The District 4/9 Championships are scheduled for Saturday at Clearfield High School, with the top four grapplers in each weight class advancing to the NW Regional tournament next weekend in Altoona (March 4-5).
Wrestling starts at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, with the championship and consolation finals slated for 4 p.m. The top four wrestlers in each weight class will advance to next week’s North West Regional tournament. As such, this preview is not intended to be a prediction but looks at those wrestlers who have garnered the top five in each bracket (as determined by District 9 tournament director using a power-point system).
(Note: PA Power Wrestling state rankings were released on Feb. 21. Regional rankings [Districts 4, 6, 9, and 10] rankings are as of Feb. 24.)
106 Pounds:
1. Aiden Beimel, Fr. (22-3) – St. Marys
2. Landyn Lukens, Fr. (29-7) – Selinsgrove
3. Les McCormick, Fr. (5-2) – Shikellamy
4. Aubree Donahue, Jr. (8-11) – DuBois
5. Xavier Lutz, Fr. (6-9) – Clearfield
*(five-person bracket)
Notes: This will be the first district tournament at the varsity level for all wrestlers in the bracket. Beimel is ranked second in the NW Region and Lukens sixth.
113 Pounds:
1. Cael Nasdeo, Jr. (25-3) – Williamsport
2. Alex Reed, So. (26-8) – Shikellamy
3. Evan Davis, Jr. (23-8) – Clearfield
4. Dysen Gould, So. (15-7) – Punxsutawney
5. Nathan Martin, Fr. (14-16) – Selinsgrove
*(six-person bracket)
Notes: Wrestling at this weight a year ago, Nasdeo won districts, regionals, and was runner-up at states. He will be looking to earn his third consecutive district crown this outing. Nasdeo is ranked third in the state and first in the NW Region. Reed took third at 106 pounds a year ago. He is ranked fifth regionally. Davis ranked third in the northwest, is a two-time regional qualifier, making the trip to Altoona last year as a 106-pounder. Gould finished fourth at 106 pounds last year. He is ranked sixth in the region. This is Martin’s first district tournament.
120 Pounds:
1. Luke Segraves, Jr. (13-19) – Williamsport
2. Cole Neil, Jr. (14-11) – St. Marys
3. Devon Poe, Sr. (21-9) – Bradford
4. Adam Rougeux, So. (11-12) – Clearfield
5. Cole Lynch, Fr. (3-1) – Shikellamy
*(five-person bracket)
Notes: Segraves won districts last year at 113 pounds and was runner-up in 2020. The two-time regional qualifier is ranked sixth in the region. Of the remaining grapplers in the bracket, only Poe has wrestled at the district tournament before. He took third last season as a 113-pounder. Neil is ranked eighth in the NW Region.
126 Pounds:
1. Brady Collins, Fr. (28-3) – Clearfield
2. Devon Harris, So. (11-13) – Williamsport
3. Leo Martinez, Sr. (11-14) – Selinsgrove
4. Blaize Souder, So. (11-18) – Shikellamy
5. Gavin Rucinski, So. (4-4) – DuBois
*(five-person bracket)
Notes: Collins, wrestling in his first district tournament, is ranked 21st in Pennsylvania and third in the NW Region. Harris was third at districts last year at 120 pounds. He is ranked fifth regionally. Martinez, who wrestled at 120 pounds this season, qualified for regionals in 2020. Souder and Ruckinski will be wrestling in their first district tournaments.
132 Pound:
1. Braden Bower, Sr. (30-2) – Williamsport
2. Brendan Orr, Jr. (24-7) – DuBois
3. Isaac McGregor, So. (24-9) – Shikellamy
4. Ty Aveni, Fr. (12-8) – Clearfield
5. Thomas Strouse, Sr. (7-13) – Selinsgrove
*(five-person bracket)
Notes: Bower, ranked second in the state and first regionally, qualified for states in 2019 and 2021. He won districts in both those seasons, subsequently taking third at regionals in 2019 and finishing as the 132-pound runner-up in 2021. Orr won districts in 2020 and was runner-up at 126 pounds last year. He is ranked seventh in the NW Region. McGregor (19th in the state, fourth regionally), Aveni (eighth in the region), and Strouse will be making their first appearances at districts.
138 Pounds:
1. Nolan Barr, Sr. (19-12) – Clearfield
2. Davey Aughenbaugh, So. (20-11) – DuBois
3. Brett Thompson, Sr. (22-3) – Bradford
4. Charles Keener, So. (24-13) – Shikellamy
5. Trent Turner, So. (10-12) – Selinsgrove
*(eight-person bracket)
Notes: Ranked sixth regionally, Barr has never finished lower than third at his three prior district tournaments. This was good enough to qualify for regionals in 2019 and 2020. Aughenbaugh ranked fourth in the NW Region, won districts last year at 120 pounds. Thompson finished second at districts and qualified for regionals in 2020. Though Thompson spent much of the season at 145 pounds, is ranked fifth regionally. Keener, making his districts debut, is ranked third in the northwest. Turner will be wrestling in his second consecutive district tournament.
145 Pounds:
1. Riley Bower, Sr. (37-7) – Williamsport
2. Austin Mitchell, Sr. (25-8) – DuBois
3. Luke Freeland, Sr. (18-11) – Clearfield
4. Andrew Wolfanger, So. (20-6) – St. Marys
5. Garrett Paradis, Jr. (22-12) – Selinsgrove
*(seven-person bracket)
Notes: Bower, ranked fourth in Pennsylvania and second in the NW Region, is a three-time district champ and two-time regional titlist. He won his first medal at Hershey last year, finishing sixth at this weight. Ranked 24th in the state and fifth regionally, Mitchell was a regional qualifier in 2020. Freeland qualified for regionals in 2020 and 2021, after finishing third and second at districts, respectively. He is ranked eighth in the region. Wolfanger is a district first-timer. Paradis qualified for regionals in 2020.
