By TODD IRWIN
sports@centrecountygazette.com
ALTOONA — Seven Centre County wrestlers won titles at the eight-team Big 7 Tournament on Saturday at the Altoona Fieldhouse, including three from State College and Bald Eagle Area, respectively.
Bald Eagle Area went 3-2 in the finals, getting titles from Gavin Guenot (106), Caleb Close (172) and Matthew Knepp (285). Lucas Fye (113) and Noah Foltz (189) finished second for the Eagles, who finished second in the team standings with 137.5 points. Central Mountain breezed to the team title with 190 points, but the Wildcats only had two champions.
State College’s Asher Cunningham (120), Pierson Manville (138) and Nick Pavlechko (215) captured titles. The Little Lions (110 points) and Bellefonte (94.5 points) finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the team standings.
Bellefonte star Jude Swisher (145) came in first place, while Aidan O’Shea (132) and Addison Shawley (215) placed second. Bellefonte’s Cameron Garcia (106), Garrett Choates (113) and Noah Weaver (126) finished third, as did BEA’s Jeffre Pifer (138) and Cameron Dubbs (160) and State College’s Carter Weaverling (189).
State College’s Jacob Campbell (132), Josh Hershbine (160) and Braden Newby (172) placed fourth, as did BEA’s Hunter Gardner (126) and Mason Reese (152).
Bald Eagle Area’s Owen Johnson (120) and Kevin Taylor (132) and Bellefonte’s Grady Garrison (160) and Tyler Putnam
(285) placed fifth. BEA’s Taten Yoder (145) was sixth.
In the only all area matchup in the finals, Pavlechko (18-3) pinned Shawley in 53 seconds. Cunningham earned a 10-6 win over Jersey Shore’s Brock Weiss in the finals. Manville (25-3) rolled to an 18-2 technical fall over Central Mountain’s Taylor Weaver in 3:50.
Guenot pinned Hollidaysburg’s Carson Krupka in 3:25. Close eked out a 1-0 win over Shikellamy’s Gage Wolfe. Knepp earned an 8-3 win over Central Mountain’s Brayden Blackwell. Swisher decked Central Mountain’s Griffin Walizer in 2:59.
Fye dropped a 12-8 decision to Altoona’s Luke Hileman. Foltz was pinned by Jersey Shore’s Haydn Packer in 4:30. Central Mountain’s Luke Simcox pinned O’Shea in 1:01.
P-O BEATS PV, GOES 3-0
Philipsburg-Osceola went 3-0 last week, including a 36-29 win at Penns Valley on Tuesday. The Mounties also earned home wins over DuBois, 49-20, on Thursday and Marion Center, 55-12, on Saturday. Nick Coudriet (120), Marcus Gable (138) and Austin Foster (152) had pins against Penns Valley. Coudriet had a big one as he decked Panther Holiday Classic runner-up Colten Shunk in 2:37.
Ben Gustkey followed with a 6-5 win over Chase Fleshman at 126. Luke Hughes earned a 4-2 win over Micah Fetterolf at 160 to give the Mounties a 36-16 lead. The Rams swept the final three bouts. Jack Darlington (106), Ty Watson (145) and Cole Felker (172) had pins for the Rams.
Coudriet (120), Gable (138), Jimmy Richtscheit (172), Dom Shaw (189), Andrew Hensal (215) and Sammy McDonald (106) had pins against DuBois. Scotty Frantz (132), Gable (138), Foster (152) and Chase Klinger (285) had falls against Marion Center.
The 9-6 Mounties were scheduled to face Mount Union at home on Tuesday before wrestling in the Ultimate Warrior Tournament on Friday and Saturday at West Branch High School.
BALD EAGLE AREA
Bald Eagle Area went 1-1 in dual meets last week, hammering Hollidaysburg, 58-6, on Tuesday and losing to Central Mountain, 45-21, on Thursday.
Foltz (189), Fye (113), Johnson (120), Gardner (126) and Pifer (138) won by fall. One interesting result was Grace Stem racking up a 24-9 technical fall over Quinton Ritchey in 5:01 at 145. Foltz (215) and Fye (113) had the only pins against Central Mountain.
BEA (9-2) was scheduled to wrestle on Tuesday at Tyrone, coached by former BEA and Penn State star Quentin Wright, before wrestling in the Ultimate Warrior Tournament on Friday and Saturday at West Branch.
STATE COLLEGE
State College lost, 46-20, in its only dual meet last week at home against Central Dauphin. The Little Lions’ Wednesday home match against Williamsport was postponed. Pavlechko (215) and Manville (145) had the only pins for the Little Lions.
State College (5-3) is set to visit Cedar Cliff on Thursday before wrestling two meets on Saturday — at Cumberland Valley at 10 a.m. and at Chambersburg at 3 p.m.
PENNS VALLEY
Two days against losing to Philipsburg-Osceola, Penns Valley recorded seven pins and hammered West Branch, 63-9, at home.
Nate Long (132), Ethan Fetterolf, Watson (145), David Martin (152), Micah Fetterolf (160), Felker (172) and Hunter Lyons (189) had the pins for the Rams.
The 8-4 Rams were scheduled to wrestle at Hollidaysburg on Tuesday before wrestling in the Fred Bell Tournament on Friday and Saturday at Grove City High School.
BELLEFONTE
Bellefonte’s only scheduled dual meet at Clearfield last Tuesday was postponed. The Red Raiders (7-1) will wrestle Saturday in the Rumble in the Den at Meadowbrook Christian High School.
