Jan 13, 2016 2 min read

With four individual champions and five runners-up, Canon-McMillan captured the team title in the Tri-County Athletic Directors’ Association Wrestling Tournament held at Albert Gallatin High School. The Big Macs edged Waynesburg for the championship trophy, 225-218. Trinity (135.5) took third place and Peters Township (120) finished fourth.

“The effort was there,” said C-M mat boss Jason Cardillo. “We were missing some guys but still came out on top with nine guys in the finals.”

Brendan Furman led the Big Macs. The heavyweight won his second title with a 7-1 decision against Trinity’s Austin Fife in the final.

Michael Binni and Logan Macri dominated the lightweights. Binni defeated Trinity’s A.D. Nelson, 8-2, in the 106-pound title match while Macri posted a 9-3 victory against Waynesburg’s Colby Morris in the 113-pound final.

At 126, Matt Oblock followed with a championship. He slipped past McGuffey’s Gage Nicolella, 4-2, in the finals.

Tim Hritsko, Blaze Kansco, James Zeremenko, Nick Konyk and David Ainscough walked away with runner-up honors for the Big Macs, who host Waynesburg in a key Section 4-A match tonight (Jan. 13).

In the 132-pound final, Hritsko lost to Waynesburg’s Logan Henderson, 3-0. Kansco fell to Anthony Welsh of Beth-Center, 11-3, in the 170-pound championship match. Waynesburg’s Colin McCracken edged Zeremenko, 3-2, at 182. Nick Konyk lost to Bill Bowlen of Jefferson-Morgan, 7-2, in the 195-pound title tilt. Welsh and McCracken are two-time tournament champions.

Mike McAleavey pinned Ainscough for the 220-pound championship. From start to finish, the Peters Township grappler dominated the competition. After a first-round bye, he registered falls against Ethan Fetzner of Albert Gallatin and Austin Fisher of McGuffey to reach the finals against Ainscough.

“It was very satisfying to win the title,” said McAleavey. “All the hard work in the summer paid off. I put a lot of extra time in the summer.”

Indeed, it has paid dividends as McAleavey started the season winning the 220-pound title at the Chartiers-Houston Tournament. He finished fifth at the Powerade Tournament before claiming the championship at the Tri-County meet.

McAleavey’s teammate, Dan Florentino, reached the finals at the Tri-County meet. He lost in the 113-pound final, falling to Caleb Morris of Waynesburg in 2:55.

Lebo places

Four Mt. Lebanon grapplers placed during the Steve DeAugustino Classic held at West Mifflin. Turney Gray took third while Sean McKinney and Shamil Zaynullaev finished fourth. Brian Perri secured sixth place.