Bowlen, Carr, Teasdale top awards stand
Mike Carr of South Fayette (left) wards off Kody Komara of Freedom in the 145-pound finals of the PIAA Class AA Wrestling Championships Saturday at Canon-McMillan High School. Carr won his third title with a 3-1 overtime win.
Gavin Teasdale of Jefferson-Morgan turns Darren Yearick of Penns Valley during the 113-pound finals of the PIAA Class AA Wrestling Championships Saturday at Canon-McMillan High School. Teasdale won by fall in 1:49.
CANONSBURG – The highest point on the awards stand in Canon-McMillan High School can’t be more than four feet.
But the wrestlers who stood on that spot spent two days pouring all their wrestling talent into earning that spot.
Mike Carr of South Fayette was there for the third time, Gavin Teasdale of Jefferson-Morgan made a second trip and teammate Bill Bowlen made his first as champion in the PIAA Class AA Southwest Region Championships Saturday.
The three led a contingent of 11 Washington-Greene County wrestlers, who stood tall and received a medal as one of the top six finishers in their weight class that permitted entrance into the PIAA Championships, which get under way at the Giant Center in Hershey Thursday.
Joining the three champions were Beth-Center’s Dom Fundy and Tony Welsh, who each took second place in the respective weight class, 160 for Fundy, 170 for Welsh; Rasaun Culberson of South Fayette, who was fourth at 220; Manny Dovshek (113) of Bentworth and Dom Provenzano (182) of Chartiers-Houston, who each took fifth place; and Ben Previte (152) of South Fayette, Brad Hucik (220) of Burgettstown, and Trevor McIntyre (Hvy) of Fort Cherry, who each finished sixth.
Teasdale stretched his undefeated record to 78-0 by pinning District 6 champion Darren Yearick in 1:49 at 113 pounds. He made it to the finals after an uneven semifinal performance in a 14-6 major decision over District 5 runner-up Keaton Furry of North Star.
“In the semis, I didn’t do the right thing after weigh-ins,” said Teasdale, a defending state champion who also has two WPIAL titles in as many seasons. “I drank a little bit too much and didn’t warm up right. I was upset with myself because I knew I could do a lot better in that match.”
Teasdale had two pins and a major decision in this event and should get a good draw when the PIAA Championships pairings are released today.
Carr stalked along the walkways of the C-M gym two weights before his match, eager to release the pent-up energy for his finals bout at 145. His opponent was a familiar one as Kody Komara of Freedom has wrestled him four times this season. Unlike the previous three bouts, Komara finally scored a point, this one coming four seconds into the third period and tying the match, 1-1. Carr won it 29 seconds into overtime with a takedown.
“That’s a big part of college wrestling, hand-fighting, moving and getting him out of position,” said Carr, also a defending state champion who is 39-0 this season and has 156 career victories.
“That’s the fourth time I wrestled him this year, and I knew he was going to keep good positioning and keep it close. I shot to the right side for once (on the winning takedown). I usually shoot to the left side and he knows it’s coming. So I decided to mix it up and got it real deep.”
Bowlen’s winning point against Logan Fisher of Huntingdon – actually the only point of the bout – came on an escape 20 seconds into the second period of the 195 final. Bowlen then rode Fisher for the final two minutes to secure his fourth win of the tournament and 35th of the season.
“I think I’ve proved myself over the years and I got second here twice,” said Bowlen, a Carmichaels student who wrestles at Jefferson-Morgan on a co-op agreement. “I got what I earned. Every week is a new goal. I tried so hard to win this tournament the last two years. Coming off losses every time the last two years was frustrating. That’s why this is a big achievement.”
Fundy, only a freshman, beat District 5 champion Braden Fochtman of Berlin-Brothersvalley in the semifinals, 11-7. But Jake Wentzel, one of two defending state champions for South Park in this tournament, pinned Fundy in 1:19 of the finals.
Welsh made it to the finals with a 3-2 decision over District 6 runner-up Jacob Oliver. But Anthony Walters of Westmont-Hilltop scored six points in the second period on the way to a 9-2 win.