Connellsville’s Kenney earns No. 2 seed
Connellsville’s Ethan Kenney won his third straight Section 2-AAA title last Saturday, and was rewarded with the No. 2 seed at 132 pounds as the WPIAL Class AAA/Southwest Regional Individual Wrestling Championships get underway tonight at Norwin High School.
The top three wrestlers in each of the 14 weight classes advance to the PIAA Championships.
Kenney (35-4) wrestles the winner of Plum’s Eric Green and Pine-Richland’s Luke Esswein. Teammate Tanner Wiltrout (32-5) is the No. 3 seed at 138 pounds, and wrestles the winner of North Hills’ David Tuzikow and Franklin Regional’s Evan Thompson.
Waynesburg Central freshman A.C. Headlee (39-1) is seeded third at 106 pounds. Headlee wrestles the winner between Norwin’s Kevin Miller and Hampton’s Patrick Keyser.
Albert Gallatin’s John Phillips (27-7) received the No. 3 seed at 220 pounds, and wrestles the winner of Baldwin’s DeVontae Evans and Chartiers Valley’s Alex McGeough.
Belle Vernon’s Nate Russo (31-4) is the No. 4 seed at 113, and wrestles the winner of Mt. Lebanon’s Kevin Kinyua and North Hills’ Devon Klaas.
Uniontown’s Nathan Spinetti (24-4), the lone local heavyweight in the district championship, is seeded fourth and faces the winner of Knoch’s Ian Adkins and Gateways’ RJ Hughes.
The Leopards’ Brenden Hasson (29-9) faces Norwin’s 120-pounder Joel Pezze (29-5) in the first round. Cody Lawson (18-11) wrestles a preliminary round bout at 145 against Kiski Area’s Jim Bistline. Adam Nickelson (32-3) faces Greensburg Salem’s Anthony Cable (32-6) in the first round at 170 pounds.
Belle Vernon’s Cole Pierce (23-15) must defeat Central Catholic’s Sam Fallon in the preliminary round to get into the 182-pound field.
Connellsville’s Daniel Leonard (21-14) faces Canon-McMillan’s Brendan Price (33-8) in the opening round at 106. Teammate Colton DeWitt (13-21) wrestles Kiski Area’s Ryan Hardaway (27-12) in the round of 16 at 113 pounds. Tyrone Brown (12-18) wrestles in the preliminary round at 126 pounds against Penn Trafford’s Michael Risnear (15-15). Brandon Umbel (20-9) faces Pine-Richland’s Brendan Burnham (21-7) in the first round at 145.
The Falcons’ Dale Provance (24-9) faces Ambridge’s Josef Baran (30-4) in the first round at 152 pounds. Shawn DeWitt (12-10) faces Kiski Area’s Kyle Skelly (27-3) in the first round at 160. Jeremy Basinger (31-10) faces Chartiers Valley’s Noah Wilps (26-11) in the first round at 170 pounds. Matt Butler (21-15) wrestles Pine-Richland’s Andrew Wood (30-7) in a 182-pound first-round bout.
Connellsville’s Josh Fremd (20-13) faces the winner of Belle Vernon’s Ben Ankrom (13-19) and Canon-McMillan’s Steve LaFrance in the first round at 195 pounds. Dylan Miller (18-9) wrestles Hampton’s Nick Yaroszewski (32-5) in the first round at 220.
Waynesburg’s Michael Heasley (19-18) wrestles Elizabeth-Forward’s John Lukart (15-14) in one of the preliminary bouts at 126 pounds. Teammate Shane Piper (22-15) faces Butler’s Zach Reges (32-8) in the first round at 132. Tommy Henderson (21-15) wrestles Hempfield’s Jesse Giallonardo (28-14) in a first round bout at 138 pounds.
The Raiders’ Chase Patton (17-20) wrestles Belle Vernon’s Zack Weight (34-6) in a preliminary round bout at 160 pounds.
Albert Gallatin’s Collin Smith (23-9) faces Hampton’s Kevin Synan (23-8) in the first round at 138 pounds.