian Carroll-285-Elkhart, IN, Jimtown High School-Oklahoma State
3. Ben Kueter-220-Iowa City, IA, City HS-Iowa
4. Nasir Bailey-138-Richton Park, IL, Rich Twp. HS-Little Rock
5. Joel Adams-145-Omaha, NE, Millard South HS-Michigan
6. Max McEnelly-195-Waconia, MN, Waconia HS-Minnesota
7. Brayden Thompson-195-Stillwater, OK, Stillwater HS-Oklahoma State
8. Tyler Kasak-138-Bethlehem, PA, Beth. Cath. HS-Penn State
9. Gabriel Arnold-182-Iowa City IA, City HS-Iowa
10. Cael Hughes-132-Stillwater, OK, Stillwater HS-Oklahoma State

*It should be pointed out that Oklahoma State recruited three of the top 10, Michigan recruited four of the top 23, and Iowa brought in three of the top 22 recruits in the country!

• Pennsylvania won the team title at the 2023 Junior Nationals in Fargo North Dakota for the first time since 2016 and set a state record with 19 All-Americans including champions Jax Forest (126) (Bishop McCort High School) and Vince Bouzakis (152) (Notre Dame HS).  It was the 9^th Team title for Team PA.  Bouzakis’s sister Jaclyn also made the finals in the women’s 16-U Nationals at 94 lbs., but was defeated by Morgan Turner of Illinois 2-2 criteria.
• USA WRESTLING SHATTERS RECORDS WITH 7,134 TOTAL ENTRIES IN THE 2023 USMC JUNIOR/16U NATIONALS IN FARGO

By Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling | July 25, 2023

FARGO, N.D. – The combined USMC Junior and 16U Nationals, hosted in the FargoDome in Fargo, N.D., is recognized as the largest wrestling tournament in the world.

In 2023, not only did the tournament see substantial growth in overall participation, but it also saw growth in five of the six national tournaments included in the week-long competition.

USA Wrestling blitzed the overall record with 7,134 entries this year, blasting through the 7,000 athlete barrier and topping the 2022 record of 6,646 athletes by 488 athletes, a healthy increase of 7.3%.

2023 USMC Junior/16U Nationals entries by tournament
• USMC 16U Women’s Freestyle Nationals: 740
• USMC 16U Men’s Freestyle Nationals: 1,595
• USMC 16U Greco-Roman Nationals: 1,206
• USMC Junior Women’s Freestyle Nationals: 853
• USMC Junior Men’s Freestyle Nationals: 1,596
• USMC Junior Greco-Roman Nationals: 1,144
Total: 7,144 total entries

Of the five tournaments which saw growth in 2023, the 16U Women’s Freestyle Nationals had the most increase, with 222 more entries than last year, which is a whopping 42.8% increase in just one season.

• 
  #FARGO2023 OVERALL TEAM STANDINGS
  (after six of the six tournaments)
  
