Half of the 2018 NHSCA Sophomore National Champions are from Pennsylvania. The Keystone State brought home seven individual Champions from the sophomore division including 18 overall medalists in Virginia Beach. 

State Champion Hunter Catka (Sun Valley) captured the 220 pound title in the Sophomore Division with four falls including one in the finals against Cody Fleming of South Carolina in the Championship finals. Pennsylvania State finalists Kurtis Phipps (Norwin) was third at 106 pounds and Killian Delaney (West Chester Henderson) was second at 113 pounds. 

At 126 pounds it was an all Pennsylvania final between two District 11 sophomores Patrick Noonan (Stroudsburg) and Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic). It was the third time this year that Noonan downed Herrmann with a (6-2) decision over the 2-time State Medalist. It was a nice comeback for Noonan who had to withdraw from the District 11 Championships, missing the postseason. Another NHSCA Sophomore National Champion who missed the individual postseason was Andrew Cerniglia of Nazareth. The 2017 PIAA State Medalist couldn’t crack into the Blue Eagle line-up, once Nathan Stefanick and Ryan O’Grady dropped down, but that didn’t stop Cerniglia from making an impact on the National level in Virginia.

Another all Pennsylvania final occurred at 145 pounds when Cole Handlovic (Bethlehem Catholic) took on AJ Tamburino (William Tennent). Handlovic, a PIAA State Medalist in March, won a tight 3-1 decision over Tamburino who also missed the postseason after winning the Suburban One Continental Section due to an illness. State Medalist Clayton Ulrey (Lower Dauphin) won the Championship title at 152 pounds while 2-time State Medalists Gerrit Nijenhuis (Canon-McMillan) took home the National title at 170 pounds and Gaige Garcia (Southern Columbia) captured 182 pounds.

 

106 LBS

1st Dominic Chavez (TX) DEC Nicholas Babin (NJ), 6-2
3rd Kurtis Phipps (PA) DEC Hunter Adrian (MA), 7-1
5th Cody Minor (WI) DEC Tommy Larson (WI), 2-0
7th Alex Yokubaitis (LA) DEC Jake Eckerle (NY), 4-2

 

113 LBS

1st Tristan Lujan (CA) DEC Killian Delaney (PA), 4-2
3rd Lachlan McNeil (ZZ) F Dylan Cedeno (NJ), 5:24
5th Thomas Deck (KY) DEC Logan Mazzeo (NJ), 7-0
7th Joseph Contrastano (NY) DEC Kobe Early (NC), 4-2

 

120 LBS

1st Kysen Terukina (HI) DEC Bretli Reyna (FL), 6-3
3rd Ryan Jack (CT) DEC Zachary Redding (NY), 5-4
5th Logan Patterson (NY) DEC Drew Munch (PA), 5-1
7th Maxx Mayfield (NE) MD Nicholas Masters (GA), 12-0

 

126 LBS

1st Patrick Noonan (PA) DEC Kenny Herrmann (PA), 6-2
3rd Andrew Clark (NJ) DEC Cade Balestrini (PA), 1-0
5th Christopher Rivera (FL) DEC Justin McDougald (NY), 4-2 SV
7th Brenden Johnson (CA) DEC Chase Yost (KY), 4-2

 

132 LBS

1st Chase Saldate (CA) DEC William McDougald (NY), 10-8
3rd Ed Scott (PA) DEC Jonathan Miers (PA), 3-1 SV
5th Luke Odom (IL) F Peyton Hall (WV), 3:27
7th Brayden Roberts (WV) FOR Stockton Obrien (UT)

 

138 LBS

1st Andrew Cerniglia (PA) DEC John Martin Best (WV), 3-0
3rd Frankie Tal-shahar (FL) DEC Bryce Hepner (OH), 9-2
5th Francis Morrissey (GA) DEC Jax Garoutte (CO), 6-4
7th Tyler Sung (CT) DEC Noah Castillo (FL), 4-0

 

145 LBS

1st Cole Handlovic (PA) DEC AJ Tamburrino (PA), 3-1
3rd Lucas Desilva (GA) DEC Charles Darracott (GA), 4-2
5th Hayden Lieb (AK) DEC AJ Kovacs (CT), 12-8
7th Camdyn Ingram (LA) FOR Evan Goodall (MA)

 

152 LBS

1st Clayton Ulrey (PA) DEC Connor O’Neill (NJ), 4-3
3rd Gavin Kane (GA) DEC Jaziah Whaley, Jr. (CO), 3-1
5th JT Stinson (CA) F Garrett Jangula (ND), 0:46
7th Trevor Christian (MO) DEC Cole Gray (CO), 11-10

 

160 LBS

1st Graham Calhoun (IN) DEC John Poznanski (NJ), 6-5
3rd Tyler Stoltzfus (PA) DEC Ethan Cooper (NY), 11-7
5th Nick Delp (PA) F Jesse Martinez (FL), 4:31
7th Jaden Bullock (VA) DEC Colin Stevens (KY), 5-4

 

170 LBS

1st Gerrit Nijenhuis (PA) DEC Ashton Habeil (FL), 11-5
3rd Brandon Green (NJ) DEC Mason Christiansen (UT), 7-4
5th Walker Stephenson (SC) DEC Shane Reitsma (NJ), 5-2
7th Ethan Hatcher (OH) DEC Armando Acosta (FL), 3-1

 

182 LBS

1st Gaige Garcia (PA) DEC Chase Stegall (MO), 3-2
3rd Jaden Glauser (IL) MD Jack Wimmer (PA), 12-1
5th Nicholas Benton (FL) F Kameron Moreno (MT), 1:34
7th Nick Crawford (OH) DEC Guillermo Escobedo (CA), 3-2

 

195 LBS

1st Cody Goodman (IL) F Jackson Filipowicz (GA), 5:35
3rd Luke Chakonis (NJ) DEC Matthias Ervin (KY), 5-2
5th Danny Striggow (MN) DEC Chase Barnes (SC), 4-2
7th Garrett Kappes (MD) MD Samuel McNulty (OH), 14-1

 

220 LBS

1st Hunter Catka (PA) F Cody Fleming (SC), 3:59
3rd DJ Lundy (GA) MD Daniel Miranda (FL), 11-1
5th Davin Vann (NC) DEC Jeffrey Worster (ME), 6-3
7th Hugo Harp (DE) MD Bowdy Boyce (TN), 21-7

 

285 LBS

1st Craig Orlando (MN) F Curtis Ruff (FL), 4:44
3rd Isaac Righter (MD) F Landon Porter (MO), 3:44
5th Rodriguez Nunnally (GA) DEC Josiah Hill (CA), 1-0
7th Austin Chapman (WV) F Tucker Shelton (KY), 5:09