Mt. Lebanon’s Gibbons named Almanac Most Valuable Grappler
Cole Gibbons of Mt. Lebanon accomplished nearly everything possible during his scholastic wrestling career.
He won more than 100 matches to join a select few in the school’s Century Club. He collected more than a dozen medals and won his share of championships. He also garnered honors, including being selected to participate in one of the most prestigious post-season wrestling events in the county.
Today, Gibbons earns another achievement that further cements his legacy at Lebo. The senior has been named The Almanac’s Most Valuable Grappler for the 2026 wrestling season.
Gibbons was a unanimous choice. When polled by participating coaches in The Almanac’s all-star selection survey, Gibbons was nominated as MVP on all ballots.
Gibbons headlines The Almanac wrestling all-star team, which is selected annually with the help of the area coaches in the readership area. They are asked to nominate team members that deserve recognition and supply supporting data, including records.
Based on the information as well as matches covered by The Almanac, a wrestler is then selected in each weight classification. Final picks in each weight are based on where the wrestler finished the competitive season, regardless of record.
Gibbons finished at the top of his class. This winter, he rolled up a 41-8 record. He captured championships in Allegheny County, the section and the WPIAL. He was a regional runner-up and a state medalist, placing sixth at 160 in the PIAA championships.
Gibbons polished off his scholastic career with an appearance in the 52nd annual Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic. He represented the WPIAL in an all-star matchup against Oklahoma’s best. During the exhibition, the WPIAL defeated Oklahoma, 56-3.
“I was honored to be a part of something so historic,” Gibbons said of the Classic, which is dubbed the Rose Bowl of High School Wrestling. “Truly blessed to be able to say I competed in that historic event,” he added.
Gibbons carved out his own spot in the annals of Mt. Lebanon wrestling history.
During the Moon Duals held Dec. 13, 2025, Gibbons scored a last-second takedown to beat Ewan Olson of Derry, 7-5, for his 100th career victory.
The achievement is extraordinary because Gibbons is among only a handful of grapplers to reach the plateau although Mt. Lebanon has produced more than a dozen state champions.
Luke Stout leads the list with 153 career wins followed by his brothers, Kellan (138) and Mac (133). Nathan Hoagland (110), Jackson Gray (106) and Ben Lloyd (104) are also members of the Century Club. Gibbons finished 133-44 overall with 52 career falls.
Of the 100-plus win milestone Gibbons said, “It’s the standard and to be one of only a few from Mt. Lebanon to have done it is 100 percent meaningful. It felt amazing to have accomplished that.”
Off the mats, Gibbons has attained much. He is a three-time WPIAL champion in lacrosse, an outstanding student with a 4.6 overall grade point average, a champion in Future Business Leaders of America competitions and, last but not least, the school’s mascot for football and basketball frays.
Gibbons also is a scholarship winner. He will continue his wrestling career at New York University while pursuing a career in business.
“I think it’s a perfect fit for me,” he said. “I wanted a high level of academics and a good wrestling program.”
SALA REPEATS
Evan Sala joins Gibbons on The Almanac all-star list again. He was a selection last season as a sophomore.
A junior, Sala managed a 25-10 mark to improve 64-28 overall for his career. Sala was the section runner-up and fifth-place finisher in the WPIAL at 127 pounds. He qualified for the regional tournament but was unable to advance to the PIAA tournament.
SF DUO
South Fayette had many standout wrestlers this winter but Conner Dean and Peter Leventis proved a dominant one-two punch for the Lions.
A freshman, Dean garnered Almanac Rookie of the Year honors. He posted a 26-15 overall record this winter.
“Connor had an outstanding season as a freshman,” said South Fayette head coach Rich Chaussard. “He competed in one of the hardest sections, maybe in the state, with four of the top ranked wrestlers in the district and state in his weight class.
“Connor is one of the most underrated, dedicated and hardest wrestlers on the team,” Chaussard added.
Peter Leventis put a stamp on his standout career becoming the latest Lion to enter the Century Club. He finished 114-48 overall after posting a 42-12 record this winter. Leventis was an Allegheny County champion as well as a medalist at the TRICADA (third) and Burgettstown (fifth) tournaments.
A bronze-medalist in the South Sectional, Leventis placed seventh in the WPIAL. He also was a PIAA West Regional qualifier.