  Place/State/16UW/JRW/16UFS/JRFS/16UGR/JRGR/TOTAL
  1 Illinois 43 + 151 + 160 + 94 + 213 + 106 = 767
  2 Pennsylvania 129 + 77 + 183 + 210 + 110 + 52 = 761
  3 Iowa 64 + 54 + 156 + 111 + 191 + 120 = 696
  4 California 70 + 102 + 117 + 112 + 34 + 97 = 532
  5 Oklahoma 78 + 2 + 39 + 129 + 131 + 91 = 470
  6 Wisconsin 56 + 61 + 66 + 159 + 50 + 77 = 469
  7 Ohio 34 + 45 + 146 + 67 + 110 + 26 = 428
  8 Minnesota 52 + 44 + 71 + 66 + 73 + 75 = 381
  9 Michigan 95 + 86 + 50 + 5 + 47 + 15 = 298
  10 New Jersey 15 + 14 + 93 + 103 + 36 + 12 = 273
  11 (tie) Florida 67 + 61 + 45 + 21 + 30 + 47 = 271
  11 (tie) Missouri 78 + 67 + 27 + 23 + 29 + 47 = 271
  13 Idaho 15 + 27 + 0 + 44 + 34 + 141 = 261
  14 Colorado 12 + 70 + 42 + 0 + 52 + 80 = 256
  15 Indiana 42 + 46 + 30 + 68 + 40 + 17 = 243
  16 Arizona 71 + 7 + 27 + 53 + 15 + 15 = 188
  17 Tennessee 37 + 0 + 74 + 15 + 51 + 0 = 177
  18 Washington 56 + 54 + 12 + 9 + 25 + 14 = 170
  19 Utah 25 + 44 + 14 + 12 + 49 + 21 = 165
  20 New York 65 + 51 + 32 + 0 + 0 + 16 = 164
  21 Georgia 0 + 0 + 75 + 19 + 41 + 24 = 159
  22 Texas 28 + 41 + 0 + 12 + 24 + 34 = 139
  23 Nebraska 20 + 0 + 26 + 0 + 34 + 55 = 135
  24 Maryland 0 + 64 + 15 + 0 + 20 + 27 = 126
  25 Virginia 5 + 35 + 9 + 21 + 21 + 34 = 125
  26 Kansas – 0 + 16 + 9 + 26 + 41 = 92
  27 South Dakota 34 + 12+ 12 + 15 + 7 + 5 = 85
  28 Montana 15 + 27 + 0 + 2 + 21 + 14 = 79
  29 Alabama 12 + 0 + 12 + 20 + 0 + 27 = 71
  30 Kentucky 0 + 0 + 25 + 0 + 37 + 5 = 67
  31 Connecticut 35 + 20 + 0 +0 + 7 + 0 = 62
  32 Massachusetts 12 + 25 + 0 + 7 + 0 + 15 = 59
  33 Nevada 14 + 4 + 20 + 0 + 18 + 0 = 56
  34 Oregon 7 + 0 + 0 + 15 + 5 + 21 = 48
  35 (tie) New Mexico 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 32 + 0 = 32
  35 (tie) West Virginia 32 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 32
  37 North Dakota 0 + 9 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 20 = 29
  38 Alaska 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 25 = 25
  39 South Carolina 0 + 20 + 0 + 2 + 0 + 0 = 22
  40 Rhode Island 0 + 0 + 9 + 0 + 0 + 9 = 18
  41 Wyoming 0 + 5 + 7 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 12
  42 Arkansas 5 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 2 + 0 = 7
  43 Hawaii 0 + 5 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 5
  44 North Carolina 0 + 0 + 0 + 2 + 0 + 0 = 2

• Lock Haven University returns three All-Americans from their 11^th place finish in the Women’s Wrestling National Tournament.  Grace Stem (143) (Bald Eagle Area), only a freshman finished 4^th, Kaelani Shufeldt (109) placed 6^th and Lily Sherer (130) (Delaware Valley), placed 8^th.  Shufeldt is also a freshman, while sherer is a sophomore.  This trio are the first All-Americans in school history, and the second year that the Bald Eagles have had a Women’s Team.

Grace stem (143) (Bald Eagle Area) becomes an All-American for Lock Haven

University as a freshman.

PA rules Freestyle in 2023. 16U Girls, 16U Boys, and Junior Boys all win Freestyle Nationals Team Titles.

16U Girls Champions included Emma Bacon and Sierra Chiesa. 16U Boys Freestyle Champions included Landon Sidun and Melvin Miller. Junior Boys Freestyle Champions included Jax Forrest and Vince Bouzakis.

Also bringing home gold were Will Detar (16U Greco-Roman) and Aubre Krazer (Jr Girls).

The Nittany Lion Wrestling Club Shines

Six wrestlers that train at the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club in State College, PA, made the 2023 USA World Team which will take place in Belgrade, Serbia on September, 10^th.  Three other members who placed second, are considered alternates.  Former Penn State stars Nick Lee, Zain Retherford, and David Taylor all won berths on the USA World Team.  Other members of the NLWC who made the team included Kyle Dake, Kyle Snyder and Jennifer Page, who made the women’s team.  Placing second and going as alternates were Thomas Gilman, Jason Noff (former 4x finalist and 3x NCAA champion for the Lions) and current Nittany Lion and 3x NCAA champion Aaron Brooks.  Five of the current or former wrestlers for Penn State who were in the Final X finals, won a total of 13 NCAA titles.  This bodes well for the 2024 Olympics.  The Olympic Trails will take place next April, in Happy Valley.

In a major upset, Former Lock Haven NCAA champion, Chance Marsteller, defeated 7x World or Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs, in two out of three bouts.

