WPIAL Wrestlers Compete for 2A Gold at Chartiers Valley

Monday, February 27, 2023

Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) held its WPIAL Wrestling Individual Championships presented by Western Pennsylvania Laborers’ Union in the 2A classification this past Friday and Saturday at Chartiers Valley High School. There was a total of 232 student-athletes who qualified through sectional tournaments across the 13 weight classes.

Only Central Valley and Frazier produced multiple champions, each netting a pair. Bethlehem-Center, Burgettstown, Burrell, Fort Cherry, Indiana, Keystone Oaks, Laurel, Montour, and Quaker Valley all had one gold medalist.

There were two student-athletes that captured their third WPIAL gold medal in Frazier junior Rune Lawrence (189) and Laurel senior Grant Mackay (160). Burrell junior Cooper Hornack (127) and Burgettstown senior Joey Sentipal (139) added a second championship to their trophy cases.

The top eight wrestlers in each weight class qualified for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) 2A Southwest Regional Championships, which are set to be held on March 3-4 at Altoona High School.

LINK: 2023 WPIAL 2A Wrestling Individual Championships Brackets
LINK: 2023 WPIAL 2A Wrestling Individual Championship Match Results

107 POUNDS
Central Valley freshman Antonio Boni opened his career on a high note, winning the gold medal at 107 with a pin of Burrell freshman Cam Baker in 4:53. Boni began his tournament with a pair of falls in 0:55 and 1:39, before using an 8-2 decision to reach the final. Baker pinned his way to the championship match, securing victories in 0:59, 0:54, and 1:58.

Derry sophomore Anthony Mucci was a 7-0 winner by decision against Quaker Valley freshman Bruce Anderchak for third place. The remaining four place winners were: Burgettstown freshman Darius Simmons (5th), West Greene freshman Noah Collins (6th), Bethlehem-Center freshman Alex Medlen (7th), and Ellwood City sophomore Logan Shriver (8th).

114 POUNDS
Indiana sophomore Nico Fanella claimed the gold medal at 114, winning by a narrow 3-2 decision against Chartiers-Houston junior Jorden Williams. Fanella began his tournament with a fall in 1:09, then won by a 10-0 major decision and 1-0 decision. Williams picked up pins of 1:02 and 0:54 in the first two rounds, before collecting a 16-3 major decision to qualify for the final.

Burgettstown junior Parker Sentipal took home bronze with an 8-2 decision against Burrell freshman Julian Bertucci. The remaining four place winners were: Bethlehem-Center freshman Mason Wright (5th), Avonworth freshman Auston Kosanovic (6th), McGuffey freshman Emmett Wolfe (7th), and Derry senior Dylan Klim (8th).

121 POUNDS
Quaker Valley junior Jack Kazalas earned gold at the 121 weight class, winning by 8-6 decision over McGuffey freshman Lucas Barr in the championship match. Kazalas started his bracket run with a fall in 1:17, then topped his next two competitors by 15-9 decision and 10-0 major decision. Barr also won with a pin in the first round, and used decisions of 13-6 and 7-3 to set up the final.

Indiana sophomore Carter Putt took third in dramatic fashion, winning with a 3-1 sudden-victory decision against Burrell sophomore Calio Zanella. The remaining four place winners were: Mt. Pleasant senior Sean Cain (5th), Bentworth senior Max Ivcic (6th), West Greene junior Seth Burns (7th), and South Park freshman Travis Kirk (8th).

127 POUNDS
Burrell junior Cooper Hornack collected his second WPIAL title, topping Bentworth junior Chris Vargo by a 5-1 decision at 127. Hornack, the 2021 champion at 106, started the tournament with falls in 0:46 and 1:23 before winning in the semifinals with a 14-0 major decision. Vargo, a two-time WPIAL champion at 113 and 120), won his first round and semifinal matches by fall, and tallied an 18-3 technical fall in the quarterfinals.

Frazier junior Tyler Clark placed third, defeating Montour junior Anthony Orlandini by a 5-2 decision. The remaining four place winners were: Hampton freshman Dustin Kerr (5th), Burgettstown junior Dylan Slovick (6th), Mt. Pleasant junior Joseph Longhi (7th), and Laurel freshman Braxton Carr (8th).

133 POUNDS
A deadlocked championship match at 133 needed extra time to decide it, with Montour senior Peter Chacon edging Mt. Pleasant junior Jamison Poklembo via 3-1 sudden-victory decision. Chacon’s opening three matches didn’t feature the same drama, as he won by pins in 3:58, 1:14, and 2:47. Poklembo, the 2021 champion at 132, started his tournament with a pin and 16-1 technical fall before grabbing a 4-1 decision in the second tiebreaker period.

Elizabeth Forward junior Damon Michaels claimed bronze with a narrow 1-0 decision over Burgettstown junior Gaven Suica. The remaining four place winners were: Central Valley junior Don Lindsey (5th), South Side sophomore Ryder Goe (6th), McGuffey freshman Victor Bonus (7th), and Burrell freshman Jake Stewart (8th).

139 POUNDS
Burgettstown senior Joey Sentipal made it two consecutive WPIAL gold medals, earning the win at 139 with a 10-4 decision over Burrell senior Nicholas Ferra. Sentipal began his run with a 16-1 technical fall, followed by a fall in 3:15 in the quarterfinals and a 6-2 decision in the semifinals. Ferra picked up two falls and an injury default to reach the championship match.

