ICYMI: Four Pennsylvania Wrestlers Earn Championship Titles at Edinboro Open

Zain Retherford has already graduated and Jason Nolf is in his final season at Penn State. Who will be the next big NCAA stars from Pennsylvania? Well, you may not have to look far to figure it out. Over the weekend many of Pennsylvania’s young college wrestlers competed in the Edinboro Open with four coming away with Championships. Photo of Gavin Hoffman by Sam Janicki.

The most promising performance once again came from Ohio State freshman Sammy Sasso (Nazareth) who won the 149 pound title defeating Minnesota’s Brayton Lee in the finals (6-4). The two have a long history as Lee, an Indiana native, defeated Sasso (7-2) back in July 2017 at the Fargo Freestyle Nationals. Sasso, who was third at the Midlands this season, has been on a rampage during his redshirt campaign. His teammate and fellow Pennsylvania native Gavin Hoffman (Montoursville) joined Sasso as Champion at the Edinboro Open as the 3-time PA State Champion won the 184 pounds title. 

Hoffman was followed-up by Penn State gray shirt Michael Beard (Malvern Prep) who won by injury default in the 197 pound finals over Edinboro’s Dylan Reynolds (Saegertown). The fourth Champion from the Keystone State came at 141 pounds when Pittsburgh freshman Cole Matthews (Reynolds) won a rematch of the 2018 Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic. Back in March 2018 Matthews defeated Quinn Kinner of New Jersey in the PWC (5-4). This time around Matthews once again came out on top scoring a takedown in overtime to win it (3-1 SV) over the Ohio State freshman.

In addition to the four Champions from Pennsylvania the Keystone State saw another eight wrestlers finish in the top six. Central Dauphin graduate and State Runner-up Chris Wright of Rider took third at 133 pounds defeating 4-time State Medalist Louis Newell (Seneca Valley) of Pittsburgh (11-2) for third place. Another PIAA State finalist, Tim Wallace (Albert Gallatin) of Kent State, took third at 184 pounds. One of the more impressive performances came at 285 pounds when high school senior Jake Slinger (Upper Saint Clair) competed and took fourth. Not too bad for a heavyweight who hasn’t even graduated high school yet. 

Full results can be found on the Flo Arena here.

 

125 pounds

1st Malik Heinselman (Ohio State) DEC Jack Medley (Michigan), 7-3
3rd Patrick McKee (University of Minnesota) F Logan Treaster (Navy), 2:55
5th Aslan Kilic (Navy) MD Dylan Koontz (Ohio State), 13-5

 

133 pounds

1st Mario Guillen (Ohio Univ) F Travon Majette (Old Dominion), 4:30
3rd Christopher Wright (Rider) MD Louis Newell (Pittsburgh), 11-2
5th Cole Manley (Lock Haven) MD Anthony Duca (Navy), 15-2

 

141 pounds

1st Cole Matthews (Pittsburgh) DEC Quinn Kinner (Unattached), 3-1 SV
3rd Ben Freeman (Michigan) MD Kyran Hagan (Ohio Univ), 15-2
5th Nicholas Lirette (Unc) F Sal Profaci (Michigan), 3:55

 

149 pounds

1st Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) DEC Brayton Lee (Minnesota), 6-4
3rd Graham Rooks (Indiana) FOR Evan Cheek (Cleveland State), 0-0
5th Alex Hornfeck (West Virginia) NC Kevin Budock (Old Dominion)

 

157 pounds

1st Jaden Mattox (Ohio State) DEC Nick Vestal (Ohio Univ), 8-3
3rd Scout Skidgel (Navy) M FOR Markus Hartman (Army West Point)
5th Zachary Elvin (Navy) TF Alex Farenchak (Gannon), 16-0 2:06

 

165 pounds

1st Reece Hughes (Michigan) DEC Troy Keller (Buffalo), 10-8
3rd Jake Allar (Minnesota) F Noah Grover (Buffalo), 5:44
5th Fritz Schierl (Ohio State) DEC Andrew Merola (Finger Lakes Prep), 4-3

 

174 pounds

1st Jacob Covaciu (Indiana) DEC Bailee O’Reilly (Minnesota), 6-4 TB2
3rd Tyler Bates (Kent State) M FOR Hampton Boyd (Navy)
5th Jake Lowell (Central Michigan) TF Andrew Buckley (Navy), 16-0 4:53

 

184 pounds

1st Gavin Hoffman (Ohio State) DEC Jonathan Loew (Finger Lakes Prep), 6-1
3rd Tim Wallace (Kent State) F Peter Acciardi (Buffalo), 1:59
5th Lane Hinkle (Kent State) MD Brandon Krone (Minnesota), 12-4

 

197 pounds

1st Michael Beard (Unattached) M FOR Dylan Reynolds (Edinboro)
3rd Andrew Davison (Michigan) DEC Rylee Streifel (Minnesota), 3-1
5th JT Brown (Army West Point) DEC Kevin Snyder (Ohio State), 5-4

 

285 pounds

1st Seth Nevills (Unattached) DEC Gaige Willis (Edinboro), 4-0
3rd Bob Heald (Army West Point) MD Jake Slinger (Quest), 19-6
5th Fletcher Miller (Indiana) NC Ali Wahab (Old Dominion)