These Guys Raised Their Stock At PIAAs
These Guys Raised Their Stock At PIAAs
The PIAA state championship is one of the toughest state tournaments in the country. These guys raised their stock with impressive performances.
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A number of guys performed above their ranking or seed at PIAAs, but this article will focus on underclassmen or un-committed upperclassmen whose performances may have raised their stock in the eyes of college coaches on the recruiting trail.
Vinny Kilkeary, Freshman, 106lbs
Greater Latrobe freshman Vinny Kilkeary entered a 106 bracket that included three nationally ranked wrestlers, #8 Tyler Kasak, #9 Ty Watters, and #10 Mac Church. Kilkeary won the whole thing and had a head-to-head win over #8 Kasak in the semifinals.
Kilkeary had to show his incredible heart in his semifinal match. The undefeated Kasak earned a reversal to take a 10-9 lead late in the match. Kilkeary had a restart with 10 seconds left in the match. Down by 1, Kilkeary earned a reversal and 3 near-fall to pull off an improbable 14-10 win over one of the nation's best 106-pounders.
Kilkeary went on to beat Jacob Vandee in the finals in another match that required late-match heroics. He's just a freshman, but he's on a lot of people's radars now.
Cameron Wood, Senior, 220lbs
Montoursville's Cameron Wood finished 4th last year in the 220lb AA bracket, but this year he won the whole thing. He's one of the few seniors who remains uncommitted, but he wants to wrestle in college.
Wook took out Wilson Area senior Kolby Flank in his state final with a 4-3 decision. Colleges who still need an upper weight can still snag this Pennsylvania state champ.
Ethan Berginc, Junior, 113lbs
Berginc, the Hempfield Area Junior entered the PIAA Championships with 6 losses on his ledger this year. That number is a bit misleading as 3 of his losses came to Carter Dibert, the #6 man in the country at 113.
Berginc split time between 113 and 120 this season but settled on 113 for the post season. The move paid off as Berginc won a state title in a bracket that included #6 Dibert, the same guy who beat him three times. Berginc turned heads, avenging a loss to Cedar Cliff's Aiden Lewis in the finals. This uncommitted Junior could see his stock soar.
Gavin D'Amato, Senior, 145lbs
Tunkhannock's Gavin D'Amato entered the AA 145lb bracket on the side of the bracket that included #15 Avery Bassett and #16 Erik Gibson. Nobody in their right mind would want to be on that side of the bracket.
Gibson handled Bassett in a match that had many Pennsylvania wrestling fans penciling Gibson into the top spot on the podium. D'Amato had other ideas.
After giving up the opening takedown, D'Amato controlled his match with Gibson, ultimately winning 5-4. He finished second overall at 145, but his performance may have earned him a few phone calls from interested coaches.
Mac Stout, Sophomore, 170lbs
Before the PIAA Championships, Mac Stout was already #8 in the country, but his stock went up after he made the finals with a wins over a tough Dominic Falcone of Easton and #2 Trey Kibe of Mifflin County.
One of Stout's brothers, Kellan, wrestles at Pitt, and his other brother, Luke, is committed to Princeton, so the sophomore has no shortage of attention from D1 coaches, but his win over Kibe will raise his profile even more.
