VIRGINIA BEACH – 2017 Pennsylvania Class 2A State Champion Edmond Ruth (Susquehanna Twp.) continued his success into Virginia Beach where he won a NHSCA Sophomore Nationals Championship at 160 lbs. The young star had an impressive performance in the Championship finals against 2017 National Prep Finalist Jackson Turley (St. Christopher’s, VA). Down (6-3) going into the third period Ruth escaped and scored a takedown to make it (6-6). After Turley escaped, Ruth was down a point with (1:30) left in the match, and pressed the action on his feet. With under ten seconds left in the match Ruth attempted to go behind Turley and as time expired he was awarded the takedown winning the National Championship (8-7). It was a step up from his National runner-up finish a season ago in Virginia Beach at the NHSCA Freshman Nationals.

Ruth was joined by a fellow District 3 wrestler Gabe Miller (Pequea Valley) as a 2017 NHSCA Sophomore National Champion. The PIAA State Medalist won the 132 lbs. bracket with a stunning victory over Connor McGonagle (Timberlane, NH). A year ago at the NHSCA Freshman Nationals McGonagle defeated Miller (10-2) in the 126 lbs. National Finals.

Miller’s improvement was obvious on Sunday in Virginia Beach when he avenged the defeat by pinning McGonagle in the second period. After giving up the opening takedown Miller scored a reversal then, after an escape by McGonagle, connected on single leg takedown on the edge to close out the first period. In the second Miller took bottem and scored on a reversal with a headlock. After working McGonagle over Miller secured the fall at the (2:50) mark to win the NHSCA Sophomore National Championship.

Three Pennsylvania wrestlers fell one win short of a Championship title advancing into the Sophomore National finals. At 113 lbs. 2017 PIAA State Qualifier Marckis Branford (Wilson Area) dropped a (10-6) match in the Championship finals to Josh Blatt (North Carolina) who last season was a NHSCA Freshman Nationals Runner-up. Big Spring wrestler Hunter Gregoris joined Branford on the podium as he finished in sixth place. Father Judge’s 2017 PIAA State Qualifier Liam Logue competed at 106 lbs. where he took eighth place. 

Returning NHSCA National Champion Cam Enriquez (Stroudsburg), who won a Freshman National title a season ago, finished in fourth at 120 lbs. The 2017 PIAA State Medalist was the lone Pennsylvania wrestler on the podium. 2-time PIAA State Qualifier Jeffrey Boyd (McDowell) took home a fifth place finish at 126 lbs.

Bethlehem Catholic sophomore Luca Frinzi, a PIAA State Qualifier, placed fifth at 138 lbs. while 2016 PIAA State Medalist Ryan Vulakh (Pope John II) was the National Runner-up at 145 lbs. Hanover Area sophomore Owen Davis was the lone Pennsylvania medalist at 152 lbs. finishing in sixth. 2-time PIAA State Medalist Jared McGill (Chestnut Ridge) battled back from a semifinals defeat to finish in third place at 170 lbs. Belle Vernon’s Scott Joll joined McGill on the podium taking 6th place.

One of the most impressive sophomores of the 2017 season, Cole Urbas (State College), continued to impress advancing into the 182 lbs. finals. As a freshman Urbas placed fifth in the NHSCA Freshman Nationals. The 2017 PIAA State Medalist fell to Jack Parr (St. Pauls, MD), a 2017 National Prep All-American, in the finals (9-2). Rounding out the fourteen NHSCA Sophomore All-Americans from Pennsylvania was Wyoming Seminary’s Michael Doggett who took 7th at 195 lbs.

Full brackets can be found on the Flo Arena here.

 

NHSCA SOPHOMORE NATIONALS

 

106 LBS
1st Sam Latona (AL) DEC Jacob Moran (IN), 7-5 SV
3rd Logan Ashton (GA) DEC Chase Tebbets (WA), 5-1
5th Steele Dias (NV) DEC Isaiah Calderon (TX), 4-2
7th John Worthing (NY) DEC Liam Logue (Father Judge), 6-4 SV

113 LBS
1st Josh Blatt (NC) DEC Marckis Branford (Wilson Area), 10-6
3rd Jack Darling (MA) DEC Ryan Garlitz (MA), 5-1
5th Trey Lane (FL) TF Hunter Gregoris (Big Spring), 19-2 5:18
7th Brandon Wittenberg (VA) DEC Brock Peele (IN), 6-0