“With 42 wins, Peter finished eighth on the single-season win list at South Fayette,” Chaussard noted.
Of his team captain Chaussard added, “Peter’s leadership on and off the mat with helping teammates was exceptional.”
3 FOR 30
Three Almanac wrestling all-stars amassed 30 or more victories this winter.
Nicholas McGarrity topped this list with his 36-6 record. A junior, who was the Almanac’s MVP last season, suffered an injury late in the season that inhibited his performance in the PIAA regional tournament.
After winning his third section title, McGarrity finished sixth in the WPIAL.
McGarrity, who is 123-15 overall with 69 career falls, committed to Stanford University back in October.
Bethel Park’s Ian Bucheli and Colton Fisher were both 30-match winners this winter. Both are juniors.
After his 33-9 season, Bucheli is 19 wins away from entering the Century Club. This winter, he was the section runner-up, the sixth-place finisher in the WPIAL and a regional qualifier.
Fisher finished fourth in the section and seventh in the WPIAL. He did not place in the regional. He posted a 30-18 record to improve his overall mark to 73-44, some 27 wins away from the Century Club.
CV TRIO
Chartiers Valley dominated at the heavier weights this winter, placing three grapplers in a row on The Almanac all-star list.
Michael Lawrence ruled the 172-pound weight class. With 110 career victories, he ranks in the Top 10 in all-time wins for Chartiers Valley. According to head coach Billy Evans, “Michael was one of the top five most athletic wrestlers that I have ever coached.”
A standout on the gridiron for the Colts, he will play football at Clarion this fall.
During the 2026 wrestling season, Lawrence compiled a 35-10 record. The team captain finished fourth in the Allegheny County championships, third in the section and sixth in the WPIAL.
Musabek Sadyrbekov, like his brother Tilek who wrestled at 139, is new to the sport. The siblings came to America from Kyrgyzstan two years ago. “Musabek is quickly becoming one of the top wrestlers to watch in the WPIAL and state,” said Evans.
A sophomore, Sadyrbekov was the 189-pound runner-up in Allegheny County. He finished fourth in the section and fifth in the WPIAL. He compiled a 30-10 record this winter.
Another sophomore, Wyar Alozie was a WPIAL qualifier at 215 pounds. He placed sixth in the sectional and finished with 17 victories in 35 matches this season.
USC ADDS 3
Upper St. Clair also put three wrestlers on The Almanac all-star list.
At 121, Alisher Abdurakhmanov posted a 17-17 record. He is a two-time Almanac all-star.
Kurt Baran finished at 15-11 overall at 133 while Alex Zevallos dominated the heavyweight division.
A junior, Zevallos registered a 28-12 record. After starting the season fifth at the Burgettstown Tournament, he improved to third in Allegheny County. A WPIAL qualifier, he finished fifth in the section.
Almanac Wrestling All-Stars
107 Conner Dean, South Fayette 26-15
114 Nicholas McGarrity, Peters Township 36-6 (6th in WPIAL)
121 Alisher Abdurakhmanov, Upper St. Clair 17-17
127 Evan Sala, Mt. Lebanon 25-10 (5th in WPIAL)
133 Kurt Baran, Upper St. Clair 15-11
139 Peter Leventis, South Fayette 42-12 (7th WPIAL)
145, Ian Bucheli, Bethel Park 33-9 (5th, WPIAL)
152 Colton Fisher, Bethel Park 30-18 (7th, WPIAL)
160 Cole Gibbons, Mt. Lebanon 41-8 (1st, WPIAL)
172 Michael Lawrence, Chartiers Valley 35-10 (6th, WPIAL)
189 Musabek Sadyrbekov, Chartiers Valley 30-10 (5th, WPIAL)
215 Wyar Alozie, Chartiers Valley 17-18
285 Alex Zwevallos, USC 28-12
MVP Cole Gibbons
Honorable Mention: Carson Elder, Caleb Crawford – Bethel Park; Tilek Sadyrbekov – Chartiers Valley; Ben Mares, Carson Cannone, Eddie Ercegovic, Ewan Keplar – Mt. Lebanon; Landen Pusateri – Peters Township; Brock Dennison, Donavan Goins – South Fayette; Spencer Hills, Mateo Amorosa, Derek Worstell, Bryce Catanzaro, Luca Coury, Will Stohl – Upper St. Clair
ROTY Conner Dean