Canon-McMillan’s Nijenhuis climbing career victories list

Canon-McMillan senior Gerrit Nijenhuis is quickly moving up the WPIAL’s alltime win list. Nijenhuis became the 40th wrestler in WPIAL history to reach 160 career wins with his two victories at last week’s Section 4 team tournament.

Nijenhuis entered this week’s WPIAL Class 3A team tournament with a 160-16 career record, which includes a 26-0 mark this season. With that in mind, let’s take look at how far up the list he can go.

Canon-McMillan entered the WPIAL team tournament as the No. 3 seed and needed two wins Wednesday to earn a fifth consecutive appearance in the semfinals, which will be held Saturday at Norwin High School. A semifinal appearance would guarantee Nijenhuis four matches, even if the Bigs Macs lose, as a consolation for third place is also held.

A top-three finish in the WPIAL would earn CanonMcMillan its fifth consecutive berth in the PIAA team tournament, which begins next week. The Big Macs have appeared in 16 PIAA matches over the past three seasons, an average of 5.3 per season.

Then comes the individual postseason tournaments: section, WPIAL and PIAA. Nijenhuis recorded 10 wins in those tournaments last season en route to titles in all three tournaments.

If Canon-McMillan continues its success in the team tournaments, and Nijenhuis matches his past success in the individual tournaments, and most importantly stays healthy, he can reach at least 175 wins.

Unfortunately, the WPIAL record of 182 wins, set in 2009 by Shady Side Academy’s Dane Johnson, is unlikely. Only 15 wrestlers have recorded 170 wins, and seven have reached the 175-win plateau.

“Gerrit has been tracking his win total since he reached 150,” Canon-McMillan coach Jeff Havelka said. “One record he’s had in mind is the school record for career wins.”

Colin Johnston, a 2008 graduate, owns the school record with a 163-10 record.

“Gerrit knows the history of Canon-McMillan wrestling and all the great wrestlers who have competed in the past,” Havelka said. “It would be a pretty big honor for him to become the school’s career win leader.”

That could happen Saturday.

School records in sight

Six other WPIAL seniors have a chance to break a school record this season.

• Mt. Lebanon’s Luke Stout (138-16) entered the week tied with his brother Kellan Stout (138-18), a 2015 grad, for the school record.

• Another family battle for the school record is taking place at Norwin. Drew Phipps (145-14) set the record in 2016. Kurtis Phipps (137-9) needs nine wins to pass his brother.

• Ambridge’s Daniel Yetsick (115-24) needs only three wins to break the school record held by Chris Dempsey (117-27), a 2006 graduate.

• Elizabeth Forward’s Ryan Michaels (106-11) recorded four wins at the Sharon Duals over the weekend to move within 13 wins of tying Lukas Etzel (119-31), a 2013 graduate who owns the school record.

• Thomas Jefferson’s Brendan Finnerty (103-35) is closing in on the school record set in 2003 by Michael Goslicky (117-23). He needs 15 wins to break the record.

• Ellwood City senior Austin Walley (119-25) needs 16 wins to tie former teammate Tyler Alberts (135-40), who set the school record in 2017.

PIAA team tournament

The PIAA team tournament begins Monday with eight preliminary round matches. Both brackets have 20 teams, which require four pigtails.

The WPIAL will have three teams in each bracket, with the third-place finishers beginning play in the preliminary round, along with the City League champion.

The winners of the pigtail matches advance to the round of 16. The rest of the tournament, in both classes, will be held in Hershey at the Giant Center beginning Feb. 6 and concluding Feb. 8.

Bethlehem Catholic and Reynolds are the defending champions.

Bethlehem Catholic has made four consecutive appearances in the PIAA Class 3A title match and has won three titles. Kiski Area has placed third, second and third the past three years. Nazareth entered the week ranked No. 1 in the state by papowerwrestling.com. Waynesburg was No. 3.

Reynolds has won three consecutive PIAA Class 2A titles and is the favorite again this year. Southern Columbia, last year’s runner-up, is No. 2. Burrell, ranked No. 4, has made 17 consecutive appearances in the PIAA team tournament.

Carrick City champ again

Carrick won its fifth consecutive City League team tournament title Jan. 25 at Carrick High School. The Raiders defeated Westinghouse, 48-16, in the semifinals and Allderdice, 54-21, in the championship match. Devontey Cunningham (138) and Steve Schramm (145) recorded pins for Carrick in the title match. Troy Jacobson (132) had a pin for Allderdice.

The Raiders qualified for the PIAA Class 3A team tournament and will face the WPIAL’s third-place finisher in Monday’s preliminary round. The City League individual tournament will be held Feb. 15 at Carrick High School.

Tournament roundup

Tournament notes from last weekend:

• Hampton had three champs at the Frank Ferguson Brooke Classic: Tyler Kocak (170), Justin Hart (182) and Conrad Harold (195). Seneca Valley had two champs: Dylan Chappell (120) and Alejandro Herrera-Rondon (132).

Harold became the first WPIAL wrestler to beat a teammate in the finals of a regular-season tournament. He posted a 7-2 win over Talbots teammate Jayden Resch in the title match.

• Two WPIAL wrestlers won titles at the Fred Bell tournament at Grove City High School: McGuffey’s Ethan Barr (160) and Peters Township’s Donovan McMillon (182).

• Burrell had three champs at the Thomas Chevrolet tournament at Bedford High School: Ian Oswalt (132), A.J. Corrado (152) and Ricky Feroce (195). Freedom’s Trent Schultheis (170) also won a title.

• Latrobe’s Gabe Willochell (132) won a title at the Ultimate Warrior tournament at West Branch High School.