Area schools will send four wrestlers to the PIAA state wrestling tournament in Hershey. They qualified by finishing in the top six at the Class AA Southeast Wrestling Tournament held Feb. 27 and 28. Kody Reichart of Kutztown became the first wrestler from the school to qualify for states since 2006. He finished in fifth place in the 220 pound weight class.
Brandywine Heights High School will send three wrestlers to the state tournament. Hunter Gimbor finished fifth in the 138 pound weight class, while Cole Swackhamer was sixth in the 195 pound weight class. Colin Conrad also qualfied after taking home a sixth place medal in the 285 pound weight class.
Reichart began his trek through the 195 pound weight class with a 2:47 pin of Tobias Mintzmeyer of New Hope Solebury in the first round. But in the quarterfinals, Reichart lost a 7-3 decision to Dan Scheib of Tri-Valley, sending Reichart to the consolation bracket. There he earned a 2-1 victory over Tre Nelson of Palmerton, then another tight one, 5-4 over Ian Minnich of Williams Valley. He was then involved in another one-point bout, but this time he was on the losing end of a 1-0 decision to Nate Mentzer of Biglerville. That sent Reichart to the fifth place bout where he pinned Julian Wismer of Notre Dame GP in 2:37.
At 138 pounds, Gimbor began with a technical fall victory over Anthony Peluzzo of Bishop McDevitt. In the quarterfinals, Gimbor lost a 2-1 decision to Caleb Clymer of Northewestern Lehigh, sending him to the consolation bracket. There he pinned Dave Mattiola of Pope John Paul II in 2:09. That was followed with a 5-3 victory over Scott Cooper of Biglerville. But Tyler March of Palisades then defeated Gimbor, 8-5, sending Gimbor to the fifth place bout. There he earned a 7-5 victory over Ali Capobianco of Panther Valley.
At 195 pounds, Swackhamer pinned Emmet Lynch of Archbishop Carroll in 1:25, then earned an 11-2 victory over Brandon Smith of New Hope Solebury. In the semifinals, Swackhamer was pinned in 18 seconds by Lucas Barshinger of Eastern York. That sent Swackhamer to the consolation brack where he lost a 2-1 decision to Hamburg’s Jonathan Tindall. Then in the sixth place bout, Swackhamer was pinned in 2:20 by Nathan Black of Pen Argyl.
At 285 pounds, Conrad needed just nine seconds to pin John Kerarney of Archbishop Carroll in the first round. He then decisioned Zach MacLeod of Littlestown in the quarterfinals, 4-2. In the semifinals, Conrad lost a 3-0 decision to Robert Dunbar of Wyomissing, sending him to the consolation bracket. There he dropped a 5-1 decision to Anthony Greggo of Pius X. In the fifth place bout, Conrad lost a 1-0 decision to Zach MacLeod of Littlestown.
