Pennsylvania Wrestling Sending Strong Contingent to FloNationals

INDIANA, PA – Last season Pennsylvania Wrestling had a fantastic showing at the 2016 FloNationals coming away with seven Tournament Champions and 25 overall Medalists. Two Champions from 2016 will return to defend their titles as Jaret Lane (Southern Columbia) and Sammy Sasso (Nazareth Area) each try to make it two in a row at FloNationals. Overall 13 Pennsylvania wrestlers who earned hardware at FloNationals in 2016 will be making a return trip this season.

Lane, a junior,  is coming off his first career PIAA State Title and is also a Fargo National Champion. He is the top seed at 113 lbs. and the favorite among some top Pennsylvania wrestlers including 2-time State Runner-up Louis Newell. Sammy Sasso, one of the biggest names in Pennsylvania, won the 138 lbs. FloNationals bracket last season and will be competing at 145 lbs. in 2017 where he is the top seed. Sasso recently captured his first PIAA State Championship after finishes of second and third previously. The junior is on all of the top Division I coaches radar, and for good reason, with titles from Super 32, Ironman, Beast of the East, and PA States. Joining Sasso at 145 lbs. is PA Class 2A State Champion Justin McCoy (Chestnut Ridge) who earned the 2nd seed.

In total there will be eleven wrestlers from Pennsylvania who won PIAA State Championships earlier this month. Northampton’s 2-time PIAA State Champion Julian Chlebove is in search of his first FloNational Nationals title and will compete at 120 lbs. in a weight where he is the top seeded wrestler. Both of Pennsylvania’s 2017 106 lbs. State Champions will compete in FloNationals with Reynolds sophomore Beau Bayless (Class 2A) and Downingtown West junior Doug Zapf (Class 3A). The pair are seeded #7 and #6 respectively. 

Coming off a big win in the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals finals last weekend PIAA State Champion Edmond Ruth (Susquehanna Twp.) will return to the mat for FloNationals. Ruth, who will compete at 152 lbs., has been making a name for himself in Pennsylvania Wrestling, despite being the younger brother of 3-time NCAA National Champion Ed Ruth (Penn State). Ruth is the fifth seed at 152 lbs. with PIAA State Runner-up Josh Stillings (Pennridge) earning the 4th seed and 2-time State Runner-up Robert Patrick (Ligonier Valley) the 6th seed. 2-time PIAA State Medalist and 2017 State Runner-up Carter Starocci (Cathedral Prep) is the #7 seed while State Medalist Brock Biddle (Central) the 10th seed at 152 lbs.

Northampton Area senior KJ Fenstermacher is the top seed at 126 lbs. in a bracket that includes fellow State Medalists Cole Manley (Altoona) and Patrick Gould (East Stroudsburg South). At 138 lbs. 2017 PA State Runner-up Cole Matthews (Reynolds) is the top seed at FloNationals a week after finishing as the NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up. Undefeated junior Trent Hidlay (Mifflin County) was a 2016 FloNationals finalist and is the top seed at 160 lbs. where he hopes to earn the Championship title. This season Trent was a King of the Mountain Champion, POWERade Champion, and PIAA State Champion. 

2017 State Runner-up Dalton Group (Susquenita) was 7th last season at FloNationals and this season is the #6 seed at 170 lbs. At 182 lbs. PA State Champion and POWERade Runner-up Cody Mulligan (Saegertown) is the 3rd seed with State Third Place Medalist Cole Urbas (State College) the 5th seed. Now 2-time Pennsylvania State Champion Gavin Hoffman (Montoursville) was NHSCA Junior Nationals Champion last weekend in Virginia Beach and will return to FloNationals in 2017. A year ago Hoffman was third at 195 lbs. and will be the top seed at the same weight in 2017. He could have a re-match from the 2017 State Finals as Anthony Walters (Bishop McCort) is the 3rd seed.

Four Keystone State wrestlers are seeded in the top five at 220 lbs. with PIAA State Champion and Super 32 Champion Brian Kennerly (Upper Darby) leading the group. 2-time State Runner-up Josiah Jones (Bishop McCort) is the 3rd seed. Class 3A Medalists Billy Korber (Belle Vernon) and Francis Duggan (Cedar Cliff) are seeded 4th and 5th respectively. At heavyweight 2017 PIAA State Champion Brendan Furman (Canon-McMillan) is looking to end his high school career on top at FloNationals. It all started in October 2016 when he won the Super 32 Challenge and continued on to win the POWERade, Escape The Rock, and the PIAA State Championship. Last season at FloNationals the Cornell recruit was seventh. He is the second seed to Seth Nevills (Clovis, CA).

All information on the FloNational can be found here.

All Pennsylvania wrestlers currently registered for the 2017 FloNationals can be found below!
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