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OwnerUpdate
By Jeff Upson
Snow is falling, Slippery Rock is back – get hyped for the wrestling season! We at PennsylvaniaWrestling
Newsmagazine are excited to provide fans withthemostthoroughcoverageofwrestling intheKeystoneState.
TheEndofanEra
Pennsylvania wrestling fans will see, for the last time in high school, two of the most dominant wrestlers in the state's rich history Coming off championship titles at Super 32, the Clarion Open, and the Bill Farrell, Bo Bassett begins his final season at Bishop McCort with a (126-0) career record, having secured76techfallsand38pins.
Onlysevenopponentshaveeverbeenheldto either a regular or a major decision against Bo.
Jax Forrest has certainly racked up frequent flyer miles, competing at the Senior World Championships—wherehefinishedfifthinthe world at 61 kilograms before going on to captureaU23WorldChampionshipinSerbia He enters his senior year boasting a (133-3) careerrecord,whichincludes70technicalfalls and44pins.
BothBassettandForrestareseekingtheirthird straightPIAAStateChampionships.
KeepingTheFaith
Onceagain,theClassAAteamraceappears to be a showdown between Faith Christian and Bishop McCort. Faith has strengthened their lineup with significant talent — adding three top incoming freshmen to an already strongteam
WideOpenAgain
InClassAAA,theusualcontendersremainat thetop,butlikein2025,thisyear’sdualteam competition is more open than you might expect.Districts11and7willeachhaveseveral contendersaimingtoearnhardware.
Bo Bassett of Bishop McCort (Photo by Sam Janicki)
District1Report
Nate
Heckenberger
Several from District 1 entered the Super 32 tournament in October, but only two came homewithmedals.
OwenJ.Roberts’sophomore,DeckerBechtold, finished sixth at 215 pounds, while Faith Christian Academy’s sophomore, Fred Bachmann,tookfourthat132.
Bechtold will likely be a big name on the recruiting trail next year, while Bachmann, alongsidebrother,Joe,recentlycommittedto Iowa.
Last month, Jason Singer committed to Nebraska, Mason Wagner is heading to Lehigh, and junior Nick Singer is set to join teammate Adam Waters at Ohio State in 2027. Waters, the top-ranked wrestler in the nation,islookingtobecomeafour-timestate championthisseason.
Othercommitmentsfor2026sincetheendof lastseasonincludeCentralBucksWest’sChris Dennis (Utah Valley), Council Rock North’s Marco Loss (Davidson), and Pierce Kane (NYU); Council Rock South’s Pat Woloshyn (Drexel); Kennett’s Blake Boyer (American); and Perkiomen Valley’s Max Tancini (George Mason).Oxford’sJonSmithandWestChester Rustin’sAJCorparescheduledtojointheUS NavalAcademyin2027.
Defending District 1 Duals champion Boyertownreturnseightregionalqualifiers.JD Heiser(172pounds)istheonlyreturningstate qualifier for the Bears, who are starting their season with a dual tournament at home. Easton and Wilson (West Lawn) add some out-of-districttalent,withCouncilRockNorth, Owen J. Roberts, and Pennridge among a stronggroupinDistrict1
Faith Christian will skip the Beast of the East andEscapetheRocktournamentsandfocus ondualmeets.TheLionswillhostChaminade (NY) and Council Rock North, then travel to Wyoming Seminary in the first two weeks of theseason.
Council Rock South graduated four wrestlers with at least 35 wins last year and opens its season with a dual against Notre Dame Green Pond. Woloshyn leads the way for the GoldenHawks,winning53boutsandearning afourth-placestatemedalasajunior
Garnet Valley has the second-highest number of returning regional qualifiers in District1,withseven,whilePaxtonHuntisthe onlyJaguartoreachHersheylastwinter
CouncilRockNorthbringsbackatrioofstate qualifiers AJKane,PierceKane,andMarco Loss whileKennettandOxfordalsoboasta triowhomadestates.
Blake Boyer (5th at 139), Bryce Boyer, and Zack Jaffe were in Hershey for Kennett last season, while Jon Smith (4th at 160), recent Cornell commit Blake Hostetter (7th at 172), andJaceMcKinneyhelpedmaketheHornets aformidableteam.Bothsquadskickofftheir seasonsattheChes-MontChampionshipson December 6. Rustin’s returning fifth-place statemedalist,AJCorp,willalsobethere.
Adam Waters of Faith Christian (Photo by Sam Janicki)
District2Report
Tom Fox
One of the top scholastic wrestling teams in the country will have a new look. With a new coachandseveralfreshDistrict2
standouts on the roster, Wyoming Seminary aimstomaintainitsstatusasoneofthetop teamsinthenation.
AssistantcoachWillWebertakesovertheBlue KnightsfromCornellRobinson,bringinganew sense of energy and excitement to the program. Also at Sem are two of the newest additions: former West Scranton standout Michael Turi and Mid Valley upper weight SamuelAlmedina.
Ripkaplaces8
intheworldth GreaterNanticokeAreaseniorSierraRipkahad quite a showing at the U17 Beach World ChampionshipsinKaterini,Greece.
Both made their impact at the 2025 Journeyman Classic, with Almedina finishing fifth in the 170-pound weight class. Turi, a Cornellrecruit,wonallfiveofhismatches,four ofthembybonuspoints
Turi was a three-time PIAA medalist, most recently finishing third in Class 3A, a threetime District 2 champ, and a three-time Lackawanna League champ who won 130 matches for the Invaders. Last year as a freshman at Mid Valley, Almedina won 47 matchesandwassixthinClass2A.
Benyobrothersback
Jake and Gabe Benyo were highly touted freshmenlastyearbutwereruledineligiblefor transferring to Riverside, which co-opts with WestScranton,andlostayearofhighschool competition.
The brothers are back at Hazleton this year andwillimmediatelymakeanimpactonthe districtandstateintheirsophomoreseasons.
The Trojanette placed eighth in her weight class while representing Team USA at the event,wrestlinginthe75kgclass.Shewasthe onlygirlfromPennsylvaniaontheU17squad.
Ripkaenters2025-26asoneofthetopfemale wrestlers in the state. Coming off two fifthplace finishes at states, she was 35-4 last season.
TwoHawkeyestowatch
ThereareapairofHanoverAreaHawkeyesto keepaneyeonastheseasoncontinues
Coming off a sixth-place Class 2A state finish as a freshman, CJ Caines returns to Hanover withhissightssetonimprovinghisspotonthe podium Caines won his first 34 matches last year,andendedhisyearwitha46-6record–including27pinsand10techs.
Onthegirls'side,seniorKaidenceAnknercould reachrarifiedairinDistrict2bybecomingthe first female wrestler to secure her 100 win. She'llentertheyearwith70winsand50pinsin her career, having finished with 32 wins last season. th
Michael Turi of Wyoming Seminary (Photo by Sam Janicki)
District3Report
Bill Creps
The weather is signaling that it’s time to shift our focus from outdoor sports to indoor competition.