Final X
At Newark, N.J., June 10 (*Results-Complements of TheMat.com and USA Wrestling)

Men’s freestyle results

57 kg – Zane Richards (Illinois RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Thomas Gilman (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Bout One: Richards dec. Gilman, 4-3
Bout Two: Richards dec. Gilman, 8-6
Richards wins series 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team

61 kg – Vitali Arujau (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Nahshon Garrett (Titan Mercury WC/Lehigh Valley WC)
Bout One: Arujau dec. Garrett, 6-5
Bout Two: Arujau dec. Garrett, 13-10
Arujau wins series 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team

65 kg –Nick Lee (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Yianni Diakomihalis (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
Bout One: Lee dec. Diakomihalis, 7-6
Bout Two: Lee dec. Diakomihalis, 8-8
Lee wins series 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team

70 kg – Zain Retherford (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Tyler Berger (Pennsylvania RTC/Sunkist Kids WC)
Bout One: Retherford dec. Berger, 11-2
Bout Two: Retherford dec. Berger, 4-3
Retherford wins series 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team

74 kg – Kyle Dake (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Jason Nolf (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Bout One: Dake dec. Nolf, 6-0
Bout Two: Dake dec. Nolf, 3-0
Dake wins series, 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team

79 kg – Jordan Burroughs (Pennsylvania RTC/Sunkist Kids WC) vs. Chance Marsteller (York City RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
Bout One: Burroughs dec. Marsteller, 3-3
Bout Two: Marsteller dec. Burroughs, 5-4
Bout Three: Marsteller dec. Burroughs, 8-3
Marsteller wins series, 2 matches to 1, and makes World Team

86 kg – David Taylor (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Aaron Brooks (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Bout One: Taylor dec. Brooks, 6-0
Bout Two: Taylor dec. Brooks, 5-4
Taylor wins series, 2 matches to 0, and makes World Team

92 kg –. Zahid Valencia (Sunkist Kids WC) vs. Michael Macchiavello (Wolfpack WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Bout One: Valencia dec. Macchiavello, 8-0
Bout Two: Valencia dec. Macchiavello, 9-2
Valencia wins series, 2 matches to 0, and makes World Team

97 kg – Kyle Snyder (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. J’den Cox (Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Bout One: Snyder inj. dft. Cox, 0:00
Bout Two: Snyder inj. dft. Cox, 0:00
Snyder wins series, 2 matches to 0, and makes World Team

125 kg – Gable Steveson (Gopher WC-RTC) vs. Mason Parris (Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Bout One: Steveson dec. Parris, 6-2
Bout Two: Steveson dec. Parris, 5-0
Steveson wins series, 2 matches to 0, and makes World Team

Women’s freestyle results

50 kg – Sarah Hildebrandt (New York AC/USOPTC) vs. Audrey Jimenez (Sunkist Kids WC)
Bout One: Hildebrandt dec. Jimenez, 8-0
Bout Two: Hildebrandt tech fall Jimenez, 11-0
Hildebrandt wins series 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team

53 kg – Dominique Parrish (Sunkist Kids WC) vs. Katie Gomez (Sunkist Kids WC)
Bout One – Parrish pin Gomez, 1:54
Bout Two: Parrish dec. Gomez, 5-0
Parrish wins series 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team

55 kg –Jacarra Winchester (Titan Mercury WC/USOPTC) vs. Alisha Howk (Sunkist Kids WC)
Bout One: Winchester tech fall Howk, 10-0
Bout Two: Winchester tech fall Howk, 11-0
Winchester wins series, 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team

59 kg –Jennifer Page (Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC) vs. Michaela Beck (Sunkist Kids WC)
Bout One: Page tech fall Beck, 11-0
Bout Two: Page tech fall Beck, 11-0
Page wins series, 2 matches to 9, and makes World Team

62 kg – Kayla Miracle (Sunkist Kids WC) vs. Adaugo Nwachukwu (Titan Mercury WC)
Bout One: Miracle dec. Nwachukwu, 6-1
Bout Two: Miracle dec. Nwachukwu,, 10-3
Miracle wins series, 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team

65 kg – Macey Kilty (Sunkist Kids WC) vs. Mallory Velte (Beaver Dam RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
Bout One: Kilty pin Velte, 5:50
Bout Two: Kilty dec. Velte, 6-5
Kilty wins series, 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team

