Stout named Almanac MVP
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Luke Stout became the first sophomore from Mt. Lebanon to win a medal at the PIAA wrestling championships.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Luke Stout poses with his fourth-place medal from the PIAA wrestling championships. The rising Mt. Lebanon junior recently captured a national title during the USA National Cadet and Junior Wrestling Championships held in Fargo, N.D.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Luke Stout enjoyed a successful wrestling season that included an Allegheny County championship, sectional and regional honors as well as a fourth-place finish in the PIAA tournament.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Donovan McMillon capped his first varsity season of wrestling by earning Almanac Rookie of the Year honors. The Peters Township freshman posted a 30-8 record.
Luke Stout looks up at the wall in the Mt. Lebanon High School wrestling rooms and sees 14 names on the list of PIAA champions.
After finishing fourth in this year’s championships, Stout plans to become No. 15 and possibly No. 16, too. He desires to be a two-time winner.
“I want my name to be up there on the wall,” he said. “Getting up on the podium this year at states was really cool. I got a little taste of it. Hopefully, this is the start of being a two-time state champion next year.”
Mt. Lebanon mat boss Marc Allemang predicts only bigger and better things ahead for Stout.
“Luke wants to carve out that path,” Allemang said. “He wants to be on top of that podium. That desire coupled with his work ethic should enable him to achieve the goals he sets for himself.
“Luke is a hard-nosed, hard-working kid,” Allemang continued. “He puts a tremendous amount of time into his sport, not just during the season but all year round.”
Stout practices every day of the week. Plus, he trains at least twice a week with his club team. He also lifts and works on his conditioning.
“You have to work hard to get what you want,” he explained. “Nothing really comes easy if you are not giving anything.”
Giving to his sport comes naturally for Stout for he has two great examples by which to follow.
His father, Bryan, was a four-time all-American at Clarion University. He serves as a volunteer coach at the University of Pittsburgh.
By Harry Funk
Staff writer
hfunk@thealmanac.net
Luke Stout: Most Valuable Grappler
His his older brother, Kellan, was Lebo’s last state champion in 2015. He now wrestles at the University of Pittsburgh.
“(Wrestling) is in the family,” Stout said. “It’s an awesome sport.
“I really look up to Kellan because he is my older brother, my role model,” he added. “He helps me out a lot.”
This season, Stout emulated his older brother. He, too, competed in the PIAA championships as a sophomore.
While two other Lebo sophomores: Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle (1985) and Bill Perri (1982) have competed in the PIAA championships in the past, Stout is the first Blue Devil to medal at states as a 10th-grader. He finished fourth.
It was just one of the many accomplishments for the 160-pound grappler this year. A two-time PIAA state qualifier, Stout compiled a 35-7 record to improve to 69-14 for his career. He was an Allegheny County and Eastern Area champion and a section runner-up. Stout also finished fourth in the WPIAL championships.
Stout surely did not scribble down “Almanac Most Valuable Grappler,” but he earned that distinction when the weekly’s all-star list was revealed this week.
“It is really nice to get. It’s an exciting achievement,” Stout said
“There are a lot of good wrestlers in the WPIAL and in the South Hills but Luke’s been one of the best,” Allemang added.
What makes Stout one of the best wrestlers to work with is his disposition and his dependability.
“As good as Luke is, he’s humble and a quiet leader. He leads by example,” explained Allemang. “He’s the first one in the room and the last one to leave. He does all the right things. He’s conscious about nutrition. He gets the right amount of sleep. He trains right and he stays on track academically.”
While Stout is on track to achieve all his scholastic goals, he aspires for a future in wrestling. He plans to compete in college.
“My long-term goal is to be a national champion,” he said.
When asked if he might like to emulate the feats of Lebo’s most famous grappler in Angle, Stout answered, “I haven’t really gone that far yet but (Olympics) would be great, too.”
13 join Stout
Several additional area wrestlers, including two other Lebo grapplers, completed great seasons and have been named to the Almanac’s All-Star list.
