HOLLAND — For Malvern Prep to continue its ascension as a national name in the wrestling world, it needed to claim a team title at a major tournament.
Sunday, the Friars checked that off their to-do list. Malvern got seven to the podium, including two champions, PJ Crane (138 pounds) and Mike Beard (182), to run away with the team title at the Escape the Rock tournament at Council Rock South.
Beard was named Outstanding Wrestler after another dominating run through the bracket, and the seven medalists were a tournament high.
“This is our first big time tournament win and it shows the kind of direction we’re going,” Malvern coach Nate Lautar said. “We’re getting better each year and it’s great to get a win at a tournament of this caliber.”
Malvern Prep’s Mike Beard tilts Chambersburg’s Drew Peck on his way to a second-period technical fall in the 182-pound finals. (Nate Heckenberger – For Digital First Media)
Beard has now notched championships at the Ironman, Beast of the East and Escape the Rock — a trifecta that is hard to match anywhere in the country.
This weekend, Beard was once again barely tested, using two pins and two technical falls to breeze his way to earn his second straight ETR championship belt. In the finals he needed just three and a half minutes to tilt Chambersburg’s Drew Peck, a PIAA fourth-place medalist, to a tech fall.
“I think my confidence level went up a lot,” Beard said. “Now I’m trying to dominate kids more than just hanging on to win. I’m trying to stay on my offense the whole time.”
Malvern was four-for-four in the semifinals, and with the finals starting at 132, Crane was first to go.
He was solid and efficient on his feet, taking North Allegheny’s Zach Stedeford down five times in a 10-3 win. Getting to the finals was more challenging. In the semis, Crane survived Northampton’s three-time state medalist, Dan Moran, 3-2 in ultimate tiebreaker.
“I knew Dan was very solid and that it would be a grind match, either way,” said Crane, who placed eighth at ETR the year before. “My mindset was to wrestle my heart out and whatever happens, happens. I was so relieved to be in the finals and confident against Stedeford.”
PJ Crane of Malvern Prep works on a takedown against North Allegheny’s Zach Stedeford in a 10-3 win in the 138-pound final. (Nate Heckenberger – For Digital First Media)
Malvern’s two other finalists were Seth Janney (285) and Shane Hanson-Ashworth. Janney couldn’t crack Canon McMillan’s Brendan Furman on his feet and fell, 4-3.
Hanson-Ashworth scored first in his final, taking Southern Columbia’s Class AA state runner-up, Jaret Lane, down late in the first period. Up 3-1 late in the third, Hanson-Ashworth was just trying to stay away from Lane and bounced right into a takedown with three seconds to go. In sudden victory, Lane ended up on top and ended up decking Hanson-Ashworth.
Micah Visuwan (132) took fifth for the Friars with a 3-1 win in sudden victory over Canon McMillan’s Matt Oblock. Dalton Harkins (106) and Chris Hisey (152) finished seventh for Malvern.
Harkins, a West Chester resident, was 5-2 on the weekend as a freshman.
“Dalton is a great kid and comes from a great family,” Lautar said. “He works his butt off and he and (Hanson-Ashworth) are really going to help each other the next couple years.”
Team Standings
- Malvern Prep, 164; 2. North Allegheny, 135.5; 3. Northampton, 123.5; 4. Canon McMillan, 111; 5. Boyertown, 97; 6. St. Paul’s School, 90.5; 7. Southern Columbia, 89; 8. Belle Vernon, 85.5; 9. Delbarton, 85.5; 10. Athens, 83.5.
Championship Finals
132- Fenstermacher (Northampton) dec. Courtney (Athens), 7-6
138- Crane (Malvern Prep) dec. Stedeford (North Allegheny), 10-3
145- Pipa (Bishop McDevitt) dec. Hinkson (North Allegheny), 8-7
152- Nijenhuis (Canon McMillan) dec. Winters (Athens), 3-0
160- Hong (North Allegheny) dec. Stillings (Pennridge), 2-0
170- Oliver (Huntingdon) dec. Tiongson (St. Paul’s), 3-1 SV
182- Beard (Malvern Prep) tech. fall Peck (Chambersburg), 3:31
195- Woodley (North Allegheny) dec. Borst (Sherando), 5-3
220- Doyle (Council Rock South) dec. Jones (Bishop McCort), 2-1
285- Furman (Canon McMillan) dec. Janney (Malvern Prep),4-3
106- McHenry (St. Paul’s) dec. Alvarez (St. Joseph Regional), 5-1
113- J. Lane (Southern Columbia) pinned Hanson-Ashworth (Malvern Prep), 6:36
120- Glory (Delbarton) pinned Parker (Pennridge), 3:48
126- N. Raimo (Hanover Park) dec. Chlebove (Northampton), 3-1
Consolation Finals
106- Clark (Delbarton) maj. dec. Mendez (Council Rock South), 11-0
113- Dunlop (Belle Vernon) dec. Wilde (Boyertown), 1-0
120- Hoskins (Legacy Christian) dec. Macri (Canon McMillan), 8-4
126- Majorette (Oscar Smith) dec. Miers (Easton), 7-4
132- J. Campbell (Boyertown) disq. L. Raimo (Hanover Park)
138- Moran (Northampton) dec. Heard (St. Paul’s), 9-4
145- Krause (Georgetown Prep) dec. T. Lane (Southern Columbia), 5-4
152- Godzin (Belle Vernon) dec. Elfvin (Father Judge), 4-2 SV
160- Hartman (Belle Vernon) dec. R. Resnick (Owen J. Roberts), 4-2
170- Battista (Broad Run) maj. dec. Shields (Big Spring), 14-5
182- Jones (Boyertown) dec. Lee (South Philadelphia), 4-2
195- Walters (Bishop McCort) dec. Bushman (Cave Spring), 5-1
220- Edenfield (Laurel Highlands) dec. Korber (Belle Vernon), 3-1
285- Badley (St. Christopher’s) pinned Gates (Georgetown Prep), 5:53
