BROCKWAY – Two-time champion Derek Brothers of Curwensville was one of six returning titlists to receive No. 1 seeds for the 2010 District 9 Class AA Wrestling Tournament during the seedings and pairings meeting in the Brockway Area High School Tuesday night.
Brothers (27-3) is the top seed at 125 pounds.
The Golden Tide junior reigned at 112 two years ago and 119 last year.
The other 2009 champs who rated No. 1 seeds are Ridgway’s Garet Pisani (28-2) at 135, Zack Zelcs (27-5) at 171 and Joe Chittester (31-0) at 285, Brookville’s Brett Smith (20-7) at 119 and Coudersport’s two-time state champion Dirk Cowburn (38-1) at 160. All are seniors except Smith, a sophomore, and all have moved up one weight except Chittester.
Pisani owns three district gold medals, while Chittester and Cowburn each have two.
Clarion’s Mike Bauer (24-12) also is a returning champ, but he is seeded No. 4 at 112 after winning at 103 as a sophomore.
Other top seeds are Ridgway sophomore Corey Bush (28-3) at 103, Smethport freshman Karl Lightner (23-3) at 112, Redbank Valley senior Trevor McCauley (34-2) at 130, Keystone sophomore Tanner Hannold (30-6) at 140, Clarion senior Alex Gunter (26-9) at 145, Port Allegany senior Adam Greenman (29-6) at 152, Brookville junior Jacob Shields (5-0) at 189 and Brockway junior Joel Yahner (34-5) at 215.
Curwensville will have five more seeds in Jake Keller (10-2), fourth at 119; Greg Koptchak (6-5), sixth at 112; Hunter McCracken (9-18), seventh at 135; Kyle Kyler (11-14), seventh at 152, and Jason Baker (4-4), eighth at 140.
Wrestlers from 16 schools will converge on the Clarion University campus Friday afternoon for the 3 p.m. preliminary round in Tippin Gymnasium. Quarterfinals and two consolation rounds will follow on three mats.
On Saturday, action will begin at 10 a.m. with the semis and consolation quarterfinals, then the consolation semis. The evening session will get under way at 5:30 with consolation finals. The Parade of Champions is set for 6:30 and the title bouts immediately after.
Tickets for each session are $5 for adults and $2 for students.
