Classic adds girls matches
Event celebrates 50th anniversary
Leyna Rumpler has been involved with the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic the past two years. But this time she will be in the Classic spotlight.
This is the 50th anniversary of the Wrestling Classic and the first time the event will include a girls match. This was the first year that the WPIAL and PIAA sanctioned girls wrestling.
Rumpler, a North Allegheny senior, is one of 12 girls from Pennsylvania who will represent the Keystone state in a girls match against an all-star team from Ohio in the event March 30 at Peters Township High School.
The Classic committee staged four girls exhibition bouts over the past three years, including two last year.
“I was a workout partner for Abbie Miles last year and Grace Stem two years ago,” said Rumpler, referring to two girls who wrestled in Classic exhibition matches. “I’m super excited to actually be on the team this year.”
This is the third year the Classic will be at Peters Township. The other two matches in the event showcase boys all-star teams.
“At last year’s Classic, I heard that a separate card for the girls was a possibility,” Rumpler said. “I also heard that this year would be the
Complete Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic rosters at
ON THE WEB: post-gazette.com. 50th anniversary of the Classic. I thought it would be really cool for the committee to add a separate girls card on the 50th anniversary. My wish came true.”
Rumpler (102-2), a Baldwin Wallace recruit, will wrestle in the 155-pound bout. She will be joined on the Pennsylvania team by Butler’s Ana Malovich (272), who is competing at 118 pounds.
The girls match will be at 3 p.m., followed by the boys preliminary match between the WPIAL all-stars and a New Jersey all-star team at 4 p.m. The boys feature match between Pennsylvania and the United States is scheduled for 6 p.m.
The Pennsylvania boys all-star team features two WPIAL wrestlers — Frazier’s Rune Lawrence and Bentworth’s Chris Vargo.
Lawrence concluded his high school career as the
14th wrestler in PIAA history to win four state titles.
“It will be a great way to end my high school career,” said Lawrence, who claimed his fourth PIAA Class 2A crown while competing at 215 pounds.
Lawrence (145-8), a West Virginia recruit, will face a stiff challenge in the 215pound bout against Sawyer Bartelt, a four-time Florida champion from South Dade High School. Bartelt, an Iowa State recruit, is 139-0.
Vargo (133-12), an Edinboro recruit, is a four-time PIAA Class 2A medalist and two-time runner-up. His opponent in the 127pound bout is J.J. McComas, a two-time Oklahoma state champ from Stillwater High School. McComas (136-22), an Oklahoma State recruit, was a runner-up at the Super 32 Tournament.
The WPIAL all-star team includes Burrell’s Cooper Hornack (156-27) and Central Valley’s Brenan Morgan (113-12). Both collected a PIAA gold and silver medal during their career.