Withwrestlingpracticejustaroundthecorner, it feels fitting to reflect on last year’s accomplishments and set our sights on the goalsforthe2025–2026season.
Few would dispute that Bishop McDevitt remains the team to beat in District 3 Class 2A. The Crusaders return six wrestlers who earned PIAA medals at the 2025 state tournament.
Leading the way is Braiden Lotier, who captured a state title at 107 lbs. and holds a career record of 78–18 Camden Baum will onceagainaimtofinishhisseasonatopthe podium after back-to-back runner-up finishesatstates.Baum,whohascompileda 96–8careerrecord,willcontinuehiswrestling career at Purdue University. The team’s third standout,GreysonMusic,claimedbronzelast season and was a state finalist in 2024. Committed to Stanford University, Music enterstheseasonwithan84–19careermark.
Inadditiontothesethreetop-tiercompetitors, McDevitt boasts three more returning state place winners: Nicky Negron (36–14), Easton Comp(39–16),andLiamLawler(43–12),each of whom finished seventh at states Zane Crouse, a two-time state qualifier with 71 careervictories,addsevenmoredepthtothe Crusaders’alreadyformidablelineup.
Lastseason,McDevittdominatedtheDistrict3 2A team field with decisive wins over Berks Catholic (45–12), Northern Lebanon (56–15), andTulpehocken(55–14).TheCrusaders
capped off their impressive campaign by finishing third in the state team tournament, defeating Erie Prep in the consolation final. McDevittclosedtheseasonwitha22–1record, their only loss coming to Faith Christian Academy(35–22).
The 3A division will be wide open this year, withmanyoflastyear’steamsreturningwith strong rosters Gettysburg, the defending champion, has built an impressive program and will certainly be in the mix. The Warriors willbeledbyWilliamYordy,MylesGrossman, andCadenShearer.
Wilson has long been Berks County’s top 3A program and will be guided by four-year standout McKaden Speece. Boiling Springs has made the transition to 3A, and their Bubblersgrapplersaregutsycompetitorswho show little fear against much larger school opponents. Cedar Cliff boasts several outstanding wrestlers, though the question remainswhethertheirsupportingathletescan fillthegapsduringthedualmeetseason.
With talent spread across the division and new challengers emerging, the 3A race promisestobethrillingfromstarttofinish.I’m excitedtokickoffmy25thyearwithPWNand watchtheseathletesleaveitallonthemat
Braiden Lotier of Bishop McDevitt (Photo by Aaron Morekin)
HalfNelsonReport
Joe Baranik
Ken Chertow Gold Medal Training Camp: One of the Best CampsAnywhere
For over 40 years, I have worked summer wrestling camps at Lock Haven University, ArmyWestPoint,UniversityofVirginia,Slippery Rock University, Edinboro University, J Robinson’s 14-day intensive camp, Old DominionUniversity,St AndrewsUniversityand RobWaller’sAll-Americancamp.
The past two summers, I have worked the Chertow Gold Medal Training Camp in my hometown of Altoona, Pa., held at the Blair CountyConventionCenter.Theorganizationof over 500 kids, including 100 or so girls in that mix,forthetwoweekcampwasimpressive.
This past July, kids showed up from over 30 states and six countries to include France, Germany, Belgium, Japan, Canada, Australia andUzbekistan Theconvenienceofstayingin ahotelconnectedtothethreewrestlingareas of15mats,andbeingabletoeatinacafeteria nearthematsmadethecamprunextremely efficient
I was also impressed with the variety of clinicians from all over the world to include Bekzod Abdurakhmonov and Muzaffar Abdurakhmonov who are assistants at Harvard, Zain Retherford, Pat Glory, Ricky and Rocky Bonomo, Matt Kocher, Jason Kiessling, RonPifer,Mac&LukeStout,JohnFritz,NickFrick andRogerStewart
GirlinstructorsincludedJasonNorwood,Sage Mortimer,ChelseaDionosio,ChristyPowelland TessKinne
Special guest “Wondrous” Wade Schalles did hislastwrestlingcampofhiscareer Hestated with tears in his eyes that, “I wanted to finish where I started, right here in Hollidaysburg.” Schalles, who grew up three miles from the camp,wasastatechampionatHollidaysburg HighSchoolandwentontowinthreenational titles at Clarion, including two Division I titles and an Outstanding Wrestler Award. Schalles stillholdstherecordforcollegepinswith106! Heamassedaremarkablerecordof153-5-1!
The Chertow camp will relocate to Manheim, PA,thissummer,fromJune28toJuly10,atthe Spooky Nook Sports Complex. If you are looking for a well-organized wrestling camp that exposes you to kids and coaches from around the world and offers a variety of techniques, I recommend giving this camp a look.
Until December, keep your grades up, your weightdown,andGo4thePin!
L to R: Nick Frick, Wade Schalles, and Joe Baranik (Photo by Lloyd McCully)
District4Report
Mitch Rupert
Brandt Harer has gotten pretty used to winning. The senior from Montgomery High School is a two-timedefendingPIAAchamp,
andheentershisfinalhighschoolseasonwith 157careerwins.
ButhiswininGreensboro,N.C.,attheSuper32 wasn't a win the Rutgers recruit has experiencedbefore.Infact,whenhecaptured the championship belt for winning the 144poundbracketinOctober,itwasthefirsttime Harer had even placed at the country's toughestout-of-seasontournament.
He chose to compete anyway, falling in the BloodRoundashislackofconditioningandthe falloutfromhisillnesscaughtuptohim.
In his final trip to Super 32, Harer was out to make a statement, and he made the same statement he's made in his biggest tournamentsforeachofthelasttwoseasons. He outscored seven opponents a combined 62-2 and knocked off four nationally-ranked wrestlersonhiswaytotheSuper32title.
Harer enters the 2025-2026 high school seasonrankedninthontheMatscoutsSenior Big Board — the fourth highest-ranked Pennsylvania wrestler behind Jax Forrest, Bo Bassett, and Adam Waters — and second in the country at 144 pounds behind only OklahomaStaterecruitJordynRaney.
Harer is a two-time PIAA champion and a three-timeNHSCANationalchampion.Butthis Super32titlewasdifferent.Itwasonehehad been chasing and falling short of, in part becausehehadneverreallybeenhealthyfor thetournamentuntilthisyear.
A year ago, Harer was less than two weeks removedfromaneight-dayhospitalstaywith amysteryillnessthatsawblistersformallover hisbody.
SowhenHarerputawayfournationally-ranked wrestlers on his way to gold in Greensboro, it wasextrasatisfying.
“Ihavealotofgreatpeoplewhosupportme,” Harersaidafterwinning.“Andtheyunderstand whatI'mtryingtoworkfor”
But it's how Harer has been winning in his biggesttournamentsthathasbeenthebiggest eye-opener. He outscored four nationallyranked foes by a combined 25-0. In his two PIAA tournament victories, he's outscored his eight opponents by a combined 77-11. And in his three victories at NHSCA Nationals, he's outscoredhisopponentsacombined312-28.
