TexasWrestling
CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — New champions, new No. 1s. Two of the storylines from the 22nd Walsh Jesuit Ironman Tournament that came to its conclusion on Saturday evening in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
Despite not having the services of Chris Weiler, a top 20 overall senior committed to Lehigh University, No. 2 Wyoming Seminary, Pa. emerged as tournament champions with solid performances — and some over-performances — from across the lineup. Ranked No. 2 in the nation entering the tournament, the Blue Knights placed eight within the top six, a ninth that was one match from placement, and saw 11 of 13 rostered wrestlers score points along the way.
As expected, superstars Nick Reenan (No. 1 at 182) and Mason Manville (No. 2 at 152) came through with titles. However, just as important were podium finishes from unranked wrestlers such as Jack Davis (4th at 120), Patrick Munn (5th at 138), and Will Verallis (4th at 160). Rounding out the medalists for Wyoming Seminary were No. 18 Trent Olson (6th at 132), No. 11 Christian Dietrich (4th at 195), and No. 9 (at 220) Will Hilliard (2nd at 220). They scored a total of 171 points, which was enough to out-point No. 1 Blair Academy (N.J.), who had 146 points from seven total medalists.
It was the first team championship at the Walsh Ironman for the Blue Knights, who became just the fifth school to ever win a title in the event, joining the host school which won the initial title; as well as Blair Academy, St. Paris Graham (Ohio), and St. Edward (Ohio).
Another new number one will be needed on the individual weight class side of things, as in the evening’s last bout, No. 3 David Carr (Massillon Perry, Ohio) rode out No. 1 Jarod Verkleeren (Belle Vernon Area, Pa.) in the ultimate tiebreaker to win the title at 145 pounds. The wrestlers traded takedowns in the first two periods, and were tied 3-3 at the end of regulation.
After a scoreless sudden victory overtime period, action moved to the tiebrakers. Verkleeren chose down in the first thirty second segment, scoring an escape; Carr chose down in his segment, and scored his point when Verkleeren was called for locking hands midway through the stanza. Then, the ultimate tiebreaker saw Verkleeren choose the down position, and get ridden out by Carr. The No. 3 wrestler in the country emerged with the victory over the top-ranked wrestler, and also a UWW Cadet World freestyle champion this summer.
The lone wrestler to win a second Ironman title on Saturday night was Alex Marinelli (St. Paris Graham, Ohio), the nation’s top 160-pound wrestler and a commit to the University of Iowa. In his fourth finals appearance at the Ironman, with only eight before him achieving the feat, Marinelli dominated his way to a pin in 4:26 against No. 13 Justin Thomas (Calvary Chapel, Pa.) in the evening’s second match. The overall tournament merited Marinelli distinction as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler.
In the evening’s opening bout, the eighth wrestler in tournament history to make the finals four times took to the mat. With a comprehensive performance, No. 2 Mason Manville (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) avoided the ignominy of being the first-ever four-time runner-up in Ironman history. A takedown in each period yielded Manville the 8-1 win over No. 7 Evan Wick (San Marino, Calif.) in the 152-pound final.
The lone champion for Blair Academy had an impressive tournament with three wins over nationally ranked opponents, No. 5 Chase Singletary came through with takedowns in the first and second period of a 5-1 win over No. 10 Jack Harris (Urbana, Ohio) in the 195 pound final. Earlier wins saw Singletary defeat No. 11 Christian Dietrich (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) 2-2 in an ultimate tiebreak rideout during the quarterfinal, and then upend No. 4 Ben Darmstadt (Elyria, Ohio) 8-4 in the semifinal bout.
Other medalists for Blair were runner-up No. 18 Zach Sherman (120), third place finishers No. 2 Brandon Dallavia (170) and Neil Putnam (285), fifth place finishers No. 17 Michael Colaiocco (106) and No. 19 Ryan Karoly (160), along with sixth place finisher Chris Cannon (113).
Joining Wyoming Seminary as the only other team to have multiple weight class champions was Montini Catholic, Ill. The No. 40 ranked team in the country finished fourth in the standings with 118.5 points, anchored by the titles from No. 6 Real Woods (113) and No. 6 Dylan Duncan (132). Duncan won his title 1-0 over No. 12 Navonte Demison (Bakersfield, Calif.), keyed by a second period rideout, then followed by a third period escape.
