WILLIAMSPORT — After crowning two champions and placing six out of their 12 entrants, the Clearfield Bison wrestling team finished in seventh place with 114.5 points at the annual season opening Top Hat Tournament in Williamsport. Central Mountain easily won the team title with their 213.5 points.
Senior 103 pounder Shane Peters and sophomore 112 pounder Christain Stone won their first Top Hat tournament titles. Senior Derek Danver placed third at 171 pounds; sophomore Nolan Barger placed fourth at 130; senior Andrew Hill placed fifth at 145; and sophomore Dylan Graham placed sixth at 119.
Peters cruised to his title by picking up a 43 second fall in the semifinals against BEA’s Travis Giedroc and majoring South Western’s Logan Feeser 14-5 in the finals. Peters lost in last year’s final to Line Mountain freshman state champion Zane Retherford. Retherford went on to claim his second Top Hat crown this year at 119.
Stone also picked up a fall in the semis to earn his title berth. After disposing of Schuykill Valley’s Ryan Griffiths in 3:14, Stone upset the number one seeded David Sheesley of Mifflinburg 8-5. The win avenged a loss to Sheesley in last year’s third place match.
After losing to eventual champ Jake Taylor of BEA 4-2 in Saturday morning’s semifinals, Derek Danver beat Red Lion’s Justin Lehr 3-1 in the consy semis and then decisioned Titusville’s Jake Burnside 4-2 to earn his bronze medal.
At 130 Barger was tech falled 19-3 in the semis by three time state placewinner and eventual tournament outstanding wrestler Cameron Throckmorton of South Western. Barger then decisioned Penfield, NY’s Zach Koenig 3-1 before bowing to Williamsport’s Leroy Harman 6-0 to settle for fourth place.
Hill was pinned in the semifinals by Elizabethtown’s Matt Hoover in 2:42. After being pinned in the consy semis in 2:36 by Central Mountain’s Logan Struble, Hill went on to defeat Devon Shannon of Hughesville 4-2 for fifth place.
After getting pinned in the quarterfinals on Friday night, Graham won his consolation quarterfinal match 7-3 over Central Mountain’s Logan Bechdel. A narrow 3-1 loss to South Williamsport’s Andrew Gipe in the consy semis sent Graham into the fifth place match against Elizabethtown’s Dominic Rodriguez, which he lost 7-4 to place sixth in his first career varsity action.
Afterwards, Bison head coach Jeff Aveni didn’t seem too disappointed in his team’s seventh place finish. Aveni noted that, “…Graham and Danver wrestled well with only limited practice time due to football. We only fielded a 12-man team, which really hurt our team point total. We’ll be able to fill those last two spots in the upcoming dual meets though.”
Clearfield will start the dual meet portion of their season on Tuesday night when they host district 9 rival DuBois (1-0). DuBois beat perennial power Ridgway 33-29 on Saturday night in their opening action to the season.
The Bisons will then travel to Wingate on Friday night to face off against Bald Eagle Area, who placed third at the Top Hat tourney with 136.5 points.
Final Team Standings:
1, Central Mountan, 213.5; 2, Line Mountain, 137.5; 3, Bald Eagle Area, 136.5; 4, Schuylkill Valley, 135; 5, Elizabethtown, 130.5; 6, Penfield (N.Y.), 118; 7, Clearfield, 114.5; 8, South Western, 108; 9, Muncy, 105; 10, Williamsport, 100; 11, Mifflinburg, 90; 12, Montoursville, 87.5; 13,
Jersey Shore, 76; 14, Hughesville, 63; 15, Titusville, 57; 16, Red Lion, 45; 17, South Williamsport, 26.
Championship Final results:
103: Shane Peters, Cl, maj. dec. Logan Feeser, SW, 14-5.
112: Christian Stone, Cl, dec. David Sheesley, Mi, 8-5.
119: Zane Retherford, LM, dec. Nate Giorgio, SV, 4-2.
125: Owen Bradley, E, dec. Mason Zimmerman, LM, 3-0.
130: Cameron Throckmorton, SW, dec. Arty Walsh, SV, 9-3.
135: David Batkowski, Mo, dec. Max Good, SW, 5-2.
140: Luke Frey, Mo, maj. dec. Adam Kritzer, LM, 11-0.
145: Travis Erdman, LM, maj. dec. Matt Hoover, E, 11-3.
