2016 Herald-Standard All-Area Wrestling Team
Holly Tonini
Jefferson-Morgan’s Gavin Teasdale scored his second state title in the PIAA Class AA State Wrestling Championships last year and is setting loftier goals this year.
Holly Tonini
Southmoreland’s Jacob Beistel is crowned state champion after the 285-pound title bout.
Class AA
106: Mason Palmer, Jefferson-Morgan
113: Gavin Teasdale, Jefferson-Morgan
120: Tyler Griffiths, Southmoreland
126: Austin Mihalchik, Mount Pleasant
132: Mike Novak, Mount Pleasant
138: Evan Myers, Southmoreland
145: Hunter Neely, Bentworth
152: Jake Sever, Yough
160: Dominic Fundy, Beth-Center
170: Anthony Welsh, Beth-Center
182: Shawn Hennessey, Mapletown
195: Billy Bowlen, Jefferson-Morgan
220: Tyler Girvin, Frazier
285: Jake Beistel, Southmoreland
Honorable Mention: Bentworth, Manny Dovshek, Ryan Wise; California, James Campbell; Elizabeth-Forward, Fred Howard, Tyler McConahy; Jefferson-Morgan, Trevor Kniha; Mapletown, Harley Gee, Seth Shubert, Tanner Weston; Mount Pleasant, Doug Bittner, Zack Charlesworth, Josh Lind, Alex Miscovich; Southmoreland, Jaden Datz, Jake Virgin; West Greene, Colton Hamilton, Connor Main.
Coach (Staff) of the Year: Chris Shilk, Mapletown
Co-Wrestlers of the Year: Gavin Teasdale, Jefferson-Morgan; Jake Beistel, Southmoreland
NOTES: Local Class AA wrestlers won 27 WPIAL medals, including gold medals by Teasdale, Griffiths, Welsh, Bowlen and Beistel, silvers from Dovshek, Kniha, Myers and Lind, and bronze medals by Miscovich, Mihalchik, Neely, Fundy and Main, eight PIAA Southwestern Regional medals, with a trio of gold medals from Teasdale, Bowlen and Beistel, and five PIAA medals, golds by Teasdale and Beistel. … Teasdale, Beistel, Bowlen, Welsh and Lind won medals in all three championships. … Teasdale and Beistel finished undefeated. … Shilk and his staff led the Maples to the program’s first WPIAL team playoff berth since the reintroduction of the program five years ago, plus producing three WPIAL medalists (Hennessey, Gee, Weston). … Southmoreland coach Ryan Shaw closed his career with the Scotties after Beistel’s state title. … Girvin finished seventh in WPIAL tournament despite the Commodores not having a team. … The starting lineup averaged over 30 wins per wrestler.