Pittston Area’s Jimmy Spindler used a trip to the Class 3A Northeast Regional finals to return to the state tournament where his wrestling season ended Friday.
The three-time District 2 champion’s career produced a 119-28 record when he won once and lost twice Thursday and Friday in the 160-pound weight class at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Individual Wrestling Championships in Hershey.
Spindler clinched his state spot March 5 during the regional semifinals at Bethlehem Liberty when he shut out Easton’s Nolan Krazer, 6-0. He settled for second place after losing, 9-0, to Bethlehem Catholic’s Andrew Harmon, 9-0.
STATE TOURNAMENT
Jimmy Spindler’s 36-6 season came to an end when he split a pair of close matches at The Giant Center.
Manheim Central’s Brett Barbush pinned Spinder with 14 seconds left in their match, dropping the Pittston Area senior into the consolation bracket.
Spindler pulled off a 2-1 victory over Nazareth’s Brayden Zuercher in a bout that went to the ultimate tiebreaker, but was eliminated when he lost, 1-0, to North Allegheny’s Adam Rohan.
NORTHEAST REGIONAL
Sophomore Dominic Innamorati (30-15) came within one win of joining Spindler at the state tournament.
Needing to finish in the top four in Bethlehem, Innamorati won three of his first four bouts before falling in the consolation semifinals with a state berth on the line.
Innamorati began March 5’s action in the consolation bracket at 139 pounds.
The day got off to a good start when Innamorati needed just 22 seconds to pin Timothy McFadden.
Innamorati then added another pin, stopping Hazleton Area’s Edonel Rodriguez in 4:32.
Easton’s Oliver Fairchild then pinned Innamorati in 3:57.
In the fifth-place match, Pottsville’s Blake Bender pinned Innamorati in 1:18.
Two other Pittston Area wrestlers made it through the first day in Bethlehem only to lose their first bout of the second day and end their tournaments with one win in three tries.
Jake Gross from Emmaus knocked out Brody Spindler at 215 with a 2-1 win in the second overtime.
Parkland’s Michael Gavrilesku pinned Dave Sudo in 4:21 at 285.
