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Eleven local wrestlers take first or second at South Williamsport Mountaineer Tournament

By JIMMY DEROGATIS 8 min read

A lot of locals had success on Saturday at the South Williamsport Mountaineer Tournament. In total, 11 area wrestlers took either first- or second-place honors.

South Williamsport’s Kayvan Shams (114); Meadowbrook Christian’s Max Wirnsberger (121) and Cade Wirnsberger (145); Williamson’s Joel Hultz (160) and Loyalsock’s Braden Vincenzes (152), Kaden Rodarmel (189) and Carter Secora (285) were all first-place finishers at the South Williamsport Mountaineer Tournament.

Williamson’s Hunter Simonds (107), Noah Robinson (127), Ayden Sprague (145) and Timothy Freeman (172) all finished second.

South Williamsport’s Jackson Swinehart (127) and Jonah White (160), and Wellsboro’s Jacob Dean (152) took third and Williamson’s Karter Stone (133) and South Williamsport’s Ryan Casella (215) and Landyn Gephart (172) finished fourth.

Taking fifth were Loyalsoc’s Connor Phillips (114), Wellsboro’s Ryder Bowen (172) and South Williamsport’s Lucas Long (2805). The Mounties’ Carter Sullivan (107), Amir Kemrer (160) and Owen Bird (189); Williamson’s Blaine Link (139), Skyler Hughes (152) and Luke Sottolano (215); Wellsboro’s Silas Mickey (145) and Meadowbrook Christian’s Michael Eager (133) took sixth.

Williamson’s Wyatt Dacheaux (114) and Wellsboro’s Aden Tom (145) took seventh. Eighth-place area finishers were Williamson’s Karter Osgood (121) and Benjimin FreemAn (189), Wellsboro’s Dominick Starkweather (285) and Meadowbrook Christian’s Isaac Zimmerman (215).

Shams of South Williamsport picked up a 14-0 win over Xzavion Tennis at 114. The Mountie was able to capture wins over Connor Phillips of Loyalsock in the quarterfinals, winning in just 49 seconds before beating Mount Carmel’s Gavin Kotzo in the semifinal round in 1:28.

Max Wirnsberger of Meadowbrook Christian continued his very impressive season. Earlier in the year, Wirnsberger had mentioned how he wanted to get more experience and that he would like to go deep into tournaments. Wirnsberger made those wants and needs a reality today as the freshman swept right through the 121-weight class like he was on a rampage.

Wirnsberger earned a bye for round one as the top seed ,he then went onto take down BlazerLords of Williams Valley in 2:44 and then dominated over Rickey Payne of Mount Carmel 16-1 by technical fall in the semifinals.

Wellsboro’s Dean was a big factor in the later rounds as he seemed to be getting better with more physicality as the match went on and his opponent began to weaken. In the latter portion of the third-round match, Dean was securely able to man-handle his opponent in the top position.

"I think I wrestled pretty good. I made some mistakes that I think I shouldn't have made but overall, I think I did good,” Dean said. “I think the favorite part of my match was just keeping my defense solid throughout and I didn't let him score on me.”

Dean took the third-place match over Williams Valley's Ashton Gonder by decision, 4-1. Dean, who holds this season’s most pins mark with three so far, added up some more big time wins under his belt. Dean is like a jack of all trades while on the mat, has size, speed and a high wrestling IQ to go along with the total package of a very well-rounded wrestler.

"I like to try and lift twice a day and I do some cardio work once maybe every other day. I also like to try and keep my diet steady because that is one of the main parts of my training because if I keep my diet steady then it helps keep me stay consistent then, and if I change up my diet and stuff it just messes everything up for me,” Dean noted. “I do try and lift more just because stretch is more what I need but I try and do cardio too because I do football and wrestling and that helps keep my body pretty reasonable for both.”

Dean was able to do a nice job at shutting down his main in the final match and was all over him from real the very start of the match.