He'snotjustwinning;he'sdominating.
“Get a takedown and then solid work on the mat,” Harer said. “Mat wrestling is my best wrestling. Keep scoring points and shut down theiroffense”
It's probably safe to expect a similar performanceoverthenextfourmonths.
Brandt Harer of Montgomery (Photo by Sam Janicki)
District5Report
Todd Irwin
ChestnutRidge’sDominicDeputy finally stood atop the medal stand at Hershey’s Giant Center inMarchafterhavingtosettlefor
onestepbelowthewinnerinsecondplacethe previoustwoyears.
Deputy captured his first PIAA Class 2A state titlewithathrilling4-2winoverFaithChristian Academy’s Gauge Botero in the 121-pound finalsbout.
Deputy hugged his coach and dad Josh immediately after time expired Josh screamed and pounded the chair he had beensittingin
“I don’t normally hug people,” the younger Deputy said chuckling, “so it was definitely somethingbig.”
Deputy is back for his senior year looking to repeatasstatechampionbeforeheheadsto NorthCarolinaStatetocontinuehiswrestling career.
Two freshmen 107-pound place winners from District 5 return in Tussey Mountain senior DakotaSantamaria(5thplace)andChestnut RidgefreshmanGarrettWeyandt(8thplace).
OtherDistrict5statequalifiersreturninBerlin Brothersvalley’s sophomore Dawson Shaffer, senior Braden Durst and Conemaugh TownshipjuniorCarterChrist.
Chestnut Ridge will look to continue its dominance within District 5. The Lions have won13straightDistrict5Dualstitlesand13out of the last 14 District 5 individual tournament titles.FreshmanKooperDeputy,Dominic’slittle brother,willlooktocontinuehisgaudy
success from the middle school and elementarylevel.
RidgesistersLasure,Altlookformoregold
The Chestnut Ridge girls’ wrestling team returns a formidable duo in sisters and returningstatechampionsVioletteLasureand JulietAlt.
Lasure, who went 32-0 with 29 pins as a sophomore,rolledtoa15-0technicalfallover Sun Valley’s Jameson Strickland to win her second state title at 148. Alt secured a pin of NorthernBedfordrivalRaeganSniderwithone secondlefttocapturethe155-poundtitleasa freshman.
“Itfeelsawesometobeabletohavemysister bymyside,andforbothofustowinthestate championship together,” Lasure said after winninggold.
Lasure has continued her success in the offseason, winning a title in Fargo at the U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals and winning the 145-pound title at the East Stroudsburg Open.
SniderhasmovedontoLockHavenUniversity towrestle,butBedford’sMylahSteinbuch,who finishedineighthplaceat235,returnsforher juniorseason.
Kooper Deputy of Chestnut Ridge (Photo by Sam Janicki)
District6Report
John Hartsock
Bishop McCort was one of the top wrestling programs in the state last year, qualifying 12 wrestlerstothePIAAClass2A
state tournament, with four becoming state champions.
The Crushers also made a mark at the country’s top offseason folkstyle tournament, theSuper32Challenge,heldonOctober18-19 in Greensboro, N.C., where they crowned two champions: senior Bo Bassett (150 pounds) and junior Melvin Miller (165). They also earned runner-up finishes from senior Sam Herring(138)andsophomoreJaydenO’Farrill (175)
“Ilostherelastyear,butIfeltwaystrongerthis year,’’ Miller said “Wrestling the best competitionjustmakesyoubetter.’’
Bo Bassett became the first male wrestler in theevent’shistorytowinfourtimesbytaking seven consecutive matches, including six by technical fall. He also earned a 13-4 major decisionoverCharlieDesenaofOrlando,Fla., inthechampionshipmatch.
“It’sanunbelievablehonor,’’saidBassett,who alsofinishedsecondintheeventasaneighth grader. “It’s the hardest folkstyle tournament in the world, and it’s a battle every time. I’ve beenherefivetimes,andI’mthankfulforeach one,winorlose.’’
BassettandMillerarebrothers,andbothhave committed to wrestle at Virginia Tech Both were PIAA champions last March at 145 and 160pounds,respectively.
Miller went 7-0 at the Super 32 with three technical falls and a fall. He earned a 16-6 major decision over Maximus Dhabolt of Ankeny, Iowa, in the championship match to securehissecondSuper32title.
District 6 will return plenty of talent. In Class 2A, Bo Bassett, Forrest, and Miller return as PIAA state champions McCort also has five other returning state place winners: Keegan Bassett(4that107lastyear),SamHerring(3rd at 139), O’Farrill (4th at 172), Caleb Rodriguez (3rdat285),andEliHerring(5that114).BEA’s Caden Judice (4th at 133) and Tyrone’s Kyle Scott(4that189)alsoreturn.
In Class 3A, returning medalists include Altoona’s Braiden Weaver (3rd at 121) and Gavin Ciampoli (7th at 139), State College’s JamesWhitbred(6that152),andBellefonte’s EzraSwisher(8that152).
Melvin Miller of Bishop McCort (Photo by Sam Janicki)
District7Report
Ken Wunderley
Here’s a look at the top returning wrestlers in the WPIAL. We will examine the top teams in the nextissue.
In Class 3A, 29 wrestlers from the WPIAL qualifiedforthePIAATournamentlastseason as underclassmen Fifteen of them won medals.BelleVernon'sElijahBrown(215)isthe onlydefendingchampion KiskiArea'sCooper Roscosky (215) is a returning runner-up. Four others earned bronze medals: Nicholas McGarrity of Peters Township (107), Santino Sloboda of Butler (127), Kai Vielma of Connellsville, and Roman Thompson of Central Catholic (215). Both McGarrity and VielmarecentlycommittedtoStanford.
The others are McGarrity (3rd and 6th), Sloboda (3rd and 6th), Roscosky (6th and 2nd), Latrobe’s Hunter Snyder (6th and 3rd), andDerry’sMasonHorwat(6thand4th).
In Class 2A, 30 wrestlers from the WPIAL qualifiedforthestatetournamentlastseason asunderclassmen Nineweremedalwinners, but only one was a top-three finisher, as Central Valley's Antonio Boni (127) was a runner-up.
AlsoreturningintheWPIALarethreewrestlers whowerePIAAmedalwinnersin2024butdid not compete in last year ' s postseason. Norwin's Landon Sidun, who recently committedtoPennState,wonaPIAAClass3A title in 2024 at 114 pounds but missed the postseason due to an injury. Burrell's Cameron Baker is a two-time PIAA 2A medalist who sat out the postseason because of an injury. Dylan Pitzer finished fourth at 285 in Class 2A for Mount Pleasant as a sophomore, then sat out last year after transferringtoDerryArea
Cameron Baker (4th and 6th) is one of six WPIAL returnees who have placed twice at Hershey.
