Waynesburg’s Henson to compete, just like his dad
Sammie Henson has made two appearances at the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic. He wrestled for the United States All-Star Team in the 1989 feature match. He returned in 2018 to be inducted into The Classic Hall of Fame and was the keynote speaker at the annual banquet.
Henson will make a third appearance on Friday, but this time as the father of a participant. Wyatt Henson, a senior at Waynesburg High School, will wrestle for the Pennsylvania All- Star Team in the feature match at 145 pounds.
“It was a great honor to wrestle in The Classic my senior year, then come back in 2018 and speak at the banquet,” said Henson, who was a silver medalist for the United States at the 2000 Olympics. “And now to have my son wrestle in The Classic 32 years later. ... It’s a great feeling to have Wyatt follow in my footsteps.”
And that’s just what Wyatt Henson has done.
“We both won three state titles in high school and we both placed fifth in our freshman year,” said Wyatt Henson, after winning his third state title March 13 at Hershey. “And we both got picked for the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic. The only difference is that I will be on the Pennsylvania All-Star Team and he was on the United States team.”
Sammie Henson won three Missouri state titles at Francis Howell High School, then defeated North Schuylkill’s Randy Reidler, 8-7, in the 112pound bout at The Classic.
“I wrestled a kid from North Schuylkill [ Reidler] and jumped out to a big lead,” Sammie Henson said. “He came back and I barely won by one point. We ended up beating the Pennsylvania All-Stars, ending their six-year streak of wins in the feature match.”
Wyatt Henson (159-20), an Iowa recruit who is ranked No. 3 in the country by Flowrestling.com, will face Caleb Rathjen (133-6), another Iowa recruit and two-time Iowa state champion from Ankeny High School in the 145-pound bout. Rathjen is ranked No. 16.
“I’ve never attended The Classic, but I’m looking forward to it,” Wyatt Henson said. “It’s a great way to finish my high school career. It’s going to be awesome.”
The Henson’s are the fifth father-son combo to appear in
The Classic, and the second with ties to Waynesburg.
• Waynesburg coach Joe Throckmorton wrestled for the Pennsylvania All-Stars in 1980. His son Mark Throckmorton appeared on the WPIAL team in 2004.
• Shaler graduate and current Quaker Valley coach Mike Heinl Sr. appeared on the WPIAL All-Star Team in 1987. Mike Heinl Jr. was a member of the WPIAL AllStars in 2016.
• Valley graduate Joe Galli wrestled in Classic II in 1976 for the WPIAL All-Stars. His son Peter Galli appeared in 2012 as a member of the Maryland All-Star Team.
• Danny Vega Sr., a graduate of Arizona’s Sunnyside High School, was a member of the United States All-Star Team in 1994. His son, Danny Vega Jr. represented Arizona’s Ironwood Ridge on the United States All-Star Team in 2016.
Henson will be joined on the Pennsylvania All-Star Team by Waynesburg teammate Luca Augustine (12224), a PIAA Class 3A champion and Pitt recruit. Augustine’s opponent in the 170pound bout is Dillon Walker (82-17) of LaSalle High School in Cincinnati.
Seneca Valley will also be represented by two wrestlers on the Pennsylvania All-Star Team: Alejandro HerreraRondon and Dylan Chappell.
Herrera-Rondon (175-14), a three-time PIAA Class 3A champion and Oklahoma recruit, will wrestle in the 152pound bout against Victor Voinovich (148-16), a twotime Ohio state champion and Oklahoma State recruit from Brecksville High School. Voinovich is ranked No. 1 and Herrera-Rondon is No. 3.
“It’s a great honor to be chosen to wrestle in The Classic,” Herrera-Rondon said. “Victor Voinovich is No. 1 in the country. That’s something to be excited about. I want to show everybody what I can do against the No. 1 guy.”
Chappell (164-26), a threetime PIAA runner-up and Bucknell recruit, is paired up with Chance Lamer (136-6), a Michigan recruit and threetime Oregon state champion, in the 132-pound bout.
“It’s an honor to be chosen,” Chappell said. “I’m looking forward to it. It’s a great way to end my high school career and one more chance to have Alejandro as my teammate.”
The other two WPIAL entries on the Pennsylvania AllStar Team are South Park’s Joey Fischer and Burrell’s A.J. Corrado.
Fischer (142-13), a Clarion recruit, is a two-time PIAA Class 2A finalist and one-time champ. His opponent at 126 pounds is Drake Ayala (1713), a three-time Iowa state champ and Iowa University recruit from Fort Dodge.
Corrado (155-35), a Brown recruit, is a two-time PIAA Class 2A finalist and one-time champ. His opponent at 160 pounds is Oklahoma State recruit Enrique Munguia (14533), a two-time Ohio state runner-up from Elyria High School.
The Classic selection committee decided to use last year’s weight class alignment, but did not chose anybody at 106 or 113 since those weight classes are dominated by underclassmen.
The event will be held at the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Garden Inn in Southpointe. Only the participants and their parents will be allowed to attend the event due to COVID-19 restrictions, as they can have only 250 people in attendance.
The feature match between Pennsylvania and United States will be held at 6 p.m. The preliminary match between WPIAL and Maryland will begin at 4 p.m.
WPIAL All-Stars
Hempfield High School hit the trifecta when the WPIAL All-Star Team was announced for the preliminary match of the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic. Three of the 12 entries are from Hempfield.
“It’s a tremendous honor for our program to have three wrestlers chosen in the same year,” Hempfield coach Vince DeAugustine said. “We’ve had kids chosen before, but not three in one year. All three were bronze medalists at Hershey and all three placed more than once. It’s a fitting way to see their careers end with a match at The Classic.”
Hempfield has had 15 wrestlers compete in previous Classics. Three Spartans have appeared in the feature match for the Pennsylvania All-Star Team, including DeAugustine, while 12 others appeared on the WPIAL All-Star Team.
“Wrestling in The Classic is something I’m very proud of,” said DeAugustine, who competed at 160 pounds in 1997. “I wasn’t happy with the result. I lost in overtime, but it was a great experience. The Classic committee treated us like gold. Everything is first class. I told the kids to go out and have fun.”
Hempfield’s three entries are Ethan Berginc, Ty Linsenbigler and Isaiah Vance.
Berginc (124-40), a West Point recruit, is a two-time PIAA Class 3A place-winner who won a title in 2020. His opponent at 120 pounds is Cooper Flynn (132-17), a Virginia Tech recruit from McDonogh School, who is a three-time National Prep AllAmerican and one- time champ. Flynn is ranked No. 2 nationally by Flowrestling.com.
Linsenbigler (148-27), a Lock Haven recruit and threetime PIAA place-winner, has moved up one weight class to 152. He is facing Michael Emerick (137-15), a Maryland state champion from Damascus High School. Emerick will be attending the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
Vance (147-19), a West Point Recruit, is a three-time PIAA place-winner at 285 pounds. He is facing the most accomplished member of the Maryland All-Star Team, Kyonte Hamilton (150-11), a two-time Maryland state champ and one-time national prep champ from Georgetown Prep.
Hamilton will also be the busiest wrestler at The Classic, as he will perform in both matches. Hamilton was originally chosen on the United States All-Star Team, but then agreed to wrestle in both matches when other heavyweights from Maryland were not available.
“Ethan, Ty and Isaiah have a lot to be proud of, especially when you consider what they went through this year with all the COVID restrictions. Their accomplishments are even more magnified, as their road was tougher than any year in their career. I’m very proud of them.”