Dangerous duo
Leopards’ Brown, Falcons’ Vielma named co-wrestlers of the year
Elijah Brown and Kai Vielma competed against each other when they wrestled in the youth leagues, but those matches were a long time ago.
That may seem hard to believe, as Brown now has about 70 pounds on Vielma, but despite the change in weight classes, the duo can share one distinction: They are state champions.
Brown, a Belle Vernon senior, earned his second PIAA gold medal in the 215-pound weight class on March 7 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Vielma, a Connellsville junior, also won a PIAA title on the same date while competing in the same venue and city, but it was his first, and the championship came at 145.
Brown and Vielma’s achievements this past wrestling season have earned them another title as the Herald-Standard All-District Co-Wrestlers of the Year.
Brown was the wrestler of the year a season ago, and Vielma, who was on the first team as a sophomore, has earned his initial accolade from the Herald-Standard.
Brown won the Leopards’ first state championship in wrestling during his junior season, and his victory this year gives the program two state titles.
“It’s cool to win Belle Vernon’s first two state titles, but I think it is more of a legacy thing where I can set an example for kids 10 to 15 years down the road,” Brown said. “It is awesome and a great feeling, but I want it to serve as an example for the next group of guys coming up. I want them to use it as something to aspire to, and I hope they can do it.”
Vielma won the Falcons’ 15th state championship, and he looks to join Kevin Saniga (1991, 1993), Ron Doppelheuer (2000, 2001), Jarrod King (2003, 2004) and current Connellsville assistant coach Ashtin Primus (2005, 2006) as two-time winners.
John Richey (1991), Justin Martin (1995), Dewitt Driscoll (2001), Steve Bell (2005), Nate Gaffney (2009) and Jared Keslar (2022) each have one state gold for the Falcons.
Vielma, who will continue his academic and wrestling careers at Stanford University following his high school graduation next year, had to pinch himself, even after he returned home and went back to school on Monday, to realize that his dream of winning a state championship had come true.
“It has always been a dream of mine to be a state champ, and I have been chasing it my whole life, but it was kind of weird coming back to school on Monday and having people tell me I’m a state champ,” Vielma said. “Obviously, I know I’m a state champ, but it’s surreal right now. I was just talking to a friend of mine about that at school today (Wednesday). It was such an amazing feeling to have the whole community congratulating me.”
Vielma completed his mission with a 4-0 decision over Central Mountain’s Aiden Kunes in the 145-pound final. Kunes’ three setbacks this past season were to Vielma, who won the first two matches by scores of 5-2.
Kunes is obviously no slouch either, as he had a season record of 41-3. The junior has a career mark of 114-30. Kunes will continue his academic and wrestling careers for the United States Air Force Academy.
Vielma set a Connellsville single-season record for victories this season with 51. Gaffney was the previous record holder after he won 49 in 2009 on his way to a state championship at 215.
Vielma has a career record of 140-15, and is on pace to catch Primus for the all-time leader in program wins with 179.
“I was at practice on Monday,” Vielma said. “I am super proud of winning a state title, but I was asked if I was going to take some time off, but I told someone today that I wouldn’t know what I would do without practice. It has become part of my daily routine like breakfast in the morning.
“If you fall in love with the sport, or any passion in life, it makes the journey fun, and it is not always about the final destination. It’s about the journey there and the person you become. I know that others are working just as hard, so I have to maintain my focus on winning a second state title. Coach Primus is amazing, and to be in company with him is incredible.”
Vielma’s three setbacks this season were to wrestlers outside of Pennsylvania. He lost twice in the Powerade tournament to Tyler Traves of Mountain View, Va., and Robert Duffy of Christian Brothers Academy, N.J., and dropped a decision in the Escape the Rock finals to Tyler Dekraker of Lake Highland Prep, Fla.
“I didn’t wrestle like myself in the quarterfinals (against Traves) at Powerade and I dropped down into the blood round,” Vielma said. “I beat a pretty good kid there, and it was 0-0 going into the third period in my match in the next round against Duffy, but I got caught and cradled by the No. 6 kid in the country.
“I believe I was better than him, and I was hoping for a rematch with him at Escape the Rock, but he was on the other side of the bracket.
I lost in the finals at Escape the Rock to the No. 2 guy in the country. I was right there in that match, and those matches are good because they show that I am right there.”
Vielma wasn’t taken down in his 15 individual postseason matches on his way to the state championship.
Brown had an early loss in the season, which he avenged in the finals of the PIAA Class 3A Western Regional, and didn’t look back in rolling to his second state championship.
Brown’s loss came to DuBois’ Kendahl Hoare in the Trinity Duals on Dec. 6. The 10-8 setback stun but Brown didn’t let it get to him, as he spent much of his offseason recuperating from a torn lateral collateral ligament (LCL) that he suffered in last year’s state final, which hindered his conditioning in Brown’s third match of the season.
Brown downed Hoare, 7-1, to win the regional championship on Feb. 28 at Canon-McMillan High School.
Brown only had five matches this season that were decided by decision or less, including a 17-13 decision over Owen J. Roberts’ Decker Bechtold in the semifinals of the MyHouse Trojan Wars on Dec. 28 at Chambersburg High School.
