Piaa State Championships Wrestling 2019

More:Matside from Giant Center: Updates and analysis from state wrestling

More:State wrestling results: PIAA Class 3A tournament at Hershey's Giant Center

West wrestlers win seven divisions

The PIAA Class 3A wrestling tournament concluded with seven gold medalists from western Pennsylvania schools.

Cathedral Prep lightweight Jake Van Dee was the lone victor from District 10. The junior, with a takedown at the buzzer, won the 113 division with a 3-1 decision over Delaware Valley's Zachary Jacaruso.

WPIAL wrestlers accounted for the other six, with half of them coming from Waynesburg.

Mac Church finished first at 120, Wyatt Henson at 145 and Luca Augustine at 172.

Seneca Valley's Alejandro Herrera-Rondon, a University of Oklahoma recruit, will graduate a rare three-time PIAA champ. He defeated Prep's Paniro Johnson, an Iowa State recruit, 5-2 in the 152 semifinals and then another Waynesburg finalist, Rocco Welsh, 3-1 in their tile match.

Hempfield's Briar Priest was victorious at 132, followed by Franklin Regional's Finn Solomon at 138.

Iowa State-bound Johnson third at 152

Cathedral Prep's Paniro Johnson, in his final individual tournament for the Ramblers, won the bronze medal match at 152 pounds.

Johnson took an early lead with two takedowns and then held off a late charge by Connellsville's Jared Keslar for an 8-5 decision. The Iowa State recruit still has a chance to add to his 18-2 season record and 123-21 overall mark.

Cathedral Prep's Paniro Johnson wrestles Connellsville Jared Keslar in the 152-pound third place bout at the PIAA Class 3A wrestling championship at the Giant Center in Hershey on Saturday, March 13, 2021. Johnson won by decision, 8-5.

Prep will be competing in the delayed PIAA 3A team meet, which normally takes place in early February. It was moved to the last full week of March out of COVID-19 concerns.

Johnson, who was a state junior champion before he arrived at Prep, medaled in each of his four individual appearances at states. That stretch included two third-place efforts.

Consolation semifinals delayed

The PIAA just announced that the start of the 145-285 consolation semifinals will be delayed. They will now start at 7:15 p.m., which is 15 minutes later than schedu

Cathedral Prep senior Paniro Johnson is involved in one of those matches. The Iowa State recruit will face Bethlehem Catholic's Evan Gleason at 152 pounds.

Prep's Van Dee wins 113-pound final

Cathedral Prep junior Jake Van Dee, with a cradle hold at the buzzer, won the 113-pound final of Saturday's PIAA Class 3A wrestling tournament.

Van Dee, with the lone takedown of the match, became the Ramblers' fourth individual state gold medalist since 2018 thanks to his 3-1 decision over Zachary Jacaruso of Delaware Valley.

Cathedral Prep's Jake Van Dee reacts after he wins the 113-pound championship bout against Delaware Valley's Zachary Jacaruso at the PIAA Class 3A wrestling championship at the Giant Center in Hershey on Saturday, March 13, 2021.

Prep's Johnson drops into 152 consolation bracket

Cathedral Prep's Paniro Johnson was a rare underdog in his 152-pound semifinal.

Seneca Valley's Alejandro Herrera-Rondon proved why.

Herrera-Rondon, already a two-time PIAA gold medalist, moved one match away from a third. The University of Oklahoma recruit nearly shut out Johnson, who will compete at Big 12 Conference rival Iowa State, before winning 5-2 decision that left his varsity career record at 174-14.

Cathedral Prep's Paniro Johnson, front, wrestles Seneca Valley's Alejandro Herrera-Rondon in a 152-pound semifinal bout at the PIAA Class 3A wrestling championship at the Giant Center in Hershey on Saturday, March 13, 2021. Herrera-Rondon won by decision, 5-2.

Johnson sought to join junior teammate Jake Van Dee in Saturday's parade of champions for the tournament's gold-medal-match participants.

Instead, the senior must win twice to finish with the 152 bronze.

Johnson (16-2) dropped into a consolation semifinal against Evan Gleason (14-1), a senior from Bethlehem Catholic.

Two Iowa State recruits in 3A semis

Iowa State wrestling coach Kevin Dresser will likely draw a smile when he learns two of his 2021 recruits are PIAA Class 3A semifinalists.

The Cyclones recruited Cathedral Prep 152-pounder Paniro Johnson and Selinsgrove heavyweight Nate Schon. Both will be in action when the Saturday's semifinal and consolation quarterfinal session starts at 2 p.m. at the Giant Center.

