VIRGINIA BEACH – The future of Pennsylvania wrestling appears bright as a total of six Keystone State freshmen finished atop the podium in Virginia Beach at the 2017 NHSCA Freshman Nationals. In total 17 wrestlers from Pennsylvania finished in the Top 8 of their respective weights.

At 106 lbs. National Prep wrestlers Drew Munch (Wyoming Seminary) and Ryan Miller (Blair Academy) continued their long rivalry at the NHSCA Nationals. The pair, both from Stroudsburg, PA and training partners at the Dark Knight Wrestling Club, have faced each other countless times over the last five years including in the 2016 PJW Junior High State Championship finals. Munch was a 2017 National Prep Champion in his first high school season at Wyoming Seminary while Ryan Miller competed for powerhouse Blair Academy but was stuck behind teammate Nick Incontrera for the post-season. 

In this meeting Miller scored two third period takedowns in the Championship quarterfinals to knock off top seed Munch (9-6). Miller went on to finish as the Runner-up while Munch bounced back for third. At 113 lbs. Wyoming Valley West rookie JJ White finished in 6th place and 2017 PIAA State Qualifier Patrick Noonan (Stroudsburg) took third at 120 lbs.

Easton’s freshman PIAA State Qualifier Jonathan Miers competed at 126 lbs. where he placed 5th. The first NHSCA Freshman National Champion came at 132 lbs. when AJ Tamburrino (William Tennent) down Virginia Kolby Allred in the 132 lbs. finals (6-2) to capture the title. Tamburrino was (29-4) in his freshman campaign narrowly missing a spot in the PIAA State Tournament.

Gage McClenahan (Bald Eagle Area) made it two in a row for Team Pennsylvania when he won the 138 lbs. Championship earning an injury default over AJ Kavacs of Connecticut in the finals. The 2017 PIAA State Medalist McClenahan was joined by Northeast Regional fifth place medalist Steven Storm (East Stroudsburg South) who took sixth place.

At 152 lbs. Mifflinburg freshman Tyler Stoltzfus had a great showing when he won the NHSCA National title. As rookie Stoltzfus was just one win shy of finishing on the State podium going (2-2) in his first trip to Hershey. Tyler was one of four Pennsylvania wrestlers who came away with NHSCA hardware at 152 lbs. with Cade Linn (Southern Columbia) taking 5th, Caden Wright (Emmaus) placing 6th and Angel Garcia (Mariana Bracetti) finishing 7th.

Chambersburg pair Jack Wimmer and Cody Williams, both rookies at The McDonogh School in Maryland, claimed National Championships at 182 lbs. 220 lbs. respectively. Wimmer, who this season finished as a National Prep All-American, was joined by three additional Keystone State wrestlers on the podium at 182 lbs.as Giani Gilch (Council Rock South) placed third and Logan Conner (Mercer) took eighth.

Rounding out Pennsylvania’s six NHSCA Freshman National Champions was Sun Valley’s Hunter Catka who won the 195 lbs. title. Catka had an outstanding rookie season going (34-7) at 195 lbs. earning a trip to the PIAA State Tournament where he went (1-2).

13 of 17 National Medalists were included on PA Power Wrestling’s Top Incoming Freshmen Report of 2017.

Full brackets on the Flo Arena here.

 

NHSCA FRESHMAN NATIONALS

 

106 LBS
1st Dylan Cedeno (NJ) F Ryan Miller (Blair Academy), 2:16
3rd Wyatt Yapoujian (CO) DEC Drew Munch (Wyoming Seminary), 4-1
5th Andrew Fallon (MA) FOR Ryan Jack (CT)
7th Bretli Reyna (FL) DEC Kaya Sement (NJ), 4-1

113 LBS
1st Zachary Redding (NY) DEC Justin McDougald (NY), 6-1
3rd Leif Schroeder (MT) DEC Evan Buchanan (VA), 5-4 TB2
5th Nicholas Masters (GA) DEC JJ White (Wyoming Valley West), 5-0
7th Jimmy Ramirez (CO) DEC Jimmy Carmany (OH), 7-5

