The Powerade Tournament is one of the most prestigious events in the nation, but State College’s top three wrestlers — Pierson Manville (145), Asher Cunningham (160) and Nick Pavlechko — weren’t intimidated.
In fact, all three wrestlers captured titles in the 69-team tournament on Dec. 29-30 at Canon-McMillan High School. The big three led the Little Lions to 125 team points and a seventh-place finish — the best finish among all public schools in the field.
“Those guys wrestled so well the whole way through the tournament,” State College coach Ryan Cummins said. “It was a really neat way to finish it, with three champs and where we placed as a team. I was proud of all the guys.”
The top six teams were Wyoming Seminary (229); St. Edwards, Ohio (187.5); Malvern Prep (173); Bishop McCort (160); St. Joseph Regional, New Jersey (158); and Lake Highland Prep, Florida (154).
“With all those big prep and private schools there that are always very successful, and to be able to place above a lot of them was special,” Cummins said.
The second-seeded Cunningham, a Penn State recruit who is 21-1 in his junior season, went 5-0 with three pins in his first three bouts. Cunningham, who was fifth in last year’s Powerade, earned the title with a 6-4 win over top-seeded Alessio Perentin of Delbarton, New Jersey.
“I would say that I’m not surprised,” Cummins said. “He’s really, really improved this year, really all the way around. He’s gotten so much stronger and bigger. He’s only going to get better. I was really happy that he did win.”
Manville, a two-time state finalist who has committed to wrestle for Arizona State, captured his second Powerade title, with his first coming as a sophomore. The top-seeded and 15-0 Manville went 5-0 with a pin and four decisions, including a 1-0 win over Malvern Prep’s second-seeded Jack Consiglio in the finals.
“I think he wrestled great,” Cummins said. “He’s always pretty consistent. His style is really hard to wrestle for most people. He’s so aggressive it’s very hard for a lot of guys to wrestle with him.”
The top-seeded Pavlechko (19-1) bulldozed his way to the finals with four pins, including three in the first period. The Indiana University recruit and returning state runner-up, who was third at Powerade last season, captured the title with a 2-0 win over Rocco Dellagatta of St. Joseph Regional, New Jersey, in the final.
“He did a phenomenal job,” Cummins said. “He just continues to improve. I’m excited about his trajectory into the postseason. He’s going to be fun to watch too.”
The Little Lions were to wrestle on Jan. 2 at home against Williamsport, Jan. 4 at Cumberland Valley and Jan. 6 at noon at Bishop McDevitt.
EAGLES WIN TROJAN WARS
Bald Eagle Area had three champions and captured the team title of the MyHouse Trojan Wars on Dec. 29-30 at Chambersburg High School.
BEA’s Lucas Fye (127) and Caleb Close (189) repeated as tournament champions, while unbeaten freshman Tanner Guenot (107) won his first title. They, along with Caden Judice’s fourth-place finish at 114, helped the Eagles breeze to the team title by 25.5 points, 181.5-156, over Conwell-Egan.
Fye, a senior who is committed to Lock Haven University, went 5-0 with two pins and a major decision. In the finals, Fye (14-1) beat Joseph Gigliotti of South Carroll, Maryland, 7-3.
Close, a junior who has committed to American University, went 5-0 with two pins, a technical fall and a major decision. In the finals, Close (13-1) earned a 2-0 decision over General McLane’s Magnus Lloyd.
Guenot (14-0) continued his perfect freshman year with two technical falls, a major decision and two decisions. He edged Perkiomen Valley’s Max Tancini, 7-6, in the finals.
BEA is back on the mat on Jan. 5-6 in the Laurel Highlands championships at Tyrone High School.
P-O’S GABLE TAKES SECOND
Philipsburg-Osceola’s Marcus Gable reached the finals of another tournament on Dec. 29-30 — this time at the Neil Turner Memorial Holiday Classic at Conestoga Valley High School.
Gable had to settle for second place, dropping a 5-2 decision to Central York’s Elias Long in the 145-pound finals. Gable (10-2), who was second at the Panther Holiday Classic, went 4-1 with two major decisions, a pin and a technical fall.
P-O had two other placers in seventh-placer Ace Foster (121) and eighth-placer Connor Guenot (114). P-O, which was without Panther Classic champ Caleb Hummel, tied Daniel Boone for 16th place with 75 points.
Bellefonte had three place-winners in third-placer Noah Weaver (145) and fifth-placers Wyatt Long (107) and Ezra Swisher (139). The Red Raiders finished in 15th place in the 35-team tournament with 80.5 points.
P-O was to wrestle on Jan. 3 at Mount Union before joining Bellefonte in the Jan. 5-6 Laurel Highlands championships at Tyrone.