Bentworth freshman Owen Ivcic won the third-place match with an 8-4 decision against Mt. Pleasant junior Gregory Shaulis. The remaining four place winners were: Highlands sophomore Aiden Burford (5th), Avonworth junior Luke Hollywood (6th), Belle Vernon junior Giovanni Weightman (7th), and Montour junior Ilim Abzarov (8th).

145 POUNDS
Bethlehem-Center senior Tyler Debnar captured the WPIAL title at 145, winning with a 5-3 decision over Belle Vernon sophomore Kole Doppelheuer. Debnar started the weekend with a fall in 1:15, then tacked on decision victories of 10-5 and 3-1 to reach the final. Doppelheuer collected a pair of pins in 3:08 and 2:17, before winning with a 5-2 decision in the semifinals.

Frazier freshman Jonah Erdely collected bronze with a 12-4 major decision over Beaver Falls sophomore Gabe Lilly. The remaining four place winners were: Freedom Area sophomore Gavyn McCray (5th), Quaker Valley senior Logan Richey (6th), Laurel senior Charles Krepp (7th), and Southmoreland freshman Gabe Kubasky (8th).

152 POUNDS
Frazier sophomore Ryan Celaschi earned the 152 championship, toppling Bethlehem-Center senior Tyler Berish by a 3-2 decision. Celaschi won his first round and semifinal matches via fall and grabbed a 9-0 major decision win in the quarterfinals. Berish also collected two pins – his coming in the first two rounds – and advanced to the final with a major decision in the semifinals.

Indiana junior Will Turner defeated Burgettstown junior Rudy Brown by a 9-4 decision in the third-place match. The remaining four place winners were: Hopewell junior Isaiah Pisano (5th), Quaker Valley sophomore Jack Diemert (6th), Belle Vernon freshman Elijah Brown (7th), and Freedom Area senior Tanner Millward (8th).

160 POUNDS
At 160, Laurel senior Grant Mackay became a three-time WPIAL champion, winning with a fall in 0:26 against Carlynton senior Brandebura. Mackay, the 2021 champion at 152 and 2022 champion at 160, won his first two matches with pins in 1:15 and 0:53, then claimed a default victory in 0:02 in the semifinals. Brandebura, the 2020 gold medalist at 106, also collected two pins to start the tournament, then earned a 7-5 sudden-victory decision to make the championship match.

Frazier freshman Jackson Angelo took third with a 10-2 major decision against Valley junior Chuck Perkins. The remaining four place winners were: Burrell junior Nico Zanella (5th), Jefferson-Morgan junior Chase Frameli (6th), Burgettstown freshman Logan Noyes (7th), and Quaker Valley sophomore Marcus Richey (8th).

172 POUNDS
Fort Cherry sophomore Braedon Welsh emerged with the WPIAL gold at 172, winning with a 5-0 decision over Burrell sophomore Isaac Lacinski. Welsh won all of his first three matches with pins, tabbing them in 0:58, 3:51, and 0:42. Lacinski started his journey with a fall in 1:14, then collected a 13-6 decision and 10-2 major decision to advance to the final.

Albert Gallatin junior Landon Conroy earned the bronze medal with a fall in 3:45 against Chartiers-Houston senior Jessie Orbin. The remaining four place winners were: Southmoreland senior Tristan Ice (5th), Montour senior Riley Hensley (6th), Ligonier Valley senior Jesse Turner (7th), and Valley senior Jeremy Hughley (8th).

189 POUNDS
Frazier junior Rune Lawrence is now 3-for-3 in WPIAL championships, winning his third individual gold with a pin in 0:22 of Bethlehem-Center junior Jake Layhue. Lawrence, the 2021 and 2022 champion at 172, won all three of his matches via pin, doing so in 1:16, 0:29, and 1:07. Layhue registered a fall in 1:15 to open the tournament, then reached the title tilt with decisions of 3-0 and 12-6.

Jefferson-Morgan junior Adam McAnany won the third-place match with a sudden-victory fall in 5:34 against Laurel senior Chase Tinstman. The remaining four place winners were: Highlands senior Tyler Bender (5th), Fort Cherry junior Anthony Salvini (6th), Freedom Area senior Trent McCray (7th), and South Side sophomore Slayton Williams (8th).

215 POUNDS
Central Valley sophomore Brenan Morgan gave his school a second WPIAL title in 2023, winning the 215 championship match with a 6-2 decision against Bentworth junior Vitali Daniels. Morgan won with pins in the first three rounds, posting them in 1:57, 2:30, and 1:51. Daniels also began his tournament with a pair of pins in 0:56 and 2:12, then netted an 8-1 decision in the semifinals.

Greensburg Salem senior Christian McChesney was a 5-3 winner by decision over Mt. Pleasant freshman Dylan Pitzer in the third-place match. The remaining four place winners were: Burrell sophomore Luke Boylan (5th), McGuffey senior Logan Smith (6th), West Greene freshman Colin Whyte (7th), and Yough senior Gavin Roebuck (8th).

285 POUNDS
Keystone Oaks senior Christian Flaherty collected gold at 285, winning over Burgettstown junior Joseph Baronick via 4-1 decision. Flaherty tallied a trio of pins in 2:24, 1:50, and 3:06 to reach the championship match, and the reigning champion Baronick followed the same path, with his falls coming in 1:29, 3:03, and 2:57.

Laurel senior Coltin Hill scored a fall in 1:42 to take bronze over Bentworth sophomore Alex Rusilko. The remaining four place winners were: Jefferson-Morgan freshman Landon Heath (5th), Highlands senior Noah Leslie (6th), Burrell senior Ian Quinn (7th), and Southmoreland senior Mason Neiderhiser (8th).

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