The work, particularly in the following week, was strenuous, with some describing the practices as some of the toughest they’ve experienced. But come time for the District 6 Class AAA wrestling championships, it proved more than worth it, as the Wildcats accomplished the goal they nailed to wall three weekends ago.

Junior Aiden Kunes led an effort that saw six Central Mountain wrestlers make district final appearances, pinning his way to his second district championship. An event-high 11 Wildcats medaled, eight of which punched their tickets to regionals. And notably, three of those medalists surpassed their seeding, with those efforts culminating in the team’s third District 6 Class AAA team title in four seasons.

One piece out of place might’ve spelled doom for Central Mountain’s chances, as its team score of 180 trumped runner-up Altoona’s by just five points. It was a complete effort many took pride in, one which wouldn’t have been possible without a lot of hard work behind the scenes.

“Those were some of the hardest practices we’ve ever had,” said Kunes on the team’s preparation. “Griffin Walizer has been pushing me every day, and our coaches were very hard on us and kept us disciplined over the 20 days. They’ve pushed us to our limits almost every practice.”

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Central Mountain's Aiden Kunes poses with his gold medal during the District 6 Class AAA wrestling championships on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at Altoona.

“Just tried to get them in the mental mindset that it’s a new season and whatever happened up to that point, it doesn’t matter,” said Central Mountain head coach Biff Walizer. “We were hoping they’d be ready to go and hungry to get out there. So that’s what we saw, guys going out, fighting and placing above their seeds.”

For Kunes, getting back to the top of the podium meant a lot.

In both his previous trips to Altoona – last year’s team states and individual districts, the Air Force commit operated with a knee brace on, harboring a knee injury that reflected on his success. He suffered multiple tough losses amidst those trips, most notably falling in last year’s district final to a then-unranked Deklan Barr (Altoona).

Since returning to varsity action, the difference in his wrestling has been night and day.

His second-period pin against Bellefonte’s Andrew Gall in the 145-pound final represented his 32nd win in a row, with just one loss suffered at Top Hat blemishing a perfect resume. It was also big from a team standpoint, as the junior worked patiently to avoid a tech fall and grant his squad an additional point.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Central Mountain's Aiden Kunes wrestles Bellefonte's Andrew Gall during the 145-pound first-place bout at the District 6 Class AAA wrestling championships on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at Altoona.

“Last year, I got upset in the finals, so it obviously feels better,” said Kunes.

“The whole postseason last year motivated me more than ever to become a better wrestler and never let that postseason happen again. That was definitely a spark for me, and I worked very hard this offseason.”

Alongside Kunes, five other Wildcats – Patrick Tarantella, Hayes Donley, Dalton McDermott, Todd Caris and Hayes Henry – reached finals, falling short of gold but still contributing heavily to the team’s title. Of those finalists, Donley received praise for surpassing his No. 3 seeding, doing so with a momentous win.

Prior to Saturday’s championship semifinal, Donley – ranked No. 25 in the state at 139 – held a 1-2 record against No. 23 Jake Knable (Mifflin County), most recently falling to him at Ultimate Warrior. However, with a third-period reversal and sturdy riding effort, the sophomore settled the score with a 2-1 decision to reach his first district final.

“Guys were able to flip some matches that they had lost previously,” said Walizer when discussing the team. “At 139, Hayes Donley beating Knable there in the semifinals, that was a big win. And we had a few big wins.”

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Central Mountain's Todd Caris wrestles Bellefonte's Luke Hockenberry during the 215 first-place bout at the District 6 Class AAA wrestling championships on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at Altoona.

Other wrestlers that Walizer highlighted included Hunter Nace, who surpassed his No. 6 seeding at 107 by two slots. The freshman’s most notable win came in consolation semifinals, where he got out to a 5-0 lead before clutching out a tense third period for the 7-5 decision, clinching a medal in his districts debut.

Fellow freshman Angelo Tarantella had a near-identical run, taking fourth at 114 after being seeded No. 6. Though both wrestlers fell short of a bronze medal and regional bid, they each left their mark on Central Mountain’s title run.

In pursuit of bronze, they were joined by Collin Bauman (121), Gavin Heverly (127) and Luke Garman (152), with Bauman and Heverly coming out on top to advance to regionals. Heverly clinched his third straight regional bid while Bauman clinched the third of his career.

Moving into next week, the Wildcats remain well-represented for another round. They advance eight wrestlers – Kunes, Tarantella, Donley, McDermott, Caris, Henry, Bauman and Heverly – to next weekend’s West Class AAA regional, which is set to begin at 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27, at Canon-McMillan High School.

“It’s a quick turnaround with the Friday start, and it’s a tough competition,” said Walizer. “So, hopefully, they can just keep building and progressing into Friday, just take advantage of the days we have to rest, recuperate and get back at it on Monday.”

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Central Mountain's Hayes Donley wrestles Bellefonte's Wyatt Long during the 139-pound first-place bout at the District 6 Class AAA wrestling championships on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at Altoona.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Central Mountain's Hunter Nace wrestles Bellefonte's Collin Harter during the 107-pound third-place bout during the District 6 Class AAA wrestling championships on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at Altoona.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Central Mountain's Gavin Heverly gets his hand raised during the District 6 Class AAA wrestling championships on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at Altoona.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Central Mountain's Collin Bauman wrestles Bellefonte's Blake Glace during the 121-pound third-place bout at the District 6 Class AAA wrestling championships on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at Altoona.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Central Mountain's Angelo Tarantella wrestles during the 114-pound third-place bout at the District 6 Class AAA wrestling championships on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at Altoona.