"I think we have the potential to be very good. It's just going to have to take a lot more work than really anything we've done,” Dean said of his team. “For me, I want to hopefully make it to districts, since I didn't make it past sectionals last year so my goal is to make it past sectionals and then districts.”

Meadowbrook Christian’s Cade Wirnsberger deflated his opponent on the ground Ayden Sprague of Williamson in 1:46. Cade Wirnsberger was dominant on the back of his opponent and rode him down to the finals victory.

Braden Vincenzes of Loyalsock wrestled solid at 152 and defeated Aldin Vukel of Pleasant Valley 6-0 in a decision win iin the finals. He was one of three Lancers to take home a first-place finish. Vincenzes good senses while in the grabbling standup phase was key to his success and victory.

"I think I did pretty good. That guy (Vukel) was good riding on top, I think I would have liked to turn more I didn't get any turns on top which was a little disappointing, but I mean going out there putting up six and getting a win," Vincenzes said.

Vincenzes pinned Ashton Gonder of Williams Valley in the semifinals in 1:24 to advance to the medal round. As for what Vincezes wants to accomplish this year?

"I definitely want to go to Hershey this year, and I think that's obviously the main goal and I'd really like to place at Hershey this year and to just do the very best that I can to make my team, my family, and God proud," Vincenzes said.

In the quarterfinals, he defeated Williamson’s Skyler Hughes by fall in 4:43.

"I think we're going to do good this year. There's a lot of promising things on the rise and everyone’s working hard,” Vincenzes said. “Everybody's really improving, so I'm excited. Very excited obviously for the rest of this year and postseason for sure.”

Hultz was another area wrestler who reached the first-place podium, doing so at 160. Hultz had his opponent — Valley View’s Camryn Higgins — on the ropes for much of the match and he provided some very exciting finishes to some combination moves that either seemed to trick his opponent or were executed correctly against his opponent. Hultz defeated Higgins via fall in 2:31.

Loyalsock’s Rodarmel won by decision over Elk Lake’s John Tyler, 11-6, to take home a first-place finish, as did teammate Secora, who beat Mount Carmel’s Maddox Lamas in just 30 seconds.

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT MOUNTAINEER TOURNAMENT

FIRST-PLACE FINALS

107: Mason Alexander (NEB) maj. dec. Hunter Simonds (Williamson), 17-4. 114: Kayvan Shams (SW) maj. dec. Xzavion Tennis (Williams Valley), 14-0. 121; max Wirnsberger (Meadowbrook) pinned Kris Kalbarchick (Mount Carmel), 5:02. 127; Kody Figard (Mount Carmel) pinned Noah Robinson (Williamson), 3:29. 133; Dylan Geertgens (Montrose) dec. Gavin Hampton (Sugar Valley), 5-2. 139: Cameron Quick (Sugar Valley) pinned Zzander Boehm (Montrose), 0:19. 145: Cade Wirnsberger (Meadowbrook) pinned Ayden Sprague (Williamson), 1:46. 152: Braden Vincenzes (Loyalsock) dec. Aldin Vukel (Pleasant Valley), 6-0. 160: Joel Hultz (Williamson) pinned Camryn Higgins (Valley View), 2:31. 172: Wesley Weller (Valley View) maj. dec. Timothy Freeman (Williamson), 22-12. 189: kaden Rodarmel (Loyalsock) dec. John Tyler (Elk Lake), 11-6. 215: Ryan Weidner (Mount Camrel) pinned Kyle Stahl (Sugar Valley), 5:10. 285: Carter Secora (Loyalsock) pinned Madox Lamas (Mount Carmel), 0:30.