In girls’ competition, 29 wrestlers from the WPIAL qualified for the PIAA Tournament last season as underclassmen Sixteen of them weremedalwinners.TheonlydefendingPIAA champion is Canon-McMillan’s Marlee Solomon (112). Plum’s Alaina Claasen (190) and Southmoreland’s Zoey Murphy (235) are returning runners-up Laurel’s Maggie Alfera (136)isareturningbronzemedalist.
Alaina Claasen, who finished sixth in 2024, is one of six WPIAL returnees to have placed twice at Hershey The others are: Avella’s Abigail Dolanch (6th and 5th), Montour’s Kristen Walzer (6th and 6th), Moon’s Haley Smarsh (2nd and 6th), Kiski Area’s Ava Golding (3rd and 6th), and Plum’s Saphia Davis(4thand7th).
Elijah Brown of Belle Vernon (Photo by Aaron Morekin)
TakedownTrivia
Joe Baranik
PSU has a 71-match winning streak brewing. The Lions are five awayfromtyingOklahomaState with76.
Tamara Humphries (Brashear HS in Pittsburgh), a freshman at the University of Pitt-Johnstown,wasgiftedacarbyShaquille O’Neal so she could travel to wrestling tournaments. Jenna & Friends, a daily talk showonNBC,featuredastoryaboutherand hadherontheshowtomeetShaqinperson onOctober28.Tamara,whoplaced3rdinthe PIAA state tournament last year, thanked Shaq for helping girls wrestling grow. Shaq seemed genuinely sincere in helping the otherwintersport.Humphries’teammatesat UPJcallthecarthe“ShaqMobile!”
Diego Pavia, the starting quarterback for Vanderbilt’s nationally ranked football team, was a state wrestling champion for Volcano VistaHighSchoolinNewMexico,aswellasa three-timestatefinalist.Heisratedasoneof the top quarterbacks in FBS college football this year and has been mentioned as a possible Heisman Trophy candidate He is also the cousin of Team USA’s 2025 World bronzemedalistRealWoods
If you’re a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, they have three starters who were all state finalists in wrestling. Center Zach Frazier (#54) was a four-time state champion at Fairmont HS in WestVirginia;linebackerPaytonWilson(#41) was a state champion from Orange HS in North Carolina, and defensive end Keeanu Benton(#95)wasastaterunner-upatCraig HSinWisconsin.
The University of Pennsylvania launched the Penn Wrestling Lasting Legacy of Excellence Campaign, a fundraising initiative aimed at raising $34 million to propel Penn Wrestling into a new era. Also announced was a landmark$20milliongiftfromDavePottruck, analumoftheWhartonSchoolandaformer wrestling and football student-athlete. The centerpieceofthenewinitiativeisaplanned renovation to the Weightman Hall Gymnasium, which hosted the first-ever collegiate wrestling tournament Once complete, the renovated space will become the Pottruck-Reina Wrestling Center, serving as the new home for Penn Wrestling and featuring state-of-the-art training facilities and modern locker rooms. Pottruck is the formerpresidentandCEOofCharlesSchwab.
The NFHS released its sports participation survey for the 2024-25 academic year, and boys' wrestling has reached an all-time high of300,214participants,with11,526highschools offering the sport. This puts wrestling as the sixth most participated sport on the high schoollevel Girls'wrestlingsawa15%increase inparticipation,withover74,000girlstakingto the mats and 1,000 new high schools adding thesport.
Tamara Humphries at the PWC (Photo by Sam Janicki)
District9Report
Kenn Staub
GreensborofromDistrict9.
Out of the 198 Pennsylvania high school wrestlers who competed at mid-October’s Super 32 Challenge,fourtraveledto
DuBois sophomore Kendahl Hoare was the mostsuccessful,finishingastherunner-upat 215pounds.
Seeded 15th, Hoare defeated the fifth and ninth seeds on his way to the finals. His run ended there when second-seeded Kal-El FluckigerofArizonapinnedhiminthesecond period(3:20)
Hoare, who mainly competed at 215 pounds for the Beavers last season, had a strong freshman year, finishing sixth at states after winningdistrictsandregionals.Herecordeda 44-8overallrecord,with21winsbyfalland33 bonus-pointvictories.
Jordan Thompson of Bradford put in hardworkingeffortsdownsouth,going6-2as an unseeded wrestler before his tournament endedintheBloodRound.
The 157-pound senior suffered his first loss in the Round of 32, losing 4-1 to senior Liam Kelley of Illinois, the 13th seed. On the consolation side of the bracket, Thompson wonfourstraightmatches,includingvictories over the 14th and 22nd seeds. He was finally eliminated from the tournament by Kelley, whodefeatedhimagain4-1intherematch.
An Edinboro commit, Thompson has consistently won at least 30 matches each seasonfortheOwls.Hewent40-7asajunior, 31-6 in his sophomore year, and 30-9 as a freshman.
After winning district titles in his first two seasons,hewasrunner-uplastyear Despitea setback at districts, Thompson made his debutatthestatetournament,finishingfifthat 152pounds
Dalton Wenner, a senior from Cranberry (Seneca),was4-2at138pounds.TheBerries’ grappler begins the 2025-2026 season intendingtowinafourthdistricttitle–having previously won at the 3A level a year ago when Cranberry was reclassified, and at the 2A level in the two seasons before that A Clarioncommit,Wennerisathree-timestate placer, finishing seventh last year at 127 pounds,sixthin2024,andseventhin2023.Like Thompson,Wennerhasneverhadfewerthan 30winsinaseason,postinga42-6recordas ajunior,39-7asasophomore,and34-5asa freshman.
Interestingly, Wenner went straight from GreensborotoStateCollegetocompeteinthe PIAA2Aindividualgolfchampionship.
SmethportsophomoreCollinFergusonwas02 as a 132-pound wrestler. Wrestling for Port Allegany in a co-op, he finished with a 26-12 record as a Gator freshman and qualified for regionalsafterplacingthirdatdistricts.
Kendahl Hoare of DuBois (Photo by Sam Janicki)
District10Report
Jeff Uveino
Not everyone gets a second chance. Reynolds senior Colton Tupper does, and he’s ready to useit.
Tupperreceivedcrushingnewsafterthe2025 District 10 tournament Doctors discovered a heart condition that required immediate surgery,endingapostseasonthatwouldhave likelyendedinHershey.
Tupper returned quickly and capped his summer by winning D-10’s only medal at Super 32. He’s now ready to make up for lost time,toshowPennsylvaniahowfarhe’scome, andtoleadReynoldsbackatopD-10.
Hamilton and the Eagles have another competitivelineup.
“Guyswillbepoppingintothelineupwhowere just tucked behind some of our standouts,” saidGroveCitycoachWesPhipps
“(Tupper)neverblamedanybody.Hejustwent back to work,” Reynolds coach Casey Taylor said “(Super 32) was kind of a coming-out partywherehewrestledexceptionallywell.”
