Wyoming Area’s Jaden Pepe became the first Wyoming Valley Conference freshman in 44 years to earn a PIAA state wrestling medal when he won four of his first five bouts at the state tournament, which began Thursday at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Pepe was scheduled to wrestle his final bout Saturday afternoon to determine if he finishes third or fourth in the state in Class 2A at 106 pounds.
Don Morgan had the best Wyoming Area finish ever placing third in 1996. Pepe needed a win to match that accomplishment.
The medal was clinched Friday morning when Pepe recovered from a quarterfinal loss with his second win of the tournament, assuring him of a top-eight finish.
“I felt like I was in awe,” Pepe told the Times Leader. “It felt amazing. It’s makin’ history.”
Pepe opened the state tournament with a 6-4 win over Kane Kettering from Reynolds in the sudden-victory overtime period.
After losing, 14-2, to Green Pond Notre Dame’s Evan Maag, Pepe extended his tournament and locked up the medal with an 8-2 victory over North Star’s Nathan Pelesky.
Pepe won two more bouts Friday night to improve to 49-3 and move into the top four in the state. He defeated Benton’s Ethan Kolb, 7-0, and Brookville’s Cayden Walter, 7-4.
Wyoming Valley West’s John Brennan, in 1976, was the last WVC freshman to earn a state wrestling medal.
CLASS 2A NORTHEAST REGIONAL
Pepe made the state tournament with a third-place finish by winning two out of three bouts Feb. 29 at Williamsport in the second day of the regional tournament.
Pepe, who had reached the semifinals with a win the night before, lost 4-2 to Benton’s Kolb in the ultimate tiebreaker.
A pin of Aidan Kritzer from Line Mountain gave Pepe the top-four finish he needed to make it to Hershey, then he added one more win for third in the region, defeating South Williamsport’s Robert Gardner, 7-1.
Wyoming Area’s Connor Wrobleski finished sixth at 170 pounds.
Wrobleski won his consolation quarterfinal by a 16-1 technical fall in 4:17 against Lackawanna Trail’s Jason Zajac. He then lost by pin and decision in his last two bouts.
Garret Pocceschi (113), Kyle Emsley (132) and Ethan Speece (285) each lost in the consolation quarterfinals and were eliminated.
CLASS 3A NORTHEAST REGIONAL
James Spindler from Pittston Area completed his tournament with a 2-2 record, including splitting two bouts Feb. 29 at Bethlehem Liberty.
Spindler won a 9-1 major decision from Northeast High’s Joshua Garcia to advance in the consolation bracket before losing to Parkland’s Lucas Kern, 6-2, in a third-round consolation that eliminated Spindler from the tournament.