152 Pound:
1. Carter Weaver, Jr. (25-12) – Williamsport
2. Aiden Gaugler, Sr. (34-4) – Selinsgrove
3. Lane Dellaquilla, Sr. (21-3) – St. Marys
4. Brady Smith, Jr. (14-5) – Punxsutawney
5. Karson Kline, Sr. (16-11) – Clearfield
*(seven-person bracket)
Notes: Weaver has won districts the past two seasons, doing so at 120 pounds last year. A state qualifier in 2020, he is ranked 19th in Pennsylvania and third in the NW Region. Gaugler, ranked 20th in the state and fourth regionally, will be looking to win his first district title after finishing as the runner-up the past three years. Dellaquilla qualified for regionals in 2019 and 2020. He is ranked 21st statewide and fifth regionally. Smith, ranked seventh in the regional poll, is a two-time regional qualifier. He was district runner-up at 152 pounds last season as a sophomore. Kline advanced to regionals for the first time last year after finishing as the district runner-up at 145 pounds. He is ranked eighth in the NW Region.
160 Pounds:
1. Coltyn Sempko, Sr. (26-7) – Shikellamy
2. Roman Morrone, Sr. (28-9) – Williamsport
3. Josiah Foss, Sr. (23-11) – Selinsgrove
4. Lucas Laktash, Jr. (29-3) – Bradford
5. Grant Miller, Jr. (13-2) – Punxsutawney
*(eight-person bracket)
Notes: Sempko is ranked 10th in the state and first in the region. He qualified for regionals in 2019 and 2020. A three-time regional qualifier, Morrone had his best campaign last season. As a 152-pound junior, he won districts, was runner-up at regionals and appeared in his first state tournament. Morrone enters districts 12th in the state poll and second regionally. Foss finished fourth at districts last year as a 152-pounder. He is regionally ranked eighth. Laktash won districts in 2020. He is ranked fourth in the region. Miller, ranked seventh regionally, will be wrestling in his first district tournament.
172 Pounds:
1. Waylon Wehler, Jr. (26-2) – St. Marys
2. Mark McGonigal, Sr. (24-7) – Clearfield
3. Ethan Miller, Fr. (20-9) – Selinsgrove
4. Gage Wolfe, Sr. (28-4) – Shikellamy
5. Landon Martz, So. (15-7) – Punxsutawney
*(eight-person bracket)
Notes: Wehler won districts in 2021 at 189 pounds. He is ranked seventh in Pennsylvania and first in the NW Region. McGonigal, ranked 13th in the state and fourth regionally, is a two-time district champion, having won in 2019 and last year as a junior at 215 pounds. He’s a two-time state qualifier, advancing in 2019 and 2020. Wolfe qualified for regionals in 2019, just missing last season when he finished third at 172 pounds. He is ranked 11th in the state poll and second in the region. Miller and Martz are wrestling at districts for the first time.
189 Pounds:
1. Sebastian Robinson, Sr. (29-13) – Williamsport
2. Carter Chamberlain, So. (23-7) – Clearfield
3. Christopher Rodriguez, Sr. (16-11) – Bradford
4. Tucker Teats, So. (25-10) – Selinsgrove
5. Ryan White, Sr. (4-0) – DuBois
*(eighth-person bracket)
Notes: Robinson qualified for regionals in 2020. He is ranked 15th in the state and second regionally. Chamberlin ranked 22nd in Pennsylvania and third in the NW Region, was runner-up at 172 pounds to qualify for regionals last year. Rodriguez and Teats (25th statewide, fourth regionally) are newcomers to the district tournament. White qualified for regionals in 2020.
215 Pounds:
1. Hayden Kovalick, Sr. (28-2) – Clearfield
2. Steven Miller, Jr. (28-6) – Selinsgrove
3. Mason Rebuck, Jr. (18-8) – Shikallamy
4. Hunter Harris, Sr. (6-9) – Punxsutawney
5. Charlie Lundy, Sr. (2-14) – Williamsport
*(seven-person bracket)
Notes: Ranked 16th statewide and third regionally, Kovalick won districts in 2020. Miller is a two-time regional qualifier, finishing third at districts in 2020 and second at 189 pounds in 2021. He is ranked 21st in the state and fourth in the region. Whereas Rebuck and Harris will be making their district debuts, Lundy appeared in 2020 and qualified for regionals.
285 Pounds:
1. Charles Crews, Sr. (32-6) – Williamsport
2. Oliver Billotte, Sr. (25-1) – Clearfield
3. Zach Gallagher, So. (24-9) – DuBois
4. Blake VanKirk, Sr. (9-15) – Shikellamy
5. Elijah Easton, Jr. (9-10) – Selinsgrove
*(six-person bracket)
Notes: Crews has finished third at regionals the past three seasons, making it to regionals in 2019 and 2020. He is ranked sixth in the state and first regionally. Billotte, ranked seventh statewide and second regionally, advanced to states the past two seasons after finishing second at regionals each time. He placed eighth at the state tournament in 2020. A district champion in 2020, he was third in 2019 and second in 2021. Gallagher is ranked fifth regionally. He finished third at the district tournament last season wrestling as a 215-pounder. VanKirk was fourth at districts a year ago, while this will be Easton’s first time on the district tournament mats.