120 LBS
1st Peyton Hall (WV) DEC Chase Saldate (CA), 5-0
3rd Patrick Noonan (Stroudsburg) DEC Jacob Perez-Eli (NJ), 4-2
5th Bryce Hepner (OH) DEF Scott Richter (OH)
7th Sammy Heywood (UT) F Joey Miller (WV), 3:11

126 LBS
1st Joshua Saunders (MO) DEC Ethan Basile (FL), 3-2
3rd Nicholas Stonecheck (GA) DEC Noah Castillo (FL), 10-5
5th Jonathan Miers (Easton Area) DEC Stockton O’Brien (UT), 4-2
7th John Martin-Best (WV) DEC Tyler Sung (CT), 5-4

132 LBS
1st AJ Tamburrino (William Tennent) DEC Kolby Allred (VA), 6-2
3rd Elan Heard (OH) F William McDougald (NY), 5:59
5th Hayden Lieb (AK) DEC Parker Seeley (WY), 5-3 SV
7th Tyler Green (NV) F AJ Caba (CT), 5:32

138 LBS
1st Gage McClenahan (Bald Eagle Area) M FOR AJ Kovacs (CT), 0-0 0:21
3rd Gabe Onorato (NJ) MD Ryan Stencel (NY), 11-3
5th Evan Goodall (MA) DEC Steven Storm (Stroudsburg), 3-1
7th Christopher Roybal (MD) F Michael Garcar (OH), 3:30

145 LBS
1st Kai Bele (FL) DEC Domonic Mata (CA), 6-5 UTB
3rd John Poznanski (NJ) DEC Charlie Darracott (GA), 3-1
5th Gavin Kane (GA) DEC Walker Stephenson (SC), 8-4
7th Graham Calhoun (IN) MD Chance Downs (IA), 10-2

152 LBS
1st Tyler Stoltzfus (Mifflinburg Area) DEC Colton Hawks (MO), 3-2
3rd Rowdy Pfeil (WY) DEC Jaziah Whaley Jr (CO), 9-7
5th Cade Linn (Southern Columbia) DEC Caden Wright (Emmaus), 6-1
7th Angel Garcia (Mariana Bracetti) F Colby Singletary (FL), 5:19

160 LBS
1st Micah Ervin (KY) MD Andy Aldridge (VA), 9-0
3rd David Cumberledge (OH) DEC Ethan Hatcher (OH), 3-2
5th Cole Foor (OH) DEC Brandon Green (NJ), 2-0
7th Dominic Solis (MD) DEC Mason Christiansen (UT), 9-7

170 LBS
1st Nicholas Villarreal (CA) MD Jacob Lagoa (OH), 12-2
3rd Chase Stegall (MO) DEC Simeone Holmes (VA), 7-0
5th Dustin Radford (MD) DEC Shane Reitsma (NJ), 3-0
7th Sampson Wilkins (VT) DEC Danny Striggow (MN), 6-2

182 LBS
1st Jack Wimmer (McDonogh School) MD Samuel Mcnulty (OH), 12-3
3rd Giani Gilch (Council Rock South) DEC Jackson Filipowicz (GA), 6-4
5th Reed Davis (GA) F Nicholas Lisco (OH), 2:24
7th Jake Fernicola (SC) F Logan Conner (Mercer), 5:57

195 LBS
1st Hunter Catka (Sun Valley) DEC Daniel Miranda (FL), 7-1
3rd Adam Wilmore (VA) F Jacob Stephens (GA), 2:49
5th Dylan Nirk (MN) DEC Ben Lambert (WV), 2-1
7th DJ Perry (VA) F Kolton Gagnon (NY), 1:32

220 LBS
1st Cody Williams (McDonogh School) DEC Jeffrey Worster (ME), 10-3
3rd Cody Fleming (SC) F Luke Wypler (NY), 3:35
5th Carlos Esquivel (VA) F Aaron Sharp (OH), 2:56
7th Michael Leibl (NY) F Marquonn Journey (OK), 2:23

285 LBS
1st DJ Lundy (GA) MD Curtis Ruff (FL), 14-3
3rd Isaac Righter (MD) F Craig Orlando (MN), 4:52
5th Weston Wallace (GA) F Rodriguez Nunnally (GA), 7:21
7th Jacob Edwards (VA) F Austin Chapman (WV), 3:11