ALTOONA, Pa. – The PIAA 3A wrestling postseason continues with the Northwest Regional Tournament at the Altoona Area High School Field House Friday, March 4, and Saturday, March 5.
Wrestling is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. Friday and will continue through the quarterfinals. The tournament resumes Saturday with the first round of consolations slated to start at 10 a.m. Wrestling will continue throughout the day, with the Parade of Champions commencing at 6 p.m. followed by the championship and consolation finals.
What follows is an analysis of the brackets for each weight, with emphasis on the top eight seeds. These are not predictions.
Please be aware that the D4/9, D6, D8, D10 champions were variably seeded in the first through fourth spots. The second-place finishers at each of those district tournaments were then variably seeded fifth through eighth.
The top three placers at each weight will advance to the state tournament in Hershey next week (Mar. 10-12).
(Note: The state and regional rankings used in this preview are from PA Power Wrestling as of Tuesday, Mar. 1.)
106 Pounds
1. Luke Hileman (30-3) – Altoona (D6-1st)
2. Aiden Beimel (24-3) – St. Marys (D4/9-1st)
3. Keagan Oler (18-7) – Cathedral Prep (D10-1st)
4. Matt Mars (19-7) – Carrick (D8-1st)
5. Landyn Lukens (30-8) – Selinsgrove (D4/9-2nd)
6. Cameron Garcia (15-15) – Bellefonte (D6-2nd)
7. Jakari King (6-7) – Taylor Allderdice (D8-2nd)
8. Teige Berger (26-14) – General McLane (D10-2nd)
Notes: One of two seniors among the top eight seeds, Hileman just won his first D6 champion after finishing as the runner-up in 2020. A two-time regional qualifier, he is ranked 12th in the state and first in the Northwest. D8 champion Mars, the other senior, is a two-time regional qualifier, last doing so as a sophomore. D9 titlist Beimel (25th in the state, second regionally), D10 champion Oler (third regionally), Berger (fourth regionally), Lukens (sixth regionally), Garcia (seventh regionally), and King are all freshmen. Though not among the top eight seeds freshmen Ben Fuller (22-9) of Meadville and Clearfield’s Xavier Lutz (8-10), a freshman, are both regionally ranked, entering the tournament fifth and eighth, respectively.
113 Pounds
1. Cael Nasdeo (27-3) – Williamsport (D4/9-1st)
2. Nic Allison (31-2) – Mifflin County (D6-1st)
3. Caleb Anderson (23-5) – Meadville (D10-1st)
4. Jaidon Jones (16-7) – Carrick (D8-1st)
5. Garrett Choates (27-6) – Bellefonte (D6-2nd)
6. Evan Davis (25-9) – Clearfield (D4/9-2nd)
7. Reese Thompson (9-5) – Taylor Allderdice (D8-2nd)
8. Ethan Snyder (7-19) – General McLane (D10-2nd)
Notes: Nasdeo, a junior, was last year’s state runner-up at 106 pounds after winning districts and regionals. Now a three-time D4/9 champion, he is ranked third in the state and first regionally. Allison is a three-time state qualifier, placing eighth in 2020. A four-time D6 titlist, he will be looking to win another regional crown. He was first in 2019 but the runner-up the past two seasons. The senior is ranked ninth in Pennsylvania and second in the Northwest. The third and fourth seeds, Anderson (eighth regionally) and Jones are freshmen. Choates, a senior, is a two-time regional qualifier. He enters this year’s tournament ranked 25th in the state and fourth in the region. Davis and Thompson are both juniors. Though Davis, ranked 24th statewide and third in the Northwest, will be making his third regional tournament appearance, it will be Thompson’s first. Snyder is a freshman. A number of regionally ranked wrestlers did not garner top eight seedings. Sophomores Dysen Gould (18-8) of Punxsutawney (fifth regionally) and Shikellamy’ Alex Reed (27-10, sixth regionally) are first-time regional qualifiers. This will also be Central Mountains senior Clayton Foster’s (14-20, seventh regionally) debut appearance at regionals.
