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Who says wrestling season is over?
Two of the most important tournaments for wrestlers will be held this weekend — the 27th Annual NHSCA Wrestling Championships at the Virginia Beach Convention Center in Virginia Beach on Friday, Saturday and Sunday; and the PJW Youth State Championships being held in Erie.
Hazleton Area’s Jimmy Hoffman and Wyoming Seminary’s Jack Davis highlight the field of 25 from the area who will be competing at nationals.
Hoffman, who placed second in the 132-pound bracket of the PIAA Championships earlier this month, is one of seven Hazleton Area wrestlers competing in the tournament, including four in the junior division with Hoffman. Joining Hoffman from the Cougars are freshman Shane Noonan, juniors Jake Maurer, Chris Lasecki, Anthony Martoccio and Carson Kinney, and senior Keith Lowery.
Davis, a sophomore who claimed a National Prep championship last month, is one of five from Sem wrestling at the tournament. Also from the Blue Knights are freshman Jake Stefanowicz and juniors Nick Bauer, Will Moss and Jake Riegel.
Hanover Area (Owen Davis, Jeff Bennett, Zakee Nettles) and Coughlin (Jake, Josh and Mike Brown) will be represented with three wrestlers each, while a pair of Dallas freshman (Alec Sampson, Steven Newell) will also compete.
Wyoming Valley West freshman David Krokowski and Meyers junior Jeremy Bergold round out the field from the Wyoming Valley Conference. Benton’s Joe Klock, Cole Rhone and Colton Babcock will all wrestle in the sophomore division.
Thirty-two youth grapplers from Luzerne County ages 7 through 12 will compete Friday and Saturday at the Erie Insurance Arena at PJW’s with Wilkes-Barre Area leading the way for the Wyoming Valley with five wrestlers qualifying. Berwick follows up with four participants.
Tunkhannock, Wyoming Valley West, Wyoming Area and Dallas each have three entries in the event, while Nanticoke, Pittston Area, Lake-Lehman and Hazleton Area all have two. Hanover Area, Crestwood and Northwest will all enter one participant in the tournament.
X-Calibur trio crowned
Three wrestlers who have participated in Wyoming Seminary’s X-Calibur Wrestling Club recently claimed gold medals at the PJW Junior High Tournament.
Beau Bartlett, who is the top-ranked eighth-grader in the country and attends Wyoming Seminary won the 124-pound gold, while his teammate at Sem, Kyle Costello, a Plains Township resident, won the 157-pound title.
Sheldon Seymour, who attends Troy Area, but still travels to workout at the club in Kingston, won the 77-pound bracket.
Wyoming Area eight-grader Lincoln Heck finished fourth at the event earlier this month in the 97-pound bracket.
Did you know
The Lizak brothers from Parkland, Ethan and Jacob, have ties to the Wyoming Valley.
Ethan just wrapped up his redshirt season at the University of Minnesota after winning two PIAA Class 3A Championships and finishing second, while his brother who was Class 3A Northeast Regional champion at 138 pounds this season, just concluded his career at Parkland.
Their father, Rich, wrestled for Pittston Area in high school before continuing his career at Wilkes. The Lizaks’ grandfather, Joe O’Brien, is a former wrestler at Meyers and currently lives in Nanticoke.
MAWA Tournament
A Middle Atlantic Wrestling Association (MAWA) Wrestling tournament will be held at Wilkes University on Sunday with registration and weigh-in on Saturday from 6-7:30 p.m. and Sunday from 7:30-8:30 a.m.
Wrestling will begin at 10 a.m. in seven age divisions beginning with bantam division wrestlers born in 2008 and after, up to the Open Division for wrestlers born in 1998 or later.
The top three place winners in each weight class will qualify for the North Regional tournament on April 16-17 at Shamokin High School. Walk-in registration will be accepted at weigh-ins.
For information call 570-690-1631 or 814-538-9034. Application information is available at mawawrestling.com.