PITTSBURGH – Team USA made it six in a row at the 43rd Annual Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic with a (28-20) victory over Team Pennsylvania on Saturday night at the Fitzgerald Fieldhouse on the campus of PITT. Team USA now leads the all-time series against Team Pennsylvania (26-17).

At one time it was Pennsylvania’s match to lose and after two stunning falls from Team USA the Keystone State did just that. 

The Classic started off at 160 lbs. and right away Team Pennsylvania got two critical wins. 2x PA State Champion Jacob Oliver (Huntingdon), ranked #6 and 170 lbs., faced off with 2x Minnesota State Champion Jake Allar, ranked #4 at 170 lbs. In a high scoring affair that saw Oliver put up seven points in the first period the Edinboro recruit came out on top (16-11) over Allar.

Bethlehem Catholic stud Mikey Labriola, a 2x PIAA State Champion, battled his way to a (3-2) victory over 4x Ohio State Champion Kaleb Romero. Labriola came in ranked #1 in the Nation by Flo but Intermat ranked Romero #1 with Labriola #2. It wa safe to say these two were evenly matched. After the pair exchanged escapes in the first two periods Labriola finally connected on a double leg with 0:39 seconds left in the match holding on to win it (3-2) and put the Keystone State ahead (6-0) in the dual.

Super 32 Champion and 3x New York State Champion Louie DePrez showed why he is ranked #1 in the Nation at 182 lbs. defeating PIAA State Champion #5 Travis Stefanick (Nazareth) by a (7-1) score. Likewise the #1 ranked wrestler in the Nation at 195 lbs., Jacob Warner (Illinois), upended 2x PIAA State Champion #3 Jake Woodley (North Allegheny) with a (5-3) victory that tied the dual meet at (6-6).

Bishop McDevitt’s 2x State Champion Cole Nye, ranked #12 in the Nation by Intermat, battled 2x National Prep Champion and the top ranked 220 lbs. wrestler in the Nation Chase Singletary (Blair Academy). Nye, who competed at 195 lbs. majority of the season, stuck with Singletary in the first two periods but gave up three takedowns in the third to fall behind (7-3) in the match. 

After taking their first lead of the dual, Team USA extended their advantage following 285 lbs. when #3 Trent Hillger, a 3x Michigan State Champion, defeated PIAA State Champion Brendan Furman (Canon-McMillan). Hillger held a (1-0) lead going into the third period as Furman took bottom. Despite almost reversing Hillger, the Michigan wrestler held Furman down and tilted the Cornell recruit to end the match (3-0).

Up (12-6) on Team Pennsylvania after six bouts Team USA could have all but sealed the victory at 120 lbs. The match-up featured Arizona’s 3x State Champion Brandon Courtney who entered the Pittsburgh Classic ranked #6 in the Nation at 126 lbs. by Flo Wrestling. He would take on Brookville senior Gavin Park who in 2017 captured his first PIAA Class 2A State Championship at 120 lbs. It was a match that Courtney, an Arizona State recruit, was heavily favored in. That would not faze Park, a Clarion recruit, who stunned Courtney with two takedowns in the opening period to hold a (4-2) lead going into the second. Gavin turned it up in the final period earning an escape and quickly getting a takedown. He added on nearfall points to close out the match (10-5). Park’s win was critical as it stopped Team USA’s run and brought Team PA back into the mix.

Then Austin DeSanto happened.

The 2017 PIAA State Champion, who stunned the Nation two weeks ago, came through in a major way at 126 lbs. for Team Pennsylvania. The Drexel recruit, ranked #4 in the Nation by Flo, faced 4x California State Champion Justin Mejia who entered with a career record of (168-1) and ranked #3 in the Nation by Flo. 

DeSanto opened the match scoring two quick takedowns and igniting the crowd in the process. In the second period Austin continued to overwhelm Mejia, an Illinois recruit, on his feet collecting three more takedowns to go up (10-4) after two periods. With the Nation’s top recruit Spencer Lee getting hype on the sideline, DeSanto pressed the accelerator in the third period getting a reversal, back-points, and a final takedown to close out an imposing victory over Mejia (18-5). 

DeSanto’s major decision brought Team Pennsylvania even with Team USA (13-13) with just five bouts remaining. New York’s Vitali Arujau, a 4-time State Champion who will attend Cornell, entered ranked #1 in the Nation at 138 lbs. He responded in a big way for Team USA at 132 lbs. when he majored 2x PIAA State Champion Brian Courtney (Athens Area). The Cadet World Freestyle Silver Medalist poured it on winning (12-2) pulling Team USA ahead (16-13).

