PA Crowns 1 Champion Earns 9 Medals at FILA Junior Nationals
The FILA Junior Nationals took place this weekend in Madison, Wisconsin with both Freestyle and Greco-Roman Divisions competing. FILA is the governing body of international amateur wrestling and stands for “International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles” which in French is Fédération Internationale des Luttes Associées (FILA). FILA Junior Nationals comprise 18-20 year old wrestlers from across the country, whether in college or high school, that must qualify in order to compete in the Junior Nationals. 16 and 17 year old wrestlers who were born in 1995 are eligible to compete with written permission from a medical provider.
In the Freestyle Division PA crowned one champion as Tyler Wilps won the 79 kg/174 LBS title. Wilps, who was a 2x PIAA Class AAA State medal winner in his junior and senior years at Chartiers Valley, was a redshirt freshman this season for the Pittsburgh Panthers where he finished as the runner-up in the EWL Finals at 165 LBS. Despite his EWL finish Wilps did not earn a wildcard selection for the 2012 NCAA National Championships. At the FILA Junior Nationals Wilps won a series of close matches to reach the finals including a win over former PA wrestler Colin Hedash from Northwestern Lehigh. Wilps met fellow redshirt freshman Frank Cousins from the University of Wisconsin in the finals, winning (1-0, 1-0). Colin Hedash, who is a freshman at Appalachian State University and a former 3x PIAA Class AA State medal winner, came back to finish fourth at 19 kg/174 LBS.
Also finishing in 4th place at the FILA Junior Nationals was University of Pittsburgh sophomore Shelton Mack at 60 kg/132.5 LBS. Mack was a 3x PIAA Class AAA State qualifier for Meadville High School in District 10. At Pittsburgh, Mack was a NCAA National Tournament qualifier at 133 LBS this season, finishing 2nd in the EWL Championships and falling one match shy of earning All-American status at the NCAA’s.
Two Pennsylvania natives placed at 66 kg/145.5 LBS, squaring off in the 7th/8th place match as Josh Dziewa defeated Luke Frey by a score of (4-0, 1-0). Dziewa, who was a PIAA Class AAA State Champion his senior year at Council Rock South, is currently a redshirt freshman for the University of Iowa. Dziewa has not seen any starting action for the Hawkeye’s as of yet, but with Iowa senior 141 LBS wrestler Montell Marion graduating, he should be a leading candidate to replace the 2x NCAA runner-up. Frey is a freshman at Penn State University and was a 4x PIAA Class AA State medal winner for Montoursville High School, finishing 1st, 4th, 2nd and 3rd while finishing his career with a record of 157-5.
Placing in both the Freestyle and Greco-Roman Divisons of the FILA Junior Nationals was Ronnie Garbinsky at 70 kg/154.25 LBS. Garbinsky was a 4x PIAA Class AA State medal winner at Tyrone High School and is currently a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh. In Freestyle, Garbinsky finished in 7th place and in Greco-Roman he placed 4th.
Two Columbia University teammates and former Pennsylvania wrestlers both placed in the Greco-Roman Division. Drew Rebling, a sophomore at Columbia, was a 2009 PIAA Class AAA State qualifier his senior year at South Western High School. As a freshman at Columbia Rebling was in the starting line-up at 149 LBS, but did not see action this season. Rebling placed 4th at the 2012 FILA Junior Nationals in the Greco-Roman Division and went 1-2 in the Freestyle Division, both at 79 kg/174 LBS. His teammate, Matt Idelson, is a freshman at Columbia and was a 2010 PIAA Class AAA medal winner his senior season finishing 5th at 215 LBS for Garnet Valley High School. Idelson was the starter at 197 LBS for Columbia for most of this season and finished 6th at the FILA Junior Nationals Greco-Roman Division and went 0-2 in the Freestyle Division.
Notes:
2x PIAA Class AAA State Champion Chance Marsteller, a sophomore at Kennard-Dale, went a surprising 0-2 in the Freestyle Division at 74 kg/163 LBS. Despite wrestling opponents 3 to 4 years older the expectation were high as many fans expected Chance to place.
Kenny Courts, a freshman at The Ohio State University, was dominant in his first two matches at 84 kg/185 LBS, but was forced to injury default out of the tournament due to a minor injury. Courts was a 2x PIAA Class AAA State Champion for Central Dauphin High School.
Complete results for both Divisions can be found at Track Wrestling.