Tupperplaced8that215poundsatthe2025 Defense Soap Super 32 Challenge He joins returning state qualifiers Logan Stewart and EmeryJohnsontoheadlineaReynoldslineup that seeks a PIAA team tournament return afterlastyear’sraremiss.
“The goals don’t change,” Taylor said. “We want to win our conference, win the district titleasateam,andgoontoteamstates.” Region1stackedagain ReynoldswillhavecompanyinRegion1.
Grove City, another D-10 program active at Super32,returnsthreePIAAClass2Amedalists in Chase Karenbauer (3 at 107 pounds), Ian Stearns (8 at 114), and Hudson Hohman (2 at145).AddtalentedfreshmenKaganPainter andGavinPurdy, plusstatequalifierTanner rd th nd
GroveCity,ReynoldsandHickorysplitRegion1 three ways last season. Hickory returns three state qualifiers, including Elijah Scriven, who placed4that121pounds.
Cathedral Prep dominated D-10 last year on itswaytoafourth-placePIAAteamfinish
TheRamblersgraduatedsixstarters,including twoindividualPIAAmedalists.DavionEdmond (121 pounds), Kamdyn Borrero (127 pounds) and Sam Harringon (172) all qualified for Hersheyasfreshmen.
“We’llbegoodlocallyagain,”PrepcoachMike Hahseysaid.“We’llbeaggressive,goodonour feetandgoodonthemat.”
Spencer Nagy takes over as head coach at GeneralMcLaneafterRyanCookwashiredto coach the Edinboro women. Returning state medalist Clay Kimmy (8 at 145) headlines Nagy’slineup. th
Corry graduated five starters, including three state qualifiers, from a lineup which beat Reynolds in last year’s D-10 semifinals. The BeaversareagainheavyfavoritesinRegion3
District11Report
Tom Housenick
The site of the PIAA Team Wrestling Championships is different again in 2026, with 1st Summit Arena at the Cambria CountyWarMemorialin
Johnstownbeingthethirdhostsiteinthelast three seasons. But one thing won't change: Four-time-defending Class 3A champion Bethlehem Catholic is the favorite to claim stateteamgoldagain.
Coach Mike Cole's Golden Hawks have a strong returning cast led by three-time state champion and Lehigh commit Keanu Dillard Others backing them include junior Reef Dillard,atwo-timePIAAqualifier;plus,juniors Connor Gillahan, Mason Thomas, Louden Hower, and James Bozzi; and sophomores NicoEmili,AndreCerrato,andJadenSantiago.
Bethlehem Catholic also has several newcomers expected to excel from the start, including freshman Michael Nicosia and sophomore Andrew Gomez, who sat out last yearaftertransferringfromBangor.
ThosechasingBethlehemCatholicinDistrict11 arethesame:Nazareth,Easton,NotreDameGreenPond,andNorthampton,withEmmaus and Parkland among those knocking on the doorofthetopdual-meetteams
The Blue Eagles, state runner-up for the past threeseasons,areledbytheCampbelltwins, Cade and Jack, along with fellow senior BraydenZuercher.Allthreearereturningstate medalists.Otherkeyreturneesincludeseniors Derek Fulmer, Elijah Simak, and Dominick Tunison;juniorsCooperWenrichandMichael Good; and sophomore Chase Brown. Freshman Caleb Kosko is among the newcomers
TheRedRovers,inCoreyKeener'sfirstyearasa head coach, are anchored by returning state championandVirginiacommitNickSalamone. OtherveteransincludeseniorKurtisCrossman, aswellasjuniorsJustinCosover,NoahFenner, Ethan Krazer, Alonzo Parker, and Evan Carss. RookieJackFamularoheadsthenewcomers
The Crusaders have a solid list of returnees: seniors Dominic Sumpolec, Connor Smalley, Gavyn Kelton, and Jared Gonzalez; juniors NoahKnorpandJacobVolpe,plussophomore CaelMuller.FreshmenColeSchwartzandMax Quarryarethebestofthenewcomers.
The Konkrete Kids have three returning state finalists back: junior Lehigh commit Gabe Ballard, senior Air Force commit Trey Wagner, and sophomore Brayden Wenrich. Other key returneesaresophomoreCarterChleboveand seniorChaseGrabfelder.
SauconValley,NorthwesternLehigh,andNorth Schuylkill are the district's top 2A teams. The Panthers return Carter and Gavin Chunko, Braden and Taylor Rohn, and Mack Santoro. The Tigers welcome back Luke and Vinnie Fugazzotto, Braydon and Logan Uricchio, WestonKillar,NolanKoehler,andTrentCroll.
The Spartans return Caden McGraw, Gaige Mentusky, Easton Edwards, Alex Deritis, and Bryce Kile, plus newcomers Bode Gates and BrockHolmes.
Keanu Dillard of Bethlehem Catholic (Photo by Aaron Morekin)
District12Report
Kyle Bagenstose
In recent years, District 12 Philadelphia and suburban Catholic League schools have shownincreasingresolve
The highlight of this summer was 2025 FrankfordHighgraduateLuisAlberto-Desilva’s surprise Fargo Greco-Roman title at 144 lbs., tech-falling nationally-renowned Jordyn RaneyofKentuckyalongtheway.
Also excelling this off-season was ConwellEganseniorand2xPIAAgirls'statechampion JuliaHorger,whotook2ndinFargoat105lbs. in the junior division Northeast High senior Samiyah Rahming (PIAA 2nd) went 4-1 at 115 lbs. in Fargo before injury defaulting in her finalbout,whileMarianaBracetti,aseniorand two-time PIAA girls state finalist, and Julissa Ortiz went 5-2 at 125 lbs., losing in the Blood Round.
Horger, along with Conwell-Egan junior Colin Walther(138lbs),alsocompetedatSuper32
Several D12 wrestlers also competed on the MAWA circuit, led by Eastern National placewinners Cole Trzeciak (La Salle College, Jr.,1stat152lbs.),KyreeMitchell(LaSalle,So., 3rd at 285 lbs.), and Maddox Rosenblatt (St. Joe’s,Sr.,5that130lbs.).Trzeciakalsoplaced 5thatWarattheShoreat154lbs.
Turning eyes to this year’s PIAA season, several Hershey veterans return, led by Conwell-Egan114-lb.juniorThomasBoyce(AA 3rd, 4th). He’s joined by teammates Michael Gorrell(So.,127lbs.,SQ)andWalther(SQ,7th).
CooperHelm(SQ)
Forthegirls,Horger,Ortiz,andRahmingreturn asHersheyveterans.
Top incoming freshmen include St Joe’s AnthonyColantuono(MAWAandPAGreco1st) and AP Zuchman, a Vermont Jr. High state champion Zuchman’s brother, junior Sam Zuchman, placed 3rd in Vermont at 106 lbs. last season, competed at Fargo, and will also wrestleforSt.Joe’s.
