Holiday Tournament Recap
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][Cent2Cent]Another Holiday Season is in the books. The same goes for Holiday Season Tournaments such as the POWERade Christmas Tournament, Manheim Holiday Tournament, Bethlehem Hurricane Holiday Classic, Christmas City Tournament, Governor Mifflin Holiday Tournament, Carlisle Holiday Tournament, Conestoga Valley Holiday Classic and so on and so forth. You get the picture. A lot of wrestling took place these last few weeks.
OW Jimmy Gulibon
I had the opportunity to attend POWERade and witness some of the best wrestling in the Nation. This year Tournament Director Frank Vulcano added perennial power Blair Academy to the field and immediately the Tournament’s stock went soaring. Blair joined a field that already included PA’s top programs such as Central Dauphin, host Canon-McMillan, Solanco and Blue Mountain in addition to Ohio’s Walsh Jesuit and Solon, Maryland’s St. Pauls and Mt. St. Joseph, and Florida’s Kissimmee Osceola.
The biggest stories out of Canonsburg, PA included Jimmy Gulibon at 126 lbs. of Derry winning his fourth POWERade title, despite injuring a knee in the finals, and earning the Tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler Award; Brashear’s Godwin Nyama winning the Pittsburgh City League’s first ever POWERade title at 120 lbs.; now Big Mac wrestler at 170 lbs. Cody Wiercioch winning his 2nd POWERade title since his freshman season while at Charleroi; dominating freshmen Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh Central Catholic) and Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional) winning their first POWERade Championships at 106 lbs. and 113 lbs. respectively; and Beast of the East Champion Todd Preston of Blair Academy defeating Walsh Ironman Champion Chase Skonieczny of Walsh Jesuit (2-1) in ride-out at 138 lbs.
Elsewhere in the State, the Bethlehem Hurricane Classic was dominated by Wyoming Seminary with notable champions C.J Palmer of Delaware Valley defeating Liberty’s Devon Lotitio (10-6) in the finals at 132 lbs. and AJ Vizcarrondo of Wyoming Seminary downing Milton’s Ryan Solomon (4-3) in ultimate tie-breaker in the finals at 220 lbs. At the 18th Annual Manheim Holiday Wrestling Tournament Easton won the team title ahead of Kiski Area. The Red Rovers crowned 3 Champions with Anthony Prisi at 106 lbs, Peter Stanley at 126 lbs, and Mitch Minotti at 152 lbs. At the Conestoga Valley Holiday Classic, Mechanicsburg won the team title, with an impressive 4 individual Champions including senior Rustin Barrick defeating DuBois senior Geno Morelli (3-2) in the finals at 160 lbs. Owen J. Roberts was 2nd in team points and had one Champion in freshman sensation Derek Gulotta winning the title at 113 lbs. defeating Marple Newtown’s senior Aaron Moldoff (2-1) in the semi-finals.[/Cent2Cent][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]