Jimmy Gulibon recently won his fourth state title (Photo/Bill Ennis)The 38th edition of the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic will yet again showcase many of the nation's best high school seniors. In fact, four of the wrestlers from last year's event were All-American finishers at the just completed NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, including Nico Megaludis (Penn State/Franklin Regional, Pa.) -- who was runner-up at 125 pounds.
With the titles won by Logan Stieber (Ohio State/Monroeville, Ohio), Kellen Russell (Michigan/Blair Academy, N.J.), and David Taylor (Penn State/St. Paris Graham, Ohio), the streak of years with at least one NCAA champion having wrestled in the Dapper Dan was extended to 36 (1977-2012). Even more amazing is the fact that at least three NCAA Division champions have wrestled in this event at every single tournament since 1995 but two (1997 and 2010), 16 of the last 18 years.
This year's field features five wrestlers that are ranked first in the country -- Jarred Brooks (Warsaw, Ind.) at 113 pounds, George DiCamillo (St. Ignatius, Ohio) at 120, Jimmy Gulibon (Derry Area, Pa.) at 126, Jason Tsirtsis (Crown Point, Ind.), and Jordan Rogers (Mead, Wash.) at 182. Additionally, John Meeks (Des Moines Roosevelt, Iowa) is the highest ranked senior at 138 pounds; while Doug Vollaro (Pine Castle Christian, Fla.) would have been the highest ranked senior at 285 pounds if he competed during the high school season.
The event will take place on Sunday, March 25th at the Fitzgerald Field House on the camputs of the University of Pittsburgh. Wrestling will begin at 4:00 p.m. (ET) with an undercard match between senior all-stars from the state of Maryland and the WPIAL (Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League), and the main event between the United States and Pennsylvania will follow at 6:00 p.m.
First is a preview of the matches in the main event, seniors from across the United States against those from the Keystone State of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania has won two of the last three Wrestling Classic dual meets, after the United States pulled off victories in eight consecutive events from 2001 through 2008.
113: No. 1 Jarred Brooks (Warsaw, Ind.) vs. No. 9 Billy Rappo (Council Rock South)
Brooks, ranked first nationally, is a three-time state medalist having won his lone title this past year. Additionally, he was a Super 32 champion this year, a Junior National and FILA Junior freestyle runner-up, and placed fourth at the FloNationals. Rappo is a two-time state champion and two-time Super 32 placer, also earning a silver medal at the Disney Duals. When the two wrestlers met in Fargo this summer, Brooks won a 1-0/2-0 decision. An interesting note is that Billy's three older brothers each also competed in the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic main event -- Ricky losing 4-0 at 112 pounds in 2005, Mike winning a 10-5 decision at 130 pounds in 2006, and Mark losing a 7-0 decision at 112 pounds in 2008.
120: No. 1 George DiCamillo (St. Ignatius, Ohio) vs. No. 2 Nick Roberts (North Star)
This match pits two of the nation's finest lightweights against one another. Both were gold medalists at the Disney Duals this past summer, and have placed four times at the state tournament combining for five championships. Twice a state champion, DiCamillo is also a three-time Walsh Ironman champion, two-time FloNationals champion, and a three-time Super 32 medalist. With three state titles to his credit, Roberts was also a FILA Junior freestyle champion last spring and has two Cadet National freestyle titles to his credit from earlier in his caeer. An interesting note is that George's father Ralph competed in the undercard event at the 1976 Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic, and emerged with a 4-2 decision in the 126 pound bout.
126: No. 5 Cory Clark (Southeast Polk, Iowa) vs. No. 1 Jimmy Gulibon (Derry Area)
The wrestlers competing in this match are both four-time state champions, and have combined for five total losses in their careers against over 300 wins. The University of Iowa bound Clark has also twice been a double All-American at the Junior Nationals in Fargo, while the Penn State bound Gulibon was a FloNationals champion in 2010 and a Disney Duals gold medalist this past summer.