Inteamoutlook,LaSallehaswonthepastfive D12 AAA team championships and fielded competitivesquadsinthePIAApostseasonbut graduated nine starters That opens the door forSt.Joe’sPrep,D12runner-upthepastthree seasons,alongwithayoungandrisingFather Judge squad and five-time-defending Philadelphia Public League champion Northeast,toallmakearunforthedistricttitle
In AAA, St. Joe’s 215-lb. junior John Boggs returns(SQ,7th),asdoesLaSalle107-lb junior
In AA, perennially state-ranked Conwell-Egan remains in a class of its own. The Eagles lose only two starters from a 2024-25 squad that went 15-3, competed in the postseason, and finished fifth in the Southeast AA regional tournament, with six regional place winners returning onthestateandnationalstages.
John Boggs of St. Joe’s Prep (Photo by Aaron Morekin)
GirlsWrestlingReport
Elisa Lackey
The preseason buzz around Pennsylvania girls’ high school wrestling is real. After months of dominatingthenation’stop
freestyle events, PA enters folkstyle season with massive momentum and a clear message:thisstateisanationalpowerhouse.
Most recently, PA women showed out at the historic Super 32 Challenge in Greensboro, N.C. earning two champions and six total finalists
• Jaclyn Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary) claimed gold, becoming a three-time Super 32 champion and pushing toward history as onlythesecond-everfour-timechampion.
• 175 final: An all-PA showdown Ciyanna Okocha (Wyoming Seminary) edged Bryce Snyder(Palisades),3–0.
• Three more silvers: Marlee Solomon (112) (Canon-McMillan), Violette Lasure (148) (Chestnut Ridge), and Caroline Hattala (200) (Quakertown).
Newcomers Giada Croteau (Bishop McCort), Isla Silva (Mt. Lebanon), and Mia O’Farrill (Bishop McCort) made their presence known and officially landed on the “future stars” radar.
Meanwhile, Riley Karwowski (Wyoming Seminary), Mai Graham (Southern Lehigh), Remington LaFlamme (Wyoming Seminary), and Madison Healey (Wyoming Seminary) continued their summer tear by placing at Super32.
PAbackedupitshypeattheU.S.MarineCorps 16UandJuniorNationals(Fargo2025),earning multiple national championships and team titlesinboththe16UandJuniordivisions.
Junior National Champions: J. Bouzakis, Emma Bacon (Bishop McCort), V Lasure, and JaelMiller(Punxsutawney/NorthCentral)
Junior Runners-Up: Julia Horger (Conwell Egan),SavannahWitt(Palisades/Eastern)
Junior All-Americans: Zoey Haines (Gettysburg/Eastern),TaylorOrner(Octorara), BrendaBanks(PantherValley)
16USilverMedalists:BrooklynHenry(Wyoming Seminary), Riley Karwowski, Marlee Solomon, andNeveO’Byrne(GarnetValley)
16U All-Americans: Cidney Schaffer (Lackawanna Trail), Lexi Pancoast (Mechanicsburg), Morgan Hyland (Easton), Olivia Kearns (Shippensburg), Emma Grimes (Blair),JamesonStrickland(SunValley),Juliet Alt (Chestnut Ridge), C. Okocha, and Ashley Hoffman(CentralDauphin)
Brenda Banks of Panther Valley (Photo by Aaron Morekin)
GirlsWrestlingReport
PAWomenontheWorldStage
This summer, Pennsylvania athletes made noiseinternationally:
• 3 U15 Pan-Am Champions: B Henry, Olivia Kearns, Camilla Hathaway (Mt. Lebanon). PA freshman Kimberly Munoz (Berks Catholic) represented Puerto Rico and finished runneruptoHathaway.
• 3 U17 Pan-Am Champions: J. Bouzakis, E. Bacon,andV.Lasure
•4U17WorldTeamMembers:MadisonHealey (3rd),J.Bouzakis(3rd),E.Bacon,andV.Lasure
3 U20 World Team Members: Aubrey Krazer (5 ) (Easton/Lehigh), Haylie Jaffe (Kennett/McKendree), and Jordyn Fouse (BishopMcCort/GrandValleyState)
th Pennsylvania enters this high school season with unmatched momentum and a line-up stackedwithnational-leveltalent.
Next month, we’ll break down the opening weeks of PIAA action who’s rising, who’s making statements early, and the matchups we’rehopingtosee.
JuniorHighReport
Grant Lowther
Atthe2025PJWJuniorHighBoys StateChampionships,only20out of 120 medals were won by 7th graders.
Nelson Villafane and Evan Restivo aim to defend their titles as PJW Junior High State Champions. Returning state finalists include Ryder Ream (York Suburban), Grayson Hostetter (Oxford), and Colt Sipes (Altoona) No team has more than one 7 -grade state medalist from last season The 2025-2026 juniorhighteamraceseemswideopen,with noclearfavoriteastheregularseasonnears th
Each of last year ' s top ten teams statewide returnsfewerthansixstartingeighthgraders this season. It's uncertain whether any ninth graders staying down will bolster these lineups. Across Pennsylvania, there is considerabletalentandparityamongteams and top wrestlers, creating an exciting junior high season Nazareth and Kiski Area are expectedtobeamongtheleadingteams.
In February and March, state-qualifying wrestlerswillnotonlyrepresenttheirteamsat statequalifiersbutalsotheirAreaatthePJW State tournament and their Region at the Keystone State Tournament. Pennsylvania is also aiming to maintain its streak of dominanceonthenationalstageatmajorinseason events, such as the Tulsa Nationals, Powerade,andMcDonoughDuals.
Pennsylvaniamiddleschoolboysonceagain wontheteamscoreatSuper32.PAhadtwo champions and 17 medalists, earning 431 team points. Liam Reeves (Nazareth) and Nelson Villafane (Riverside) were the two middleschoolchampionsfromPA.
Nelson Villafane of Riverside (Photo by USA Wrestling)
Elling’sOpinions
Tom Elling
Pennsylvania’s Deep Roots in WrestlingExcellence
Pennsylvaniahaslongbeena
nationalleaderinwrestling.
One has to look no further than the publications and organizations that have provided a rock-solid base to promote and honorthegreattraditionthatisPennsylvania wrestling.
Men such as Homer Barr, Chris Poff, Neil Turner,ArtWeiss,MarkFunk,BillHolland,Mike Clair, and Stan Zeamer come to mind immediately.
HomerBarr,aClearfieldproductandlaterone of the state’s most successful high school coaches, launched a District 6 newsletter backinthe1950s
Notlongafter,ChrisPoffhelpedestablishthe Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association. PoffcreatedasimilarnewslettertoBarr’s,but his was statewide and gave coaches a stronger voice in rule proposals and the directionofthesport.
