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Walsh Jesuit senior Nate Skonieczny (138) and CVCA junior Nathan Tomasello (113) became two-time champions at the 18th annual Ironman on Saturday evening.
CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio – Few ran through the Walsh Ironman Tournament on Friday and Saturday like hometown boy Nate Skonieczny.
The 138-pound Walsh Jesuit senior not only blew through his class for his second title in three years, Skonieczny made short work of a weight class with four wrestlers ranked in the top 16 in the nation by Intermatwrestle.com’s Josh Lowe.
It was pretty much a walk in the park for Skonieczny, who joined Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy’s Nathan Tomasello with two Ironman crowns.
“With this being my last Ironman, I wanted to go out with a bang,” Skonieczny said. “When you get beat in front of your home crowd like I did last year (in the semifinals against eventual Division III four-time state champion Hunter Stieber of Monroeville), it hurts a little more. It’s a little embarrassing. It’s always in the back of your mind."
So when Skonieczny drew Austin Matthews of Reynoldsburg (Pa.) in the finals, he didn’t hold back.
Skonieczny took his time against the 16th-ranked Matthews. Up 4-3 heading into the third period, Skonieczny stuck Matthews with 1:18 remaining for the win.
“His style was the style people said I couldn’t beat,” the top-ranked wrestler in the nation said. “This shows I can beat them. It’s another step for me on the building block.”
The building block for Tomasello came in an incredible semifinal match earlier in the afternoon.
Trailing two-time state champion Zeke Moisey of Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.) 5-0 at one point, Tomasello came back to win.
The returning state champ finally went ahead 10-9 on a takedown with six seconds remaining and pinned Moisey at the 5:57 mark.
He used that win to stop Joseph McKenna of Blair Academy (N.J.) in the final, 3-2.
“You leave the gym after the semifinals and you’re walking on the clouds,” CVCA coach Don Lorence said. “A lot of coaches talk about how their kids are special. That kid is a special kid.”
Lorence fared the best among SportsInk.com coaches, placing Matt Meadows (3rd, 220) and David Gray (8th, 170) as well.
“We’re headed in the right direction,” Lorence said. “It’s a big thing to watch them come back after losing to St. Edward in a dual last week. If you would have told me David Gray was going to place before the tournament, I would have said, ‘OK. Thank you very much.’’’
St. Vincent-St. Mary’s Aaron Adkins placed seventh for the Irish at 182. Rootstown’s Garrett Linton – the only Rover in the tournament – was eighth at 220.
Blair bested St. Edward by 12 to win its third title in four years. The Eagles had Ironman champions in Dean Heil (126) and Mark Martin (170). St. Ignatius’ George DiCamillo won his third Ironman as well.
Ohio had three more champions in St. Paris Graham’s Bo Jordan (152), Isaac Jordan (160) and Huston Evans (182).
CUYAHOGA FALLS – Results Saturday from the 18th annual Walsh Ironman Invitational at Walsh Jesuit High School.
Team standings: 1. Blair (NJ) 252.5; 2. St. Edward 240.5; 3. St. Paris Graham 167; 4. Wyoming Seminar 128; 5. Moeller 121.5; 6. Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.) 120; 7. Christiansburg (Va.) 119; 8. Broken Arrow (Okla.) 102.5; 9. Massillon Perry 90; 10. Collins Hill (Ga.) 77; 11. Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy 73.5; 12. Cox (Va.), Reynolds (Pa.) 69; 14. Brecksville 65; 15. Montini Catholic (ill.) 59; 16. Walsh Jesuit 53.5; 17. St. John Bosco (Calif.) 53; 18. Chambersberg (Pa.) 48.5; 19. Robinson (Va.) 46; 20. Parkersburg (WV) 56; 21. Fort Leboeuf (Pa.) 44.5; 22. Lexington, McDonough (Md.) 44; 24. Pittsburgh Central Catholic (Pa.) 43; 25. St. Ignatius 42.5; 26. Elyria 39.5; 27. Broomfield (Col.) 39; 28 Lemoore (Calif.), Marmion (Ill.) 37.5; 30 Washington (Ill.) 37.5; 31. Derry (Pa.), Germantown (Pa.), Smyrna (Del.) 37; 34. Good Counsel (Md.) 33; 35. Troy Christian 31; 36. Caesar Rodney (Del.) 30, Oregon Clay, Padua 30; 39. Selma (Calif.) 29.6; 40. Wadsworth 28.6; 41. Kiski School (Pa.) 26; 42. Park Hill (Mo.) 25; 43. Pine Castle (Fla.) 24.5; 44. St. Vincent-St. Mary, Miami Valley 24; 46. North Torrance (Calif.) 23; 47. Strongsville 21; 48. Oak Harbor 20; 49. Massillon, Swanton 19; 51. Newark Memorial (Calif) 18.5; 52. Brashear (Pa.), Centennial (Md.) 15.5; 54. Calvary Chapel (Calif.) 15; West Valley (Calif.) 14; 56. Bishop Lynch (Texas) 12.5; 57. Holy Name 11; 58. Reno (Nev.) 10.5; 59. St. Benedicts (N.J.) 10; 60. Crestview, Huron, Rootstown, Scottsblurff (Nev.) 9; 65. Foothill (Calif.) 8; 66. Bella Vista (Calif.) 7.5; 67. Avon, Goshen 7; 69. Burell (Pa.) 6; Hopewll (Va.) 5.