The tournament run for Woods was arguably the most impressive by any of the 440 competitors to step on the mats at Walsh Jesuit this weekend. The 113 pound champion opened the tournament on Friday with a second period pin and 25-10 technical fall to reach the quarterfinal, where he beat No. 12 Jordan Decatur (CVCA, Ohio) 11-4. Woods then beat No. 17 Tommy Hoskins (Dayton Christian, Ohio) by a 13-5 major decision in the semifinal. In the championship match, it was a 3-0 victory over now two-time Ironman runner-up Drew Mattin (Delta, Ohio); Woods scored his points against the No. 2 113 pound wrestler in the country on a first period takedown and second period penalty point.
Three other wrestlers medaled for the Broncos: runner-up Will Lewan (138); third place finisher Joey Melendez, No. 11 at 106 pounds; and Jimmy Pawleski, eighth at 126 pounds.
From the standpoint of the national rankings, three other champions joined Carr and Woods in earning at least perceived upset wins based on the national rankings.
At 106 pounds, Nate Keaton (Circleville, Ohio) scored a 5-4 victory over No. 2 Dylan D’Emilio (Genoa, Ohio). Keaton scored takedowns in the first and third period to key his victory. It was a second win over ranked opposition in the tournament, as he beat No. 14 Christian Nunez (St. John Bosco, Calif.) 3-2 in the quarterfinal.
At 170 pounds, No. 9 Austin Bell (Belle Vernon Area, Pa.) earned a decisive 5-1 victory over No. 7 Jeremy Thomas (Calvary Chapel, Calif.), a match keyed by takedowns in the first and third periods. Bell also earned a 4-0 victory over No. 2 Brandon Dallavia (Blair Academy, N.J.) in the semifinal bout.
At 285 pounds, Kameron Teacher (Central Crossing, Ohio) pinned No. 9 (at 220) Will Hilliard (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) midway through the third period at the 5:15 off a beautiful low shot that turned into a throw. It was the second pin of the tournament for Teacher, which was sandwiched by a pair of seven point decisions.
Two other top-ranked wrestlers joined Marinelli as Walsh Ironman champions on Saturday night.
At 120 pounds, Jack Mueller (Trinity Christian Academy, Texas) capped off a dominant tournament with 15-4 major decision over No. 18 Zach Sherman (Blair Academy, N.J.). His five prior matches in the tournament were two falls sandwiched by three technical falls. The 35-1/2 team points Mueller accrued enabled him to win the Major Ray Mendoza Award at tournament’s end.
Reenan scored a 7-5 victory over No. 6 Jacob Warner (Washington, Ill.) at 182 pounds. The bulk of the match’s scoring came in the first period with Reenan earning two takedowns and a reversal to counter Warner scoring one takedown and two escapes for a 6-4 lead; the wrestlers traded escapes in the last two periods.
Additional weight class champions by order of occurrence on Saturday night were No. 3 Matt Stencel (Oregon Clay, Ohio) at 220 pounds, No. 20 Tariq Wilson (Steubenville, Ohio) at 126, and No. 5 Hunter Ladnier (St. Edward, Ohio) at 138.
Stencel earned five pins from five matches on the way to a championship, as he was only on the mat for 10 minutes and 25 seconds during the tournament. The championship match fall came at the 3:48 mark over freshman sensation Cohlton Schultz (Ponderosa, Colo.), who is ranked No. 17 overall at the 220 pound weight class.
Wilson earned an 8-6 victory over Cole Matthews (Reynolds, Pa.) in his championship match. Takedowns in each period counter-acted a second period reversal for Matthews and two third period penalty points; the wrestlers traded choice escapes, while Wilson’s eight point came on a third caution penalty for Matthews late in the bout. Wilson earned wins over ranked 120 pound wrestlers in both the quarterfinal and semifinal; a 7-5 victory over No. 8 Tyler Warner (Claymont), which avenged a state finals loss, as well as a 9-1 major decision over No. 17 Mario Guillen (Perrysburg).
Ladnier earned his third major decision of the tournament in his 9-1 finals victory over Will Lewan (Montini Catholic, Ill.). A takedown and tilt in the first period was followed up by takedowns in each of the last two periods during the Harvard commit’s decisive victory. Two other major decisions and a pin were accrued in four other matches; the lone close match for Ladnier coming in a 1-0 quarterfinal victory over J.J. Figueroa (Bakersfield, Calif.), a victory keyed by a rideout during the period Figueroa chose bottom.
