Daily Local News’ 2019/20 Wrestler of the Year: Malvern’s Dalton Harkins

WEST CHESTER — Shortly after winning a prep state title in the middle of February, Malvern Prep’s Dalton Harkins expressed his goal of getting a picture of himself printed on a big poster in the Friars’ wrestling room.

It was standard procedure for Friars who won national titles at the prep tournament to enshrined on the walls at Malvern Prep, and Harkins knew he was just five wins away from finally accomplishing that goal.

It was that pesky fourth win in the prep national title that had eluded Harkins his first three seasons. 

“Every year I kept getting third and I lost in the semis three years in a row,” Harkins said. “It was a road block I just couldn’t get past.”

But like the majority of his senior season, Harkins would not be denied. When he pinned Benedictine Prep’s Zane Cox in the second period of the 152-pound national semifinals, Harkins knew his ultimate goal was about to be fulfilled.

“I try not to show much expression when I went, but I walked off the mat and my coach said, ‘you finally did it,’” Harkins said. “It was a pretty exciting moment for me.”

The Malvern senior went on to shut out Wyoming Seminary’s Connor Kievman, 5-0, defeating him for the second straight week, to claim his first national title, putting an exclamation point on a 57-2 season.

For that, Dalton Harkins is the 2020 Daily Local News’ Wrestler of the Year.

“It was kind of just icing on the cake after a great year,” Harkins said of his title.

As a sophomore and freshman, Harkins placed third at nationals, with a fourth-place finish as a junior. 

With national prep tournament lacking the depth that the PIAA tournament boasts, elevating oneself from third or fourth to becoming a champion is an accomplishment no one can dispute.

“He isn’t overly emotional, but I’d sit down with him and he’d be frustrated and upset that he couldn’t get over that (semifinal) hurdle,” Malvern coach Nate Lautar said. “He kept getting better and better and learning, and he’s a very persistent kid. He’s always working and grinding.”

Those traits will be helpful in Harkins’ next phase of life, as he plans to study and wrestle for Army, at West Point. 

Becoming a national champ was certainly one of Harkins’ goals, but becoming a cadet has been on his mind since he was in elementary school.

The fathers of both of Harkins’ parents were in the military, serving in the Army and Marines.

“Growing up, hearing their stories, they were people I really looked up to,” Harkins said. “I went to my first Army football game in fifth grade and I knew then, this is where I wanted to be.”

Harkins said he wants to be an Army Ranger, something his cousin Evan Harkins, a former West Chester Rustin wrestler, is currently serving as. While wrestling gave Dalton options at the next level, West Point was the only place he applied.

“It’s going to be difficult at times, but when you get through it, you’re grateful you did it,” Dalton said. “It’s not an opportunity everyone gets.”

Malvern’s schedule may have served as a microcosm of what’s to come for Dalton, with powerhouse tournament after powerhouse tournament. Dalton flourished, winning titles at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman and Beast of the East tournaments, pinning the No. 1 ranked kid in the country, at the time, Travis Mastrogiovanni of Blair Academy, in the Ironman finals.

Dalton’s only losses on the season were a 1-0 defeat in the Powerade tournament, where he finished third, and a 3-2 ultimate tiebreaker loss to Hatboro-Horsham’s AJ Tamburrino in the Escape the Rock semis. 

“To run the gauntlet, with our schedule, and go undefeated is almost impossible,” Lautar said. “He wrestles extremely smart and is always in position and a lot of good things came together.”

The way Malvern has grown into a national power, becoming a national champion is almost an expectation for young Friars entering the program. This year, Nick Feldman (195 pounds) and Cole Deery (285) joined Dalton at the top of the podium.

With only two seniors graduating, Dalton and Dayton DelViscio (120), Malvern will likely be stronger next season. Dalton gained a ton being in that wrestling room, but make no mistake, his legacy, and now, his poster hanging alongside the other Malvern greats, will continue to inspire the future generation of Friars.

“It was amazing,” Dalton said. “I got really close with my teammates every year. I wouldn’t trade that for anything. Those kids are my brothers and I love them and my coaches.”