CLARION — The Curwensville Golden Tide sent 10 wrestlers to the District 9 PIAA-AA Wrestling Championships this past weekend at Clarion University and four made their way to next weekend’s North West Regional Championships at Sharon High School by finishing in the top-4 in their weight class.
Curwensville’s strong Saturday showing, where they went 11-7 on the day compared to going 5-10 on Friday, enabled the Tide to accumulate 85 team points and a very respectable seventh place finish in a 16-team field. Clearfield won the title by amassing 186 team points.
A trio of Tide, all of whom went 3-1 for the tourney, placed third and one placed fourth after going 3-2 overall.
At 127, sophomore Dylan Deluccia (22-10), the seven seed coming into the tourney, defeated Clearfield’s Colton Ryan (21-13) for the second time in the tourney by a 6-2 score in the consolation finals. Ryan earned the opening takedown and led 2-0 after the first period, but it was all Deluccia after that, a 3-point nearfall in the second period giving Deluccia a lead he would never relinquish.
145 pound senior Nik Fegert (26-11), the three seed, lost a 6-5 decision on a reversal with 40 seconds left to second seeded and eventual champ Jaden Wehler (24-9) in Saturday morning’s semifinals to drop down into the wrestlebacks. Fegert picked up a major decision in the consy semis, then knocked off the top seed, Avery Bittler (26-11) from Johnsonburg, with a 4-2 overtome victory with a takedown with one second remaining in the period to earn his third place finish.
Logan Aughenbaugh (30-9) at 160, a District champion last year, but only a four seed this year, lost 5-2 in the semifinals to top seeded and eventual champion Aiden Zimmerman (29-5) from Johnsonburg. Aughenbaugh had a relatively easy time once he got knocked into the consy bracket by eliminating Clearfield’s Carter Freeland (22-12) by a 5-0 score and the pinned Brookville’s Coyha Brown (27-10) in 2:24.
Junior Ryder Kuklinskie (13-6) at 133 was the lone Tide wrestler to be beaten in the consy finals, but he’ll still be moving on to the regional tournament next weekend with his fourth place finish. Kuklinskie had lost in the quarterfinals on Friday, won two matches on Saturday to reach to consy finals, but was pinned by Clearfield’s Colton Bumbarger (16-17).
Two other Tide wrestlers made it to Saturday, but both finished one spot short of moving on to regionals.
Going 2-2 for the tourney and finishing in fifth place were sophomore Austin Gilliland (21-13) at 107 and junior Trenton Guiher (23-12) at 215.
Complete results courtesy PA-WRestling.com can be found by clicking HERE.
The Joseph Kata Outstanding Wrestler Award was split between Brockway’s 114 pound Weston Pisarchick and St. Marys 172 pounder Waylon Wehler.
Coach Wenner from Cranberry received the District 9 AA Coach of the Year Award.
Saturday Curwensville Golden Tide Results:
Championship Semifinals
127 – Cole Neil (St. Mary’s) pinned Dylan Deluccia, 1:51
145 – Jaden Wehler (St. Mary’s) dec. Nik Fegert, 6-5
160 – Aiden Zimmerman (Johnsonburg) dec. Logan Augenbaugh, 5-2
215 – Brayden McFetridge (Cranberry) pinned Trenton Guiher, 5:57
Consolation Round 3
107 – Austin Gilliland dec. Gage Singer (Johnsonburg), 8-2
133 – Ryder Kuklinskie won by tech. fall over Levi Shick (Redbank Valley), 15-0 3:47
Consolation Semifinals
107 – Cash Diehl (Clearfield) pinned Austin Gilliland, 1:48
127 – Dylan Deluccia pinned Brett Moss (Coudersport), 1:51
133 – Ryder Kuklinskie dec. Collin Brown (Sheffield), 8-3
145 – Nik Fegert maj. dec. Nolan Barnett (Redbank Valley), 10-1
160 – Logan Augenbaugh dec. Carter Freeland (Clearfield), 5-0
215 – Gavin Hannah (Brookville) dec. Trenton Guiher, 2-0
Fifth Place
107 – Austin Gilliland dec. Gage Park (Brockway), 5-2
215 – Trenton Guiher won by forfeit over Logan Edmonds (Clarion)
Third Place
127 – Dylan Deluccia dec. Colton Ryan (Clearfield), 6-2
133 – Colton Bumbarger (Clearfield) pinned Ryder Kuklinskie, 3:30
145 – Nik Fegert dec. Avery Bittler (Johnsonburg), 4-2 SV
160 – Logan Augenbaugh pinned Coyha Brown (Brookville), 2:24
Curwensville wrestlers in bold.