At 106 is Noah Broyles. The South Fayette sophomore compiled an 18-18 record. He finished third in section and qualified for the WPIAL tournament, winning his first-round match.
At 113 is Bryce Wilkes. The Peters Township sophomore was a WPIAL qualifier. He won a section championship and finished with a 19-4 overall record.
At 120 is Colin Dunn. The South Fayette senior racked up a 25-15 record that included a section title and a seventh-place showing in the WPIAL. Dunn also was a runner-up at the Chartiers-Houston Tournament and a sixth-place finisher at the Bedford Tournament.
At 126 is Sean McKinney. The Mt. Lebanon junior compiled an 18-10 mark to advance his career record to 58-29. A WPIAL qualifier, McKinney placed fourth in the section and sixth in the Eastern Areas.
At 132 is Zachary Macy. The Chartiers Valley junior gained a berth in the PIAA championships after finishing fourth in the WPIAL. The section IV runner-up also took thirds in the Allegheny County and Buckeye tournaments as well as second in the Chartiers-Houston Tournament. For the season, Macy amassed a 29-11 record. At 81-28 overall, he is on track to enter the Century Club for 100 career victories.
At 138 is Tom Kyle. The Upper St. Clair senior plans to wrestle in college while attending one of the United States Service Academies. He already has been accepted at the Air Force Academy. Kyle is a member of the Panthers’ Century Club with more than 100 career victories. He compiled a 32-7 record that included a third-place showing in the Section 2-AAA tournament and an appearance in the WPIAL championships.
At 145 is Michael Cusick. The South Fayette grappler capped a sensational senior season by securing seventh-place in the PIAA championships. He was a section champion, a bronze medalist in the WPIAL and a runner-up in the Southwest Regional. Cusick compiled a 40-8 overall record that also included a runner-up and third-place showing at the Chartiers-Houston and Tri-CADA tournaments. He also finished first in the Bedford Tournament.
At 152 is Hunter Kernan. The Bethel Park senior posted a 20-8 overall record that featured an appearance in the WPIAL and Southwest Regional championships. Kernan also was a Section 2-AAA runner-up.
At 170 is Jason Montgomery. The Bethel Park senior advanced to the PIAA championships for the second straight season. He compiled a 34-6 record that featured a fourth-place finish in the prestigious Powerade Tournament. A section champion, Montgomery earned a bronze medal in the WPIAL tournament to earn his state-qualifying berth.
At 182 is Noah Seeberger. The senior finished the season with a 20-10 record that included an appearance in the WPIAL championships. He fell one match short of advancing to the state championships when he lost to Justin Hart in a consolation round. Hart finished fourth to secure the final PIAA berth. Seeberger was the bronze medalist in the Section 2-AAA tournament.
At 195 is Shamil Zaynullaev. The Chartiers Valley senior rolled up a 33-5 record this season and finished four matches shy of the century mark with a 96-29 career record. Zaynullaev was a PIAA qualifier, a bronze medalist in the WPIAL and a Section IV champion. He also took home titles during the Allegheny Country and Buckeye tournaments. He was a runner-up at the Chartiers-Houston tournament.
At 220 is Jake Slinger. The Upper St. Clair junior, who also excels in football, was a PIAA medal winner, securing seventh place at states. An Allegheny County and Chartiers-Houston champion, Slinger was a section and WPIAL runner-up.
At 285 is Nathan Hoaglund. The Mt. Lebanon junior posted a 30-8 record and is 25 matches from entering the Century Club with a 75-33 career mark. One win shy of qualifying for the PIAA tournament, Hoaglund managed success in other big events. He won Eastern Areas, finished fifth at Powerade, place fourth in the county and second in the section. He was a WPIAL qualifier.
PT has top rookie
Just a freshman, Donovan McMillon posted a 30-win season wrestling in the challenging 132-pound weight class. The Peters Township ninth-grader finished 30-8 overall after losing to Zachary Macy in one of the consolation bouts to determine the PIAA qualifiers. Donavon was the Section 2-AAA runner-up and advanced to the WPIAL championships. For his efforts, he has been recognized as Almanac Rookie of the Year.