Individual results
106: Valencia (SJB) d. Kolodzik (MV), 3-2: Third: Cruz (BC) d. Johnson (NT), 4-2; Fifth: Fleetwood (Sme) d. Joseph (PCC), 6-3; Seventh: Ozias (Chri) by ff over Hill (Par).
113: Tomasello (CVCA) d. McKenna (Bla), 3-2; Third: Moisey (BC) d. Moore (SE), 3-2; Fifth: Wert (Chr) d. Assad (Bre), 2-1; Seventh: Stageberg (Cox) p. Shoap (Chri).
120: DiCamillo (SI) d. Taylor (Gra), 11-4; Third: McClay (Was) d. Powell (MC), 4-2; Fifth: Nyama (Bra) d. Klee (Bla), 5-3; Seventh: Lemaire (CR) p. Campbell (Lex).
126: Heil (SE) p. Guilibon (Der), 4:19; Third: Jeske (Cox) d. Dance (Chr), 3-2; Fifth: Malone (WS) d. Kraisser (Cen), 3-1; Seventh: Hvolbek (Bla) t.f. Valencia (SJB), 19-2.
132: Cruz (BC) d. Bright (SE), 5-2; Third: Cisneros (Sel) d. Grey (Bla), 3-0; Fifth: Ward (Moe) d. Fickel (Pad), 6-4; Seventh: Jablonski (Cox) d. Garcia (MC), 8-2.
138: Skonieczny (WJ) p. Matthews (Rey), 4:42; Third: Preston (Bla) d. Ferman (BA), 6-4; Fifth: Barber (SE) d. Newhouse (Per), 3-2; Seventh: White (WS) d. Amenta (Cla), 5-4.
145: Kastl (Gra) d. Milonas (Bla), 5-3, OT; Third: Dailey (Per) d. Faust (Lex), 3-1; Fifth: Clark (McD) d. Scheidel (SE), 3-1; Seventh: Martino (Rob) p. Fulk (WS).
152: B. Jordan (Gra) d. Parsons (Bla), 2-0; Third: Hammond (Cha) d. Parsons (Bla), 8-6; Fifth: Sizemore (Moe) d. Kloscz (HN), 5-3; Seventh: Manon (PCC) by ff over Bergman (OH).
160: I. Jordan (Gra) d. Speiller (PC), 5-2; Third: Epperly (Chri) d. Pereira (NM), 5-4; Fifth: Reel (Was) d. Davis (SE), 5-3; Seventh: Coover (Bla) m.d. Hauge (McD), 9-1.
170: Martin (SE) d. Morris (WS), 2-1; Third: Riddick (BC) by ff Miles (Chr), 4-2; Fifth: Knepshield (Bla) d. Blum (Moe), 4-2; Seventh: Coniker (PCC) d. Gray (CVCA), 6-4.
182: Evans (Gra) d. Abounader (SE), 3-2; Third: Toal (TC) d. Mocco (Bla) 3-1; Fifth: Krawulski (CH) by ff Brogle (Par); Seventh: Adkins (SVSM) d. Lang (Bre), 3-1.
195: Mattiace (Bla) d. Calvert (BA), 6-1; Third: Suvak (SE) d. Tayse (Per), 7-4; Fifth: Mavel (McD) d. Thornberry (Moe), 2-1; Seventh: Lehner (Lex) d. Alpha (BC), 3-0.
220: Synder (GC) d. Vizzcarondo (WS), 3-2; Third: Meadows (CVCA) d. Frueau (Moe), 5-1; Fifth: Walz (SE) d. Farr (Bla), 10-5; Seventh: Lobsinger (WV) p. Linton (Roo), 1:57.
285: Black (Bla) d. Kuhar (SE), 3-1; Third: Lytle (Swa) d. Johnson (WS), 1-0; Fifth: Gray (Cla) d. Majoy (Hur), 5-3; Seventh: Heim (Rey) d. Boddy.