Rams’ Gudenburr rings up big win in Class AAA
Doug Gudenburr of Ringgold rings up the winning back points against Owen Wherley of South Western in the first round of the 138-pound weight class in the PIAA Class AAA Wrestling Championships Thursday in Hershey. Gudenburr won a 3-0 decision.
Logan Macri of Canon-McMillan holds the leg of Adam Stover of State College during their 113-pound bout Macri won by 23-8 technical fall.
Zack Hartman of Belle Vernon rides Lucas Schaf of Emmaus during their 132-pound weight class of the first round in the PIAA Class AAA Wrestling Championships Thursday at the Giant Center in Hershey. Hartman won a 7-0 decision.
HERSHEY – It’s about time Doug Gudenburr got some good luck.
The senior from Ringgold High School is in his final season of wrestling and trying for the second time in three seasons to win a gold medal in Hershey.
His junior year was a mess, filled with medical problems, including developing complications from having his tonsils removed. His weight dropped to 120 and he strength was sapped. Still, he carved out a 32-9 record and finished seventh in the District 7 tournament.
Hershey seemed like such a long way away.
That’s what made Gudenburr’s 3-0 decision over Owen Wherley of South Western, a Southcentral Region champion, so impressive Thursday in the 138-pound first round of the PIAA Class AAA Championships at the Giant Center.
Gudenburr was one of eight local wrestlers still alive for the gold medal. Belle Vernon lead the way with four – Zach Hartman (132), Derek Verkleeren (152), Austin Bell (170) and Milt Kobaly (182). Canon-McMillan’s Logan Macri (113), Waynesburg’s Shaun Wilson (138) and Peters Township’s Mike McAleavey (22) also advanced to today’s quarterfinals (2:15 p.m.). Semifinals are Saturday at 9 a.m. and the finals are at 7 p.m.
Bethlehem Catholic leads the team race with 34.5 points followed by Mifflin County (23.5) and Belle Vernon (22.0).
Gudenburr and Wherley were scoreless until 20 seconds remained in the match. Gudenburr had repeatedly tried to drape over Wherley and connect a cradle from top. On the fourth try, he switched it up, turned into Wherley and putting him on his back.
“I was worried (the official) would call me for stalling. I knew it was 0-0 and the best thing for me was to go over top,” said Gudenburr. “I changed it up a bit because I was afraid I’d get hit for stalling. He relaxed with 20 seconds left.”
Interestingly, Gudenburr felt wrestling in the preliminary round, where he took a 7-2 decision from J.T. Cooley of Boyertown, was an advantage for his bout against Wherley.
“I thought if I could beat that first kid, it would be a good warmup match for me,” he said. “He was a tough kid. I got a match under my belt and was used to the environment. I was here two years ago, my sophomore year, and I went 0-2. I’ve been hungry ever since.”
Gudenburr will meet Easton’s Evan Fidelibus, a senior Northeast Region runner-up with a 41-3 record, inn the quarterfinals.
Belle Vernon just missed a fifth wrestler advancing in the winners’ bracket when Mitch Hartman, a 160-pound senior, was called for his third caution. Hartman’s false-start came with six seconds remaining in the final overtime and resulted in a 2-1 loss to Trent Hidlay of Mifflin County. Hartman can still finish as high as third.
Macri made quick work of Adam Stover of State College, winning by a 23-8 technical fall in 4:48. Macri, a sophomore, will take a 40-6 record into his quarterfinal match against Northampton’s Julian Chlebove, a Northeast Region champion with a 40-2 record.
“I felt like I got to my offense and I moved my hands real good,” said Macri. “Mental toughness is the big thing for me. I’ve been working on that all year. After last year, I feel more comfortable in this arena and confident I can get what done what I need to get done.”
McAleavey looked strong and poised in taking a 5-0 decision from a frustrated Central Mountain’s Hunter Weaver, a third-place finisher out of the Northwest Region.
“I had a bunch of nerves,” McAleavey said. “It’s my first time wrestling here, so I just listened to what my coaches told me. I stuck to the things I usually do and when I went out there on the mat, the nerves went away.”
Weaver tried to bait McAleavey near the end with a number face slaps, but the Peters Township senior didn’t bite and moves on to tackle LaSalle’s Garrett Zobel, a third-place finisher from the Northeast Region with a 31-7 record.
“You can’t let your anger take control,” said McAleavey. “I just stuck to my technique, made sure he didn’t hit any big moves and made sure I finished the match on top.”
Along with Hartman, Belle Vernon’s Colin Dunlop (106), Waynesburg’s Caleb Morris (120), Cole Rush (126), Terry Victor (152), Kyle Homet (160) and Colin McCracken (182) are still alive in the consolation rounds.