PHOENIX TRIO TO DISTRICT 4 TOURNAMENT
By Joe Walker
WILLIAMSPORT-The District 4 Class AA Wrestling Championships get underway this Friday and Saturday at the Williamsport High School, as the Sugar Valley Rural Charter School squad of head coach Jason Bilbay will have a trio of wrestlers competing for a chance to move onto the Northeast Regional Tournament.
The Phoenix trio are junior Jarren McClskey (27-10) at 133, senior Cameron Quick (29-6) at 145 and sophomore Ethan Bartenope (8-15) at 145 pounds. Bartenope was one of two wrestlers added to the tournament, as some other wrestlers elected not to continue the tournament trail.
Quick goes into the District Tournament after placing as the Central Sectional runner-up and he drew a first round bye. In the quarterfinals he will face the winner of the bout between Holden Ward (Jr, 31-12) from Canton and Charley Paige (So, 27-12) of Midd-West.
Should Quick win the quarterfinal round bout, he would then face Warrior Run sophomore Reagen Milheim (40-2), who was a state runner-up last season for the Defenders and won the Southern Sectional championship last weekend.
McCloskey (27-10) has a first round match-up with Keegan Bagley (16-15) of Sullivan County and should he win that bout he will face Warrior Run sophomore Max Wirnsberger (39-2) in the quarterfinals. Wirnsberger placed seventh in the state last year while wrestling for Meadowbrook Christian and is the son of Bucknell Bison head coach Don Wirnsberger. Sophomore Brandt Harer (44-0) of Montgomery is also at this weight, as he was a state runner-up last season for the Red Raiders.
Phoenix sophomore Bartenope (8-15) has a really tough road, as his 145 pound weight class is loaded. His first round match is against Dalton Schadel (33-11) of Line Mountain, who was the Southern Sectional runner-up and placed fifth in last season’s regional tournament. The winner of their bout will face Aiden Hunsinger (Jr, 34-5) of Wyalusing, who was the Northern Sectional champion last weekend and a state qualifier last season.
The 152 pound weight class also has Montoursville’s Gage Wentzel (So, 37-6) and Warrior Runs’ Cameron Milheim (Jr, 39-2). Wentzel placed fifth in last season’s Class AA state tournament, while Milheim joined his younger brother as a state runner-up for the Defenders.
Friday’s action gets underway at 5 pm, while Saturday’s wrestling action gets started at 9 am and then the championship finals will be at 4:30 pm.