68 kg – Emma Bruntil (Titan Mercury WC/USOPTC) vs. Forrest Molinari (Sunkist Kids WC)
Bout One: Bruntil dec. Molinari, 6-3
Bout Two: Molinari dec. Bruntil, 3-2
Bout Three: Bruntil dec. Molinari, 3-2
Bruntil wins series, 2 matches to 1, and makes World Team

72 kg – Amit Elor (New York City RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Joye Levendusky (Southern Oregon RTC)
Bout One: Elor tech. fall Levendusky, 10-0
Bout Two: Elor tech fall Levendusky, 10-0
Elor wins series 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team

76 kg –Adeline Gray (New York AC) vs. Kennedy Blades (Sunkist Kids WC)
Bout One: Gray dec. Blades, 7-5
Bout Two: Gray pin Blades, 4:38
Gray wins series 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team

When Connellsville’s Jayanah Nobles qualified for the My House Pennsylvania Girls Wrestling Championship in March, she was disappointed it wasn’t held at Giant Center in Hershey. 

If she qualifies for the PIAA championships in 2024, there is a good chance it will be at the same time and venue as the boys championships. 

The PIAA voted this week to sanction girls wrestling after more than 100 schools across the state said they endorsed the sport. Come July 1, the start of a new athletic calendar, girls wrestling officially will be added by the PIAA. 

“I was very excited to hear that the PIAA passed it because I’m part of growing the sport,” said Nobles, who placed eighth in the state meet. “I love wrestling. I also compete in dance, track and cheer, but wrestling is my favorite sport. 

“I definitely like the competitive part of the sport. I achieved a lot, and I’m advanced and it shows how much I love the sport. I made it to states last year, and, honestly, I was upset that it wasn’t at Hershey. I’m happy it is, and I feel it’s deserved.” 

In December 2021, the PIAA officially recognized girls wrestling as an emerging sport, and interest continued to grow across the state. The board held a third and final vote Wednesday to approve it. 

“The plan is to hold the girls championship at the same time as the boys,” WPIAL wrestling committee chairman Frank Vulcano Jr. said. 

Vulcano is also a member of the PIAA wrestling committee. “We’ve tweaked the championship schedule, and I think it will make everyone happy. 

“We still have a few more tweaks before we vote on it. It still needs approval. But we’re excited to see the sport continue to grow and increase attendance at events.” 

Sixteen schools in the WPIAL have indicated they would sponsor a team, and North Allegheny athletic director Bob Bozzuto said he knows more schools will follow. 

North Allegheny was the first school in the WPIAL to sponsor a program two years ago. The Tigers have 15 girls on the roster, and Bozzuto said he expects that number will grow. 

“It’s turned out well,” Bozzuto said. “We expect to grow significantly. I was proud of the way the student-athletes competed. I was excited to see the enthusiasm. We hosted a boy/girl doubleheader with Seneca Valley, and it was awesome.” 

Canon-McMillan has 25 girls on its roster, Connellsville 17 and Southmoreland seven. Other WPIAL teams sponsoring wrestling are Burgettstown, Kiski Area, Plum, Penn Hills, Fort Cherry, Seneca Valley, Laurel, Mt. Lebanon, Moon, Pine-Richland, Trinity and Peters Township. 

Southmoreland freshman Audrey Miller didn’t compete in the state tournament in March because of a scheduling conflict. But she said she will make sure to clear her calendar so she can attempt to make it in 2024. 

Miller competed for the boys teams at 107 pounds. She was buoyed by the news of the PIAA’s approval. 

“I’m excited and very happy to have the opportunity to wrestle against another girl,” Miller said. “I’m looking forward to the season. 

“I’m sure more girls will be willing to participate. Competing in wrestling is empowering and makes you feel good about yourself. I’m a student council president, and I’m going to encourage more girls to try it. I think they’ll like it.” 

Southmoreland athletic director and coach Dan Boring said he is excited for the girls. He said with the graduation of only two girls and additions from the middle school program, the Scotties roster will grow. 

“We met with SanctionPA on Thursday, and things will be similar to the boys: 22 competition points and separate high school and middle school rosters,” Boring said. “You can also use the same coaching staff and hire separate staffs, whatever you desire. It’s exciting news. We’ll see how it rolls out here soon.” 

Members of SanctionPA have been working toward official sponsorship for the past three years, and after reaching the benchmark of 100 schools fielding girls wrestling teams earlier this year, the PIAA board took action. 

Pennsylvania became the 38th state to officially sponsor girls wrestling. 

