CLARION — Eight Port Allegany wrestlers are through to the semifinals after day one of the District 9 Class 2A wrestling championships.
Making their way through to the semis for the Gators were Ian Fitszimmons (114), Ian O’Shea (121), Alden Furgeson (145), Mason Gordon (160), Aiden Bliss (172), Jusso Young (189), Miska Young (215) and Carson Neely (285).
Neely, the only unbeaten wrestler coming into the championships, earned a quarterfinal pin of St. Marys’ Bryson Tucker in 1:31 to move on to the semifinals.
Kane’s Reese Bechakas, the top seed at 160, pinned Cranberry’s Jack Nuhfer in 1:00 in the quarterfinals.
It was also a strong first day for St. Marys, which saw five wrestlers move on to the semis — Jayce Walter (121), Aiden Beimel (127), Brody Wehler (133), Tristan Dilley (152), and Andrew Wolfanger (172).
Other local wrestlers moving on to the semifinals include Ridgway’s Michael Copello (107) and Nathan Stager (114), Johnsonburg’s Rocco Allegretto (139) and Avery Bittler (152), Kane’s Ben Walter (189) and Coudersport’s Gavyn Ayers (215), with others still alive in the consolation brackets.
District 9 sends the top four in each weight class to the Northwest Regional. It
Port Allegany is second in the team standings with 88 points, followed by St. Marys at 80. Clearfield is currently in first with 104 points.
Action gets underway at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
CLASS 3A NW REGIONALBradford’s Jordan Thompson lost his quarterfinal match via a 3-2 decision to Parker Kearns of Mifflin County. Thompson is still alive in the consolation bracket.
Bradford’s Mitchell Brinsky (127) and Thomas Langdon (160) were both pinned in their first-round matchups.
