Baldwin’s Sidoruk, Hutchison shine at county wrestling tournament

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, January 28, 2018 | 10:12 AM

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Baldwin had only five competitors at the Allegheny County wrestling tournament.

Three placed, including junior Connor Sidoruk (170 pounds) and senior Gehrig Hutchison (195), who finished second in their respective weight classes.

Sidoruk, a junior multisport athlete who ended up eighth at 152 pounds in 2017, advanced to the finals by pinning North Allegheny senior Jacob Smalley and Obama Academy junior Jason Thomas, rallying past Quaker Valley senior Keegan Forsythe, 7-5, and pinning Moon sophomore Jamaal Littlejohn.

“I felt like I did pretty good overall, besides my bottom work,” Sidoruk said. “My toughest match was probably in the semifinal against Quaker Valley. I was losing 5-0 halfway through the third period, but then I got an escape and hit a throw with 30 seconds left and got two back points. We then went into overtime, and I got in on a shot and scrambled, and eventually got the takedown.”

Sidoruk also competes in football as a tight end/linebacker. He stopped playing lacrosse in the spring to devote more time to Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling.

Sidoruk placed second to Bethel Park senior Jason Montgomery at the county tournament. The Baldwin wrestler wants to advance deep into the WPIAL tournament and qualify for states.

“I would like to thank my coaches at Baldwin and my club coach for all the countless hours they help me in the wrestling room,” Sidoruk said.

Hutchison was a county champion at 170 pounds last season. He moved up in weight class this year and recorded four consecutive pins against 195-pound competition.

Hutchison pinned Pine-Richland sophomore Zach Shaver, Central Catholic freshman Steven Costa, Hampton senior Zach Boggs and Carrick senior James Howard before losing a 9-3 decision to Chartiers Valley senior Shamil Zaynullaev in the finals.

“This was my first tournament wrestling at 195, and I felt fast and strong,” Hutchison said. “I thought I wrestled really well in my four matches leading up to the finals. My toughest match was definitely my finals match. Shamil was a very strong opponent, and I had a hard time finishing my shots. I thought I wrestled decent, but there were several positions I need to work on.

“It was a learning experience, and it showed me what I need to work on for the postseason. My coaches and I are already working to correct the mistakes I made in that match.”

Like Sidoruk, Hutchison, who participates in the Special Olympics club at Baldwin, hopes to advance deep in the WPIAL tournament and secure a berth at states.

“I'm very excited for the rest of the season,” Hutchison said, “and I'm confident I will make the adjustments necessary to get to where I want to be. I have the right people around me in order to reach my goal of qualifying and placing at states. I feel like I'm going to peak at the right time and have my best performances.”

Baldwin senior Jamil Khalil finished sixth at 160 pounds at the county tournament. Freshmen Abdullah Makhoul (132) and Justin Bochter (138) also competed.

Khalil and Hutchison, a two-time All-American, are the only seniors on the Baldwin team.

Ray Fisher is a freelance writer.

Tags: Baldwin