Posts by Eric Knopsnyder
Penn State freshman Mark Hall wins Junior World title
Macon, France, is nearly 4,000 miles from State College, but a few “We are …” chants were ringing around Le Spot arena on Saturday evening. That’s because one of the newest members of the Nittany Lions wrestling team had just won a Junior World freestyle title in dominating fashion. Mark Hall needed just 30 seconds…
Read MoreMichael Ciotti Takes Over as Head Coach at Greater Latrobe
Michael Ciotti is back home. He has been named the fifth coach in the history of the Greater Latrobe program. A Latrobe and Pitt graduate, Ciotti has traveled thousands of miles to return to where it all started. In 10 seasons as a coach and educator, he’s worked in three Pittsburgh-area school districts – Pittsburgh…
Read MoreGlendale Agrees to Bring Dubler Back as Coach
A little more than a month ago, I posted about Billy Dubler’s situation with Glendale School District, which had threatened to find a new wrestling coach if Dubler didn’t agree to a number of terms that the school board had drawn up for him. The resulting firestorm, which included a large number of parents and…
Read MoreInjured Wrestler Ian Malesiewski Improving, Hopes to Return to PA Soon
Ian Malesiewski, a Cathedral Prep sophomore, continues to recover in a Cleveland hospital after suffering a spinal cord injury while competing in the Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals in Akron three weeks ago. I spoke with his father, T.J., by phone on Thursday about his son’s condition, what lies ahead for him and how members of the…
Read MoreFour with Pennsylvania Ties Enter National Wrestling Hall Of Fame
STILLWATER, Okla. – The 40th Edition of the Honors Weekend at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame had a distinct Pennsylvania flavor to it. Half of the honorees have strong ties to the Keystone State, as Carlton Haselrig (Johnstown), Joseph Galli Jr. (Valley) and the late Dick Wilson (Washington/Trinity) each grew up in western Pennsylvania and…
Read MoreSchool's Decision Could Send Young Studs to a Different District
The race for the 2020 PIAA Class AA title might have been dramatically altered on Tuesday. That’s when, Billy Dubler says, Glendale School District in PA’s District 6, gave him an ultimatum – sign an “improvement plan” or, in all likelihood, give up his position as head coach of the Vikings varsity team. Dubler, a…
Read More2016 POWERade Field to Feature 3 of Nation's Top 10 Teams
The participants for the 2016 POWERade tournament were released on Monday, and the 50th Annual event will again bring in one of the top fields in the nation. Last year’s event was ranked as the toughest tournament in Pennsylvania and the second-toughest in the nation. It’s hard to imagine this year’s being ranked much lower,…
Read MoreMagnificent Seven: PA Wrestlers win half of FloNationals titles
INDIANA, PA – Some came seeking redemption, others to continue the roll that they came in on. All were seeking a FloNationals belt. Seven Pennsylvania wrestlers won FloNationals high school titles on Friday night at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex Center in Indiana. [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=””…
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