Nov 29, 2016 3 min read

Jaden Palombine, 9, of Bethel Park captured two titles during the 2016 SJJIF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships held Nov. 12-13 at the Cal State Long Beach Walter Pyramid in Long Beach. He finished first in the Gi and NoGi divisions during the competition, which featured athletes representing some 68 national flags.

Palombine has been training mixed martial arts (Brazilian, Kiu-Jitsu and Karate) since he was 3 at Steel City Martials Arts under Sensei Sonny Achille. Already, he possesses a green belt in Karate and owns a 100-8 overall record with 99 wins by submission under two minutes.

He is a six-time NAGA Pittsburgh and Myrtle Beach champion, three-time Western Pennsylvania Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu winner and four-time Kumite Classic champion. He has twice captured the Ultimate Force, AGC Ohio State, Grand Canyon and Newbreed championships.

Palombine has also been named the Most Outstanding Competitor during the Pennsylvania State Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation Grappling championships.

The son of Steve and Jessica Palombine is a fourth-grade student at William Penn Elementary School in Bethel Park. He has one sibling, Rylee, 8.

Wrestlers return to defend titles

The 2016 wrestling season debuts with three area grapplers attempting to defend their titles at the Chartiers-Houston Tournament. Eli Grape of Upper St. Clair, South Fayette’s Mike Cusick and Brandon Matthews from Peters Township are returning champions.

A senior, Grape owns a 94-22 overall record. He wrestled at 195 last season and compiled a 35-5 record, complete with an eighth-place showing at states. He is a three-time WPIAL qualifier and two-time section champion. Grape, who also excels on the football field, was a WPIAL runner-up last season.

A junior, Cusick compiled a 31-15 record last year. He was a section runner-up and a seventh-place finisher in the WPIAL at 160. Despite wrestling up four weight classifications, he qualified for the regional tournament.

A sophomore, Matthews qualified for the WPIAL championships. He finished 28-17 in his first year of varsity competition.

South Fayette and Peters Township are the top two returning teams to the field, which includes 25 participating schools. Among the other entrants are: Albert Gallatin, Annville-Cleona, Avella, Avonworth, Beaver, Beth-Center, Brashear, Burgettstown, Butler, Central Valley, Elizabeth-Forward, Fort Cherry, Frazier, Freedom, Laurel, Montour, North Hills, Pine-Richland, South Park, South Side Beaver, West Greene and the host, Buccaneers.

In addition to other returning champions, such as Hunter Baxter and Garrett Burnham from Pine-Richland and Beth-Center’s Anthony Welsh, eight runner-ups from 2015 hope to reach the top of the podium in 2016. Among the locals are: Colin Dunn from South Fayette, USC’s Grant Walnoha and Jake Slinger as well as C-H’s Trey Lober. P-R’s Alex Salas, S.S.B.’s Joe Demor, Butler’s Caleb Baxter and AG’s Tim Wallace are also returning runners-up.

Opening-round action begins at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 8. Second-round consolations commence the next day, at 10 a.m. Semifinals start at 11:30. Consolation and championship finals are scheduled for 4 p.m. Dec. 9.