THIRD-PLACE FINALS

107: Larissa Taylor (Montrose) dec. Cooper Rawlings (Valley View), 5-2. 114: Alex Cordts (Montrose) pinned Gavin Kotzo (Mount Carmel), 2:49. 121: Rickey Payne (Mount Carmel) dec. Nick Boccadori (Valley View), 14-7. 127: jackson Swinehart (SW) pinned Hunter Hunsinger (Elk Lake), 0:40. 133: Brady Wolkoski (Mount Carmel) dec. Karter Stone (Williamson), 6-3. 139: James Bixby (Montrose) pinned Lukas Carpenter (Mount Carmel), 4:03. 145: Isaiah Conoway (Sugar Valley) pinned Michael Kimsal (Mount Carmel), 1:35. 152: Jacob Dean (Wellsboro) dec. Ashton Gonder (Williams Valley), 4-1. 160: Jonah White (SW) def. Andrew Lukoskie (Mount Carmel) vi amedical forfeit. 172: Landon Baker (Elk Lake) pinned Landyn Gephart (SW), 2:09. 189: Kaden Hine (Mount Carmel) dec. Patrick Marcinko (Valley View), 3-0. 215: Beau Azzato (Cameron County) def. Ryan Casella (SW) via medical forfeit. 285: Derrick Demann (Montrose) pinned Kamden Ricci (NEB), 0:38.

FIFTH-PLACE FINALS

107: Cris Cruz (Dieruff) dec. Carter Sullivan (SW), 8-3. 114: Connor Phillips (Loyalsock) pinned Michael Pomilio (PLeasant Valley), 2:55. 121: Wyatt Conoway (Sugar Valley) dec. Emmanuel Rivera (PLeasant Valley), 7-4. 127: Drayden Holman (MOuntain View) pinned Eddie Lauritsen (PLeasant Valley), 1:41. 133: Blake Slater (MOuntain View) pinned Michael Eager (Meadowbrook), 0:55. 139: Richard Leslie (Valley View) pinned Blaine Link (Williamson), 0:37. 145: Drew Buffington (Williams Valley) pinned Silas Mickey (Wellsboro), 2:58. 152: Ben Miller (Mount Carmel) maj. dec. Skyler Hughes (Williamson), 4-1. 160: Syklor Green (Williams Valley) dec. Amir Kemrer (SW), 7-2. 172: Ryder Bowen (Wellsboro) dec. Cayden Weaver (Sugar Valley), 7-5. 189: jason Schubert (Pleasant Valley) dec. Owen Bird (SW), 6-3. 215: James Baruzza (Pleasant Valley) pinned Luke Sottolano (Williamson), 2:38. 285: Lucas Long (SW) dec. Levi Galentine (Sugar Valley), 8-2.

SEVENTH-PLACE FINALS

107: Carlos Recinos (Dieruff) pinned Ashlyn Frost (Valley View), 0:26. 114; Wyatt Dacheaux (Williamson) pinned Kolton Keir (NEB), 0:41. 121: Blazer Lords (Williams Valley) pinned Karter Osgood (Williamson), 3:39. 127: Jarren McCloskey (Sugar Valley) pinned Eric Newton (Valley View), 3:30. 133: Russell Martin (NEB) dec. Aiden mccabe (Pleasant Valley), 7-4. 139: Tanner Holstmaster (MOuntain View) pinned Parker Lords (Williams Valley), 3:17. 145: Aden Tom (Wellsboro) pinned Jason Kays (Pleasant Valley), 2:57. 152: Koby Huyck (Elk Lake) dec. Jabari Glezen (Valley View), 11-7. 160: Jesse Rogers (Montrose) pinned Alex Villanueva (Dieruff), 1:35. 172: Jonathan Morgante (Mount Carmel) pinned Lincoln Breon (Sugar Valley), 3:57. 189: Colten Etters (Sugar Valley) tech fall Benjimin Freeman (Williamson), 18-3. 215: Ben Ellis (NEB) pinned Isaac Zimmerman (Meadowbrook Christian), 1:19. 285: Andrew Mihalchko (Pleasant Valley) pinned Dominick Starkweather (Wellsboro), 1:25.

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