INDIANA — The Kovalchick Convention Center on the IUP campus is the site of the annual 57-team Mid-Winter Mayhem Tournament for the Clearfield Bison and Curwensville Golden Tide wrestling teams.
Only 12 wrestlers from each weight class, the four semifinalists and the eight “blood round” wrestlers, get to survive to the second day of the grueling tourney that featured 10 mats and almost 11 hours of wrestling Friday.
Five Bison and one Golden Tide wrestler will get to see mat time on Saturday.
The Bison had a great opening day, going 41-21 overall, placing two in the semifinals, having three in the wrestlebacks, one win away from a medal, and sit in second place overall. The Bison accumulated 121.5 team points, with each of the 14 team members picking up at least one win, and 13 of 14 picking up multiple wins. Bishop McCort leads the team race with 154.5 points.
The Tide went 5-21 and sit in 50th place, as 172 pounder Logan Aughenbaugh, despite suffering his first loss of the year, was the lone Tide wrestler to make it to day two.
The Bison are led once again by 152 pound junior Brady Collins (17-1), who went 4-0 with a tech fall and three first period pins to reach the semifinals and 215 pound senior Carter Chamberlain (10-1), returning from injury and went 3-0 to reach the semis.
Chamberlain’s three wins gets him to 92 for his career, while Collins’ four wins gives him 90 for his career, and the countdown to the century mark can begin for both.
Alive in the consies are Cash Diehl (10-6) at 121, Colton Ryan (14-7) at 133, and Ty Aveni (15-7) at 152.
Several Bison went 3-2 on the day. They were Bryndin Chamberlain (10-7) at 127, Adam Rougeux (12-7), who was narrowly defeated by teammate Ryan 3-0, at 133, Colton Bumbarger (9-7) at 139, Will Domico (12-4) at 160, and Carter Freeland (7-5) at 172.
Going 2-2 were Xavier Lutz (9-8) at 107, Dakota Shugarts (11-9) at 114, and Hunter Ressler (9-9) at 189.
285 pounder Nick Bailor (6-9) went 1-2.
Aughenbaugh (19-1) picked up three of the Tide’s wins. The other two wins were by Austin Gilliland (13-6) at 107 and Ryder Kuklinskie (8-7) at 145.
Complete tourney results courtesy PA-Wrestling.com can be found by clicking HERE.