Wrestling notebook: Powerade wrestling tournament will be loaded with talent

By: Paul Schofield
Monday, May 17, 2021 | 12:01 AM

Purchase Photo Options

The 55th Annual Powerade Holiday Wrestling Tournament continues to get bigger and better, and this year’s event might end up being the toughest in the country.

The tournament grew to 59 teams and will be held Dec. 29 and 30 at Canon-McMillan High school.

The newcomers include Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, Blair Academy (N.J.), Bergen Catholic (N.J.), Laurel Highlands Prep (Fla.), Manheim Township, North Allegheny and Notre Dame-Green Pond.

They will join Waynesburg, Malvern Prep, Wyoming Seminary, Latrobe, Erie Prep, St. Edwards (Ohio), Reynolds, Canon-McMillan, Connellsville and Kiski Area.

Blair Academy, Wyoming Seminary and Malvern Prep are some of the top Prep teams in the country. Waynesburg and Reynolds are returning state champions.

There are seven Powerade champions returning and 105 placewinners. There are also 15 state champions scheduled to compete.

Tournament director Frank Vulcano Jr. said he always is looking for ways to make the tournament better.

Showdown at Kiski Area

The first Stand Your Ground wrestling tournament recently was held at Kiski Area, and three Hempfield athletes won their matches.

Returning PIAA champion Briar Priest, who recently committed to wrestle at Pitt, and seniors Ty Linsenbigler and Ethan Berginc collected victories.

Priest defeated Bellefonte’s Jude Swisher, 6-4, in overtime to win the 142 pound title. Linsenbigler (Clarion) knocked off Waynesburg’s Cole Homet, 5-4, at 155, and Berginc beat North Allegheny’s Dylan Coy, 7-2, at 132.

The other winners were: Kiski Area’s Marco Hutcherson (80), Mario Hutcherson (115) and Bella Devito (138); Canon-McMillan’s Jacob Houpt (126); Latrobe’s Corey Boerio (200); Plum’s Vince Citrano (132); Quaker Valley’s Jack Kazalas (100); Belle Vernon’s Logan Hoffman (190); Malvern Prep’s Reed Fullmer (147); Waynesburg’s Colton Stoneking (140); North Allegheny’s Max Stedeford (165); Freedom’s Trent Schultheis (184); and Pine-Richland’s Kelin Laffey (156).

Lawrence wins title

You can add a National High School Wrestling title on Frazier’s Rune Lawrence resume.

The freshman, who won a PIAA Class AA title in March, won the 170-pound title at Virginia Beach last month.

He wasn’t the only WPIAL wrestler to win medals.

In the Junior Division: North Allegheny’s Dylan Coy (fifth at 120), Waynesburg’s Zander Phaturos (seventh at 120), Waynesburg’s Colton Stoneking (seventh at 132), Waynesburg’s Cole Homet (eighth at 145) and Norwin’s Chase Kranitz (eighth at 160).

In the Sophomore Division: Pine-Richland’s Anthony Ferraro (fourth at 113), Seneca Valley’s Ty Chappell (sixth at 113), Hempfield’s Ethan Lebin (sixth at 120), Latrobe’s Nathan Roth (sixth at 132), Canon-McMillan’s Matt Furman (fifth at 182), Latrobe’s Corey Boerio (fifth at 195) and Waynesburg’s Eli Mackel (seventh at 195).

In the Freshman Division: Bethel Park’s Mason Kernan (fifth at 113), Burrell Cooper Hornack (seventh at 113), West Allegheny’s Nick Jones (third at 120), Trinity’s Bodie Morgan (second at 152) and Moon’s Shawn Taylor (fourth at 152).

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Hempfield, Latrobe, Norwin