For the dedicated grappler, wrestling season never has to end.
Such is the case for Brendon Colbert — a 2014 North Hagerstown grad who compiled a 149-6 record and three state runner-up finishes in his time on the mat for the Hubs — who donned the singlet once again for competition at last weekend’s Middle Atlantic Wrestling Association Eastern Nationals.
Competing in the 158-pound weight class in the Open division, Colbert went 3-0 with a technical fall to capture a national title. He defeated Latrobe’s Tyler Cymmeran by a 5-2 decision in the final.
Colbert was the lone national champ from the Local.News1.org coverage area, which saw 10 other local grapplers earn Top 8 finishes. The event was held at Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury, Maryland.
Hagerstown’s Isaiah Brooks (2nd at Open 190) and Logan Ardinger (3rd at Advanced 100) made trips to the awards stand, as did Greencastle’s Jackson Polifka (3rd at Advanced 130), Chambersburg’s Gabe Creamer (3rd at Junior 108), and Smithsburg’s Isabella Cox (8th at Elite Girls 132).
No area squad had more medalists than Waynesboro, a squad which landed five placewinners: Luke Swope (3rd at Bantam 40), Steven Howard (4th at Elite 140), Noah Swope (5th at Midget 54), Wyatt Lowans (7th at Elite 160), and Ace Beltz (8th at Midget 62).
Below is a team-by-team, wrestler-by-wrestler look at how area grapplers performed at MAWA Eastern Nationals:
Waynesboro
MAWA Eastern Nationals
Friday-Sunday, May 2-4, in Salisbury, Md.
Bantam
40: Luke Swope (5-1, 3rd place)
Round of 16: W, by fall in 0:19 over Kolten Comstock (Binghamton)
Quarterfinals: L, 15-0 (1:22) to Evan Herwig (Catonsville)
Cons. 2nd Round: W, by fall in 1:53 over Adonis Ferguson (Pikesville)
Cons. Quarterfinals: W, by fall in 2:46 over Wyatt Howard (York)
Cons. Semifinals: W, 23-20 over Lennox Milliken (Lewistown)
3rd Place: W, 16-5 over Duke Walker (Warriors Mark)
Midget
54: Noah Swope (3-2, 5th place)
Round of 16: W, 8-3 over Luke Worrall (Chesapeake)
Quarterfinals: W, by fall in 2:28 over Oakland Soto (Pottstown)
Semifinals: L, 6-0 to Harrison Ucci (Stafford Twp.)
Cons. Semifinals: L, by fall in 0:51 to Easton Vincente (Bear)
5th Place: W, by fall in 0:24 over Ephram Kazar (Danville)
62: Ace Beltz (2-3, 8th place)
Round of 16: W, 13-3 over Zachary Hernandez (Woodstock)
Quarterfinals: L, 4-3 to Shaikh Esa Ahmed (Honeoye Falls)
Cons. 2nd Round: W, 5-0 over Joshua Rivera (Bethlehem)
Cons. Quarterfinals: L, 5-3 to Mason Falcone (King of Prussia)
7th Place: L, 8-5 to Jackson Stickle (Milford)
Intermediate
128: Owen Hinkle (0-2)
Round of 16: L, by fall in 0:36 to Mason Castillo (Shillington)
Cons. 1st Round: L, 18-1 (2:11) to Ayden Epstein (Pennsville Twp.)
Elite
140: Steven Howard (3-2, 4th place)
Quarterfinals: L, 15-2 to Danny McElwee (Harrington)
Cons. 2nd Round: W, 10-3 over LandonRay Romesburg (Davidsville)
Cons. Quarterfinals: W, 7-4 (SV) over Liam Diamond (Boyertown)
Cons. Semifinals: W, 2-0 over Jasiel Gonzalez (Harrisburg)
3rd Place: L, by fall in 3:00 to Issac Choi (Glenwood)
160: Wyatt Lowans (2-2, 7th place)
Round of 16: W, by fall in 2:04 over William Chism (Bryans Road)
Quarterfinals: L, 11-3 to Richie Leslie (Waymart)
Cons. Quarterfinals: L, 1-0 to Wyatt Early (Virginia Beach)
7th Place: W, by forfeit over Dominique Siennick (Burnham)
Bantam Girls
46: Aven Beltz (3-1, 3rd place)
Quarterfinals: W, by fall in 0:18 over Brianna Corey (Glen Campbell)
Semifinals: L, by fall in 0:34 to Callie Brannon (Danville)
Cons. Semifinals: W, by fall in 0:58 over Spencer Stanton (New Milford)
3rd Place: W, by fall in 0:56 over Reagan Andel (Spring Grove)
Greencastle-Antrim
MAWA Eastern Nationals
Friday-Sunday, May 2-4, in Salisbury, Md.
