Wildcats on First Day Roll at Top Hat

WILLIAMSPORT – A well-balanced Central Mountain wrestling team used that balance to storm into the lead as they seek to defend their title at the annual Tom Best Memorial Top Hat Tournament.

At the end of two rounds of wrestling on Friday, the Wildcats had qualified nine wrestlers for Saturday morning’s 10:30 semi-finals. Another five ‘Cats were still alive for the 10 a.m. consolations, meaning all 14 entrants had the opportunity to place. The showing gave Central Mountain 105.5 team points, compared to second place Line Mountain with 77.5 points and five semifinalists. Muncy was third with 75 points. Jersey Shore checked in at number 13 with 36 points and one semifinalist in Hunter O’Connor at 182 pounds.

Previously unheralded senior Austyn Carson led the way for CM. He provided the night’s biggest surprise, an 8-2 takedown of top-seeded Coleman Good of Muncy at 152 pounds. Carson went 3-0 on the night, after an 0-1 sophomore year wrestling behind teammate Asher Corl and a 1-0 mark in his junior year in which he missed most of the season with a knee injury.

Corl advanced with two wins at 160 pounds, as did Seth Andrus at 132 (with two falls), Cody Coleman at 138, Logan Long at 145, Tanner Weaver (with two falls) at 170, and Jake Edwards, a junior who had two pins in his varsity debut. Advancing to the semifinals with one win each were Johnny Shreffler at 113 pounds and Tanner Riggle at 220 pounds; both picked up falls.

Five Wildcats still alive in the consolations are Anson Zimmerman at 106, Dalton Bechdel at 120, Kayden Busey at 126, Austyn Confer at 182 and Gage Sutliff at 195. Bechdel, Confer and Sutliff all picked up round of 16 wins before falling in the quarterfinals.

Complete results are available at Flo Arena.

TOP TOURNAMENT TEAMS