Five teams and 60 grapplers will compete for the team and individual crowns this weekend at the District IX AAA Wrestling Championships at Clarion University’s Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium.
Quarter-final action gets under way Saturday at 10 a.m., with the semi-final and consolation semi-final rounds to follow at 12:30 p.m. The consolation finals are slated for 5:30 p.m., while the Parade of Champions is set for 6:30 p.m.
The doors will open one hour prior to the beginning of each session.
Series passes are $15 for adults and $6 for students, while individual session tickets are $5 for Adults and $2 for students.
DuBois won last year’s championship and is the pre-tournament favorite. The Beavers, under head wrestling coach Denny Nosker, finished their dual meet season 15-5 overall. DuBois was perfect against district competition, and repeated District IX Team Championship success with a 39-27 win over St. Marys. DuBois is also returning seven placewinners, including 2006 District IX Champions Nick Wykoff, Ethan Swope and Zach Lundgren.
St. Marys, under head wrestling coach Wayne Fordoski, has a 13-9 dual meet record. After starting the season 5-7, the Dutchmen reeled off five consecutive wins, which propelled them above .500 mark. However, St. Marys could easily be 17-5 on the season, while the team suffered four single-digit losses (Redbank Valley 34 St. Marys 32; James Wood, VA 34 St. Marys 28; Pittston Area 36 St. Marys 27; McDowell 37 St. Marys 36). Like the Beavers, St. Marys has seven placewinners returning, including District IX Champion Travis Reed and runner-ups Zach Hoy and Steve Simchick.
Punxsutawney, under head wrestling coach, Eric Eddy, finished 5-19, but the record is no indicator of the Chucks’ season. Punxsutawney actually defeated Clearfield (31-18), Curwensville (25-21) and Brookville (16-14) \”on the mat.\” Unfortunately for the Chucks, handing opponents three, four and even five forfeits denied them the \”W.\” Punxsutawney adds five returning placewinners to the mix, including last year’s runner-ups, Steve and Alex Cressley.
Clearfield looks to have a good tournament under head wrestling coach Jeff Aveni. The Bisons are 3-10 on the season, but could have clinched a better than .500 record with a little luck. Clearfield lost to both Altoona (33-31) and Brookville (34-30). Neither dual featured a 103-pound bout. As a result, the Bisons could have \”won\” by filling the spot. In addition, Clearfield lost two matches that were decided by the final bout (DuBois 37 Clearfield 28; St. Marys 36 Clearfield 26). The Bisons are returning five placewinners, including runner-up Sean Owen and third-placewinners Rich Queen and Anthony Moore.
Bradford went 3-18 under head wrestling coach Rob Cosper. The Owls are returning district champion, Tim Keane and third placewinner, Ryan Mongillo.
Weight-By-Weight Preview
103:
Ty Albright (P, So.,18-10) and T.J. Stanton (D, Fr., 13-17) will meet in a semi-final battle. Albright pinned Stanton in 3:03 in Monday night’s dual meet. The winner will face top-seed, Zach Hoy (St. M, Jr., 21-6) in the title bout.
112:
Second-seed Steve Simchick (St. M, Jr., 20-7) and Scott Salsgiver (P, So., 7-12) square off in the semis. The winner has the unenviable task of facing top-seed and returning champion Nick Wykoff (D, Sr., 31-2).
119:
Holden Lowe (C, So., 9-7) will meet top-seed and returning champion Ethan Swope (D, Sr., 23-3), while the other semi-final bout will feature second-seed Derek Burkett (P, So., 22-7) and Zach Smith (B, Fr., 15-8). Burkett pulled out an 8-7 decision over Smith earlier this season.
125:
Cody Billotte (C, Sr., 3-16) and Dane Yetzer (St. M, Fr., 11-13) will meet for round three in the quarter-finals. Yetzer posted a 7-0 win over Billotte in the dual meet, before taking round two 7-2 at the District IX Team Duals. The winner will take on top-seed David Whitaker (D, Jr., 21-9), while Jake McMurtrie (B, Fr., 21-7) and James Bullers (P, So., 9-19) square off in other semi-final action.
