USA wrestlers win Classic again
Eighth straight win over Pennsylvania
The United States All-Star Team flexed its muscles at the 44th Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic Friday night at Fitzgerald Field House, winning nine of 13 bouts against the Pennsylvania All-Star Team in the annual showcase known as the “Rose Bowl of Wrestling.”
Team USA defeated the Pennsylvania All-Stars in the main event for the eighth year in a row, winning by a score of 2918. Kiski Area’s Darren Miller and Hopewell’s Jacob Ealy, the only two WPIAL wrestlers competing in the main event, both lost close decisions to two of the top high school wrestlers in the country.
Miller, the 126-pound PIAA champion in Class 3A, dropped a 7-5 decision to Mike Colaiocco, a two-time New Jersey state champion from the prestigious Blair Academy. Intermat has Colaiocco, a Penn recruit, ranked No. 2 in the nation at 126 pounds.
“I was a little nervous, especially in the first period,” Miller said. “I started getting in my groove in the next two periods, but he’s a great wrestler. It was a great match.”
Ealy, fresh off winning the 138-pound PIAA title in Class 2A, faced off with the No. 1-ranked 138-pounder in the country, Rutgers recruit JoJo Aragona of Pope John XXIII High School. Aragona, a New Jersey state champion with a career record of 162-6, stifled Ealy’s vaunted offensive attack and controlled the majority of the match for a 5-1 decision win.
“He was incredible. That was a tough kid,” Ealy said. “I can never really get to the bright side off of a loss unless I’m taking away stuff, and I’m definitely taking away stuff, so that’s good, I guess.”
Minnesota recruit and two-time Missouri state champion Devin Winston set the tone for Team USA from the opening whistle of the very first match. Winston reversed Cedar Cliff’s Donovan Ball on both of Ball’s takedown attempts and turned Ball to his back twice for nearfall points on his way to a dominant 10-1 major decision.
Team USA went on to win the next five matches, including another major decision at 113 pounds by Michigan recruit and three-time Maryland state champion Kurt McHenry against Reynolds’ Beau Bayless. That gave the U.S. All-Stars a nearly insurmountable 17-0 lead heading into the 132-pound bout between Indiana recruit Luke Baughman and Northampton’s Julian Chlebove, a three-time PIAA champion.
Chlebove did his part to spark a comeback for the Pennsylvania All-Stars, pinning Baughman in the third period to get the home team on the board and bring the crowd to life.
Aragona put a temporary halt to Pennsylvania’s momentum with his win over Ealy at 138 pounds, but Pennsylvania picked up its second win at 145 pounds from two-time PIAA champion and Iowa State recruit Ryan Anderson of Bethlehem Catholic. Anderson defeated four-time Michigan state champion and Nebraska recruit Kevon Davenport, 3-2, trimming Team USA’s lead to 20-9 with four matches remaining.
In the next match, Cameron Amine — Davenport’s teammate at Detroit Catholic Central High School and a three-time Michigan state champion and Michigan recruit — defeated Pope John Paul II’s Ryan Vulakh in overtime at 152 pounds, 6-1. But Daniel Mancini of Owen J. Roberts kept the Pennsylvania All-Stars alive with a first-period pin against New York state champion Zach Lawrence at 160 pounds.
At 170 pounds, Blair Academy’s Julian Ramirez sealed the deal for Team USA with an 8-3 decision against twotime PIAA champion Edmond Ruth of Susquehanna Township. Ramirez, a three-time New Jersey state champion and Cornell recruit, earned the Outstanding Wrestler award for the U.S. AllStars for his performance.
In the final match of the night, Penn State recruit and two-time PIAA champion Carter Starocci defeated Iowa recruit and two-time Illinois state champion Abe Assad, 3-1, to receive the Outstanding Wrestler award for the Pennsylvania All-Stars.
The preliminary dual meet between the WPIAL All-Stars and the New York All-Stars was a bit more evenly matched, but the New York All-Stars came out on top 25-18 after winning eight of 13 bouts.