152: Brian Brill, CM, pinned Gu Gu Caloriero, SV, 2:35.
160: Tyler Buckwalter, CM, dec. Zach Strickland, Mu, 5-3.
171: Jake Taylor, BEA, dec. Nathaniel Powers, CM, 7-2.
189: Ryan Hembury, Mu, dec. Dylan Scheidt, SV, 4-3.
215: Dave Quackenbos, RL, dec. Jake Barnhart, P, 3-1.
285: Tim Maeshack, W, dec. Zach Corl, CM, 3-2.
Outstanding wrestler: Cameron Throckmorton, South Western
Medalist Match Results:
SEVENTH-PLACE CONSOLATIONS
103: Tanner White, SV, dec. Christian Cioffi, So, 12-6, tb.
112: Marty Lobiondo, P, dec. Shane Olson, E, 2-0.
119: Logan Bechdel, CM, pinned Craig Morris, P, :34.
125: Steffen Yaskoweak, W, maj. dec. Frank Dyer, Mo, 10-2.
130: Zane Rowe, Mi, dec. Troy Rupert, CM, 2-0.
135: Joey Miller, CM, dec. John Kropics, SV, 4-0.
140: Alan Miller, Mi, maj. dec. Tyler Snyder, Hu, 10-2.
145: Cody Ulmer, JS, dec. Colton Rebert, SW, 9-5.
152: Dylan Shields, JS, dec. Tyler Schell, RL, 8-4.
160: Cody Rebuck, LM, dec. Ryan Harer, JS, 5-0.
171: Jake Caputo, JS, dec. Adam Gochnauer, Mu, 10-8.
189: Ethan Showers, Hu, pinned Nate Caputo, JS, 2:10.
215: Mike Kershner, JS, pinned Skylar Ebner, Mu, 2:04.
285: Derek Earnest, Hu, dec. Ryan Spangler, JS, 3-2.
FIFTH-PLACE CONSOLATIONS
103: Zach Knepp, CM, dec. Brenden Hicks, Mi, 3-1.
112: Ryan Griffiths, SV, dec. Cole Hanely, CM, 6-2.
119: Dominic Rodriguez, E, dec. Dylan Graham, Cl, 7-4.
125: Justin Giedroc, BEA, maj. dec. Nick Klecker, SW, 10-1.
130: Seth Lansberry, LM, dec. Zach Koenig, P, 1-0.
135: Sean Murphy, P, dec. Zach Herman, JS, 6-5.
140: Ehrin Lee, T, dec. Tyler Cornbower, SW, 2-1.
145: Andrew Hill, Cl, dec. Devon Shannon, Hu, 4-2.
152: Nick Taylor, BEA, dec. D.J. Foresman, Hu, 7-4.
160: Ty Walter, Mi, won by forfeit Noah Horst, SV.
171: Dustin Davis, SV, pinned Rustin Lehr, RL, 2:55.
189: Garren Kunes, BEA, dec. Andrew Dietrich, P, 1-0.
215: Nate Warner, T, dec. Jerome Beers, SW, 7-3.
285: Nazar Mironenko, Mi, dec. Erik Roberts, Mu, 5-2.
THIRD-PLACE CONSOLATIONS
103: Mitch Moran, P, dec. Travis Giedroc, BEA, 6-1.
112: T.J. Tressler, W, pinned Brandon Yohn, Mu, 4:45.
119: Andrew Gipe, So, dec. Caleb Pearson, Mo, 5-0.
125: Jacob Watt, CM, dec. Nick Cegelski, P, 3-2.
130: Leroy Harman, W, dec. Nolan Barger, Cl, 6-0.
135: Troy Ernest, E, dec. Kyle Barnes, Hu, 3-2.
140: Jeremy Rivera, E, dec. Dillon Gavlock, CM, 5-2.
145: Sean Andrews, W, dec. Logan Struble, CM, 10-9.
152: Troy Hembury, Mu, dec. Cody Brunst, T, 5-2.
160: Coleman Hoffman, BEA, dec. Matt Lahue, P, 8-4.
171: Derek Danver, Cl, dec. Jake Burnside, T, 4-2.
189: Bryce Martz, LM, dec. Blaze Buckwalter, CM, 3-2.
215: Nate Sharkey, BEA, dec. Kenny Rothermel, LM, 6-1.
285: Bryan Range, E, pinned James Grieb, BEA, 4:40.