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Walsh Jesuit senior Nate Skonieczny (138) was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Top Gun tournament Saturday in Alliance.
ALLIANCE, Ohio -- Midterm examination.
Many high schools around the area had them this past week or are having them this coming week. For the 43 teams competing in the 26th annual Top Gun Wrestling Tournament, the last two days served as a very rigorous test.
Fifteen wrestlers entered holding a top ranking in their respective division at their weight class. The tournament was so tough that two of those wrestlers did not even make it to the semifinal round, while another went down prior to the championship round.
“It was a real meat-grinder of a tournament this year,” said CVCA head coach Don Lorence, whose team placed third in the tournament with 180 1/2 points. “Being up in Division II, it gives us a good idea of what to expect in the postseason (with the bulk of the field being Division II schools).”
Junior Nathan Tomasello (113) and senior Matt Meadows (220), both of whom are ranked nationally, as well as tops in the state, anchored eight Royals wrestlers who earned top-eight standings on the podium.
Tomasello earned a 5-0 finals victory over Claymont senior Luke Langdon, a three-time state placer, in a match that could easily happen again in the state semifinal or championship round.
“I was pumped up to wrestle this match,” Tomasella said, “wanting to make a statement headed into March.”
And that he did with a three-point near fall on a tilt in the second period, and then a takedown in the third period to seal the deal. “I was glad to win and set a positive tone,” he said.
Meadows, champion at Medina at the end of December, earned a much more difficult 6-4 victory over Madison senior Josh Ransom, who won the other prestigious northeast Ohio holiday tournament at Brecksville the same week. Ransom came out of the gate strong with a takedown on a throw inside the first minute.
After trading three escapes, Meadows entered the last minute of the match trailing 3-2. With two takedowns sandwiched around a Ransom escape, including the last one off of a single leg shot right before the third period buzzer sounded, Meadows earned the 6-4 victory.
“The early takedown against me was a wake-up call,” Meadows said. “I started to get it going as the match went on, because I knew I had to, and that I could get it done because of my superior conditioning.”
Walsh Jesuit senior Nate Skonieczny made it a trifecta of area champions with his title in the 138-pound weight class. Skonieczny, ranked first in the state and second in the nation, dominated three opponents on Friday – two technical falls and a takedown – prior to facing a pair of wrestlers ranked second in the state on Saturday.
In the semifinal, he took it to Massillon Perry senior Mitch Newhouse, who is ranked second in Division I, winning a 7-3 decision. This was a rematch of a semifinal from the Walsh Ironman that Skonieczny won 5-2. He was even more dominant this time, as he got a takedown in each period.
The championship match was a potential state final preview, as he faced the second ranked wrestler in Division II, West Holmes senior Max Rohskopf. In the semifinal, Rohskopf scored a 5-4 upset victory over Medina senior Matt Hammer, who is ranked first in Division I. Skonieczny set a clear tone in the championship match with three first-period takedowns to lead 6-2 after two minutes. The dominance continued for the rest of the match, as it ended up being a 19-4 technical fall victory for Skonieczny at the 4:40 mark.
“I like to wrestle high pace matches,” said Skonieczny. “The matches are about showing what you have, and what you put in the training. I feel like I’m peaking right now, and want to keep this high level through the state tournament.”
St. Paris Graham – ranked seventh nationally - won their sixth consecutive Top Gun championship, seventh in all, with six individual champions in amassing 274 1/2 points; while Massillon Perry – ranked 27th nationally – scored 202 1/2 points anchored by the championship effort of junior Joe Tayse at 195 pounds.
Team Standings:
1. St. Paris Graham 274-1/2, 2. Massillon Perry 202-1/2, 3. CVCA 180-1/2, 4. Claymont 146-1/2, 5. Steubenville 144-1/2, 6. Marysville 142-1/2, 7. Madison 120, 8. Olentangy 114-1/2, 9. Walsh Jesuit 111-1/2, 10. Uniontown Lake 108.
Others – 16. Field 75, 24 (tie). Medina 58, 28 (tie). Ravenna 48, 34. Streetsboro 41-1/2.
Placement Results:
106 – Rahmani (Mar) pin Martin (Wap) 1:24, (3rd) Bavery (MP) decision Bennett (CVCA) 1-0
113 – Tomasello (CVCA) decision Langdon (Clay) 5-0, (3rd) Sepiel (SPG) decision Hornack (Med) 7-0
120 – Taylor (SPG) decision Staibnrook (Walsh) 7-3, (3rd) Carson (UL) decision Parada (Steu) 7-6
126 – M. Jordan (SPG) decision Dillon (Boa) 7-4, (3rd) Kostandaras (Walsh) decision Wakser (NCH) 2-0, ot
132 – Montgomery (Mad) decision Victor (Men) 5-3, (3rd) Fiorucci (Olen) major decision Bast (MP) 8-0
138 – Skonieczny (Walsh) technical fall Rohskopf (WH) 19-4, 4:40, (3rd) Newhouse (MP) pin Hammer (Med) 3:45
145 – Kastl (SPG) decision Fox (Field) 7-3, (3rd) Warner (Clay) pin McGhee (Steu) 2:52
152 – B. Jordan (SPG) decision Z. Dailey (MP) 2-0, (3rd) Stitzlein (WH) pin Iverson (Mad) 3:29
160 – I. Jordan (SPG) pin Poyser (Lou) 3:15, (3rd) Graziani (Boa) decision Arrendale (MP) 3-2, ult tb
170 – O’Neill (CF) decision Brown (WC) 2-1, (3rd) Gray (CVCA) pin Endres (Dov) 2:03
182 – Evans (SPG) over Balog (AF) injury default, (3rd) Murray (May) decision Pfarr (Mar) 3-2
195 – Tayse (MP) decision Rosborogh (PRiv) 6-2, (3rd) Taylor (Mar) decision Weber (Loud) 1-0
220 – Meadows (CVCA) decision Ransom (Mad) 6-4, (3rd) Moray (Steu) decision Stinemetz (Olen) 3-1
285 – Shaw (WCH) pin Thirkield (Mar) 1:15, (3rd) Young (Olen) decision Bovey (SPG) 6-0
Other Local Placers:
5th – Josh Decatur (CVCA) 132, Zach Ladich (Field) 138, Logan Reaser (Rav) 152
7th –Andy Dobben (CVCA) 120, Matt Dobben (CVCA) 145,Dominic Scarberry (Walsh) 160, Nick Havener (CVCA) 182, Bubba Baker (Streetsboro) 220
8th – Jimmy Kubitza (Field) 120
Outstanding Wrestler:
Nate Skonieczny (Walsh Jesuit), 138-pound champion