Nijenhuis wins first WPIAL Class AAA title
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Canon-McMillan’s Gerrit Nijenhuis works for the fall over North Allegheny’s Jon Hoover in the 170-pound bout of Saturday’s WPIAL AAA Championships.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Belle Vernon’s Logan Seliga wrestles Norwin’s Kurtis Phipps. Phipps would go on to win by decision 4-1 in the 120 pound championship at the WPIAL AAA Championships at Canon-McMillan
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Mt. Lebanon’s Luke Stout wins by decision over Belle Vernon’s Scott Joll 9-2 at 182 pounds in the WPIAL AAA Championships at Canon-McMillan
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Seneca Valley’s Antonio Amelio, left, is lifted by Waynesburg’s Trey Howard in the 145-pound bout of Saturday’s WPIAL AAA Championships.
Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter
Canon-McMillan’s Gerrit Nijenhuis walks in the parade of champions before the start of the WPIAL AAA Championship round at Canon-McMillan
CANONSBURG – It took a couple tries but Gerrit Nijenhuis finally got it right.
The 170-pound junior from Canon-McMillan captured his first title in the WPIAL Class AAA Championships in front of a fan-friendly group at the C-M gymnasium Saturday, snapping an 0-for-2 drought in the past two finals.
Looking strong and healthy, Nijenhuis turned John Hoover of North Allegheny and pinned him in 3:23 to remain unbeaten in this tournament and the individual postseason.
Nijenhuis raised his record to 40-3 with the win over Hoover.
“I feel good. I feel like I’m really peaking at the end of this season and on the way to Hershey,” said Nijenhuis.
Nijenhuis said his damaged knee is nearly 100 percent, bad news for his opponents.
“I could probably go without taping it,” he said. “That’s just a precautionary measure.”
The top four wrestlers in each weight class advanced to the state tournament.
Nijenhuis was one of 15 area wrestlers to earn a trip to the state tournament in Hershey. Teammates Costa Moore (4th at 106), Ken Hayman (4th at 126) and Tanner Rohaley (3rd at 145) will be joining him.
Waynesburg had four qualifiers in Trey Howard (2nd at 145), Cole Homet (3rd at 120), Luca Augustine (4th at 152) and Colby Morris (3rd at 160).
Peters Township had three in Coltin Jezioro (3rd at 152), Jeff Markert (4th at 170) and Brandon Matthews (4th at 182). Belle Vernon had two silver medalists: Logan Seliga at 120 and Scott Joll at 182.
Trinity’s Cole Whitmer (3rd at 182) and South Fayette’s Quentin Franklin (4th at Hvy) also advanced.
Nijenhuis pinned his way into the finals. He stuck Cole McCorkandale of West Mifflin in 1:11 and followed with a pin of Cooper Baxter of Butler in 2:15. Nijenhuis sent Markert to the consolation round with a pin in 2:44.
Howard shut out Rohaley, 5-0, in the quarterfinals and kept the shutout streak alive with a 1-0 decision from Jake Pletcher in the semifinals. In the finals, Howard let a close match get away when he was turned and pinned by Antonio Emilio of Seneca Valley in 5:49.
“I feel pretty good about (heading to Hershey) but I don’t feel good about losing in the finals,” said Howard. “That definitely was a match I should not have lost.”
Seliga earned his trip to the finals with a 5-0 decision over Ethan Berginc of Hempfield in the semifinals. But Kurtis Phipps stopped him in the finals, 4-1, for his third WPIAL gold medal.
“Obviously, it’s not what I wanted,” Seliga said. “What matters is next week. I’m just going to go one match at a time.”
Joll’s path to the final was paved with a pin in 1:55 of Riley O’Mara of Bethel Park in the quarterfinals and a 14-5 major over Whitmer in the semifinals. But Joll lost for the third time this season to Luke Stout of Mount Lebanon, 4-2.
“I just wanted to go out and wrestle hard,” said Joll. “That’s all you can do. I’m going to keep doing what I’ve been doing.”
The consolation semifinals are usually the most emotional for wrestlers because winners go to Hershey and losers go home.
Following Augustine’s 1-0 decision over Nick Montalbano of Seneca Valley at 152 pounds, things got nasty.
Montabalno got up from the mat where Augustine rode him out for the third period and shoved the Waynesburg sophomore. Augustine did not retaliate and Montalbano shoved him again, this time into the rolled up seats.
Montalbano was finally corraled by coaches and pulled from the mat. He fired his headgear as he stalked off.
“We always tell our kids that the best way to get back at another wrestler is to beat them,” said Waynesburg head coach Joe Throckkmorton.
Homet made his way back after a quarterfinal loss to Ethan Bergincc of Hempfield, 4-2, in overtime and earned a trip to states with a pin of Ken Laffey of Pine-Richland in 3:45. Homet won the rematch against Berginc, 6-2, in the consolation finals.
{span}Morris also got his ticket punched with a pin of Bryce Long of Norwin in 2:40. His 4-2 decision over Ty McGeary of West Allegheny got him third place.{/span}
Whitmer is the first Trinity wrestler to make it to states since Kyle McWreath did it in 2011. Whitmer won a 1-0 decision over David McElravy of Indiana in the consy semifinals. Then he decisioned Brandon Matthews of Peters Township, 7-0, for third place.