John Kopack, Walt Fisk, and Ron Kanaskie wereotherearlyleadersinthePWCA.Inmore recent years, John Reynolds and Pat Berzonsky have emerged as strong voices in thatorganization
Neil Turner helped found the Keystone Wrestling Round-Up, which remains strong today under the guidance of longtime manager Norm Palovcsik. Norm, along with Bantley Myers, Russ Olenick, and Jim Butler, madetheRound-Upamusthave
subscription for every wrestling fan each season.
Bob Hower, fondly known as Mr. Wrestling, along with Ken Wunderley, Ron Garrison and Mike Smith, have served as official record keepersforboththePIAAandtheirrespective regions.
Joe Baranik developed the PA Wrestling Newsmagazinenearly30yearsago.
Thisseason,asyouholdthefirstissueinyour hands,theBaranikprojectisbeingexpanded byJeffUpson,founderofPAPowerWrestling,a well-known online publication that provides statewideteamandindividualrankings.
Joining Upson in promoting Pennsylvania wrestling is a new generation that includes Tristan Warner, editor, and John Klessinger, columnist, for WIN Magazine. Warner is also servingasco-editorofthismagazine
I will delve more deeply into the history and contributions of these and others in future columns.
Norm Palovcsik of The Round-Up (Photo by Lloyd McCully)
NCAADivisionIReport
Tristan Warner
Eleven programs make up the Division I college wrestling programs in Pennsylvania, the mostofanystate.
Top-rankedPennStateleadsthewayasthe Nittany Lions aim for their fifth consecutive and 13th NCAA title in 15 years They return nine All-Americans total, including NCAA champions Mitchell Mesenbrink and Levi Haines(Biglerville),aswellasrunners-upJosh Barr and Ohio State transfer Rocco Welsh (Waynesburg). Other All-Americans include Luke Lilledahl, Braeden Davis, Aaron Nagao, Shayne Van Ness, and Tyler Kasak (Beth. Catholic).
Lehigh’sfirstthreeweightclasseswillinclude All-Americans Sheldon Seymour (Troy), Ryan Crookham(SauconValley),andLukeStanich. The Pitt Panthers are back with two ACC champions: Mac Stout (Mt. Lebanon) and Dayton Pitzer (Mt Pleasant) Stout is a returning All-American. Pitt also brings back six of their eight national qualifiers from last season and started the season with a 20-12 victoryoverNavy.
Penn starts the season with a new head coach, Matt Valenti, who takes over for longtime coach Roger Reina. The Quakers bring back All-American CJ Composto (141), along with NCAA qualifiers Cross Wasilewski (149)andJudeSwisher(Bellefonte)at157.
LockHaven, which has won three of the last fourMid-AmericanConferencetitles,isledby three-time NCAA qualifier Wyatt Henson (Waynesburg). The Bald Eagles also have three more NCAA qualifiers: Gable Strickland (Benton), Avery Bassett (Midd-West), and TuckerHogan(DanielBoone).
Bucknellbringsbackthree-timeEIWArunnerupDylanChappell(SenecaValley),whowon four matches at nationals last season and was one bout away from earning AllAmerican honors Other standouts for the Bison include Noah Mulvaney (165), a twotime NCAA qualifier and EIWA finalist, and MylesTakats(174),atwo-timeNCAAqualifier At 197 pounds, Dillion Bechtold (Owen J. Roberts) returns after earning 24 wins as a truefreshman,finishingsecondatEIWAs,and qualifyingfornationals.
The Edinboro FightingScotsareledbyNCAA qualifierJaredMcGill(ChestnutRidge).Others aimingtomakeanimpactintheMACinclude Ryan Michaels (Elizabeth-Forward) and Ryan Burgos(165).
Drexel is led by NCAA qualifier Jasiah Queen (174) OtherstandoutwrestlersfortheDragons includeKyleWaterman(CouncilRockSouth), LukeNichter(Chambersburg),andIowaState transferNateSchon(Selinsgrove).
TheGoldenEaglesofClarionareledbyTravis Clawson (Penn Manor), Joey Fischer (South Park),andAdrianGacek(Parkland).
The Bloomsburg Huskies brought in Jace Schafer(125)asatransferfromWVUandheis ranked No. 3 in the MAC. Another transfer for BloomsburgisEricAlderfer(174)viaLHU.
Levi Haines of Penn State (Photo by Sam Janicki)
NCAADivisionIReport
TheFranklin&MarshallDiplomatsreturn9of 10startersplusJamesConway(184)andPat Phillips(149)whoredshirtedlastyear Conway isanNCAAqualifierwhogotofftoafaststart, winning the Southeast Open by tech-falling nationally ranked Jaden Bullock, an NCAA qualifier for Michigan who has since transferredtoVirginiaTech.
PANativesAroundtheNation
OtherreturningAll-Americanshailingfromthe KeystoneStateincludeNebraska’sJacobVan Dee (Cathedral Prep), West Virginia’s Ty Watters (West Allegheny) and Ohio State’s NickFeldman(MalvernPrep)
Someotherhouseholdnamestotrackthis
season looking to ascend the podium for the firsttimeareOhio’sGarrettThompson(Franklin Regional), Iowa State’s Paniro Johnson (Cathedral Prep), Rutgers’ Lenny Pinto (Stroudsburg), Lehigh’s Nathan Taylor (Brookville),Rutgers’HunterCatka(SunValley) andNCState’sJacksonArrington(ForestHills).
NWCAAll-StarClassic
ThreePAnativeswererepresentedatRutgers’ JerseyMike’sArena,asTyWatterswasthelone winnerafterdefeatingStanford’stwo-timeAllAmerican Daniel Cardenas, 7-2 SV, at 157 lbs Lehigh’s Sheldon Seymour fell to VT’s Eddie Ventresca, 4-0, at 125 lbs., while Rutgers’ own LennyPintowasedgedbyCornell’sSimonRuiz, 9-6,at174lbs.
NCAADivisionIIReport
Zack Schafer
In a Division II vs. Division III matchup at the 2025 NWCA AllStar Classic on Nov. 1, West Liberty’sKhyvonGrace(Moon)
secured a dramatic victory over Roanoke’s Mark Samuel, the 2025 Division III national championat141pounds.
The bout was tied 5-5 entering the final seconds, though Samuel held the advantage with more than two minutes of riding time Grace,needingascoretowin,attackedwith12 seconds remaining and finished the decisive takedownatthebuzzer.
Grace,atwo-timeAll-Americanandthe2025 DivisionIInationalrunner-up,entershissenior season as one of the top contenders at 141 pounds.
Pennsylvania Well-Represented in NWCA PreseasonDivisionIIPoll
Pennsylvania wrestling continues to shine at theDivisionIIlevel,withthreetop-10programs and 18 Keystone State natives featured in the preseasonNWCAnationalrankings.