130:
Josh Miller (B, Sr., 13-16) and Jimmy Shirley (P, Fr., 10-18) will meet in quarter-final action with the winner to battle top-seed Derek McCullough (St. M, Sr., 21-6) in the semis. Anthony Schultz (C, Jr., 13-16) will face Matt Zimmerman (D, Fr., 8-18) for the third time this season. Schultz pinned Zimmerman in 4:40 at Tool City, before posting a 5-1 decision in the dual meet.
135:
Top-seed Nick Centra (D, Sr., 27-11) and Austin Reams (B, So., 5-18) will take the mat, while Shawn Hall (C, So., 12-12) and Kyle Bish (St. M, So., 7-19) will meet for round three in the semi-finals. Hall majored Bish 14-5 in dual meet action, before pinning him in 4:15 at the District IX Team Duals.
140:
Top-seed Brian Hineman (D, Sr., 28-10) will face John Carr (St. M, Sr., 7-20). In round one, Hineman posted a fall in 3:48, but could only manage a 10-5 decision over Carr in a re-match at team duals. Second-seed Anthony Moore (C, Sr., 16-12) and Patrick Mahan (P, So., 18-10) square off in other semi-final action.
145:
Billy Morrison (D, So., 9-12) and Jayme Good (P, Sr., 4-13) will meet in the quarter-finals with the winner to face top-seed Tim Keane (B, Sr., 22-5) in the semi-finals. Second-seed Shane Claar (St. M, So., 25-7) and Rich Queen (C, Jr., 14-14) will battle for a spot in the title bout. Claar and Queen have met twice this season. In round one, Queen posted a 12-5 decision, but Claar stole round two with a 10-5 overtime win.
152:
Kasey Casher (C, Jr., 7-16) will meet Justin McManinch (D, So., 14-18) in quarter-final action. The winner will take on Steve Cressley (P, Jr., 24-5) in the semis. The other semi-final bout will pit Justin Brem (St. M, So., 14-9) against Dan McMurtrie (B, Jr. 17-13).
160:
Top-seed and returning champion Zach Lundgren (D, Sr., 29-5) will meet Shawn Burkhart (B, So., 2-23) in the semis, while second-seed Lee Zalno (C, Jr., 10-16) will face Calvin Geer (St. M, Jr., 3-10) in a re-match. The two first met at the District IX Team Duals, where Zalno pinned Geer in 1:54.
171:
Top-seed and returning champion Travis Reed (St. M, Sr., 23-7) will meet James Kan (B, So., 3-22) for the second time this season. Reed needed only nine seconds to pin Kan in dual meet action. The other semi-final match-up will feature second-seed Eric Lundgren (D, Jr., 24-9) and Jake Riglin (C, Sr., 9-11).
189:
Andre Buck (C, Fr., 0-1) will square off with top-seed Alex Cressley (P, Sr., 22-4), while second-seed Sean Zimmerman (D, Sr., 18-9) will meet Shane Krise (St. M, So., 11-13) in the semis.
215:
Nick Redden (C, So., 15-15) and Cody Minich (B, Jr., 4-20) will battle in the quarter-finals. The winner will face Pat Lydick (D, Sr., 21-12) in the semis, while second-seed Sean Sadosky (St. M, Fr., 16-9) will meet Chris Neal (P, Sr., 14-13).
285:
Dwayne Schaberal (St. M, So., 3-18) will open the tournament against Bobby Wingert (P, Jr., 0-7). The winner advances to a semi-final bout with Sean Owen (C, So., 25-6), while second-seed Ryan Mongillo (B, Sr., 15-13) will take the mat against Luke Bennett (D, Jr., 13-11).
The top three placewinners at each weight class will move on to the Northwest Regiional Championships March 2nd and 3rd at Altoona.