120 Pounds
1. Asher Cunningham (29-6) – State College (D6-1st)
2. Luke Segraves (15-19) – Williamsport (D4/9-1st)
3. Cyrus Hurd (11-2) – Cathedral Prep (D10-1st)
4. Steven Mrzlack (16-7) – Carrick (D8-1st)
5. Cole Neil (15-12) – St. Marys (D4/9-2nd)
6. Casey Smith (28-4) – Juniata (D6-2nd)
7. Mharel Lyons (9-8) – Erie (D10-2nd)
8. Logan Sallot (16-5) – McDowell (D10-2nd)
Notes: D6 champion Asher Cunningham, a freshman, is ranked fourth in Pennsylvania and first in the NW Region. Whereas this will be Cunningham’s first regional tournament, the young man across the bracket from him, Luke Segraves, a junior, will be wrestling in this third. Now D4/9 champion for the second consecutive year, Segraves is ranked sixth regionally. District 10 champion Hurd (25th in the state, fourth regionally) and D8 titlist Mrzlack are freshmen. Neil (eighth regionally), and Lyons, both juniors, are regional first-timers. Smith won the D6 crown at 106 pounds last season. A junior, the three-time regional qualifier is ranked 16th in the state and third in the Northwest. Sallot, another junior, qualified for states last year after finishing as the runner-up at district and regionals. Ranked fifth in the region, this is the third time he will take the mat in Altoona. Lurking outside the top eight seeds are Mifflin County junior Hunter Johnson (29-8) and freshman Luke Ananea (12-8) of Central Mountain. Johnson, ranked 15th in the state and second in the Northwest, qualified for regionals in 2020. Ananea is ranked seventh in the NW Region.
126 Pounds
1. Jake VanDee (15-0) – Cathedral Prep (D10-1st)
2. Dalton Perry (34-2) – Central Mountain (D6-1st)
3. Brady Collins (30-3) – Clearfield (D4/9-1st)
4. Ashton Smith (18-11) – Carrick (D8-1st)
5. Taylor Smith (25-7) – Juniata (D6-2nd)
6. Mark Dait (13-17) – Meadville (D10-2nd)
7. Jacob Goldberg (9-1) – Taylor Allderdice (D8-2nd)
8. Devin Harris (12-14) – Williamsport (D4/9-2nd)
Notes: VanDee, last year’s state champion at 113 pounds, is ranked first in Pennsylvania and the region. A senior, he is now a four-time D10 champion and has won regionals the past two seasons (he finished second in 2019). In addition to winning states in 20201, he was second in 2020 and a qualifier in 2019. Across the bracket from VanDee is Perry; the freshman D6 champion ranked fifth in the state and second regionally. Another freshman and district titlist, Collins is ranked 17th in the state and third in the Northwest. Ashton Smith, a sophomore, is making his first appearance at the regional tournament. Taylor Smith (fourth regionally) and Dait, both juniors, are also regional first-timers. A senior, Goldberg won a D8 title the three previous seasons. This is his third regional outing, having previously qualified in 2019 and 2020. Harris, a sophomore ranked fifth in the Northwest is a two-time regional participant. Not seeded in the top eight but carrying regional rankings into the event are State College sophomore Jacob Campbell (13-12, sixth regionally) and freshman Noah Weaver (18-13) of Bellefonte (seventh regionally).
