HERSHEY, Pa. — Hickory’s Louie Gill and Brookville’s Nathan Taylor bookended state titles for District 10 and 9 respectively at the PIAA Class 2A Wrestling Championships at Giant Center Friday night.
The freshman Gill won a 6-2 decision over fellow freshman Cooper Hornack of Burrell in the 106-pound final to cap off a 30-5 season. He’s the fifth Hornet to win a state title and first since Kyle Cheza won the 105-pound title way back in 1987.
Gill’s championship finished off a strong postseason for Hickory, which had three other top-eight medalists with Connor Saylor’s sixth-place finish at 126, Carter Gill’s seventh at 145 and Justin O’Neill’s eighth at 113.
Hickory’s place winners at the PIAA wrestling championships. Connor Saylor (6th), Carter Gill (7th), Justin O’Neill (8th) and Louie Gill (1st). Photo courtesy of Hickory Athletics
Hickory’s 27 team points put them ninth in the team standings, just ahead of 10th-place Reynolds which medaled two wrestlers.
Brookville wound up in fifth place, led by Taylor’s run to the heavyweight title. He capped a 3-0 run with a 5-3 decision over Bishop McDevitt’s Riley Robell in the final. A fourth-place medalist at 220 last year, Taylor won Brookville’s third straight heavyweight title. His teammate Colby Whitehill won the last two state championships.
Also for the Raiders, junior Owen Reinsel finished fourth at 120 pounds, his second fourth-place medal.
Sheffield’s Ethan Finch was the other D9 or D10 finalist, getting pinned by Montoursville’s Cael Crebs in the second period.
Reynolds’ two-time state champion Gary Steen wound up finishing third at 120 pounds, majoring Brookville’s Reinsel 9-0 in the consolation final. Steen finished his career as a four-time medalist, winning titles as a freshman and junior and finished third as a sophomore.
Reynolds’ Kaeden Berger finished fourth at 145 pounds.
Also for District 10, Greenville medaled two wrestlers, Chase McLaughlin’s fifth at 126 and Cole Karpinski’s sixth at 189. Girard heavyweight Jordan Schell finished fourth. Harbor Creek’s Connor Pierce was fourth at 132 pounds.
Saegertown’s Hunter Robison finished fifth at 106, Corry’s Hayden Linkerof was seventh at 215, Mercer’s Carson Filer finished seventh at 138.
Fort LeBoeuf medaled three, JoJo Przybycien was sixth at 120, Jack Rimpa eighth at 152 and Timmy Church eighth at 172.
District 9’s other medal came from Johnsonburg’s Cole Casilio, who was seventh at 160.