“In line with national trends, we anticipate the girls wrestling participation numbers to increase with the official vote to sanction the sport,” president of SanctionPA Brooke Zumas said in a statement. “And it is with great anticipation we look forward to celebrating the very first PIAA-sponsored girls wrestling state tournament next year. 

“In just three years, SanctionPA and the schools across the state were able to mobilize and showcase the support for this rapidly growing sport. We look forward to continuing to advocate and support the growth of the sport in the state.” 

Vulcano said the schools in the WPIAL will be independents for the first season, meaning they would not receive a schedule or be placed in a section. Schools are encouraged to make their own schedule. 

“We’ll provide qualifiers for the teams,” Vulcano said. “We’re planning to wait for the new enrollment cycle in October and November to see how many teams we actually have. The girls will compete in 13 weight classes.” 

At last year’s state championship, Canon-McMillan’s Valarie Solorio (100 pounds) and North Allegheny’s Leyna Rumpler (148) won gold medals, and Canon-McMillan’s Elizabeth Elliot (112) and Natalie Rush (190) placed second. Eighteen others earned medals. 

Rune Lawrence (220) (Frazier), a 3x PIAA State Champ has committed to WVU.  Lawrence, a junior, will try to become PA’s 14th 4x State Champion next year.

U.S. MEN’S FREESTYLE OPEN
At Las Vegas, Nev., April 28, 2023

57 kg
1st – Zane Richards (Illinois RTC/Titan Mercury WC) dec. Nick Suriano (Sunkist Kids WC), 3-3
3rd – Jakob Camacho (Wolfpack WC/Titan Mercury WC) tech. fall Austin Assad (Ohio), 13-2
5th – Cooper Flynn (Southeast RTC/Titan Mercury WC) forfeit Spencer Lee (Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)
7th – Caleb Smith (North Carolina) fall Michael Tortorice (Knights RTC), 4:26

61 kg
1st – Vitali Arujau (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC) tech. fall Austin Desanto (Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC), 10-0
3rd – Nahshon Garrett (Lehigh Valley WC/Titan Mercury WC) tech. fall Nathan Tomasello (Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC), 10-0
5th – Joe Colon (Titan Mercury WC) forfeit Seth Gross (Sunkist Kids WC)
7th – Aden Valencia (California RTC/Titan Mercury WC) dec. Daniel Deshazer (Gopher WC-RTC), 2-1

65 kg
1st – Nick Lee (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) dec. Joseph McKenna (Pennsylvania RTC/Titan Mercury WC), 10-5
3rd – Matthew Kolodzik (New York AC) dec. Beau Bartlett (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC), 8-6
5th – Anthony Ashnault (New York City RTC/Titan Mercury WC) forfeit Ridge Lovett (Sunkist Kids WC)
7th – Jason Miranda (California) inj. def. Evan Henderson (Lehigh Valley WC /Titan Mercury WC)

70 kg
1st – Tyler Berger (Pennsylvania RTC/Sunkist Kids WC) dec. Sam Sasso (Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC), 10-9
3rd – Alec Pantaleo (Cliff Keen WC /Titan Mercury WC) dec. Jarrett Jacques (Tiger Style WC), 4-2
5th – Hayden Hidlay (Wolfpack WC/Titan Mercury WC) tech. fall Jarod Verkleeren (Cavalier WC), 11-0
7th – Jaydin Eierman (Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC) forfeit Joshua Reyes (Oregon)

74 kg
1st – Jason Nolf (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) dec. Vincenzo Joseph (Sunkist Kids WC), 10-5
3rd – Keegan O’Toole (Tiger Style WC) dec. Joshua Shields (Sunkist Kids WC), 10-2
5th – Derek Gilcher (Indiana RTC) dec. Collin Purinton (Sunkist Kids WC), 10-8
7th – Thomas Gantt (Wolfpack WC/Titan Mercury WC) inj. def. Joey Lavallee (Lehigh Valley WC/Titan Mercury WC)

79 kg
1st – Chance Marsteller (New York City RTC/Titan Mercury WC) dec. Alex Dieringer (Cliff Keen Wrestling Club/Titan Mercury WC), 3-2
3rd – David McFadden (Pennsylvania RTC/Titan Mercury WC) tech. fall Alex Marinelli (Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC), 10-0
5th – Michael Kemerer (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC) forfeit Carter Starocci (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
7th – Taylor Lujan (Panther WC-RTC/Titan Mercury WC) dec. Devin Skatzka (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC), 12-7

