Rockets’ Teasdale wins third regional title
Jonathan Guth
Jonathan Guth Jefferson-Morgan蘑菇视频 Gavin Teasdale stands on top of the podium for the 126-pound place winners at the PIAA Class AA Southwest Regional Wrestling tournament on Saturday at Indiana University of Pennsylvania蘑菇视频 Ed Fry Arena inside the Kovalchick Convention & Athletic Complex. The junior won his third regional tournament to advance to the PIAA state tournament, where he has won gold two times. Standing to the far right is Mount Pleasant蘑菇视频 Austin Mihalchik, who took fifth to qualify for his second trip to Hershey.
Jefferson-Morgan蘑菇视频 Gavin Teasdale controls Burrell蘑菇视频 Dillan Jeffrey during their 126-pound bout in the finals of the PIAA Class AA Southwest Regional tournament at IUP蘑菇视频 Ed Fry Arena inside the Kovalchick Convention & Athletic Complex. Teasdale won by technical fall, 17-2 in 2:46. (Photo by Jonathan Guth)
INDIANA 鈥� Jefferson-Morgan蘑菇视频 Gavin Teasdale won his third PIAA Class AA Southwestern Regional Wrestling Championship title and Beth-Center蘑菇视频 Dominic Fundy earned his first on Saturday at Ed Fry Arena inside the Kolvalchick Convention & Athletic Complex on the campus of Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
The junior Iowa recruit and the Bulldog sophomore will be joined by six other area wrestlers at the PIAA Class AA Individual Wrestling Championships on March 9-11 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
鈥淚 am looking to not just win, but to dominate in my matches at Hershey,鈥� Teasdale said. 鈥淚 know I am going to get the best from my opponents and I have to be ready.鈥�
In a rematch of the WPIAL finals at 126 pounds, Teasdale (36-0) built an early 5-0 lead in the first period with a takedown and three back points over Burrell蘑菇视频 Dillan Jeffrey. He let Jeffrey up and took him down again for a 10-1 lead, and added three near-fall points for a 13-1 lead after the first. Teasdale chose neutral in the second and scored two takedowns around an escape for a 17-2 technical fall in 2:46.
The crowd let out an ooh and aah when Teasdale attempted his first shot, as he left his arm up too high and Jeffrey used an underhook to attempt to throw the future Hawkeye to his back. Teasdale rolled through the danger and started to take charge.
鈥淚 left my arm up too far when I was in on a sweep single, he had an underhook and I rolled through it,鈥� Teasdale said. 鈥淚 was trying to stay on the outside and not allow him to tie me up like he did last week. I would say I got a little bit mad and I just wanted to wrestle a better match than I did last week.鈥�
The state tournament is normally held the week after the regional tournament but was moved up a week this season. Teasdale isn鈥檛 concerned the change in format.
鈥淚 really like the time off between states,鈥� Teasdale said. 鈥淚 can get back to the practice room and rest my body. It will come fast.鈥�
Teasdale won by default in the semifinals when Derry Area蘑菇视频 Shawn Broadway couldn鈥檛 compete due to a shoulder injury.
鈥淚t really didn鈥檛 affect my schedule of how I do things,鈥� Teasdale said. 鈥淚 just wanted to come in here, get a good warm-up and wrestle.鈥�
Fundy (36-0, 72-11 career) won the gold at 182 with a 7-2 decision over Derry Area蘑菇视频 Dominic DeLuca in the finals. Fundy sprawled and scored off DeLuca蘑菇视频 shot in the first period for a 2-0 lead. DeLuca escaped to cut the deficit to 2-1 and tied the match with an escape in the second. Fundy responded with a double leg to take a 4-2 lead heading into the third. Fundy escaped and added a third takedown in the third.
鈥淚 work out at Young Guns Wrestling Club and they really helped me with my defensive wrestling,鈥� Fundy said. 鈥淚 like to use the double leg and the high crotch as my main shots. I am excited to go back to Hershey and I want to do better than last year. It is also neat to have three WPIAL guys in the top three at the regional tournament.鈥�
Fundy trailed Meyersdale蘑菇视频 Christian Hutzell, 3-0, in the semifinals but rallied to score two reversals and hang on for a 4-3 decision.