120 LBS
1st Gabriel Hixenbaugh (AL) DEC James McClain-Green (TX), 3-1
3rd Kyle Gollhofer (GA) DEC Cam Enriquez (Stroudsburg), 3-0
5th Malyke Hines (FL) MD Max Kauffman (AL), 13-1
7th Paul Truntich (MD) DEC Caden Lamer (SD), 10-7

126 LBS
1st Colton Yapoujian (CO) DEC Garret Kloeppel (MO), 5-1
3rd Bryce Andonian (OH) DEC Paul Watkins (GA), 11-5
5th Jeffrey Boyd (McDowell) DEC Ray Kable (MD), 8-6 SV
7th Kyle Fields (CT) DEC Reece Witcraft (OK), 7-3

132 LBS
1st Gabe Miller (Pequea Valley) F Connor McGonagle (NH), 2:50
3rd Ben Pasiuk (OH) DEC Anthony Croce (NJ), 12-5
5th Zak Kohler (UT) MD Samuel Glassco (OH), 18-7
7th Conner Kraus (NJ) MD Reese Karst (WY), 12-1

138 LBS
1st Michael Weber (MT) DEC Devin Schwartzkopf (MO), 2-1
3rd Raydan Wilder (GA) DEC Tristen Cabinta (NH), 4-0
5th Luca Frinzi (Bethlehem Catholic) DEC Nathan Conley (IN), 9-4
7th Denen Fernandez (AZ) DEC Alex Winant (NJ), 12-5

145 LBS
1st Brevin Balmeceda (FL) DEC Ryan Vulakh (Pope John II), 6-0
3rd Zane Brown (KY) DEC Sam Dover (OH), 4-2
5th Weston Milnes-Bowers (AZ) DEC Ein Carlos (OR), 10-7
7th Corey Connolly (NY) F Wyatt McCarthy (NJ), 5:10

152 LBS
1st Mason Reiniche (TN) DEC Ross McFarland (NY), 2-1
3rd Abe Assad (IL) DEC Robert Kanniard (NJ), 9-8
5th Jacob Nolan (NY) DEC Owen Davis (Hanover Area), 8-4
7th Kolton Clark (AL) F Nick Addison (NJ), 5:00

160 LBS
1st Edmond Ruth (Susquehanna Twp.) DEC Jackson Turley (VA), 8-7
3rd Carson Kharchla (OH) MD Alex Cramer (IL), 10-1
5th Sean Harman (OR) F Joseph Barnes (CA), 3:29
7th Cory Peterson (IL) DEC Zac Russell (MO), 9-4

170 LBS
1st Jacob Cardenas (NJ) DEC Troy Fisher (KS), 4-1
3rd Jared McGill (Chestnut Ridge) DEC Christian Rodriguez (CA), 2-1
5th Santino Morina (NJ) F Scott Joll (Belle Vernon), 5:50
7th Gabriel Lee (GA) F Talon Borror (OK), 5:33

182 LBS
1st Jack Parr (MD) DEC Cole Urbas (State College), 9-2
3rd Jonathon Fagen (ID) DEC Christian Knop (AL), 9-3
5th Noah Evans (TN) DEC Drake Barbee (OK), 5-3
7th Zac Brown (VA) F Carlos-Miguel Figueroa-Orduno (AL), 1:18

195 LBS
1st Ryan Reyes (CA) DEC Zach Marcheselli (OK), 5-4
3rd Hudson Jump (OH) DEC Lewis Fernandes (NJ), 5-1
5th Bradley Antesberger (AK) DEC Terren Swartz (WY), 8-5
7th Michael Doggett (Wyoming Seminary) F Dylan Herman (NC), 0:45

220 LBS
1st Owen Trephan (SC) DEC Jordan Pryor (MD), 5-1
3rd Yaraslau Slavikouski (MA) F Tomari Fox (GA), 3:38
5th Thomas Mukai (VA) MD Joshua Heindselman (OK), 16-5
7th Kyle Cornwell (IN) F Caleb Allison (AL), 3:43

285 LBS
1st Michael Kramer (TN) F Jervey Sistrunk (NJ), 4:20
3rd John High (NJ) F Paul Liseno (NJ), 5:45
5th John Oxce (NC) DEC Kevin Cerruti (NJ), 6-4 SV
7th Darius Wilkins (FL) DEC Brandon Moran (WV), 7-0