86 kg
1st – Aaron Brooks (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) dec. Zahid Valencia (Sunkist Kids WC), 10-6
3rd – Mark Hall (Pennsylvania RTC/Titan Mercury WC) tech. fall Trent Hidlay (Wolfpack WC/Titan Mercury WC), 13-2
5th – Andrew Morgan (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC) dec. Dylan Fishback (Wolfpack WC/Titan Mercury WC), 8-6
7th – Owen Webster (Gopher WC-RTC) dec. Maximus Hale (Pennsylvania RTC), 4-0

92 kg
1st – Michael Macchiavello (Wolfpack WC/Titan Mercury WC) tech. fall Kollin Moore (Ohio RTC/Titan Mercury WC), 12-2
3rd – Nathan Jackson (New York AC) dec. Eric Schultz (Sunkist Kids WC), 4-2
5th – Jonathan Aiello (Cavalier WC/Titan Mercury WC) inj. def. Morgan Mcintosh (Nittany Lion WC)
7th – Jacob Cardenas (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC) dec. John Gunderson (Panther WC-RTC), 7-6

97 kg
1st – J’den Cox (Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC) dec. Isaac Trumble (Wolfpack WC/Titan Mercury WC), 12-3
3rd – Timothy Dudley (Sunkist Kids WC) dec. Silas Allred (Sunkist Kids WC), 10-6
5th – Morgan Smith (Lehigh Valley WC/Titan Mercury WC) dec. Samuel Mitchell (Bulls WC), 2-0
7th – Marco Retano (La Grande Mat Club) forfeit Malik McDonald (Golden Pride WC)

125 kg
1st – Gable Steveson (Gopher WC-RTC) tech. fall Nick Gwiazdowski (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC), 10-0
3rd – Mason Parris (Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC) tech. fall Wyatt Hendrickson (Colorado), 20-7
5th – Dominique Bradley (Sunkist Kids WC) dec. Demertius Thomas (Pittsburgh WC/New York AC), 8-2
7th – Ty Walz (Southeast RTC/Titan Mercury WC) dec. Christian Lance (Sunkist Kids WC), 2-1

Outstanding Wrestler – Gable Steveson, 125 kg

Penn State has received 3 transfers in 7 days, including two All-Americans. 

Bernie Truax, a junior from Cal Poly, who placed 4th at the NCAA’s in March at 197 lbs., transferred last week along with U20 World Silver Medalist Mitch Mesenbrink of Cal Baptist.  Mesenbrink will probably try and make the line-up at 165 lbs.  Truax was an AA at 174, 184 and 197.

On Tuesday, April 25, The Lions received another transfer in  Aaron Nagao of Minnesotoa  (133), a freshman who placed 5th this past March.

Results from the 2023 Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic

USA vs PA (49^th Event)

With a standing room only crowd at Peters Township High School, the strong USA All-Stars defeated the PA All-Stars 33-9 on March 25.  PA won three bouts by Vinney Kilkeary, Tyler Kasak and Rocco Welsh.  Welsh was named the Outstanding Wrestler for the PA All-Stars and Cael Hughes was named the “OW” for Team USA.  Kilkeary and Welsh, who will both wrestle for the Buckeyes next year, beat recruits who will wrestle for Penn State next year.  Kasak, who will also has committed to Penn State, beat the No. 1 recruit in the nation at his weight, Ryder Block, who will wrestle for the University of Iowa next year.  Destiny Rodrigues (85-0) of West Linn, OR, Cael Hughes (141-0) out of Glencoe, OK and Brayden Thompson (85-0) of Stillwater, OK were the only unbeaten wrestlers in the event.  The USA squad had a combined record of 1,570-49, while the PA All-Stars were 1,465-173.  PA had a total of 18 PIAA State titles and USA came in with 37 state crowns.  Finally, two wrestlers had the first name of Cael (obviously named after Cael Sanderson, the head coach at PSU who went 159-0 in college).  One of those Cael’s, Nasdeo will wrestle for Penn State, while Cael Hughes will wrestle for Oklahoma State.

121- #2 Marc-Anthony McGowan, USA, dec. Cael Nasdeo, PA (Williamsport) 3-0.

127- Vinney Kilkeary, PA (Latrobe) dec. Braeden Davis USA 5-2.