132 Pounds
1. Braden Bower (32-2) – Williamsport (D4/9-1st)
2. Luke Simcox (32-4) – Central Mountain (D6-1st)
3. Sam Staab (22-5) – Cathedral Prep (D10-1st)
4. Santiago Bradbury (11-2) – Westinghouse (D8-1st)
5. Aidan O’Shea (30-6) – Bellefonte (D6-2nd)
6. Isaac McGregor (25-10) – Shikellamy (D4/9-2nd)
7. Dae’viere Logan (4-3) – Perry Traditional (D8-2nd)
8. Javarie Blue (14-10) – McDowell (D10-2nd)
Notes: Bower, a senior, has D4/9 titles in 2019 and 2020 to go along with the one he won last weekend. Each of the previous seasons he won a district championship he performed well enough at regionals to qualify for Hershey. He is ranked second in Pennsylvania and first in the NW region. Simcox won his second consecutive D6 title a week ago. Last year he finished first at regionals. He is ranked third statewide and second regionally. This is also the second consecutive D10 title for Staab. The junior, a two-timer regional qualifier is ranked sixth in the Northwest. Like Staab, Bradbury, a sophomore is a two-time regional qualifier. He won his first D8 championship after finishing as the runner-up in 2021. A senior, O’Shea has been district runner-up the past three seasons. Ranked 13th in Pennsylvania and third regionally, he qualified for states in 2020. Sophomores McGregor (17th statewide, fourth regionally) and Blue qualified for their first regional tournaments. Logan is a freshman. Not seeded in the top eight is Blake Aumiller (23-15), a Mifflin County sophomore, is ranked 20th in the state and fifth regionally. Clearfield freshman Ty Aveni (13-10) also did not get seeded in the top eight but is ranked eighth in the region.
138 Pounds
1. Pierson Manville (31-3) – State College (D6-1st)
2. Nolan Barr (22-12) – Clearfield (D4/9-1st)
3. Brighton Anderson (28-6) – Meadville (D10-1st)
4. Christian Hawkins (3-8) – Obama Academy (D8-1st)
5. Davey Aughenbaugh (22-12) – DuBois (D4/9-2nd)
6. Taylor Weaver (23-9) – Central Mountain (D6-2nd)
7. Arad Shahandeh (0-5) – Taylor Allderdice (D8-2nd)
8. Hudson Spires (22-16) – General McLane (D10-2nd)
Notes: Manville, a sophomore is now a two-time D6 champion and, as such, wrestling at his second regional tournament. He’s ranked third in the state and first regionally. A senior, Barr won his first D4/9 championship after placing second in 2020 and third in 2021 and 2019. Ranked third in the Northwest, he qualified for regional in 2020 and 2019. Anderson, a sophomore ranked seventh in the NW Region, and Hawkins, a freshman, each just won their first district titles and are making their regional debuts. Aughenbaugh was the D4/9 champion at 120 pounds last season. A two-time regional qualifier, he’s ranked fourth in the Northwest. Weaver, a senior, has been the D6 runner-up the past three seasons after winning that tournament in 2019. A four-time regional qualifier, he made it to states in 2020. He’ll enter this event ranked 18th in Pennsylvania and second in the NW Region. Shahandeh and Spires (eighth regionally) are freshmen. Looking outside the top eight seeds, Shikellamy sophomore Charles Keener (27-14) is ranked fourth in the region and Brett Thompson (24-5), a Bradford senior, is sixth. Keener is a first-time regional qualifier, while Thompson qualified in 2020.
145 Pounds
1. Jude Swisher (35-1) – Bellefonte (D6-1st)
2. Riley Bower (39-7) – Williamsport (D4/9-1st)
3. Steffan Lynch (10-4) – Cathedral Prep (D10-1st)
4. Jai’Von Bottoms (9-3) – Obama Academy (D8-1st)
5. Austin Mitchell (26-9) – DuBois (D4/9-2nd)
6. Griffin Walizer (23-10) – Central Mountain (D6-2nd)
7. Matt Rump (12-11) – Carrick (D8-2nd)
8. Kyle Cousins (20-18) – General McLane (D10-2nd)
Notes: Swisher is a three-time state qualifier, finishing third in 2021 and fourth in 2020. He improved upon his runner-up finish at last season’s D6 tournament by winning it all this year. He was also a district champion in 2020 and runner-up in 2019. He’ll head to Altoona looking for his fourth consecutive regional crown. Swisher is ranked first in the state and region. Bower, a senior, is a four-time D4/9 champion and has qualified for states the past two years, taking sixth in 2021. He’ll be gunning for his third straight regional crown. Bower is ranked fourth in the state poll and second in the regional. Lynch is now a two-time D10 champion, having previously captured the title in 2020 (he was runner-up last year). A three-time regional qualifier, the junior is ranked sixth in the region. A senior, Bottoms is a first-time D8 champ and regional qualifier. Mitchell is ranked 23rd in Pennsylvania and fifth in the region. A senior, he qualified for regionals two years ago. Walizer (third regionally), a sophomore, Cousins (seventh regionally), a junior, and Rump, a senior, are first-time regional qualifiers. Other prominent wrestlers in the bracket include Deakon Scheaffer (27-10) of Mifflin County and McDowell’s Logan Carrick (24-10). Scheaffer, a sophomore, is ranked 22nd in the state and fourth in the Northwest. He is a first-time regional qualifier. Carrick, a senior, is a three-time regional qualifier who won a district title in 2020. He is ranked eighth regionally.
