Burrell’s Oswalt achieves goal at PIAA Class AA Southwest wrestling regional

By: Paul Schofield
Friday, February 22, 2019 | 1:30 AM

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Burrell sophomore Ian Oswalt had one goal in mind at the PIAA Class AA Southwest Regional: He wanted to dominate.

That’s exactly what he did in capturing the 120-pound title Saturday at IUP’s Kovalchick Complex.

Oswalt (45-2 this season, 92-12 career) achieved his goal by picking up two pins on Day 1 and then two convincing wins on Day 2.

He crushed St. Joseph Catholic Academy sophomore Amonn Ohl, 17-3, in the finals after defeating Penns Valley senior Baylor Shunk, 7-2, in the semifinals.

Oswalt and 30 other WPIAL wrestlers head to the PIAA championships March 7-9 at Hershey. He was one of eight WPIAL wrestlers to win titles.

“I wanted to dominate throughout the tournament, something I didn’t do at the WPIALs last week,” Oswalt said. “I wrestled a better this tournament. I’m very satisfied.”

Oswalt is looking beyond this week and wants to enjoy this title, but he’s looking forward to the state tournament.

“Ian was our first regional champion since Allan Beattie in 2015,” Burrell coach Josh Shields said. “He beat a tough kid in the finals, and he did it in dominating fashion. That’s what you like to see as a coach, carrying that momentum into the state tournament.”

Oswalt placed third in the regional tournament last year and was fourth in the state at 113 pounds.

“Whatever draw I get at states is OK with me,” Oswalt said. “Obviously, winning here will give me a better seed. I wrestle whoever I have. I’m going out to wrestle my style.”

Oswalt said wrestlers have different styles around the state. He has to be ready for anything.

Joining Oswalt in Hershey are teammates A.J. Corrado (138) and Austin Mele (160).

Corrado, a sophomore, placed sixth at 138 pounds and Mele, a senior, finished sixth at 160.

Shields said he decided to hold Mele out because of his injured ankle and let him heal up for states.

“The plan all along was to qualify and then rest him,” Shields said. “Rest is the best thing for his injury. He wanted to go, but I made the decision since I’m the coach.

“I thought Austin showed a lot of heart. His goal all year wasn’t to get a regional placewinner, he wants to be a state placewinner.”

Corrado said he has a lot of things to work on between Saturday and March 7.

“I have to work a lot on my feet,” Corrado said. “I wasn’t getting to my attack, and I need to fix that. I need to wrestle a lot better in states.”

Corrado placed seventh in the state at 132 last year.

Valley’s Noah Hutcherson earned a trip to Hershey with a fourth-place finish at 170.

Hutcherson was pinned in the semifinals by Chestnut Ridge senior Jared McGill but bounced back to defeat Northern Bedford senior Austin Mowry, 7-4. In the third-place match, he dropped a 6-1 decision to Penn Cambria senior Derek Brown.

Tags: Burrell, Valley