Upper Darby’s Cronin claims title with 100th win
Limerick Twp. >> When you win as often as Upper Darby’s Colin Cronin, the 100-win mark is a somewhat foregone conclusion.
Still, when that 100th victory comes in a championship bout, the occasion is worth celebrating. At Saturday’s District One AAA West meet, Cronin (138) defeated Boyertown’s JT Cooley by injury default in the 138-pound final to secure win number 100. Cronin led 14-0 after two periods when the Bear bowed out.
His fans had planned for the moment. The Royals contingent at Spring-Ford Area High School stood up and cheered with “100” signs waving. Cronin shot them a smile and gave a few hugs.
With the victory, the Drexel Hill native pushed his season record to 37-0. He also became the first junior in Upper Darby’s storied history to reach the century mark.
And yet all Cronin could say in the aftermath was, “That’s pretty cool.”
It’s not that Cronin didn’t grasp his achievement. It’s just that he has more pressing goals right in front of him.
“I’m kind of happy about it,” Cronin said of the first-place finish, “but I want to win regionals and do my best at states. That’s what I’m really training for now.”
No matter how he twists it, it was a banner day for both Cronin and the Royals, who finished third in the team standings. Upper Darby had four district finalists, while the rest of the Delco representatives were relegated to the consolation bracket, and will send five wrestlers in total to the Southeast AAA Regional at Souderton High School next weekend. The top four finishers in each weight class qualified.
Jake Mejias (113) claimed second following a 11-3 loss to Boyertown’s Jakob Campbell. The senior captain started the trip to the podium.
“All the credit has to go to the coaches,” Mejias said. “My dad (Dennis, a longtime assistant) shows up at 8 at night. He has us run hills. We’re working hard and it’s paid off.”
The result was a deep Royals team that provided plenty of inspiration. Mejias singled out Josh Dweh (132) who claimed sixth place after coming into the meet with a 6-11 record. Then there was Max Livingston, a marathon man in the 152-pound weight class.
“I honestly couldn’t have been more proud of him,” said Mejias of Livingston. “He’s just been through it all.”
Livingston battled through a total of five overtimes just to reach the third-place match. Once there, he used every last second of regulation to beat Lower Merion’s Brody Brush 5-4. Livingston got a reversal on Brush at the buzzer.
“I’m a little tired. I’m a little beat up,” said Livingston. “But this is what I work for. I’m going to keep working.”
Livingston will have bragging rights over Brody — the two are summer training partners — and his older brothers Caleb (Upper Darby ’12) and Charlie (’14) as well. Max is the first of the three to reach the Southeast Regional Tournament.
Brian Kennerly, who had to wait around until the 195-pound final, built off his teammates’ momentum.
“It gets me pumped up,” the junior said. “When the team does good, I do good.”
He proved that in a dominant championship bout. With the score tied at one, Kennerly took down Owen J. Roberts’ Xavier Ferrizzi. Ferrizzi stood up holding his arm and decided against continuing the match.
“It meant a lot,” Kennerly said of the win. “I’ve lost to him a few times in the summer. I just wanted to beat him.”
Pete Augustin took second at 285 to close the day. He’s lost twice this season, both times to Boyertown’s Tommy Killoran. But the silver shouldn’t tarnish the Royals’ performance — a second consecutive Central League title, a first-ever trip to the State Dual Meet and now five wrestlers with a chance to get to Hershey.
While Upper Darby dominated the team conversation, Penncrest’s Liam Frank (170) delivered the feel-good story of the meet.
Frank tore his right ACL in the summer of 2014 and missed all of last season as a result. All he did this year was go 29-1, win the Central League and earn a trip to the Southeast AAA Regional with a third-place finish Saturday.
“(I wasn’t expecting) it at all,” Frank said of his success. “I just wanted to get my leg back strong. Everything else fell into place.”
He came out hot by pinning Micky John of Owen J. Roberts in 1:21. But a 5-1 defeat to Boyertown’s Elijah Jones (a familiar refrain — the Bears ran away with the team title, scoring an astounding 240.5 points) sent Frank to the consolation bracket. He rebounded with consecutive victories to earn bronze and his first shot at a state berth.
“I’m going to take tomorrow off, run a little bit,” Frank said. “Then get back to work Monday.”
He’ll be joined at Souderton by teammate Ty D’Ortone (fourth place, 113). Garnet Valley will also send two representatives (Matt Marino, third at 120, and Nick Puliti, fourth at 132) as will Ridley.
Nate Brennan, who finished fourth at 182 pounds, called the day “cool.”
“I didn’t make it past the pigtails last year,” Brennan said. “Coming and going to regionals is the best thing. It’s a cool experience.”
He clinched a place thanks to a 6-0 shutout of Phoenixville’s Tanner Romance. Brennan then watched as a fellow Green Raider made an improbable run in the heavyweight division.
“This is his first year on varsity,” Brennan said of John Sheldon. “That’s impressive.”
Sheldon, a junior, defeated William Scherfel of OJR 15-11.
Haverford High and Strath Haven will each send one wrestler to regionals. The Fords’ Vince Tavani lost to Marino in the 120-pound third-place match. Noah Frantz, on the other hand, led a strong Panthers group (two sixth’s, one fifth).
“It’s definitely the best effort I’ve seen,” Frantz said. “We had four kids, including myself, one match away from regionals.”
With a fourth-place finish at 126, Frantz earned a trip to Regionals.
“It was a big relief,” he said. “I’ve been working for it all year. I had never won a match at districts. I really put my mind to it and it paid off.”
Radnor’s Naair Williams (220) finished fourth to earn a place in regionals.