鈥滻 know I am more of the hunted this year,鈥� Fundy said. 鈥淟ast year, I was going after the people who had the undefeated records. I am really not into looking at who is ranked going into states. I just go out there and wrestle.鈥�
Frazier蘑菇视频 Thayne Lawrence (32-5) earned a 10-0 major decision over Ligonier Valley蘑菇视频 Alex Caldwell to reach the finals at 138. The standout freshman showed that he belongs against the top wrestlers in the state with a 5-1 decision setback to Central Cambria蘑菇视频 undefeated senior Max Murin (36-0). Lawrence is the first Commodore to qualify for the state tournament. The program is in its first year as a full-fledged member of the PIAA.
Bentworth蘑菇视频 Manny Dovshek (30-5) suffered a tough setback in the semifinals when he was pinned by Chestnut Ridge蘑菇视频 Dylan Williams in 5:10 at 113. Dovshek rebounded with a 5-3 decision over Everett蘑菇视频 Garret Cornell in the consolation semifinals, but Freedom蘑菇视频 ZJ Ward edged the Bearcat junior, 6-5, for third place. Dvoshek will still make his second trip to the state tournament as the fourth-place finisher out of the Southwest Region.
Southmoreland蘑菇视频 Tyler Griffiths (35-2) lost an 11-3 major decision to Bishop McCourt蘑菇视频 Carnell Andrews in the semifinals at 132, but battled back with a 1-0 decision over Ellwood City蘑菇视频 Tyler Alberts in a WPIAL finals rematch to move into the third-place bout.The junior Scottie earned a 10-1 major decision over Marion Center蘑菇视频 Charlie Beatty to win the bronze. Griffiths has qualified for the state tournament the last two seasons, with an eighth-place finish his freshman year.
Beth-Center蘑菇视频 Jimmy Gwyer (29-17) lost in the quarterfinals on Friday night but rallied back for two victories to qualify for the state tournament as a sophomore at 120. The sophomore edged Jefferson-Morgan蘑菇视频 Josh Agnew, 2-0, in the first-round consolations and North Star蘑菇视频 Keaton Furry, 2-1, in the consolation quarterfinals. Gwyer was pinned in his fifth-place bout by Burrell蘑菇视频 Trent Bechtold in 2:35 to finish sixth.
鈥淚t was nice to get some revenge on Agnew after he beat me last week,鈥� Gwyer said. 鈥淚 am very excited to go to states. Wrestling at a big facility like this helps get me ready for states. I am hoping to use this as a building block for my next two years of wrestling.鈥�
Fundy gets most of the attention as a Bulldog wrestler but was quick to point out what his teammate did Saturday by qualifying for the state tournament.
鈥淛immy Gwyer has improved so much this year and it is great to see him get to states,鈥� Fundy said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think he got out of sectionals last year and now he is going to states. I鈥檓 very proud of him. Beth-Center is a really small school, and not too many people know about us, so it is really neat to do well here and go to states.鈥�
Mount Pleasant senior Austin Mihalchik (31-15) will make his second trip to the state tournament after finishing fifth at 126 with a 5-0 decision over Mashannon Valley蘑菇视频 Alex Richner.
鈥滻 am at 105 wins in my career now, and this is my second trip to states, so this is very exciting,鈥� Mihalchik said. 鈥淚 lost earlier in the day, but I tried to take a deep breath and refocus. I am hoping to come back home this year with some hardware. I feel I will be more relaxed this time and it will be all business.鈥�
Southmoreland蘑菇视频 Ryan Mauro (24-13) will make his first trip to the state tournament with a sixth-place finish at 220. Mauro lost in the first round but battled back with three straight victories to qualify for Hershey. The sophomore lost his fifth-place bout by fall in 2:22 to United蘑菇视频 Riley Miller, but is excited to get to states in his first year of varsity action.
鈥滻 was second in junior high states last year, so I am really excited to make it to Hershey during my first year of varsity action,鈥� Mauro said. 鈥淐oach (Steve) Santia really pressures me to get to my hooks, Russians and knee picks all season. I am going to just go out there, wrestle and see where the chips lay.鈥