FRANK DIMON/Special to the Sun-Gazette Lewisburg senior Landen Michaels Michaels won three straight consolation matchups to reach a third-place final at the regional tournament.

Lewisburg senior Landen Michaels has accomplished a lot in his career. He surpassed 100 wins this year, he’s claimed a gold medal at sectionals and two silvers in his career, and he’s done well at districts.

He’s reached the regional tournament each of the last three years, however prior to Saturday, one thing had been missing on his resume: a trip to Hershey.

A loss in the championship quarterfinals meant Michaels had to put together a heck of a run through consolations if he wanted to make it to states, and that’s precisely what the Green Dragon senior did.

Michaels won three straight consolation matchups to reach the third-place final and ensure a berth to states.

“It means a lot because coming up short the past two years here and all the hard work in the offseason summer and fall it finally paid off and I finally got the job done here,” Michaels said with his bronze medal.

Michaels defeated Hughesville’s Ethan Wodrig (15-0, 4:13), Scranton Prep’s Jake Barrett (2:17) and Wyalusing’s Cole Patrick (7-4) to reach the third-place finals. There, he beat Honesdale’s Justin Scanlon — who beat Michaels in the quarterfinals — by fall in 2:45.

“I was just so happy for myself because last night just took an unexpected loss and come back this morning to win three straight to qualify and then beat Patrick who I lost to last week for third,” Michaels said. “It took a lot and it was a good match.”

Falling into the consolations early means you have no room for error. That’s what it meant for Michaels in a tough bracket. Michaels entered the weekend ranked No. 23 in the state and beat Patrick, who was ranked No. 22.

“Honestly in year’s past I lost on Friday night and I was a little down on myself,” Michaels said. “Last night, I wasn’t really down on myself, it is what it is. I gotta battle (Saturday) and that’s what I did.”

Michaels was glad as well that he became a 100-win wrestler earlier in the season. He went 43-12 this year — the 43 wins being the most he’s had in a single season — and is 118-50.

“Just showing more of my hard work because freshman year I had like 19 wins and now every year since that I’ve gotten more and more each year,” Michaels said. “So it shows how much better I’ve gotten each year with the hard work paying off.”

Michaels will face Bishop McCort sophomore Austin Carfley (22-15) in the first round of the PIAA Class AA championships beginning on Thursday morning. It’s new territory for the Green Dragon, who didn’t place at regionals his first three years of varsity competition.

“No one really expects anything out of me. That third-place match, I lost night before and then go out and pin him, the pressure’s off,” Michaels said. “I already qualified, and just let it fly and wrestle free.”

No matter what happens at states, Michaels is glad he finally got to reach the pinnacle of high school wrestling and compete at the Giant Center.

MOTIVATION TO MEDAL

You could see the disappointment in Branden Eisenhour’s face when he stepped off the podium on Saturday at the Magic Dome at the Northeast Class AA Regionals. The sophomore Warrior was hopeful for regional gold medal, but he ended up with silver instead for a second straight year.

Eisenhour entered the tournament ranked No. 4 in the state and ran into No. 3-ranked Nathan Schuman of Honesdale.

It was Schuman who walked away with gold after a fall in 4:25.

“Not what I wanted obviously, I feel like I’m better than that kid, but it didn’t go my way this time,” Eisenhour said.

But, despite that silver medal, Eisenhour is still state-bound once again. The Warrior didn’t place at states lats year, but took that valuable experience and knows what he has to do.

“Don’t underestimate anybody and have confidence in yourself,” Eisenhour said. “Wrestle every position.”

The Warrior is now hoping for a deep run. He will wrestle against Faith Christian freshman Riley Crandell (31-9) in the first round, a Southeast Class AA Regional bronze medalist.

What’s Eisenhour’s goal? Well…gold.

“State championship still,” Eisenhour said. “That’s still the goal in my mind. My loss today doesn’t mean I can’t win next week.”

UNFORTUNATE ENDING TO A CAREER

Standing during intermission near the media table, Muncy wrestling coach Patrick Sparks joked with athletic director Curt Chilson that they should put Gage Swank’s name on the 100-win banner with an asterisks next to it.

Why the asterisks? Well, roughly an hour or so prior Swank was wrestling against Hanover’s CJ Caines in the championship quarterfinals. As the second period was coming to a close, Swank went down to the mat in visible pain, clutching his right knee. Sitting at 99 wins entering that matchup, Swank had to forfeit to injury.

And, unfortunately, that was the end of Swank’s career in a Muncy singlet and no 100th victory. The Indian was unable to continue, being forced to forfeit his consolation round matchup and ensuing fifth-place final matchup due to his knee injury.

Swank would have more than likely reached the 100-win milestone in the consolation bracket. Instead, he ends his career just one shy.

It was a tough ending for Swank, and one no wrestler wants to suffer.

SO CLOSE

Hughesville junior Kile Hartman knew entering the Northeast Class AA Regional that he’d have to win a few matches he wasn’t favored in if he wanted to reach states for the first time in his career.

The Spartan found himself in the consolation bracket and was a win away from securing his first-ever trip to Hershey. But it wasn’t meant to be this year.

Hartman faced Canton’s Carson Rockwell in the consolation semifinals and came up shy, losing 7-0 to the Warrior and ended up beating Montoursville’s Blake Fry in the fifth-place final by decision, 4-0.

While Hartman missed out on a trip to Hershey, the good news is he’s just a junior and has one last shot next winter.

He also has a chance to become Hughesville’s all-time wins leader.

The win in the fifth-place final gave Hartman 106 for his career and the current Hughesville all-time record sits at 139 by Chase Shaner. Given that Hartman has posted back-to-back seasons with 34 or more wins, including a 45-win campaign this year, another outstanding season could see him be at the top of wins leaderboard.