Brown defeated Bechtold, 4-1, in the state semifinals before he edged Garnet Valley’s Paxton Hunt, 1-0, in the 215-pound final.
The semifinals and finals appeared on paper as close matches, but Brown was never in any danger of being taken down. Hunt chose bottom to start the third period, which was most likely to avoid Brown getting on top, which is one of his strengths.
“I think a lot of their gameplan was to keep the score close and try to score in the last period,” Brown said. “Not that I was doing the same thing, but I wasn’t opening up as much as I did during the normal season because in the state tournament, a 1-0 win is the same as a 15-0 win. I didn’t want to get caught up in trying to win by a landslide.”
The Penn State commit was 46-1 this season and 173-20 for his career. Brown is the all-time leader in career wins at Belle Vernon. He passed Zachary Hartman, who had 170, in the quarterfinals at the state tournament. Brown set the single-season mark at Belle Vernon for victories with 48 as a junior. Jason Weslager had 47 in 2005.
Brown’s high school career is officially complete, but he will compete in one more match on March 28 at the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic inside the AHN Arena on the campus of Peters Township High School. He will represent Team Pennsylvania, and battle Kal-El Fluckiger of Chandler, Ariz., in the main event between the United States All-Stars and Team Pennsylvania.
Fluckiger, an Arizona State commit, won the Super 32 championship with a fall in the finals at 215. He pinned Hoare for the title. FloWrestling has Fluckiger ranked No. 7 nationally at 215. Brown is No. 16 on FloWrestling’s national list.
“I am super excited to wrestle in the Classic,” Brown said. “It may be an exhibition, but my coaches and I are going to prepare for this like we are for states. I think there will be less pressure since no medal is on the line, so I am excited to let it fly and get after it.”
Brown and Vielma are two of 26 wrestlers that make up the all-district first and second teams.
The first team features Brown (215) and Vielma (145); Albert Gallatin’s Jenna Chapman (235); Beth-Center’s Noah Layhue (215) and Mason Wright (139); Connellsville’s Tommy Gretz (121), Luke Lilley (152), Nolan Rice (127) and Daniel Smith (139); Frazier’s Jonah Erdely (152); Jefferson-Morgan’s Alek Palko (160); Southmoreland’s Zoey Murphy (235); and West Greene’s Colin Whyte (285).
The second team consists of Albert Gallatin’s Greyson Morris (114); Beth-Center’s Malachi Peak (189); Connellsville’s Zach Franks (114), Jake Lilley (160), Landon Lynn (133), Trinity Moore (112) and Olivia Shultz (155); Jefferson-Morgan’s Brayden Hanning (107), Caleb Dulaney (114) and Landon Heath (285); Mount Pleasant’s Tristan Wtorkiewicz (152); Southmoreland’s Kaden Shannon (285); and West Greene’s Josie Mason (136).
The Coach of the Year is Bill Swink of Connellsville.
As usual, inclusion of the all-district team was determined by the accomplishments of each wrestler within their respective weight class. Boys and girls will be included together on the first and second teams.
CO-WRESTLERS OF THE YEAR: Elijah Brown, Belle Vernon; Kai Vielma, Connellsville
COACH OF THE YEAR: Bill Swink, Connellsville
FIRST TEAM
Elijah Brown, Belle Vernon (215, 12, 46-1)
Kai Vielma, Connellsville (145, 11, 51-3)
Tommy Gretz, Connellsville (121, 11, 46-15)
Zoey Murphy, Southmoreland (235, 12, 26-3)
Colin Whyte, West Greene (285, 12, 48-4)
Jenna Chapman, Albert Gallatin (235, 10, 22-8)
Jonah Erdely, Frazier (152, 12, 35-3)
Nolan Rice, Connellsville (127, 11, 46-12)
Daniel Smith, Connellsville (139, 10, 26-21)
Mason Wright, Beth-Center (139, 12, 39-15)
Noah Layhue, Beth-Center (215, 12, 47-6)
Alek Palko, Jefferson-Morgan (160, 10, 38-12)
Luke Lilley, Connellsville (152, 10, 38-15)
SECOND TEAM
Malachi Peak, Beth-Center (189, 12, 41-8)
Brayden Hanning, Jefferson-Morgan (107, 9, 36-14)
Josie Mason, West Greene (136, 9, 10-4)
Kaden Shannon, Southmoreland (215, 12, 32-11)
Trinity Moore, Connellsville (112, 12, 29-10)
Jake Lilley, Connellsville (160, 10, 38-14)
Landon Lynn, Connellsville (133, 12, 29-17)
Landon Heath, Jefferson-Morgan (285, 12, 37-13)
Caleb Dulaney, Jefferson-Morgan (114, 10, 36-13)
Tristan Wtorkiewicz, Mount Pleasant (152, 11, 37-10)
Olivia Shultz, Connellsville (155, 11, 27-13)
Zach Franks, Connellsville (114, 12, 28-11)
Greyson Morris, Albert Gallatin (114, 9, 32-17)