South Fayette wrestler third at states
Jared Walker capped his wrestling career with a bronze medal at the PIAA AA championships held at the Giant Center in Hershey. The South Fayette senior defeated Drew Doak from Blairsville, 5-2, in the consolation match at 160.
Walker opened tournament action with victories against Luke Funck from Northern Lebanon, 4-1, and Keshon Truitt from Redbank Valley, 5-2, before he dropped his semifinal showdown against Cole Walter, 3-2. While Walter eventually won the 160-pound title with a 9-4 win against John Vaugh from Boiling Springs, Walker slipped into consolation matches. He recovered to beat Jon Wagner from Huntingdon, 3-1, to set up his medal match.
A four-year letterwinner, Walker has wrestled in four PIAA tournaments. Previously, he placed seventh and second. The four-time WPIAL champion posted a 39-5 record this season. He holds the school record for career wins, finishing with a record of 152-31.
“I’d say that’s pretty good for a kid who doesn’t say too much,” said South Fayette head coach Rich Chaussard.
Before heading off to Kent State to wrestle, Walker will compete in the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic set for March 15 at the University of Pittsburgh’s Fitzgerald Field House. He will wrestle for the WPIAL team against an all-star team from Illinois.
As far as his future, Chaussard predicts success. “His work ethic will help drive him to whatever he decides and on the mats, I fully expect to see him somewhere on the podium in the NCAA tournament.”
Walker will be missed but long remembered at South Fayette, Chaussard added.
“JJ has set the bar high for everyone else who follows him through his being a leader in and out of the room,” Chaussard said. “I know a lot of the young kids look up to him.”
Shane Ging would be one of those younger wrestlers returning for South Fayette. The junior also competed in this year’s state tournament. After two losses, he finished 24-10 overall at 132.
Brett Beltz wrapped up his career, too, at the state tournament. Another member of South Fayette’s Century Club, with over 100 career wins, Beltz finished fifth at 182. He finished 38-8 for the season.
BP places two
For the second straight season, Paul Dunn captured third place at the PIAA Class AAA championships held at the Giant Center in Hershey. A bronze medalist at 152 in 2014, Dunn moved up a weight class and took third at 160.
The senior was one of two Bethel Park grapplers to medal. Nino Bonaccorsi joined Dunn on the podium, securing sixth place at 152.
After receiving a bye, Dunn defeated Jonah Barley from Penn Manor, 6-4, before being edged by Noah Stewart of Mifflin County, 3-2, in the quarterfinals. Dunn wrestled back to beat Alex Elliott from Sun Valley, 2-1, and Bailey Shutt from Lower Dauphin, 3-1, to set up his consolation bout. In the battle for third, Dunn avenged his loss to Stewart, scoring a 6-4 decision.
Dunn finished the season at 41-6. He owned a career record of 133-44 at Bethel Park. Dunn will also participate in the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic. He will compete for the WPIAL squad.
Meanwhile, Bonaccorsi has two more seasons to wrestle for the Hawks. After losing to Kaleb Young from Punxsuatawney, 6-1, Bonaccorsi immediately dropped into the consolation matches. The sophomore wrestled back to reach the medal round and secure sixth place. Bonaccorsi finished 38-9 overall this season.
Grape grabs eighth
Another area sophomore submitted a strong showing at the PIAA championships. Eli Grape from Upper St. Clair grabbed a spot on the podium with his eighth-place finish at 195.
After losing his opener, 10-1, Grape won three consolation matches. In position to place as high as third, Grape, however lost his final matches and ended up eighth. For the season, Grape finished 33-10 overall.
Grape’s teammate, Brooks Wilding, joined him at the state competition. Wilding, however, had an early exit from the tournament, falling to Ethan Laird from General McLane, 10-4, and Matthew Mirth from South Lehigh, 15-4.
A senior, Wilding finished 33-10 on the season. He owned a career record of 103-46. Wilding will compete at 170 for the WPIAL team during the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic.
CM competes
Logan Macri and Micah Kutsturiss also competed in the PIAA Class AAA championships. They represented Canon-McMillan.
A freshman, Macri scored a fall in overtime to win his opening match at 106. After a loss to Cole Manley from Altoona, 2-0, the freshman won his first consolation match before being ousted in the tournament. Macri finished 31-12 on the year.
A junior, Kusturiss lost his first match at 145. He picked up a split decision in the consolation rounds and finished 1-2 in the tournament. He was 30-9 on the year.
Dapper Dan
The 41st Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic will be held March 15 at the University of Pittsburgh’s Fitzgerald Field House. Action begins at 4 p.m. with the WPIAL’s best grapplers battling an all-star team from Illinois. At 6 p.m. the Pennsylvania team takes on the best wrestlers in the country.
During the PIAA championships, the WPIAL claimed titles in 15 of the 28 weight classes, a record nine at the Class AAA level. And, nine of those champions from District 7 will highlight the roster for Pennsylvania. The team boasts a combined record of 1967 victories against 231 losses.
Tickets for the event are $15 (reserved seats) or $10 (general admission) and can be purchased at Wright Automotive Group on Route 19, Canon-McMillan High School or by calling Dapper Dan Charities at 412-263-3850.
Visit www.wrestlingclassic.com for more information about the event.