Final Standings
1) No. 2 Wyoming Seminary, Pa. 171
2) No. 1 Blair Academy, N.J. 146
3) No. 4 St. Paris Graham, Ohio 126.5
4) No. 40 Montini Catholic, Ill. 118.5
5) No. 10 St. Edward, Ohio 99
6) No. 18 Belle Vernon Area, Pa. 84
7) No. 26 Malvern Prep, Pa. 77.5
8) No. 24 Delta, Ohio 77
9) No. 11 Marmion Academy, Ill. 73
10) Reynolds, Pa. 61
Other Nationally ranked teams:
11-Tie) No. 7 Oak Park River Forest, Ill. 71
15) No. 48 San Marino, Calif. 53
16) No. 22 Washington, Ill. 52
20) No. 17 Elyria, Ohio 46
24) No. 28 Bakersfield, Calif. 39
30-Tie) No. 47 Brecksville, Ohio 29
Medal Match Results
106 pounds
1st: Nate Keaton (Circleville, Ohio) dec. No. 2 Dylan D’Emilio (Genoa, Ohio) 5-4)
3rd: No. 11 Joey Melendez (Montini Catholic, Ill.) major decision Mosha Schwartz (Ponderosa, Colo.) 6-2, 12-4
5th: No. 17 Michael Colaiocco (Blair Academy, N.J.) dec. Jacob Dunlop (Belle Vernon Area, Pa.) 3-0
7th: No. 14 Christian Nunez (St. John Bosco, Calif.) pin Gabriel Tagg (Brecksville, Ohio) 6:49, tiebreaker
113 pounds
1st: No. 6 Real Woods (Montini Catholic, Ill.) dec. No. 2 Drew Mattin (Delta, Ohio) 3-0
3rd: No. 17 Tommy Hoskins (Dayton Christian, Ohio) dec. No. 12 Jordan Decatur (CVCA, Ohio) 4-0
5th: Lukus Stricker (Akron Hoban, Ohio) over Chris Cannon (Blair Academy, N.J.) by injury default, 1:49
7th: Dack Punke (Washington, Ill.) dec. Julian Sanchez (Genoa, Ohio) 7-0
120 pounds
1st: Jack Mueller (Trinity Christian Academy, Texas) major decision No. 18 Zach Sherman (Blair Academy, N.J.) 15-4
3rd: No. 11 Noah Baughman (Wadsworth, Ohio) dec. Jack Davis (Wyoming Seminary, PA) 5-4, tiebreaker
5th: Joey Prata (St. Christopher’s, Va.) dec. Tony DeCesare (Padua Franciscan, Ohio) 4-2
7th: Seth Beard (Napoleon, Ohio) dec. Nick Henneman (Oregon Clay, Ohio) 5-4
126 pounds
1st: No. 20 Tariq Wilson (Steubenville, Ohio) dec. Cole Matthews (Reynolds, Pa.) 8-6
3rd: No. 14 Mitch Moore (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) pin No. 17 (at 120) Mario Guillen (Perrysburg, Ohio) 0:37
5th: Garrett Lambert (Brunswick, Ohio) dec. No. 8 Alex Mackall (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio) 3-0
7th: No. 8 (at 120) Tyler Warner (Claymont, Ohio) dec. Jimmy Pawelski (Montini Catholic, Ill.) 3-0
132 pounds
1st: No. 6 Dylan Duncan (Montini Catholic, Ill.) dec. No. 12 Navonte Demison (Bakersfield, Calif.) 1-0
3rd: Jaden Mattox (Central Crossing, OH) major decision No. 17 Gabe Townsell (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) 10-2
5th: No. 11 Gus Solomon (Franklin Regional, Pa.) dec. No. 18 Trent Olson (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) 5-0
7th: Jake Spiess (Delta, Ohio) dec. Anthony Cheloni (Marmion Academy, Ill.) 2-0, overtime
138 pounds
1st: No. 5 Hunter Ladnier (St. Edward, Ohio) major decision Will Lewan (Montini Catholic, Ill.) 9-1
3rd: No. 4 Brent Moore (St. Pairs Graham, Ohio) dec. No. 20 Grant Aronoff (St. Thomas Aquinas, Fla.) 5-3
5th: Patrick Munn (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. Jaime Hernandez (Oak Park River, Ill.) 7-3
7th: No. 11 Ryan Deakin (Legacy, Colo.) dec. No. 18 AJ Jaffe (Marmion Academy, Ill.) 4-2, overtime
145 pounds
