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Wyoming Seminary entered 26 wrestlers into the X-Calibur Tournament. The host team left the first day of the event on Saturday at Wilkes University with 23 participants still in medal contention, including 18 in the semifinals.
In all, 27 local wrestlers in the tournament make up nearly half of the 56 semifinalists. The semis will start 9 a.m. Sunday with the finals slated for approximately 3 p.m.
For the Blue Knights, Tim Levine (106), Nic Botello (113), Lincoln Heck (120), Ezekiel Escalera (120), Drew Munch (120), Justin Hoyle (126), Beau Bartlett (126), Mosha Schwartz (132), Jack Davis (138), Carter Tuttle (145), Benny Baker (152), Cole Rees (152), Jake Hendricks (160), Jake Stefanowicz (170), Darrien Roberts (182), Austin Cooley (195), Mike Doggett (220) and Tony Cutrie (285) all reached the semis.
Sem is guaranteed at least two finalists with three semifinalists at 120, Munch and Heck meet in one semi with the chance of facing Escalera in the finals. At 152, Baker and Rees will square off in a semi.
Lake-Lehman is the Wyoming Valley Conference team with the most semifinalists with three. Bob Long (126), T.J. Meehan (195) and Kaleb Konigus (285) represent the Black Knights in this morning’s semis.
Coughlin is the WVC team with the most competitors still in medal contention with seven, including two in the semis with twins Jake and Josh Brown reaching the final four in the 132 and 138-pound brackets, respectively.
Wyoming Valley West also has a pair of wrestlers in the semis in David Krokowski (132) and Jaylon Brunson (160).
Benton, which is in a co-op with Northwest Area, advanced two to the semifinals as Cole Rhone (132) and Colton Babcock (145) are moving on.
The local matchups in the semis are Long versus Hoyle at 126, Schwartz against Krokowski, and Jake Brown versus Rhone both at 132.
Panther Holiday Classic
Tunkhannock’s Tommy Traver won the 138-pound championship beating returning PIAA fourth-place finisher Caleb Dowling from St. Joseph’s in the final of the tournament at Mount Aloysius College.
Traver, a returning state qualifier, trailed Dowling 5-2 in the third period before hitting an inside trip for a pin in 5:19.
As a team, Tunkhannock placed second out of 44 teams paced by finals appearances from David Evans (113) and Traver; Evans finished as runner-up.
Gavin D’Amato and Sam Rice both placed fifth for the Tigers, while Connor Munley finished third.
Hazleton Area took 19th in the event with three medalists, Shane Noonan (third at 195), Johnny Corra (106) and Michael Fuchick (285) both finishing eighth.