Curses! Beth-Center’s Fundy comes up 1 win short of title
HERSHEY – You didn’t have to ask how much this loss hurt because you could see it in the eyes of Dom Fundy.
The sophomore from Beth-Center had his spectacular run in the PIAA Class AA Wrestling Championships end one win shy of the gold medal in the 182-pound weight class.
It wasn’t a close match. Cody Mulligan, a senior from Saegertown, shut down Fundy’s attacks in a 6-0 victory.
“He was a very tough wrestler on top,” said Fundy. “He was good in all three positions.”
This was Fundy’s second trip to the PIAA tournament and he finished this year with a 39-1 record.
Fundy became the fifth state runner-up in Beth-Center’s history.
The other four are Chuck Colborn (167 pounds, 1978), Marc Bartolomucci (119, 1984), Tio Paci (119, 1992) and Ulysses Davis (103, 1998). The last state placewinner for the Bulldogs was Anthony Welsh, who was third at 170 pounds.
“The Beth-Center curse continues,” said B-C head coach Gary Welsh. “I have to give all the credit in the world to Cody Mulligan. He’s a phenomenal wrestler. He didn’t get there by accident. … He’s so tough in all positions. But I’m proud of the run Dominick had. He’s only a sophomore and getting a silver medal at 182 is nothing to hang your head about.”
Welsh said the Beth-Center community has been energized by Fundy’s success.
“We’ve had great support throughout the community,” said Welsh. “We have fans up here streaming his bouts on Facebook Live. They are really proud of what Dominick has done.”
Fundy made it to the finals with three impressive victories.
He opened with a 9-3 decision over Colten Drawbaugh of District 3 Trinity, and followed it up with an 11-2 major decision over Joe Koss of Towanda. A heart-stopping 3-2 decision over Julian Gorring of Fort Leboeuf put Fundy in the finals. Gorring nearly took Fundy down in the final seconds and the win was not assured until a meeting of the officials.
“When I look back, I think making states was a big accomplishment,” Fundy said. “This time I placed second. Next year, I want to go further.”