152 Pounds
1. Luke Sipes (30-1) – Altoona (D6-1st)
2. Carter Weaver (27-12) – Williamsport (D4/9-1st)
3. Kaemen Smith (25-2) – Cathedral Prep (D10-1st)
4. Jermaine Williams (12-2) – Brashear (D8-1st)
5. Aiden Gaugler (36-5) – Selinsgrove (D4/9-2nd)
6. Parker Kearns (27-9) – Mifflin County (D6-2nd)
7. Dante Duncan (9-7) – Obama Academy (D8-2nd)
8. Artis Simmons (21-5) – McDowell (D10-2nd)
Notes: Sipes, a freshman, is ranked ninth in state and first in the region. On the other side of the bracket is Weaver, a junior who just won his third consecutive D4/9 championship and is, as such, a three-time regional qualifier. Ranked seventh in Pennsylvania and third in the NW Region, Weaver was a state qualifier in 2020. Smith won his fourth consecutive D10 title last week. A senior, the four-time regional qualifier made the trip to Hershey in 2020. He’s ranked 12th in the state and second regionally. Williams, a three-time regional qualifier, won his first D8 title after finishing as the district runner-up the previous two seasons. He is a senior. Gaugler, another senior, is a four-time regional qualifier, having finished second in all four of his district tournament appearances. He is ranked 18th statewide and fourth regionally. Kearns, a sophomore ranked 24th in the state and fifth in the Northwest, will be making his first trip to regionals. Simmons, a junior, has qualified for regionals the past two seasons, while Duncan, a sophomore, is a first-timer. Poised outside the top eight seeds are Karson Kline (19-12) of Clearfield and St. Marys Lane Dellaquilla (23-5). Both seniors, Kline, ranked sixth in the Northwest, made his first regional tournament in 2021. Dellaquilla, seventh on the regional poll, previously qualified in 2019 and 2020.
160 Pounds
1. Roman Morrone (31-9) – Williamsport (D4/9-1st)
2. Kyler Everly (10-8) – Mifflin County (D6-1st)
3. Caleb Butterfield (27-2) – McDowell (D10-1st)
4. Elijah White (14-5) – Taylor Allderdice (D8-1st)
5. Rocco Serafini (11-12) – Central Mountain (D6-2nd)
6. Coltyn Sempko (28-8) – Shikellamy (D4/9-2nd)
7. Caiden Kron (8-10) – Carrick (D8-2nd)
8. Clay Mallory (22-5) – Cathedral Prep (D10-2nd)
Notes: Morrone has now won D4/9 championships each of the past two seasons. The senior is a four-time regional qualifier and competed in the state tournament a year ago. He is ranked 10th in the state and first in the region. Everly claimed his second D6 title last week, repeating a feat he accomplished in 2020. Last year he was district and regional runner-up, earning a spot in the state tournament. A senior, the four-time regional qualifier is ranked 12th in Pennsylvania and third in the NW Region. Butterfield, a junior ranked fifth in the Northwest, qualified for regionals in 2020, while first-time D8 champion White, a senior, will appear in his first regional tournament. Serafini was D6 runner-up after winning the 152-pound weight class last year. The sophomore is a regional two-timer. Sempko, ranked 11th in the state and second in the Northwest, qualified for regionals in 2020 and 2019. He is a senior. Kron, a junior, is a two-time regional qualifier, having last done so in 2020. Mallory, a sophomore, is ranked sixth in the Northwest and will be wrestling at the regional tournament for the first time. Ranked 20th in the state and fourth in the region, but falling outside the top eight seeds, is Bradford junior Lukas Laktash (32-4). A two-time regional qualifier, he won districts in 2020. St. Marys’s Isaac Dellaquilla, a junior ranked eighth in the Northwest, qualified for regionals in 2020.
