Jan 1, 2018 3 min read

For the wrestling fans who jammed Canon-McMillan High School’s gymnasium Saturday night, it had to seem like a surreal moment.

They witnessed something few, if any, believed would happen.

Gavin Teasdale lost.

The senior from Jefferson-Morgan High School had won 134 straight bouts since starting his varsity career.

Teasdale fell to Beau Bartlett, an extraordinary talent from Wyoming Seminary, 4-3, in the 126-pound finals of the Powerade Christmas Wrestling Tournament.

Bartlett took Teasdale down twice in the bout, the second time with 25 seconds to go for a 4-2 lead. Teasdale escaped seven seconds later and nearly got a takedown along the edge of the mat as the buzzer sounded.

It was the right call.

As the crowd roared, Bartlett got up and raised his arms in triumph while Teasdale was prone on the mat, looking up at the referee.

In that moment, a few things changed for Teasdale.

• His varsity record went to 134-1.
• Teasdale was not going to be a four-time undefeated PIAA champion, a feat accomplished by just six wrestlers in the state tournament’s history.
• Teasdale won’t match the career of Cary Kolat, one of the undefeated state champions who also went to school at Jefferson-Morgan.

Kolat finished with a 137-0 record and four PIAA titles before going on to win two NCAA championships.

Teasdale was inconsolable after the match.

Understandable, considering Teasdale’s work ethic. Normally, Teasdale attends two practices a day, one with the Rockets and then to the Young Guns Wrestling Club.

His talent is at an elite level and he was recruited by two of the nation’s most powerful programs: Iowa and Penn State. He finally decided on the latter and even had Nittany Lions head coach Cael Sanderson in attendance during the tournament.

Teasdale’s loss brought back memories of Kolat’s “loss” in the 135-pound bout of the 1992 Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic – a postseason exhibition. Kolat wrestled Chris Bono to a 4-4 tie.

Only hardcore wrestling fans knew of Bono, who went on to become the state of Florida’s first NCAA champion while competing at Iowa State University.

To Teasdale’s credit, he didn’t run from the competition. The 126-pound weight class was easily the most difficult at Powerade. Bartlett handed North Hill’s Sam Hillegas his first varsity loss in the semifinals and was named Outstanding Wrestler.

Teasdale must adjust his goals now. Only 12 wrestlers in the PIAA have won four state titles and Teasdale can still obtain that elite status. Nothing can be done about Saturday’s loss, other than to make sure it doesn’t affect the rest of his goals.

Staff writer Joe Tuscano can be reached at jtuscano@observer-reporter.com.