132: No. 5 Zane Richards (Carbondale, Ill.) vs. Mac McGuire (Upper St. Clair)
Richards is a three-time state finalist, winning state titles each of the last two years. In addition, he is one of the nation's finest wrestlers in both of the Olympic styles, with only three losses across six tournaments in Fargo over the last three summers. He has a pair of titles in Cadet Greco-Roman and one in Junior freestyle, with a pair of thirds in Cadet freestyle and a runner-up in Junior Greco-Roman. McGuire, bound for Kent State, has twice been in the Pennsylvania state finals, closing the deal with a state championship this year. He is also only the second wrestler to compete in the main event from Upper St. Clair, the previous one was Tom Bogan, who won a 7-6 decision at 160 pounds in 1995.
138: No. 2 John Meeks (Des Moines Roosevelt, Iowa) vs. No. 6 Steve Spearman (Erie McDowell)
In four years of high school, Meeks went 168-0 as he was a four-time state champion. This past summer, making a foray into freestyle competition, he finished sixth in the Junior National freestyle competition. Spearman was a three-time state medalist (twice a champion and third as a freshman), only not getting on the stand after failing to make weight during the early stages of the state series his junior year. In addition, Spearman was a 2010 Super 32 champion and FloNationals runner-up last year.
145: No. 1 Jason Tsirtsis (Crown Point, Ind.) vs. Zach Beitz (Juniata)
Arguably the finest wrestler in America regardless of grade or weight class, Tsirtsis has not lost a match since midway through his freshman year of high school in earning four state titles. His wrestling outside the high school season has been superlative as well -- twice a FloNationals champion, twice a FILA Cadet national champion, twice a Super 32 runner-up, and four times an All-American in Fargo including a Junior National freestyle title this past summer. His opponent Beitz has four medals at the state tournament to his credit, including a state championship this year after finishing third, fifth, and second in his prior state tournament appearances.
152: No. 5 Brian Realbuto (Somers, N.Y.) vs. Cody Copeland (Greenville)
Realbuto placed at state five times during his high school career, which includes state championships as a freshman, junior, and senior. In addition, he was a Junior National freestyle champion this past summer. His opponent Copleand placed three times at the Pennsylvania state tournament, winning state this year with an undefeated record after finishing second and third the prior two years.
160: No. 3 (at 170) Zach Brunson (Churchill, Ore.) vs. No. 5 Brian Brill (Central Mountain)
Brunson his high school career as a four-time state champion with just two career losses, including a 4-3 loss in the finals at the Reno Tournament of Champions his junior year to fellow Dapper Dan participant Kyle Crutchmer. This past off-season, he was a Junior National freestyle champion in Fargo and a FILA Junior freestyle runner-up. His opponent Brill, headed to Lehigh in the fall, was a three-time state placer including state champion as a junior. This past year, he was undefeated prior to his state finals loss to Chance Marsteller, the top ranked wrestler nationally at the weight class; and Brill also was a Cadet freestyle runner-up in 2009.
170: No. 2 Kyle Crutchmer (Tulsa Union, Okla.) vs. No. 13 Elliott Riddick (Bethlehem Catholic)
Crutchmer finished his high school career as a three-time state finalist, with state titles in each of the last two years. He additionally was a two-time champion at the Reno ToC, a NHSCA Junior Nationals champion last spring, and has twice earned double All-American honors at the Junior Nationals in Fargo. Like Brill, Riddick is also bound for Lehigh in the fall. His career exploits include a state title this year, a fourth place finish last year, a Super 32 runner-up this past fall, and placements at both the Ironman and Beast of the East this year (third and second, both losses to Eric Morris).