133- #1 Cael Hughes, USA dec. Jaden Pepe, PA (Wyoming) 6-0.

139-Tyler Kasak, PA (Bethlehem Catholic) dec. #1 Ryder Block, USA 3-2.

145- #1 Koy Buesgens, USA dec. Mac Church, PA (Waynesburg) 1-0.

152- Dylan Gilcher, USA dec. Ty Watters, PA (West Allegheny) 6-5.

160- Ethan Stiles, USA dec. Dylan Evans, PA (Chartiers Valley) 5-3.

172- #1 Rocco Welsh, PA (Waynesburg) dec. #2 Josh Barr, USA 3-1 (SV).

189- #1 Brayden Thompson, USA Fall (3:58) Jacob Jones, PA (Saucon Valley)

215- Gavin Nelson, USA dec. Sonny Sasso, PA (Nazareth) 3-2.

285- Matthew Moore, USA dec. Layton Schmick, PA (Carlisle) 4-3.

170- #1 Destiny Rodrigues, USA Fall (3:16) Abbie Miles, PA (Laurel)

Ohio All-Stars 23, WPIAL All-Stars 18

Grant MacKay (160) (Laurel), a Pitt commit, was the only state champion (2x state champ) on the WPIAL team.  His 7-4 victory against Wadsworth’s Chris Earnest earned him Co-Outstanding Wrestler from the WPIAL with Nico Taddy (145) (West Allegheny), who had the only pin for the WPIAL Team.  Milan Edison’s Max Hernes, was the Outstanding Wrestler from Ohio.

121-Max Hernes, Ohio dec. Ryan Klingensmith. WPIAL (Kiski Area) 10-4.

124-Cali Leng, Ohio TF 21-6 (5:11) over Isabella DeVito, WPIAL (Kiski Area)

127-Austin McBurney, Ohio dec. Ethan Lebin, WPIAL (Hempfield) 3-2.

133-Anthony Ferraro, WPIAL (Pine-Richland) dec. Vinnie D’Alessandro, Ohio, 11-5.

139-Dy’Vaire Van Dyke, Ohio dec. Joey Sentipal, WPIAL (Burgettstown) 6-4.

145-Nico Taddy, WPIAL (West Allegheny) F 1:04 over Andrew Huck, Ohio.

152-Wynton Denkins, Ohio dec. Lucas Kapusta, WPIAL (Hempfield) 2-1 TB1.

160-Grant Mackay, WPIAL (Laurel) dec. Chris Earnest, Ohio 7-4.

172-Myles Takats, Ohio dec. Matthew Furman, WPIAL (Canon-McMillan) 3-1 SV.

189-Brody Evans, WPIAL (Waynesburg) dec. Coen Grimm, Ohio 3-2.

215-Dylan Russo, Ohio dec. Eli Makel, WPIAL (Waynesburg) 4-2.

285-Ty Banco, WPIAL (Trinity) dec. Eli Criblez, Ohio 3-1 SV.

How To Be The Coach Your Wrestlers Want..

By Dr. Michael J. Hahesy, Pennwest Edinboro

Head Coach Erie Cathedral Prep

Be Professional.

When you commit to be a coach, be the BEST you can be. Develop a foundational philosophy on which you base all your decisions and choices (make sure that develop these philosophies before the season and not during the heat of the moment). Know why you are coaching—for the love of the game and the love of the athletes. Choose athletes above winning. Build trust by being an expert with the use of your words in practice, competitions, dealing with parents and media too. Constantly work to improve your knowledge and ability to teach the game and motivate players, I believe that this is very important.  The sport of wrestling is constantly changing and evolving.  Go watch and learn from the best people in wrestling.

Be A Master Teacher.

Teaching ability gives you credibility. Understand the sport, the wrestlers, and how to teach both.  Understand that the basics are really what you concentrate on.  I have noticed that many coaches put a lot of effort into some “junk” move that might work, but it will never work at the upper levels.   When working with beginning wrestlers, teach them to love of wrestling first and then teach them how to wrestle. The best coach at every level is organized and prepared. Instructions are simple, clear, and cannot be misunderstood. Activity and attention to detail and technical skills are paramount. They understand and use proper practice organization concepts and the rules of motor learning (don’t teach kids above their skill/physical ability levels). I have a firm belief that when showing technique, you need to show the move and be finished in 3 minutes or less (after 3 minutes most if not all wrestlers will lose focus).  It is also very beneficial to use former wrestlers to show technique, whenever they show up during the holidays put their expertise to use! A good coach can also motivate using both praise and confrontation, although in my opinion praise works much better than confrontation.  Your success with athletes will be in direct proportion to your ability to plan, organize, teach and motivate.  So be a good planner, have vision, and look past today- look to tomorrow!

