Triple threat
Falcons无毛视频� Vielma, Leopards无毛视频� Brown earn 3rd section championships
IRWIN 无毛视频� Belle Vernon无毛视频檚 Elijah Brown and Connellsville无毛视频檚 Kai Vielma didn无毛视频檛 run into much trouble in earning their third section championships on Saturday at Norwin High School in the Class 3A Eastern Sectional.
Brown won all three bouts by fall for the championship in the 215-pound weight class. The senior and Penn State commit spent one minute and 31 seconds on the mat, as he won in 20, 37 and 34 seconds.
Vielma won two matches by technical fall and earned one with a pin to win the title at 145. The junior and Stanford commit won by fall in 48 seconds in the quarterfinals before recording technical falls of 17-1 in the semifinals and 19-4 in the finals. His semifinal bout lasted three minutes and seven seconds and his finals match was four minutes and eight seconds. The five points recorded by Vielma无毛视频檚 opponents were escapes, which he conceded to add to his point total by securing takedowns.
Brown, who improved to 35-1 this season and 162-20 for his career, was announced by the public address announcer as a 无毛视频渇uture All-American at Penn State,无毛视频� but the future Nittany Lion doesn无毛视频檛 want his attitude to change as he racks up wins. Even though he won all his bouts by fall, Brown stuck with his normal routine to cool down following each match.
无毛视频淭he guy was a Penn State fan and he talked to me afterwards and shook my hand,无毛视频� Brown said. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 a lot to live up to, but it无毛视频檚 also exciting. I am excited to get up there, and that无毛视频檚 one of the goals. I was at Penn State无毛视频檚 match against Ohio State on Friday, and it was awesome. I slept on the way to the match and on the way home, but I didn无毛视频檛 have the greatest of sleep. After the weigh-ins this morning, I took a nap.无毛视频�
Brown无毛视频檚 resume speaks for itself, but he was quick to point out that he didn无毛视频檛 win a section championship as a freshman, which he uses as motivation in seeking a second straight state title at 215.
无毛视频淚 was fourth in the section as a freshman, and I didn无毛视频檛 even qualify for states,无毛视频� Brown said. 无毛视频淚 really didn无毛视频檛 start to pick it up a lot my junior year. I tell a lot of my friends when they are struggling about my freshman year, and I point to that so they don无毛视频檛 get discouraged if things aren无毛视频檛 going so well.无毛视频�
Vielma无毛视频檚 victory stopped a run of championships by the Knights, as the host team had won four in a row, which started with Landon Sidun at 121, and followed with Coleton Klipa (127), Dominic Butera (133) and Brooks Blasko (139).
Klipa and Butera edged the Falcons无毛视频� Nolan Rice (127) and Landon Lynn (133) in their finals matches.
无毛视频淲e are in the toughest section in the toughest state in the country,无毛视频� Vielma said. 无毛视频淵ou have the top two teams in the state in our section, so we are probably going to see some of the same guys in the WPIALs and regionals.
无毛视频淚 am excited for the upcoming weeks. I hope to start with a WPIAL title next week, and follow that with a regional and state title. It may sound cliche, but you have to take it one match at a time.无毛视频�
Despite the tough stretch in the finals, Connellsville had 10 qualifiers for the WPIAL Class 3A Individual Championships, which was second behind Norwin无毛视频檚 12.
The Falcons无毛视频� Daniel Smith (139) and Dylan Lytle (189) finished in third place, while Zach Franks (114), Tommy Gretz (121), Luke Lilley (152) and Jake Lilley (160) took fourth. Jeremy Gray was fifth at 107.
Connellsville无毛视频檚 dual-meet portion of the season ended on Feb. 7 in a loss to Nazareth in the consolation quarterfinals of the PIAA Class 3A Team Championships, which was a bitter pill to swallow after the Falcons finished third in the state team tournament last year.
无毛视频淚 was pretty disappointed with the result of the state team tournament because we had these big goals coming up and in middle school to be four-time WPIAL and state champs,无毛视频� Vielma said. 无毛视频淚t does kind of hurt when we don无毛视频檛 accomplish those goals, but I still believe in our team. We just needed one or two of those matches to go our way that didn无毛视频檛, but it is what it is. As a team, we just need to refocus and get back in the room this summer.无毛视频�
The Leopards had four other district qualifiers in Gracin Guglielmo (3rd/107), Brayden Broadwater (4th/114), Rylee Doppelheuer (6th/121) and Colby Hibner (6th/160).
Albert Gallatin had three advancements to the WPIAL tournament, as Colin Rockwell led the way in third place at 285. Gavin and Greyson Morris were sixth at 107 and 114.
Laurel Highlands didn无毛视频檛 have any district qualifiers, but freshman Will Skowronski earned a fall in 1:41 during the first round of consolations at 114.
The WPIAL Class 3A Individual Championships will be contested this Friday and Saturday at Canon-McMillan High School. Friday无毛视频檚 action begins at 5 p.m. and Saturday无毛视频檚 is scheduled for 10 a.m. The top seven wrestlers from each weight will qualify for the PIAA Class 3A West Regional at Canon-McMillan.