Schon improved to 37-1 this season with a 2:33 fall of Easton's Matthew Cruise in their quarterfinal. He'll next face Greensburg-Salem's William McChesney, the West fourth seed who upset West Scranton's Cameron Butka, the East's top seed, 7-6 in their 285 opener.

Schon has a career record of 142-7. He was a 2019 state champ and then lost last season's final to Prep graduate Dorian Crosby, a Bucknell University recruit.

The other heavyweight semi will pit Hempfield's Isaiah Vance against Nazareth's Sean Kinney.

Nazareth is coached by Corry native Dave Crowell.

Prep's Johnson, Franklin Regional's Herrera-Rondon bound for Big 12 rivals

The 152-pound quarterfinal between Cathedral Prep's Paniro Johnson and Seneca Valley's Alejandro Herrera-Rondon could be a prelude to possible matches at the college level.

Johnson is an Iowa State recruit, while Herrara-Rondon is bound for Oklahoma. Both are Big 12 Conference schools, which means they could meet if they remain in the same weight class.

Herrera-Rondon will wrestle for the Soonors and coach Lou Rosselli starting this fall. Rosselli starred on the mat at Edinboro University in the early 1990s.

Prep's Johnson advances to difficult semifinal

Cathedral Prep's Paniro Johnson advanced to the semifinals with a 15-5 major decision over Neshaminy's Zac Martin in their 152-pound match.

The junior for the Ramblers probably would liked to have saved some of those points for his next opponent.

Cathedral Prep's Paniro Johnson, right, wrestles Neshaminy's Zac Martin in a 152-pound quarterfinal bout at the PIAA Class 3A wrestling championship at the Giant Center in Hershey on Saturday, March 13, 2021.

Johnson, an Iowa State recruit, must upset Seneca Valley star Alejandro Herrera-Rondon to reach the title round.

Herrera-Rondon only needed 3:19 to record a 16-0 technical fall of Interboro's Dom D'Agostino. The senior is 37-0 this season, 173-14 for his varsity career, a 2019 state gold medalist and a University of Oklahoma recruit.

The Sooners are coached by Lou Rosselli, who starred on the mat for Edinboro University in the early 1990s.

Seneca Valley brothers advance to separate finals

Seneca Valley brothers Tyler and Dylan Chappell both advanced to Saturday's gold medal round.

Tyler Chappell, a sophomore, will take a 36-2 record into his 106 final against Williamsport sophomore Cael Nasdeo (21-2).

Dylan Chappell, a senior, is 37-2. He seeks to defeat Hempfield junior Briar Priest (33-5) in an all-WPIAL title match.

Franklin Regional star Carter Dibert will conclude his varsity career in the 126 final. The Arizona State recruit, who received his first state gold two years ago, takes a 35-0 record into his meeting with Bethlehem Catholic sophomore Tyler Kasak (14-0).

Waynesburg boasts finalists in teammates Mac Church (27-2) at 120 and Cole Homet (29-2) at 138. Homet is scheduled to face Franklin Regional junior Finn Solomon (34-2) in another all-WPIAL final.

Ramblers' Van Dee back in PIAA finals

Cathedral Prep junior Jake Van Dee, for the second straight season, will vie for a gold medal in a PIAA Class 3A wrestling tournament.

Van Dee recorded two-point moves in the second and third periods of his 113 semifinal against Cael McIntyre. They held up for a 4-2 decision against the Bethlehem Catholic sophomore.

Van Dee will take a 16-1 record into the Saturday's championship match against Zachary Jacaruso, a sophomore from District 2 Delaware Valley.

Cathedral Prep's Jake Van Dee, top, holds down Bethlehem Catholic's Cael McIntyre in a 113-pound semifinal bout at the PIAA Class 3A wrestling championship at the Giant Center in Hershey on Saturday, March 13, 2021. Van Dee won by decision, 4-2.

Jacaruso (18-0) defeated Greater Latrobe's Vincent Kilkeary 3-2 in the semifinal adjacent to the mat that Van Dee and McIntyre competed.

Van Dee actually expressed disappointment that he wouldn't face Kilkeary because it denied him payback.

Kilkeary pinned Van Dee during the sudden-victory minute of last season's PIAA 3A final at 106.

Cathedral Prep's Jake Van Dee, left, wrestles Bethlehem Catholic's Cael McIntyre in a 113-pound semifinal bout at the PIAA Class 3A wrestling championship at the Giant Center in Hershey on Saturday, March 13, 2021. Van Dee won by decision, 4-2.