Be An Example.

Your wrestlers will hear what you say but they will learn more from what you do and who you are. Use wrestling to intentionally teach lessons that can be used for the rest of your life—perseverance, mental toughness, discipline, accountability, confidence, and selflessness. Model the behaviors you want to see in your athletes – competitive poise, quiet confidence, etc. It is essential that you can do this in the most difficult times. Accept and abide by the judgment of the officials (I really feel that officials have a thankless job so don’t question too many calls- my advice is only when your athlete is in a position of danger or injury). Model and teach wrestlers to stay within the spirit of the game. I believe that you should work out with your athletes as much as possible, lifting with them, wrestling with them, running, etc (how many times do you look over in the opposite corner and wonder what that fat lazy coach could possibly have to offer- don’t be that person).  Honor the profession by purposely, intentionally, and consistently teaching and modeling character.

Be A Confidence Builder.

A coach should believe in their wrestlers before they are successful. Believe in them as people and competitors regardless of their level of ability. Allow them to experience and be accountable for both their successes and failures. I have been around MANY successful wrestlers (Olympic champions, NCAA champions, State champions).  The one underlining factor that ALL successful wrestlers have is that they believe in themselves- they think that they are going to win every time they step on the mat! See beyond today in their lives. Communicate value. Be the face your team needs to see to perform fearlessly.

Be A Team Builder.

Intentionally develop a team culture that includes behavioral expectations for all stakeholders (athletes, coaches, and parents). Create a climate that is safe for athletes—physically safe but also, safe to take healthy risks, safe from ridicule, safe from unnecessary outside pressure, and safe to learn and challenge themselves. Build your team using standards that athletes will rise to, not rules that they will test (don’t have too many rules because at some point you will be forced to follow a rule that was intended for another purpose-not the infraction in front of you).  Be sure to include the younger wrestlers in your practice planning, go to work out with the junior high wrestlers, and the elementary wrestlers as well.  Many connections are built with the younger wrestlers and parents, show they some love and attention when they are young and you will reap the rewards later!  These are your future and they will be with you before you know it!

Stay In Communication When They Finish Wrestling For You.

Even though I have been out of high school for many years I’m still in contact with my former high school wrestling coach.  We maintain a great relationship and I’m thankful for this!  I still talk to most if not all of my former wrestlers, some more than others but I still communicate with them.  This to me, is very rewarding.  I know what they are doing, how many kids they have, what they do for a living, etc.  You spend a lot of time with these wrestlers during the high school years so why stop it there?  Keep it going and enjoy the wonderful relationship that you have built together!

*Pennsylvania Flavor in the NWCA All-Star Meet (Nov. 22,2022)

285 – Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) dec Tony Cassioppi (Iowa) 8-5
184 – Aaron Brooks (Penn State) dec Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) 12-8
141 – Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado) dec Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh) 4-2SV
165 – David Carr (Iowa State) dec Quincy Monday (Princeton) 2-1
149 – Austin Gomez (Wisconsin) dec Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) 10-9
174 – Carter Starocci (Penn State) dec Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech) 2-0

Marc Billett receiving his HOF Plaque.  Photo by Suzanne Billett

Subscription Information Take advantage of our 3-year subscription to lock in the current subscription rate without the hassle of renewing. November Subscription = Nov., Dec., Jan., Feb., March, April To subscribe, send your name, address, and a check or money order to: PWN 409 Mill Road Duncansville, PA 16635 814-932-8925 – or- Use your credit card or PayPal account to make a secure payment using PayPal pwn.baranik@gmail.com Phone: 757-395-7327

You do NOT need to join PayPal to use this FREE service.  Click the Buy Now button and then click the “Continue” link under “Don’t have a PayPal account?”.

Free trial issue (one per address) available upon request. Coaches: Purchase two subscriptions and receive a third subscription absolutely FREE! Offer good to coaches in the same school district, college or university.

For more information:

Email:  pwn.baranik@gmail.com
Phone: 757-395-7327

•