Host Quakertown claimed a meet-best four gold medals while Council Rock South and Pennridge finished 1-2, respectively, in the team standings at the District 1-3A East Wrestling Tournament Saturday.
Pennridge had seven wrestlers advance to the finals with only Colby Martinelli at 114 pounds ending up at the top of the podium, the junior winning his second straight district title with a 10-7 decision over Council Rock South’s Connor Lenahan.
The Rams finished with 222.5 points while CR South took first with 239 points. Both Pennridge and CR South qualified nine for the PIAA South East 3A Regional Tournament, which is March 1-2 at Oxford.
Quakertown earned third with 173.5 points with seven regional qualifiers including district champs Mason Ziegler (121), Gavin Carroll (145), Collin Gaj (152) and Colin Lachman (285).
Gaj was named Most Outstanding Wrestler, the junior — who last season won the PIAA title at 145 — earned his third district gold, taking first at 152 with two pins then a 23-7 technical fall over Pennridge’s Sam Kuhns in the final.
Ziegler won the 121 final with a 13-5 major decision over the Rams’ Cole Coffin to secure a fourth district gold. The state runner-up at the weight last season, Ziegler opened the meet with a pin in the quarters before a 21-6 tech fall in the semis.
Lachman joined Gaj in claiming a third district title, the Panthers senior besting Joe Collins of Central Bucks East 10-5 in the 285 final. Carroll captured 145 gold with a 6-0 decision over CR South’s Ben Brillhart.
Martinelli, who last season at 107 was first at districts and regionals and placed third at states, began Saturday with a 23-second pin in the 114 quarterfinals. He then picked up an 11-1 major decision in the semis before getting his second win this season over Lenahan, having previously beat the CR South senior 9-2 in the teams’ District 1-3A Duals final Feb. 3.
Central Bucks West sophomore Chris Dennis and Central Bucks South Jake Neill senior both won their second East golds.
Dennis won the 133 final by pinning Pennridge’s Danny Metzler in 18 seconds.
In the 139 semifinals, Neill earned an 8-5 decision over North Penn’s Jonny O’Brien, avenging a loss to the sophomore Knight at the SOL Colonial Division Championships Feb. 14. Neill followed by edging CB West’s Patrick Kelly 5-4 in the final.
Central Bucks East senior Regan McCullough took first at 215 by pinning Abington’s John Wright in 1:05.
CR South, which finished second at East the previous two seasons, had a pair for first-place finishes. Gavin Cole won at 160 with a 7-4 decision over Pennridge’s Ryan Gallagher while Bekhruz Sadriddinov earned a third consecutive district title with an 8-0 major decision against the Rams’ Talan Hogan.
Council Rock North also had two district champs — Alexander Diaz winning 107 with a 20-3 tech fall over Pennridge’s Kevin McFadden with Eren Sement earning a 14-5 major decision over CR South’s Pat Woloshyn in the 127 final.
Pennsbury’s Ben Primich won at 189 pounds with a 9-1 major decision over Abington’s Dylan Kiesling.
North Penn’s O’Brien came in third at 139 after beating Council Rock Souths’ Ajay Blatt by a 5-0 decision. The Knights’ Michael Cliver placed fourth at 145 after dropping the third-place match due to injury default to Abington’s Elijah Brown.
Pennridge’s Quinn McBride (127) and Ryan Rowe (189) both placed third.
Quakertown’s Isaac Williams (127), Evan Hilton (133), and David Clayton (172), Lower Moreland’s Joshua Simon (152) and Abington’s Soloman Wesley (285) all finished fourth.