"It's not who I wanted in the finals, but I'm still going to throw everything on the mat," Van Dee said. "I've worked too hard this year."

West wrestlers sweep 138 quarters

The 138-pound quarterfinals produced a rare sweep for the West super region wrestlers.

The semifinals will pit Chartiers Valley's Dylan Evans vs. Waynesburg's Cole Homet and Chandler Ho of DuBois against Finn Solomon of Franklin Regional. Solomon, at 33-2, is the West's top seed.

Evans (32-7) bumped Kyle Hauserman from the undefeated ranks. The Council Rock North senior was 18-0 going into the tournament.

Former champ Berginc bumped in 126 quarters

A notable result in the 126 quarterfinals.

Dominic Findora, a junior from Downingtown West, defeated Hempfield senior Ethan Berginc 5-4 in their quarterfinal.

Berginc, last season's 3A 113 titlist, entered the match with a 31-5 record. He's been accepted the United States Military Academy and plans to wrestle for Army.

Findora goes from one former state champ to another. His semifinal opponent is Franklin Regional senior Carter Dibert (34-0).

Dibert, an Arizona State recruit, was a 2019 PIAA titlist.

Van Dee advances via shutout

Jake Van Dee ended up facing the 113 quarterfinal opponent originally planned for him.

The Cathedral Prep junior also got the result he desired.

Van Dee improved to 15-1 when he made a second-period reversal hold up for a 2-0 decision against Nazareth's Charlie Bunting. He advanced to a semifinal vs. Bethlehem Catholic's Cael McIntyre later this session.

McIntyre (10-1) was the benefactor of Kamdyn Williams' failure to make weight. The forfeit automatically advanced the sophomore into the bracket's final four.

McIntyre's coach is Dave Crowell, a Corry native.

The top half of the 113 bracket went as expected. Delaware Valley's Zachary Jacaruso (17-0) and Greater Latrobe's Vincent Kilkeary both won by 6-3 decisions.

Kilkeary, a sophomore, pinned Van Dee in sudden-victory time of last season's state final at 106.

Major change to 113 bracket

Saturday's PIAA Class 3A tournament experienced an unexpected shakeup to its 113-pound bracket even before its start.

Manheim Township freshman Kamdyn Williams, undefeated at 20-0 and the top seed out of last weekend's West Super Regional, failed to make weight according to PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi.

PIAA officials changed the bracket twice before they decided to give a Cael McIntyre (10-1) of Bethlehem Catholic, Williams' scheduled quarterfinal opponent, a bye into the semifinals. He'll face Cathedral Prep's Jake Van Dee (14-1) or Nazareth's Charlie Bunting (7-2) in the semifinals.

Prep pair to represent District 10

A Cathedral Prep duo will carry District 10's hopes for a Class 3A state championship on Saturday at Hershey's Giant Center.

Prep junior Jake Van Dee, a 2020 runner-up at 106, will look to win a title in a rugged 113-pound weight class.

Van Dee (14-1) will face Nazareth sophomore Charlie Bunting (7-2) in the quarterfinals. If he wins, he could face unbeaten Manheim Township freshman Kamdyn Williams, who beat Van Dee in the West Super Region semifinals. Latrobe's Vincent Kilkeary, the wrestler who topped Van Dee in the state finals last year, is on the other side of the bracket.

Cathedral Prep senior Paniro Johnson is an Iowa State recruit and a three-time state medalist. He is in a tough 152-pound weight class, where he will meet Neshaminy senior Zac Martin (14-1) in the quarterfinals.

Also in that weight division is a two-time state champion, Seneca Valley senior Alejandro Herrera-Rondon (36-0). The Oklahoma recruit is one of the most high-profile wrestlers in the two-day state tournament.

Two former state champions from the western side of the state are in the 126-pound class: Franklin Regional senior Carter Dibert (33-0) and Hempfield senior Ethan Berginc (31-5).

More:Class 2A results from PIAA wrestling championship at Giant Center in Hershey, Friday

Three other former PIAA champions from the West Super Regional will compete: Waynesburg senior Wyatt Henson (145), Mifflin County senior Trey Kibe (172) and Selinsgrove senior Nate Schon (285).

All seven of the former state gold medalists in Class 3A qualified from the West Super Regional.

Piaa State Championships Wrestling 2019

Source: https://www.goerie.com/story/sports/2021/03/13/live-updates-piaa-wrestling-tournament-class-3-hershey-west/4649768001/