Pitt-JohnstownenterstheseasonrankedNo.3 nationally,withKutztownatNo.7andGannon at No. 10. The battles for the 2025–26 PSAC DualChampionshipandtheSuperRegionOne title will be must-watch storylines in the comingmonths.
Pennsylvania natives Jimmy Anderson (South Fayette) and Isaiah Vance (Hempfield) sit atop the preseason rankings. Anderson, representingOuachitaBaptistUniversity(Ark), opensatNo.1at133pounds,whileVanceholds the top spot at heavyweight for PittJohnstown.BotharereturningAll-Americans.
GracechecksinatNo.2at141pounds,while Kutztown’sBaileyGimbor(Hamburg)and FreddieRetter(Quakertown)alsodebutinside thetopthree,rankedNo3at165and heavyweight,respectively.
EarlyNovemberNotes
•UPJstandouts:MattSarbo(Altoona)wonthe ESUOpenwithadominantperformanceat 149.Atthesameevent,ChadOzias (Connellsville)claimedthe141-poundtitle, while teammates Trent Hoover (Penn Cambria)andTyMorrison(WestPerry) sharedthechampionshipat174.
•MountUnionInvitationalsuccess:Four Pennsylvanianativesreachedthetopofthe podium LoganSallot(Gannon/McDowell)at 125,TyLinsenbigler(SetonHill/Hempfield Area)at149,NicoTaddy(WestLiberty/West Allegheny)at157,andGrantMacKay (Gannon/Laurel)at165.
•Heavyweightdominance:GlenvilleState’s Colby Whitehill (Brookville) earned the heavyweightcrownatthePioneerOpen.
•Roadwin:Montevallo’sMaxStedeford(North Allegheny)capturedthePepsiPatriotOpen titleat149pounds
Khyvon Grace (West Liberty) Photo by Sam Janicki
NCAADivisionIIIReport
Kenn Staub
Although the 2025-2026 season is just beginning, it's natural to wonder which Pennsylvanians mightstandoutduringthe
tournament in Cedar Rapids. While there will benewfacesandsurprises,Itendtofocuson the “tried-and-true" wrestlers – those returnerswhohaverecentlyfoundsuccesson thenationalstage.
This season, four All-Americans with Commonwealth roots return from last year:
Carl DiGiorgio of the Coast Guard Academy; Rochester Institute of Technology’s Josh Harkless;GannonSmithofElizabethtown;and theMerchantMarineAcademy’sTylerWithers.
DiGiorgio (Doylestown/Central Bucks West) was the NCAA runner-up at 285 pounds in 2025,theRegionIIIchampion,makingarunto the finals as the eighth seed. The senior comes off a 26-3 season and enters this campaign with an overall record of 69-9 In 2023-2024, he went 25-1, with his only loss coming during the NCAA quarterfinals DiGiorgio qualified for the NCAA tournament in2024and2023,placingthirdandseventhat 285pounds,respectively.
Wrestling in the same weight class as DiGiorgio, Harkless (Sinking Springs/Wilson WestLawn)finishedthirdatlastyear’sNCAA tournament. His only loss in a 32-1 season came in the tournament’s quarterfinals. AmongHarkless’s32winswere22pins,tying himforsecondinDivisionIII.Harklessqualified fortheNCAAtournamentasa197-pounderin 2023 – finishing third – and in 2022 With an overall record of 95-20, the senior should reachthe100-winmarksoon
DiGiorgio is ranked first and Harkless third in theNWCA285-poundpreseasonpoll.
Smith (Newport) entered the 2025 NCAA tournament as an unseeded 184-pounder after finishing as runner-up at the Region III qualifier. He progressed to the semifinals beforesufferinghisfirstloss,thenfellagainin theplacementmatchtofinishinfourthplace Smithposteda40-7recordin2024-2025and will start his senior season close to 100 wins (career record of 90-23). Besides competing in last year’s NCAA tournament, Smith also qualified in 2024 and 2023, both times at 174 pounds.
Withers (Gettysburg), a junior, won the 184pound Region III championship in 2025, defeating Smith 7-2 – earning the seventh seedathisfirstNCAAtournament.Hewrestled above his seed, finishing sixth. As a sophomore, Withers posted a 32-6 record, including 23 pins, the most in Division III. He hasatwo-yearoverallrecordof40-10.
The NWCA 184-pound preseason poll has SmithrankedfirstandWitherssecond
Carl DiGiorgio of Coast Guard (Photo from CG Athletics)
Mike Hahesy
I have discovered, even though I havelongthoughtsomyself,that finding qualified coaches is a majorproblemforheadcoaches
and athletic directors. So, how do you find people and, more importantly, the best peopletoleadyourstudent-athletes?
AftertalkingwithmyAD,Mr BillFlanagan,he listed several areas that make coaching todaysodifficult,includingbutnotlimitedto unrealistic expectations, time, patience on behalfoftheparents,andparents. Icurrently have11assistantswhohelpmeatPrep;some comeonceortwiceaweek,andotherscome every night. I use them all in different ways andareas.Ialwayshavetwoorthreepeople contactmeeachoffseasontoaskiftheycan help.IgenerallytellthemthatIhaveawhole stable now and ask what they can offer to helpwiththeprogram.
I developed a shortlist of qualities I thought were critical when hiring coaches to join my staff.Iusethislisttoday,andathleticdirectors will hire better coaches if they place these virtuesatthetopoftheirlist.
• Passion. You can hold all the wrestling knowledge in the world, but if you don’t sincerelycareaboutcoachingandteaching, it’s meaningless. Does this coach sound like someoneanxioustogetonthematandwork withkids?Youwantsomeonewillingtoinvest inthejob
• Desire to learn Despite all we know, we’ll never know it all. Look for candidates who, mostimportantly,FOLLOWthesportclosely! A willingnesstolearndemonstratesadesireto becomeamoreeffectivecoachforstudentathletes.
• Selflessness. Pay close attention to their choice of words — you want to hear a lot of “we” and not “me.” Championships are won throughteameffort.Findsomeonewhovalues thepeoplearoundthem.
•Humility Cancoachesadmittheirmistakes andopenlytalkaboutthem?Wecanalllearn something from our faults, but we first must bewillingtoacceptthem.Thisisalsotrueof their accomplishments, focusing on their teachingandtheroadahead.
• Work ethic. Coaching comes with an unpredictableandsomewhathecticschedule, andtheymustacceptthat.Ifsomeonetends to head home before their work is finished, they’renotinvestedinthejoborthesuccess ofyourprogram.Tothem,it’sjustapaycheck, iftheyevengetpaid!
My philosophy is this: I’m more interested in someonewithpassionandenthusiasmthanI aminsomebodywithawealthofknowledge.I can teach the skills necessary to do the job, but it’s much more difficult perhaps impossible toinstillgenuinecare.
Keepthesequalitiesinmindthenexttimeyou interview a candidate for your coaching vacancy.
Coach Omar Haddad of Emmaus (Photo by Aaron Morekin)
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