Changes to lineup should aid matchups
Lee’s withdrawal among the factors
The goal of the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic selection committee is to match up the top wrestlers in the country with the top wrestlers in Pennsylvania. Sometimes circumstances beyond their control force lineup changes.
The committee certainly found that while choosing the participants for Saturday’s feature match between the United States All-Stars and Pennsylvania All-Stars at 6 p.m. at Pitt’s Fitzgerald Field House.
An injury to a feature performer, a glut of talent in one weight class, and a lack of quality seniors in another class led to a few changes in this year’s feature match.
The most significant change came at 126 pounds, as Franklin Regional senior Spencer Lee was forced to withdraw after having knee surgery. Lee (144-1) competed in the final month of the season with a torn ACL. He came within one win of finishing his career as an undefeated four-time PIAA champion.
“Spencer’s knee injury changed the dynamics of the lineup,” Classic co-director Kraig Nellis said. “Spencer cannot wrestle, but has agreed to be an honorary captain for the Pennsylvania All-Star team.”
The committee also decided to skip the 113-pound weight class and add a second bout at 182.
“Due to the lack of high-ranking, top-tier seniors across the country, the committee decided to drop the 113-pound weight class,” Nellis said. “Fortunately, there is depth among elite high school seniors at 182 pounds, so we added a second bout at that weight.”
The Pennsylvania All-Star team features five wrestlers from the WPIAL, including Penn-Trafford’s Cameron Coy (148-11), a four-time PIAA Class 3A finalist and three-time champion. Coy, a University of Virginia recruit, will face Quentin Hovis (181-6), a Naval Academy recruit and fourtime California champion from Poway High School, in the 152pound bout.
“I just want to finish my season No. 1 in the country,” Coy said. “I’ll have a chance to get that wrestling Quentin Hovis. He’s ranked No. 1 and I’m No. 2, so it’s definitely something exciting. I’m looking
forward to that matchup and being back on top in the national rankings.”
Coy will be joined on the Pennsylvania team by four other WPIAL wrestlers: North Allegheny’s Jake Woodley, Hempfield’s Jarod Verkleeren, Bethel Park’s Nino Bonaccorsi and CanonMcMillan’s Brendan Furman.
Woodley (148-41), an Oklahoma recruit and two-time PIAA Class 3A champ, will face Jacob Warner (174-10), an Iowa recruit and threetime Illinois champ from Washington Community High School, in the 195pound bout.
“I’ve been going to the Classic since I was a kid, so I can’t wait to finally wrestle in it,” said Woodley, who is ranked No. 3 nationally. “I get to wrestle Warner [who is ranked No. 1] which is going to be great. I’m excited for the opportunity to be No. 1 in the country.”
Verkleeren (135-19), an Iowa State recruit and PIAA Class 3A champion, is matched up with Austin O’Connor (181-4), a North Carolina recruit and fourtime Illinois champ from Saint Rita High School, at 145.
“I’ve attended the Classic the past six years and hoped I would get a chance to wrestle in it this year,” Verkleeren said.
“I’m looking forward to my rematch with Austin O’Connor. I faced him at a tournament at Iowa State and lost, 3-2.”
Bonaccorsi (147-21), a Pitt recruit and two-time PIAA Class 3A runner-up, will face Jacob Hart (157-16), a fourtime West Virginia champion, in one of the two bouts at 182.
Furman (138-33), a Cornell recruit and PIAA Class 3A champ, is matched up with Trent Hillger (241-8), a Wisconsin recruit and threetime Michigan state champion, at 285 pounds.
Hart, O’Connor and Hovis are among six members of the United States team who have won four state titles. The others are Justin Mejia, Vitali Arujau and Kaleb Romero.
Mejia (168-1), an Illinois recruit, is a four-time California state champ from Clovis High School. He will face Exeter Township’s Austin DeSanto (188-7), a Drexel recruit who beat Spencer Lee in the PIAA Class 3A finals, at 126 pounds.
Arujau (216-1), a Cornell recruit, is a four-time New York state champ from Syosset High School. He is matched up with Athens’ Brian Courtney (153-6), a Virginia recruit and twotime PIAA Class 2A champ, at 132.
Romero (202-3), an Ohio State recruit, is a four-time Ohio state champion from Mechanicsburg High School.
His opponent in the 170pound bout is Bethlehem Catholic’s Michael Labriola (166-12), a Nebraska recruit and two-time PIAA Class 3A champ.
The United States All-Star team has a combined record of 2,524-124, 41 state titles, and 2 National Prep titles. The Pennsylvania All-Star team has a combined record of 1,975-252 and 20 PIAA titles.