Teasdale is shooting for lucky No. 13
Tri-State Sports & News Service
The ultimate dream of every high school wrestler is to win four state titles. Only 12 individuals have reached that pinnacle of wrestling in Pennsylvania in its 80-year history.
Jefferson-Morgan senior Gavin Teasdale has a chance to become No. 13 at this weekend’s PIAA championships at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa. Teasdale, a Penn State recruit, has claimed gold medals the past three years while competing in Class 2A at 106, 113 and 126 pounds. He returns at 126 with hopes of joining the PIAA’smost exclusive club.
If Teasdale can reach his goal, Jefferson-Morgan would be the first school to have two four-time champs. Cary Kolat became the first in1992. He won Class 2A titles at 119, 125, 130 and 135 and finishedwith a 137-0 record.
“I’ve looked up to Cary Kolat since I started wrestling,” Teasdale said. “Cary won four PIAA titles and went undefeated in his career at Jefferson-Morgan. He’s the greatest wrestler of all time in Pennsylvania. When I made it to the varsity as a freshman, I set my goal to become a four-time state champion.”
Kolat looked up to North Allegheny’s Ty Moore, who had an almost perfect career en route to his four state titles. He finished with a 146-1 record. The only blemish on Moore’s record came in the 1989 WPIAL Class 3A finals, ashe dropped a 4-3 decision to Connellsville’s Jeff Stepanic. Moore wrestled the following weekend in the state tournament, despite a torn knee ligament.
“Winning four PIAA titles was not a goal for me until I saw Ty Moore win his fourth title [in 1990],” said Kolat, who was a sophomore at the time. “Ty raised the bar for future wrestlers. That evolved into me setting a goal of being an undefeated fourtimechampion.”
Below is a breakdown of the other nine wrestlers who havewon four PIAA titles.
• Waynesburg’s James Conklin was the first member of the club. His first title came in 1940, the third year of the PIAA tournament. His fourth came in 1943. Conklin finished his career with a 700-1 record. The only blemish on his record was a tie with Canonsburg’s Ed Stanley, who he later beat in the WPIALfinals.
• Clearfield’s Jerry Maurey, a 1950 graduate, was the first four-time champ to have an unblemished record. He hada 67-0 record.
• Lock Haven’s Mike Johnson would join the exclusive club 11 years later when he claimed a fourth title in 1961. Hehad an 84-0 record.
Winning four titles was impossible during a stretch from 1968 until 1977 as freshmen were not allowed to compete.
• Catasaugua’s Matt Gerhart broke the 23-year drought when he claimed a fourth Class 2A title in 1984.
• Benton’s John Hughes, a 1991 graduate, recorded 115 consecutive victories during his run to four consecutive Class 2A titles. He finished witha 142-2-1 record.
• Milton’s Bobby Crawford joined the club in 1993 with a fourth Class 3A title. He recorded 133 consecutive victories and finished with a 1382record.
It would be 16 years before the next four-time champ. Then came a string of three inthree years.
• Derry’s James Gulibon, a 2012 graduate, won Class 3A titles at 103 and 112, then won two more in Class 2A at 119 and 126. He finished with a 136-4 record.
• Kennard-Dale’s Chance Marsteller joined the club two years later when he claimed a fourth Class 3A title. He also set a PIAA record for the most consecutive wins without a loss, as he finished with a perfect 166-0 record.
•Solanco’s Thomas Haines reachedthe four-time plateau the same year as Marsteller. He compiled a 174-5 record while competing in Class 3A at220 and 285.