South Fayette’s Carr caps career with win in Classic

A fitting finale. That’s what the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic was for Mike Carr. For the South Fayette senior capped his scholastic career with his most impressive victory. He edged Hunter Marko, 1-0, in the 145-pound featured match at the University of Pittsburgh’s Fitzgerald Fieldhouse.
Marko entered the contest as a four-time state champion from Minnesota. He sported a 150-4 overall record. Carr was a two-time Pennsylvania champion, possessing a 160-15 mark.
Though the Pennsylvania team dropped the match to the United States all-stars, 25-20, Carr proved triumphant as he held on to beat the Amery High School student after building up the one-point advantage with an escape.
“This was unbelievably satisfying for me,” Carr said. “To cap my career with this win is sweet.”
Carr won in much the same fashion as he did claiming his second straight title two weeks ago with a 3-1 decision against Smethport’s James Duffy in the 145-pound final.
“The last two minutes of my state finals match was all riding out, too,” said Carr, comparing his recent bouts.
But the Classic was the culmination of a career that began at age 4 while attending youth practices for teams in which his father and namesake coached. “The Classic is something you dream about ever since you are young,” he said.
Carr’s career has been more than a dream. In addition to his back-to-back state titles in 2015 and 2016, he claimed three straight regional, district and section championships. Carr is the winningest wrestler in school history. He is one of only three state champions. In addition to Mark McKnight, who wrestled under Chartiers Valley’s coop program, his brother, Nick, is a South Fayette state winner.
Carr will continue his career at the University of Illinois. In addition to planning to become a national champion, Carr hopes to pursue a career in medicine.
“Athletically, I want to win an NCAA title,” he said. “Academically, I want to take the pre-med pathway and maybe minor in mathematics. I want to become a pediatric surgeon or a gastro-intestinal specialist.”
South Park had a split decision in the Classic as Greg Bulsak started the national showcase match with a victory over Keegan Moore from Jackson County Central, 13-8, at 182 pounds. Bulsak, like Carr, was a two-time state champion. The Clarion recruit was 148-18 heading into the bout against Moore, who was a three-time state champion. An Oklahoma state recruit, Moore possessed a 277-4 record.
Meanwhile, Bulsak’s classmate, Jake Wentzel, dropped a 6-0 decision to Drew Hughes of Lowell in the 160-pound match. A Michigan State recruit, Hughes was 167-4 overall. Wentzel was a two-time state champion with a 148-18 record. He is a Pitt recruit.
In the preliminary match, which pitted the WPIAL all-stars versus an all-star squad from the state of Indiana, Mike McAleavey respresented McMurray. The Peters Township senior scored a hard-fought win, 2-1, against Sam Hipple from Carmel at 220 pounds. In his scholastic career, McAleavey was 93-43 while Hipple was 99-17. McAleavey was a PIAA runner-up this season.
“I knew the odds were against me wrestling in this,” McAleavey said of the Classic, “but it’s an awesome event. I never heard of his name before. I just went out and had fun.”
McAleavey’s victory enabled the WPIAL all-stars to prevail against the Indiana team, 27-18. The teams wrestled two periods that lasted two minutes and 30 seconds.
Approximately 3,000 attended the event, which is considered the Rose Bowl of wrestling. Hughes and Ethan McCoy from Latrobe were named outstanding wrestlers for the preliminary match. Hughes, who wrestled in both matches, won the turning point award while Hayden Hidlay (152) and Mitchell McKee (138) were recognized as the outstanding wrestlers for the main event.