Wrestling News & Views – Tom Elling
Only the strong survive. This past Tuesday, the PIAA State Team Championships continued. Since this column was written to meet the deadline on Monday, I can only state the pairings. But be assured, there are few easy wins once the District 6 entries get into the fray.
In AA, Penns Valley (runner-up in D6) traveled to Burrell to take on Quaker Valley (7-4) on February 4th at 5 PM. The winner then met District 7 champion Burrell. Our D6 champion, Bishop McCort, hosted the winner of the Corry (10-2) vs. McGuffey (7-3) match.
In the AAA bracket, Shikellamy (4-1) visited Central Mountain (6-1) on Tuesday. Although the Wildcats had an early-season win over the Braves, it was expected to be a nail-biter finish—much like the CM-Altoona D6 final. The next step for the February 4th winners will be the State Championships in Altoona on February 7 & 8. Tickets can be purchased for that event on the PIAA.com site, with a direct link available on piaad6.org or Tom’s Wrestling Page on Facebook.
Friday night will also be a busy night for collegiate wrestling. LHU hosts Rider, while Michigan rolls into the Bryce Jordan Center for a 6 PM start. No rest for the Nittany Lions as they host the Maryland Terrapins on Sunday at Rec Hall at 1 PM.
More Mat News:
Longtime Sugar Valley assistant coach Craig Buskirk was honored and recognized at last Thursday’s meet with Wellsboro. He was a key part of the program’s success and will be missed by Coach Jason Bilbay, as well as all of the wrestlers and fans. To add to the special night, the Phoenix gave their retiring coach a resounding 54-17 victory.
This was Sugar Valley’s second win in two days. On Tuesday, they needed a win at 215 and a fall at 285 to nip South Williamsport. Lincoln Breon (215) secured a last-second takedown, keeping the Phoenix alive, while Koda Mincer (285) delivered a thrilling fall in 0:37, leading to a 32-31 victory. Every fan in attendance was on their feet!
On the collegiate front, Lock Haven University had similar heroics from HWT Gavin Hoffman. The former Ohio State All-American and three-time Montoursville state champ was methodical in his 8-1 dual-clinching win. Another Montoursville grad, Branden Wentzel, started the night off with a 6-4 decision. The win for LHU was their first over Bucknell since 2018. To add to the night, the Montoursville coaching staff and his parents were in attendance. These are the kinds of dual meets that bring out the crowds and create new wrestling fans.
Altoona’s Luke Sipes set a new Altoona High record for most career wins at 145 pounds. The Mountain Lion 160-pounder is a three-time PIAA placer and will attend the University of North Carolina next fall.
Former two-time PIAA state champ Scott Bair has developed an interest in swimming. Why? His daughter Camdyn is a top-notch swimmer, recently setting a new freestyle record for Central Mountain. Her uncle, Robbie Weikel, was also a PIAA runner-up. Keep up the great work, Miss Bair!
Remembering Two Wrestling Icons:
Sadly, we lost two incredible wrestling contributors this week. Doug McDonald, one of the nation’s best wrestling writers, passed away earlier this week. He and Ron Bracken formed an elite writing duo that set the standard for wrestling coverage.
We also lost former Bucknell wrestler and contributor Bill Graham. Bill’s name is associated with many great things at Bucknell and beyond. I had the honor of mentoring him when he was inducted into the PA Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He was a truly gracious man.
Wrestling Notes & Observations:
Bud Hennebaul and son Jay stopped by South Fairview on their way to the Iowa vs. Penn State meet. Bud, a former PA grappler for Lake-Lehman under coach Ed Ladamus, now calls Georgia home and plays a major role in NCAA wrestling, particularly with the Southern Scuffle.
Randy Umberger (Lower Dauphin & University of Maryland) gave me a copy of Dr. Judith T. Witmer’s book, Lower Dauphin Wrestling: An Uncommon Heritage, 1960-2024. I’ll share more about this on my Facebook wrestling page. Every wrestling program needs a Judith Witmer to document its history!
At the Jersey Shore vs. Central Mountain dual meet, I had a great post-meet conversation with former Shore great Mike Portanova. We reminisced about Bob Larson and his brother-in-law Jeff Lorson. Great memories!
I also had a nice chat with Jim Gibbons after the Iowa meet. Jim has an amazing resume, and many are aware of his recent work on “The Dual of the Decade: The 1986 Iowa vs. Iowa State Wrestling Classic.” This 6-part FloWrestling series provides an unprecedented look into one of the most iconic dual meets in collegiate wrestling history.
Some Things & People to Watch in Big Ten Wrestling:
Pete Mankowich, a top referee, was officiating a Big Ten dual last week. One of the best in the business!
Mike Amine, father of the Michigan Amine brothers and a former Wolverine wrestler, will be inducted into the Michigan Chapter of the NWHOF.
Connor Harer (Montgomery), now wrestling for Rutgers, is a name to watch. He has a bright future ahead.
Scott Goodale, the head coach of Rutgers, was a former Lock Haven University wrestler and was inducted into the LHU Wrestling Hall of Fame this past fall.
Mike Kemmerer (Franklin Regional HS & Iowa) was spotted cheering for the Minnesota Gophers in their dual with Rutgers.
Matt Storniolo (State College HS), head coach at Northwestern, was interviewed during a break. Ron Pifer, who coached Matt at State High, must have been proud!
Wrestling is heating up as we approach March, and there’s so much to look forward to in Pennsylvania wrestling and beyond!