182: No. 1 Jordan Rogers (Mead, Wash.) vs. No. 13 Wes Phipps (Grove City)
Yet another one of the nation's star wrestlers, Rogers joins Crutchmer as an Oklahoma State bound participant. He is a three-time state champion, only not winning as a sophomore when he did not compete due to injury. Very proficient in the Olympic styles, Rogers has earned All-American honors in all six Fargo appearances (fourth in Greco-Roman and second in freestyle as a first-year Cadet in 2009, double titles as a Cadet in 2010, along with third and second place finishes as a Junior this past summer); and has three FILA Cadet championships to his credit. His opponent Phipps joins Gulibon and Beitz as Penn State bound prospects on the Keystone State squad, and is an impressive four-time state placer -- all at or above 160 pounds. Phipps earned an elusive state title this year after previous finishes in second, third, and fifth place. The off-season resume includes a third place finish at the NHSCA Junior Nationals and a silver medal at the Disney Duals.
195: No. 5 Gage Harrah (Crystal Lake Central, Ill.) vs. No. 7 Perry Hills (Pittsburgh Central Catholic)
The Drexel-bound Harrah makes a foray into the Keystone State for this event, though his next visit will be about five hours east on I-76. Like Phipps before, he is a four-time state placer at or above 189 pounds, having finished third and fourth his first two years of high school before state titles the last two. The off-season resume includes Junior National freestyle All-American finishes the last two summers. On the other hand, Hills has done virtually zero off-season wrestling, as he will be attending the University of Maryland on a football scholarship to play the quarterback position. In fact, Hills missed two of his school's three major in-season tournaments during December due to football, only winning the Beast of the East on the way to an undefeated state championship season after finishing fourth at state last year.
220: No. 4 Josh Marchok (Schaumburg, Ill.) vs. No. 3 John Rizzo (Richland)
Marchok is headed to Stanford with three state place medals and four state tournament appearances all at or above 189 pounds during his high school career. It also includes state championships the last two years, and a trio of All-American finishes at the Junior Nationals in Fargo (eighth and fourth in Greco-Roman the last two years, along with a fifth in freestyle this past summer). Rizzo comes into the Wrestling Classic having finished one of the most decorated careers ever for a Keystone State upper-weight -- four state placement medals, including gold the last three years (fifth at 215 as a freshman, titles at 285 as a sophomore and junior, and the title at 220 this year). This year, his lone loss was 2-1 to the nation's top-ranked wrestler at this weight class, Kyle Snyder, due to a penalty point.
285: Doug Vollaro (Pine Castle Christian, Fla.) vs. No. 15 Averee Robinson (Susquehanna Township)
Despite not participating in state tournaments the last two years, the Lehigh-bound Vollaro is probably the best heavyweight prospect in the Class of 2012. His resume includes a Super 32 title this past October, double third place finishes at the Junior Nationals this past summer, a FloNationals title last spring, runner-up at the 2010 Walsh Ironman to Brooks Black, and double runner-up finishes at Cadet Nationals (to Black) in 2010. His opponent Robinson is a two-time state champion (and three-time placer) despite some inconsistent results outside of the state tournament, which include a fifth place finish at the NHSCA Junior Nationals, a fourth place finish at the Beast of the East, and losing in the regional tournament this past year prior to state.
The undercard will feature a team of Maryland seniors -- both from public schools (MPSSAA) and those that compete under the National Preps umbrella -- against a group from the WPIAL, which is the governing body for high school athletics around the Pittsburgh area.
113: Tony Farace (Oakland Mills) vs. No. 12 (at 120) Godwin Nyama (Brashear)
Farace was state champion in the first three years of his high school career prior to finishing third at state this year in the 120 pound weight class. Nyama placed twice at state, including a title this year at 120 pounds, and also won the POWERade this year.
120: Eric Friedman (St. Paul's) vs. Colt Shorts (Canon McMillan)
Friedman is a four-time National Prep place-winner (second, fourth, third, and fourth), including a fourth place finish this year at 126 pounds. Shorts placed twice at the state tournament, including eight this year at 126 pounds. At this year's POWERade, Friedman beat Shorts 5-1 in the consolation quarterfinal.