At 138 lbs. 4x Oklahoma State Champion Tanner Litterell was a late addition to the Classic when he replaced #3 Austin Gomez (Illinois) who was forced to withdraw due to emergency surgery to remove his appendix last week. Litterell didn’t seem to be bothered by it as he stormed out against 2-time PIAA State Champion and Iowa recruit Max Murin (Central Cambria). Litterell entered ranked #5 in the Nation by Flo while Murin was #6.

In the opening period Litterell connected on a takedown with Murin escaping quickly to hold a (2-1) advantage going into the second. Murin took bottom but that would prove to be a mistake as Litterell expressed his dominance from the top position. With Murin trying to base-up on Litterell, the Oklahoma recruit threw in a leg and spladled Murin to his back. Litterell, despite a hard fight from Murin, flattened his back for a fall in (2:47). The shocking dominance over Murin put Team USA in control (22-13) with just three bouts left.

In the second of two bouts contested at 182 lbs. PIAA State Runner-up Nino Bonaccorsi (Bethel Park) battled 4-time West Virginia State Champion Jacob Hart. Bonaccorsi, ranked #3 in the Nation by Flo, dominated the action against Hart picking up a (12-2) major decision in his future home of PITT. It was a critical bonus point victory that pulled Team PA within five points (22-17).

If Team Pennsylvania could earn decisions in the remaining two weights they would defeat Team USA (23-22). 

At 145 lbs. PIAA State Champion Jarod Verkleeren entered his bout ranked #1 in the Nation. He would face a familiar foe in Austin O’Connor of Illinois. O’Connor, a 4-time State Champion, was ranked #6 in the Nation at 152 lbs. where he competed most of is senior season. These two met in October 2016 at the all-star event Agony in Ames. In that match O’Connor was able to hold on for a (3-2) decision over Verkleeren while competing at 152 lbs.

This time around there were more points in the first period then the entire match last October. Verkleeren scored the opening takedown but O’Connor fought back picking up two of his own takedowns to hold a (5-4) advantage. In the second period O’Connor escaped and hit a low single on Verkleeren’s left side. Jarod attempted to fight it off by going for the far ankle of O’Connor’s but in the process of trying to funk roll out of it he exposed his back. O’Connor capitalized on this working Verkleeren’s shoulders to the mat for a non-control fall. O’Connor’s six team points for Team USA sealed the victory and took all the energy out of the Fitzgerald Fieldhouse.

Team Pennsylvania ended on a good note when 3x PIAA State Champion Cameron Coy (Penn Trafford) earned the right to be called #1 at 152 lbs. Taking on 4-time California State Champion Quentin Hovis, who entered ranked #1 in the Nation by Flo, Coy used a third period takedown for the go-ahead win (3-1). Hovis was deep on a single leg but Coy, ranked #2 in the Nation by Flo, funk rolled out and was able to secure a takedown for himself.

The “Turning Point Award” winner was Austin O’Connor at 145 lbs.

Austin DeSanto was named Team Pennsylvania’s “Outstanding Wrestler” and Vito Arujau (New York) was Team USA’s “Outstanding Wrestling” award winner.

In the preliminary dual Team WPIAL defeated Team Georgia (29-18).

Full results can be found on the Classic website here.

 

Team United States 28, Team Pennsylvania 20

 

160 – #6 (170) Jacob Oliver, Huntingdon dec. #4 (170) Jake Allar, St. Michael Albertville, MN, 16-11

170 – #1 Michael Labriola, Bethlehem Catholic dec. #3 Kaleb Romero, Mechanicsburg, OH, 3-2

182 – #1 Louie DePrez, Hilton, NY dec. #5 Travis Stefanik, Nazareth, 7-1

195 – #1 Jacob Warner, Washington Community, IL dec. #3 Jake Woodley, North Allegheny, 5-3

220 – #1 Chase Singletary, Blair Academy, NJ dec. Cole Nye, Bishop McDevitt, 7-3

285 – #3 Trent Hillger, Lake Fenton, MI dec. #7 Brendan Furman, Canon-McMillan, 3-0

120 – Gavin Park, Brookville dec. #6 (126) Brandon Courtney, Desert Edge, AZ, 10-5

126 – #4 Austin DeSanto, Exeter Township major dec. #3 Justin Mejia, Clovis, CA, 18-5

132 – #1 (138) Vitali Arujau, Syosset, NY major dec. #8 Brian Courtney, Athens, 12-2

138 – #5 Tanner Litterell, Tuttle OK pinned #6 Max Murin, Central Cambria, 2:47

182 – #3 Nino Bonaccorsi, Bethel Park major dec. Jacob Hart, Independence, WV, 12-2

145 – #6 (152) Austin O’Connor, Saint Rita, IL pinned #1 Jarod Verkleeren Hempfield Area, 2:54

152 – #2 Cameron Coy, Penn-Trafford dec. #1 Quentin Hovis, Poway, CA, 3-1