172 Pounds
1. Waylon Wehler (29-2) – St. Marys (D4/9-1st)
2. Magnus Lloyd (32-7) – General McLane (D10-1st)
3. Aaron Sleeth (23-11) – Hollidaysburg (D6-1st)
4. Mateo Bradbury (8-1) – Westinghouse (D8-1st)
5. Kelyn Blossey (17-6) – Cathedral Prep (D10-2nd)
6. Mark McGonigal (26-8) – Clearfield (D4/9-2nd)
7. Malik Goniev (10-2) – Taylor Allderdice (D8-2nd)
8. Braden Newby (19-13) – State College (D6-2nd)
Notes: Wehler won his second consecutive D4/9 championship last week. The junior and now two-time regional qualifier is ranked seventh in the state and first in the Northwest. Lloyd, a sophomore, also won a second consecutive D10 title. Ranked 10th in Pennsylvania and second regionally, this will be the second time he’s appeared at the regional tournament. A senior, Sleeth is a first-time D6 titlist. The now three-time regional qualifier, having previously gone to Altoona in 2019 and 2020, is ranked 19th in the state and sixth in the Northwest. A junior, Bradbury won his second consecutive D8 title last week. He’s qualified for regionals each of the past three seasons. Blossey, a senior, has finished as the D10 runner-up the past two years after earning first place as a freshman and sophomore. The four-time regional qualifier is ranked 13th in the state and fifth in the region. McGonigal, like he did in 2020, finished as the D4/9 runner-up. He was the district champion in 2019 and 2020. A senior, the four-time regional qualifier made it to states as a sophomore and freshman. He is ranked 11th in Pennsylvania and third in the NW Region. Both seniors, Newby, ranked 13th in the state and fifth in the Northwest, and Goniev are regional first-timers. Outside the top eight are Shikellamy senior Gage Wolfe (31-5) and Central Mountain freshman Jacob Weaver (23-16). Wolfe, ranked 12th in the state and fourth in the Northwest, previously qualified for regionals in 2019.
189 Pounds
1. Carter Chamberlin (26-7) – Clearfield (D4/9-1st)
2. Griffin Buzzell (23-1) – Meadville (D10-1st)
3. Trey Shoemaker (32-4) – Mifflin County (D6-1st)
4. Nick Knoblach (24-1) – Carrick (D8-1st)
5. Jessi Stempka (20-7) – General McLane (D10-2nd)
6. Sebastian Robinson (30-14) – Williamsport (D4/9-2nd)
7. Shawn Solomon (13-3) – Brashear (D8-2nd)
8. Carter Weaverling (20-14) – State College (D6-2nd)
Notes: Chamberlin, a sophomore, won this year’s D4/9 title after finishing as the runner-up last season. The two-time regional qualifier is ranked 15th in the state and third regionally. The number one ranked wrestler in the region and sixth-ranked in the state sits on the opposite side of the bracket in the form of Buzzell. The senior won his third-consecutive D10 title last week and is now a four-time regional qualifier. He advanced to the state tournament in 2020. After finishing third at districts the three previous seasons, Shoemaker finally captured his first D6 crown. Ranked seventh in the state and second in the Northwest, the senior is, like Buzzell, now a four-timer at regionals. A senior, Knoblach won his third consecutive D8 championship. He will return to regionals for the third time, having qualified in 2020 and 2019. Whereas Stempka, a junior ranked seventh in the Northwest, is a regional first-timer, Robinson, a senior, previously qualified in 2020. Robinson is ranked 16th in the state and fourth in the region. Solomon is a junior making his first trip to regionals. Weaverling, also a junior, is a three-time regional qualifier. Others of note in this bracket are Selinsgrove sophomore Tucker Teats (27-11) and Damien Galentine (19-14) a Central Mountain senior. Teats, ranked 25th statewide and fifth in the Northwest is a first-time regional qualifier. Galentine, ranked eighth in the NW Region, qualified for this tournament in 2020.