126: No. 8 Nathan Kraisser (Centennial) vs. Derrick Evanovich (Peters Township)
Kraisser is a four-time state champion, a 2010 Super 32 champion, and was a double All-American at the Junior Nationals this summer in Fargo after earning runner-up honors in Junior Greco in 2010. Evanovich won a WPIAL championship this year, and lost consecutive matches at the state tournament by a single point to fall short of state placement.
132: Tyler Goodwin (Arundel) vs. Josh Kwasny (Charleroi)
Goodwin is a three-time state finalist, winning titles each of the last two years. Kwasny has twice made the state tournament, including a sixth place finish in Class AA this year.
138: Collin Harrell (Broadneck) vs. Tanner Wiltrout (Connellsville)
Harrell was unable to compete in this year's state tournament series due to an incident at the county tournament; however, he did place fifth in the state as a junior at 119 pounds. Wiltrout finished as a runner-up at the WPIAL meet in Class AAA, and went 1-2 in the state tournament.
145: Alex Rice (Chesapeke) vs. Ty Lydic (Greater Latrobe)
Rice finished his career as a two-time state champion, and placed sixth at the NHSCA Junior Nationals last spring. Lydic placed fifth at the state meet this year after making state but not placing the previous two years. He also placed seventh at the Super 32 in October, and is a two-time FloNationals placer.
152: Peter Galli (St. Paul's) vs. Tyler Manion (Pittsburgh Central Catholic)
Galli is a four-time National Prep placer, finishing third this year after earlier career finishes of fourth, fifth, and second. In addition, he was a runner-up at the Preseason Nationals this past fall. Manion won the WPIAL meet and placed at state for the second consecutive year, this time fifth to follow up the sixth place finish from last year. The wrestlers met in the quarterfinals at the POWERade, a match won by Galli 1-0.
160: Brad Mutchnik (St. Paul's) vs. Francis Mizia (Bentworth)
Mutchnik finished sixth at the National Prep tournament this past season, and is going up against Class AA state champion Mizia. Additionally, Mizia placed seventh at state as a junior, and went 1-2 in the state tournament his sophomore year.
170: Tyler Rill (Mt. St. Joseph's) vs. Jake Wisener (Ringgold)
Rill is a three-time National Prep placer, runner-up this year after finishes of third and seventh the prior two years. Wisener finished fifth in the Class AAA state tournament down a weight class at 160 pounds.
182: Judd Ziegler (Middletown) vs. Jarred Lux (North Allegheny)
Ziegler was a state champion this year, after finishing second in the state two years ago. Lux made his state tournament debut this year, going 1-2 but losing by a single point in his match to place. However, he has twice placed eighth at the Super 32 Challenge.
195: Dylan Devine (Dematha) vs. Jordan Kitta (Southmoreland)
Devine placed twice at the National Prep tournament, including a runner-up finish this year to follow up the third place finish from last year. Kitta has twice won a WPIAL title in Class AA and placed in the state tournament on each occasion, eighth last year and sixth this year.
220: Kevin Marvel (McDonogh) vs. Greg Krumer (Fort Cherry)
Despite finishing as a runner-up to Devine, losing 3-1 in the state prep final, Marvel did not compete in the National Prep tournament at 195 pounds. However, he still brings an excellent resume that includes a sixth place finish at National Preps last year, a sixth place finish at the NHSCA Junior Nationals, and placements at both the Ironman and Beast of the East this year. Kumer placed eight at the state tournament this year in Class AA in his lone state tournament appearance
285: Jason Johnson (River Hill) vs. No. 18 Cody Klempay (Canon McMillan)
Johnson earned a state championship this year, while Klempay is a two-time state placer. After a third place finish at state last year, Klempay was a state semifinalist this year but had to default out of his semifinal match against eventual state champion Robinson despite scoring the match's first takedown. Earlier in the second, Klempay beat three-time Ohio state champion Nick Tavanello in the finals at North Canton, and lost 2-1 in the POWERade final to best in the nation Brooks Black.
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