Three wrestlers from Wyoming Area and one from Pittston Area clinched state medals Friday during the second of three days of competition in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Wrestling Championships at the Giant Center in Hershey.
With defending state champion Jaden Pepe back in the finals and both Cooper Price and freshman Anthony Evanitsky scheduled to wrestle for third and fourth place, Wyoming Area entered Saturday’s action in fifth place out of 110 teams in the standings.
Pittston Area’s Julian Everitt clinched a top-eight finish Friday and still had the chance to finish as high as third when Saturday’s action began.
All four Wyoming Area wrestlers who made it to Hershey won at least once.
Four-time District 2 champion Connor Wrobleski wrapped up his career by going 1-2 in Hershey. The last of his 116 career victories was a pin at the state tournament, when he put away Cole Clark from Burrell in 1:22 of their first-round consolation bout.
Pepe remained unbeaten with three victories to reach the 120-pound final. He pinned Quaker Valley’s Logan Richey in 1:07, posted a 12-4 major decision over Burrell’s Cooper Hornack in the quarterfinals and downed Bald Eagle Area’s Coen Bailey, 10-5 in the semifinals.
Evanitsky reached the quarterfinals, then won three straight consolation bouts at 138.
After winning his first bout, 8-4 over Hickory’s Connor Saylor, Evanitsky lost in the quarterfinals to Saucon Valley’s Ryan Crookham, 9-4.
In Friday’s consolation rounds, Evanitsky fought through three close decisions, the last two in overtime. He defeated Mount Pleasant’s Jamison Poklembo, 7-2; Forest Hills’ Easton Toth, 6-4; and Central Valley’s Ambrose Boni, 5-3.
Price took the long road to the 152-pound consolation final.
Michael Duggan decisioned Price, 2-0, in the opening round.
Price then won five straight, allowing just four points in the process. He shut out Hopewell’s Isaiah Pisano and Eisenhower’s Gannon Jaquay, 3-0 and 9-0. After beating Chesnut Ridge’s Jack Moyer, 5-2; Price blanked Beth-Center’s Tyler Berish, 4-0; and defeated Quaker Valley’s Justin Richey, 4-2.
Everitt won his only Thursday bout, 7-6, over Connellsville’s Chad Ozias on a takedown with 14 seconds left to reach the quarterfinals.
Central Dauphin’s Matt Repos defeated Everitt, 3-0, in Friday’s Class 3A 132-pound quarterfinals.
Everitt bounced back to shut out Bethlehem Liberty’s Javien DeLeon with a state medal on the line.