215 Pounds
1. Nicholas Pavlechko (25-3) – State College (D6-1st)
2. Hayden Kovalick (30-2) – Clearfield (D4/9-1st)
3. Troy Peterson (24-4) – McDowell (D10-1st)
4. Marcus Wahila (16-4) – Taylor Allderdice (D8-1st)
5. Steven Miller (29-7) – Selinsgrove (D4/9-2nd)
6. Anson Wagner (28-6) – Mifflin County (D6-2nd)
7. Marquese Howard (4-3) – Perry Traditional (D8-2nd)
8. Russ Wismer (11-17) – General McLane (D10-2nd)
Notes: A sophomore, Pavlechko is ranked first in Pennsylvania and the NW Region. This is his first time as a district champion and regional qualifier. Kovalick won his second D4/9 championship this year. He won his first in 2020 but finished third in 2021. A senior and regional qualifier as a sophomore, he’s ranked 12th in the state and third in the Northwest. Peterson finished third at districts the two prior years before finally breaking through for his first title last week. The junior, ranked fifth regionally, previously advanced to this tournament as a freshman. Wahila, a first-time D8 champion, is a sophomore and will be making his first regional appearance. Like last year, Miller finished as the D4/9 runner-up. A junior, the three-time regional qualifier is ranked 22nd in the state and fourth in the region. Wagner, a senior, was a district champion his sophomore season. Ranked 18th in Pennsylvania and second in the Northwest, he previously qualified for regionals in 2020 and 2019. Howard, a freshman, and Wismer, a senior, are both first-time regional qualifiers. Also in the bracket a three other regionally ranked wrestlers, Hollidaysburg senior Nicklas Eppihimer (26-12, sixth), Juniata junior Jonathan Kauffman (27-7, seventh), and Shikellamy junior Mason Rebuck (21-9, eighth). All are regional first-timers.
285 Pounds
1. Charles Crews (34-6) – Williamsport (D4/9-1st)
2. Wilson Spires (34-4) – General McLane (D10-1st)
3. Jaxson Pupo (25-7) – Mifflin County (D6-1st)
4. Rowere Calloway (5-0) – Brashear (D8-1st)
5. Jack Sroka (19-13) – McDowell (D10-2nd)
6. Oliver Billotte (26-2) – Clearfield (D4/9-2nd)
7. Rene Velasquez (17-9) – Carrick (D8-2nd)
8. Brayden Blackwell (21-16) – Central Mountain (D6-2nd)
Notes: Crews, a senior, won his first D4/9 championship after finishing third the three previous seasons. Ranked fourth in the state and first in the Northwest, the four-time regional qualifier will be looking to advance to states for the first time. Spires approved upon his runner-up finish last season to win the D10 title this year. A three-time regional qualifier, the junior is ranked 10th in the state and third regionally. A senior, Pupo is a district champ and regional qualifier for the first time in his career. He is ranked 20th in Pennsylvania and fourth regionally. Calloway, a junior, is also a first-time district champion and regional qualifier. Another junior, Sroka previously qualified for regionals in 2020. Billotte, a senior, has qualified for states the past two-season, finishing eighth in 2020. The now four-time regional qualifier is ranked fifth statewide and second in the Northwest. Blackwell, a junior ranked seventh regionally, and Velasquez, a senior, are regional first-timers. Other regionally ranked wrestlers in this bracket are DuBois sophomore Zach Gallagher (26-10, fifth), State College senior Shane Focht (15-11, sixth), and Bellefonte senior Tyler Putnam (24-14, eighth). All are first-time regional qualifiers.