Advanced
115: Kevin Hoffpauir (0-2)
Round of 16: L, 19-3 (2:10) to John Segata (Feasterville)
Cons. 1st Round: L, by fall in 2:35 to Cole Spence (Haddonfield)
130: Jackson Polifka (3-1, 3rd place)
Quarterfinals: W, 11-0 over Sam Miller (Camp Hill)
Semifinals: L, by fall in 2:32 to Jarrod Blunt (Bethlehem)
Cons. Semifinals: W, 5-0 over Canaan Cornish (Salisbury)
3rd Place: W, 6-2 over Ryker Keeney (Middletown)
Chambersburg
MAWA Eastern Nationals
Friday-Sunday, May 2-4, in Salisbury, Md.
Junior
108: Gabriel Creamer (4-2, 3rd place)
Round of 16: W, 4-0 over Blake Barreca (Fairfield)
Quarterfinals: W, 4-0 over Ryan Smith (Cedar Grove)
Semifinals: L, by fall in 1:55 to Clint Dwyer (Lafayette)
Cons. Semifinals: W, 4-1 over Malec Ksebe (Lewes)
3rd Place: W, 6-3 over John Boyd (Alexandria)
Smithsburg
MAWA Eastern Nationals
Friday-Sunday, May 2-4, in Salisbury, Md.
Bantam
52: Everett Sullivan (1-2)
Round of 16: L, 3-0 to Dominic Offner (Quakertown)
Cons. 1st Round: W, 10-0 over Levon VanNosdall (Vestal)
Cons. 2nd Round: L, 13-10 to Carson Peters (Urbana)
Elite Girls
125: Rileigh Romberger (1-2)
Round of 16: W, 12-3 over Ella McDonald (Frederick)
Quarterfinals: L, 8-0 to JC Allis (Towanda)
Cons. 2nd Round: L, by fall in 3:54 to Autumn Littleton (Harrington)
132: Isabella Cox (1-3, 8th place)
Quarterfinals: L, by fall in 2:02 to Addie Becht (Leesport)
Cons. 2nd Round: W, by fall in 1:10 over Lea Borchardt (Williamsport)
Cons. Quarterfinals: L, by fall in 4:20 to Gemma Hatchell (Middletown)
7th Place: L, 9-6 to Blayr Strawser (Lehighton)
Hagerstown
MAWA Eastern Nationals
Friday-Sunday, May 2-4, in Salisbury, Md.
Advanced
100: Logan Ardinger (4-1, 3rd place)
Quarterfinals: L, 1-0 to Geno DiJoseph (Bridgeton)
Cons. 2nd Round: W, 15-0 (2:53) over Nathan Morris (Roaring Spring)
Cons. Quarterfinals: W, 15-0 (4:06) over Cayden Barry (Allison Park)
Cons. Semifinals: W, 4-3 over Patrick Winseman (Honeoye Falls)
3rd Place: W, 7-1 over Geno DiJoseph (Bridgeton)
Open
158: Brendon Colbert (3-0, 1st place)
Quarterfinals: W, 12-7 over Marco Priolo (West Friendship)
Semifinals: W, 15-0 (3:18) over Jason Fernandors (Capitol Heights)
Final: W, 5-2 over Tyler Cymmerman (Latrobe)
190: Isaiah Brooks (1-1, 2nd place)
Semifinals: W, by fall in 1:13 over Robbie Bibeau (Bushkill)
Final: L, 8-5 to Joe Burch (Charlottesville)