1st: No. 3 David Carr (Massillon Perry, Ohio) dec. No. 1 Jarod Verkleeren (Belle Vernon Area, Pa.) 4-4, ultimate tiebreaker rideout
3rd: No. 6 Zander Wick (San Marino, Calif.) dec. Greg Brusco (Delaware Hayes, Ohio) 5-0
5th: No. 12 Rocky Jordan (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) dec. Kevin Budock (Good Counsel, Md.) 1-0
7th: Josh Heil (Brunswick, Ohio) pin Ethan Reel (Washington, Ill.) 4:43
152 pounds
1st: No. 2 Mason Manville (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. Evan Wick (San Marino, Calif.) 8-1
3rd: No. 5 Eric Hong (Kiski Prep, Pa.) dec. No. 12 Trace Carello (Marmion Academy, Ill.) 5-1
5th: Julian Ramirez (Tampa Jesuit, Fla.) dec. Nick Vestal (Dayton Christian, Ohio) 8-3
7th: Tyler Megongal (James Madison, Va.) dec. Nico O’Dor (Elyria, Ohio) 3-2
160 pounds
1st: No. 1 Alex Marinelli (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) pin No. 13 Justin Thomas (Calvary Chapel, Calif.) 4:26
3rd: No. 10 Wyatt Sheets (Stilwell, Okla.) dec. Will Verallis (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) 7-2
5th: No. 19 Ryan Karoly (Blair Academy, N.J.) dec. Jesse Beverly (Delta, Ohio) 3-1, overtime
7th:
Nick Kiussis (Brunswick, Ohio) pin Austin Hiles (Brecksville, Ohio) 2:52
170 pounds
1st: No. 9 Austin Bell (Belle Vernon Area, PA) dec. No. 7 Jeremy Thomas (Calvary Chapel, Calif.) 5-1
3rd: No. 2 Brandon Dallavia (Blair Academy, N.J.) over No. 18 James Handwerk (Lutheran West, Ohio) by forfeit
5th: Tyler Wiederholt (Bellbrook, Ohio) dec. Garrett Jordan (St. Paris Graham, Ohio) 5-3
7th: Cody Mulligan (Saegertown, Pa.) dec. Shawn Livingston (Steubenville, Ohio) 2-0
182 pounds
1st: No. 1 Nick Reenan (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. No. 6 Jacob Warner (Washington, Il.) 7-5
3rd: No. 12 Michael Beard (Malvern Prep, Pa.) dec. No. 4 Nathan Traxler (Marmion Academy, Ill.) 5-1
5th: No. 20 Chasen Blair (Ranch Bernardo, Calif.) dec. Isaiah Page (Broken Arrow, Okla.) 4-3
7th: J.T. Brown (Elyria, Ohio) dec. Tyler Stepic (St. Edward, Ohio) 6-5
195 pounds
1st: No. 5 Chase Singletary (Blair Academy, N.J.) dec. No. 10 Jack Harris (Urbana, Ohio) 5-1
3rd: No. 4 Ben Darmstadt (Elyria, Ohio) pin No. 11 Christian Dietrich (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) 3:18
5th: Aaron Naples (Brunswick, Ohio) over No. 19 Tyler Frankrone (Trinity, Ky.) by medical forfeit
7th: Rashon Lusane (Malvern Prep, Pa.) dec. No. 13 Wyatt Koelling (Davis, Utah) 3-1, overtime
220 pounds
1st: No. 3 Matt Stencel (Oregon Clay, Ohio) pin No. 17 Cohlton Schultz (Ponderosa, Colo.) 3:49
3rd: Jared Campbell (St. Edward, Ohio) dec. No. 10 Seth Janney (Malvern Prep, Pa.) 3-1, overtime
5th: Jacob Esarco (Canfield, Ohio) dec. No. 13 Zane Black (The Phelps School, Pa.) 3-2
7th: Jack Meyer (Cincinnati Moeller, Ohio) dec. Brandon Closson (Pleasant Grove, Utah) 5-0
285 pounds
1st: Kameron Teacher (Central Crossing, Ohio) pin No. 9 (at 220) Will Hilliard (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) 5:16
3rd: Neil Putnam (Blair Academy, N.J.) dec. Mansur Abdul-Malik (St. Vincent Pallotti, Md.) 4-3
5th: Chance Veller (Delta, Ohio) over No. 15 Hunter Mullins (Orting, Wash.) by medical forfeit
7th: Gene Ringer (Reynolds, Pa.) dec. Jonathan Floyd (Springboro, Ohio) 4-2, overtime
