The wrestling dream can never start too early. Just ask Fairfield’s Wyatt Sager, a 6U grappler who has seen success all over the tournament scene this winter.
Sager added even more hardware to the family trophy case after nailing down first place at last weekend’s Break-the-Chains 1st Year Finale Super Novice Slam, held in State College. Sager captured the 55-pound title in the 6U boys division after going 4-0 with two pins and two technical falls.
Sager highlighted a group of area wrestlers at the Super Novice Slam that included Waynesboro’s Ava Baker (2nd, 9U Girls First Year) and Ryan Grubbs (2nd, 11U Boys First Year), Greencastle’s Alayna McAtee (2nd, 10U Girls) and Carson McAtee (3rd, 6U Boys), and Faifield’s Storm Smith (4th, 5U Boys First Year).
Waynesboro’s youth wrestling squad recently hosted its annual banquet and honored its top wrestlers.
Ace Beltz was named the Outstanding Advanced Wrestler and also secured awards for Most Wins and Most Pins. Beltz was joined fellow boys award winners Colton Ogburn (Most Improved), Colby Lewis (Coaches Award – Novice), Freedom Young (Most Wins, Grit Award – Advanced), Eli Hind (Hard Worker Award), Byron Mummert (Most Promising Rookie – Novice), Issac Fann (Outstanding Wrestler – Novice), Brixton Hollimon (Coaches Award – Advanced), and James Biondo (Grit Award – Novice).
Beltz’ younger sister, Aven, was named as the Outstanding Wrestler for the girls team. Other girls award winners included Emma Swope (Coaches Award), Viv Dick (Hard Worker Award), Kristianna Kayhoe (Grit Award), Mykayla White (Coaches Award), Emma Hind (Most Improved), and Mariah Davis (Most Promising Rookie).
Youth wrestling will be heating up with two state tournaments, starting with this weekend’s Keystone State Championships at Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center. Then, the PJW Youth State Championships will be held the following weekend in Harrisburg.
Below is a team-by-team, wrestler-by-wrestler look at how youth wrestlers from Local.News1 coverage area performed on the mat last weekend:
Waynesboro
BTC 1st Year Finale Super Novice Slam
Sunday, March 9, in State College
9U Boys First Year
70-75: Calvin Krinks (1-2)
Quarterfinals: W, by fall in 1:54 over Elijah Jackson (Stingers)
Semifinals: L, 16-2 to Thomas Wilk (Mifflin County)
Cons. Semifinals: L, by fall in 0:55 to David Hennigan (Wilson)
85: Ava Baker (2-2)
Round of 16: W, by fall in 1:12 over Easton Glass (Bellefonte)
Quarterfinals: W, by fall in 2:11 over Karson Cunningham (Stingers)
Semifinals: L, 16-0 (3:00) to Kasen VanDyke (Red Lion)
Cons. Semifinals: L, by fall in 1:00 to Elliott Hoffman (East Pennsboro)
9U Girls First Year
85: Ava Baker (1-1, 2nd place)
Round-Robin 1: W, 13-9 over Ashlynn Feldmann (Stingers)
Round-Robin 2: L, by fall in 1:35 to Avery Marple (Southern)
11U Boys First Year
105: Ryan Grubbs (2-1, 2nd place)
Round-Robin 1: W, 18-2 (1:51) over Logan Sherman (Wilson)
Round-Robin 2: L, by fall in 0:42 to Jay Diemert (Quaker Valley)
Round-Robin 3: W, 17-0 (1:34) over Chad Culver (Midd-West)
Greencastle-Antrim
BTC 1st Year Finale Super Novice Slam
Sunday, March 9, in State College
6U Boys
50: Carson McAtee (4-1, 3rd place)
Round of 16: W, 10-1 over Cameron Price (Westmont Hilltop)
Quarterfinals: W, by fall in 0:30 over Gavin Hartle (Penns Valley)
Semifinals: L, 8-1 to Beckett Clapper (East Pennsboro)
Cons. Semifinals: W, 13-5 over Owen Swartfager (High Voltage)
3rd Place: W, 8-3 over Aiden Myers (BEA)
10U Girls
85: Alayna McAtee (1-2, 2nd place)
Round-Robin 1: W, 8-0 over Gracie Sager (Huntingdon)
Round-Robin 2: L, 10-0 to Gracie Sager (Huntingdon)
Round-Robin 3: L, by fall in 0:44 to Gracie Sager (Huntingdon)
Fairfield
BTC 1st Year Finale Super Novice Slam
Sunday, March 9, in State College
5U Boys First Year
55: Storm Smith (2-2, 4th place)
Quarterfinals: W, by fall in 0:41 over Baker Parry (Trinity)
Semifinals: L, 17-0 (1:00) to Noah Harris (Lions Den)
Cons. Semifinals: W, 17-2 (2:08) over Clarence Cummings (SBJWA)
3rd Place: L, 10-3 to Josiyah Moyer (Shikellamy)
6U Boys
55: Wyatt Sager (4-0, 1st place)
Round of 16: W, by fall in 0:23 over Rowan Hartle (Penns Valley)
Quarterfinals: W, 15-0 (1:00) over Daniel Culler (GT)
Semifinals: W, 17-2 (2:28) over Kaysen Riggleman (Huntingdon)
Final: W, by fall in 1:45 over Camden Sisco (Westmont Hilltop)
