For the undercard this is the first time that the state of Indiana will be participating. The guest team has won six of the last ten undercard events, and is seeking a third straight victory. Wrestlers from Indiana have a 6-0 all-time record in the main event of the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic, most recently Stevan Micic (Hanover Central) won his match in 2014. Other wrestlers to win in the main event include Jared Brooks (Warsaw) and Jason Tsirtsis (Crown Point) in 2012, Alex Tsirtsis (Griffith) and Blake Maurer (Evansville Mater Dei) in 2004, and Steven Bradley (Beech Grove) in 1998.
In terms of the undercard matchups, two wrestlers from Indiana are competing in the main event, while nine from the WPIAL are in the Pennsylvania vs. United States showdown. Undercard matches take place at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday; the format of which is two periods of 2:30 in length, both starting in the neutral position.
For the main event, the United States has won four consecutive Wrestling Classic dual meets. They have also won five of the last six, and 13 of the last 15. This match takes place at 6 p.m.
The following is an analysis of the Pennsylvania vs. United States main event matches.
113: No. 9 Gage Curry (North Hills) vs. No. 4 Danny Vega (Ironwood Ridge, Ariz.)
The American University bound Curry is one of nine participants from the WPIAL in the Wrestling Classic main event. A four-time state placer, he was runner-up last year and third place this year after fourth and sixth place finishes his first two seasons. He is also a two-time Super 32 Challenge placer, and a three-time Flo Nationals placer. Vega was committed to Grand Canyon before that program was disbanded. The three-time state champion is a two-time Junior National folkstyle champion, two-time Junior National double All-American (champion in freestyle and Greco-Roman in 2014), and a Cadet National freestyle champion in 2013.
120: No. 8 (at 126) Tyshawn White (Central Dauphin) vs. No. 12 Tyler Warner (Claymont, Ohio)
White is a recent commit to Lock Haven, and a four-time state placer, finishing second this year after third place finishes the previous two years. He placed fourth in the Super 32 Challenge this fall. Warner, who will be attending Division II Wheeling Jesuit, won state titles his first three years of high school before losing in the state semifinal this month. He is also a three-time Super 32 Challenge placer, taking seventh this year, including a 5-4 consolation quarterfinal loss to White.
126: No. 3 Luke Karam (Bethlehem Catholic) vs. No. 7 Kyle Norstrem (Brandon, Fla.)
Karam is a three-time state champion, who will be attending Lehigh in the fall. He was runner-up in the Super 32 Challenge this fall, and also placed sixth in the event as a sophomore. The Virginia Tech bound Norstrem is a five-time state champion and two-time Super 32 Challenge placer, to go with titles at the NHSCA Freshman and Sophomore Nationals.
132: No. 2 (at 138) Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe) vs. No. 1 Chad Red (New Palestine, Ind.)
This pair of wrestlers met in the final of last year's Flo Nationals, a match that the Nebraska bound Red emerged with the victory. Red was undefeated for his high school career, one in which he won four state titles. His off-season success also includes a 2014 Super 32 Challenge title and a 2014 Cadet National freestyle title. The Ohio State bound Pletcher, was a four-time state finalist; winning titles as a freshman, sophomore, and senior. He also was a Flo Nationals champion in 2013 before runner-up finishes the following two seasons, along with Super 32 Challenge titles in 2013 and 2014.
138: No. 3 George Phillippi (Derry Area) vs. No. 5 Mitchell McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.)
The Virginia-bound Phillippi is a three-time state champion, winning titles as a freshman and the last two seasons. His off-season success includes a pair of placement finishes at the Flo Nationals and Super 32 Challenge. McKee, the Minnesota recruit, is a three-time state champion who six Fargo finals appearances; that includes Cadet Greco-Roman titles in 2012 and 2013, a Junior freestyle title in 2014, and a Junior Greco-Roman title in 2014. He is also a two-time Super 32 Challenge placer.
145: No. 10 Mike Carr (South Fayette) vs. No. 7 (at 138) Hunter Marko (Amery, Wis.)
Carr is a two-time state champion, who has committed to wrestle for the University of Illinois. Four-time state champion Marko will join McKee as a future Golden Gopher, and is a three-time Junior National freestyle All-American, including his title in 2013.
152: No. 2 Hayden Hidlay (Mifflin County) vs. No. 3 Griffin Parriott (New Prague, Minn.)
Hidlay won state this past year after placing third and sixth the previous two years. The future North Carolina State wrestler has a robust off-season resume, including a pair of Super 32 Challenge placement finishes, a Flo Nationals title last year, and five All-American finishes in Fargo (including a Junior Greco-Roman title this past summer). The Purdue bound Parriott is a five-time state placer and four-time state champion, also placing twice in the Super 32 Challenge, and placing fifth in Junior freestyle this past summer (Hidlay was third in the same weight class). Parriott beat Hidlay by 3-1 overtime decision in the third place match at the Super 32 this fall.
160: No. 4 Jake Wentzel (South Park) vs. No. 3 (at 170) Thomas Bullard (Archer, Ga.)
Wentzel will be wrestling in the same facility that he will call home for the next four or five years. The four-time state placer won state titles the last two seasons. During his junior year, he placed third at the Super 32 Challenge and runner-up at the Flo Nationals. Bullard joins Hidlay as a future Wolfpack wrestler, and is a four-time state champion. He was a finalist at the Super 32 Challenge the last two years, winning the title his junior season, and was champion at the NHSCA Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior Nationals.
170: No. 10 Austin Bell (Belle Vernon Area) vs. No. 1 Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.)
Like Wentzel, Bell is a future Pitt Panther. He has third place finishes the last two years at the state tournament. This season's Walsh Jesuit Ironman champion, he placed third at the Super 32 Challenge and Flo Nationals during his junior season. The Penn State bound Hall is the best overall wrestler in this year's senior class, a six-time state champion, a Junior World Team member in freestyle last summer, and has an absurdly long winning streak to end his scholastic career.
182: No. 17 Greg Bulsak (South Park) vs. No. 5 Keegan Moore (Jackson County Central, Minn.)
Two-time state champion Bulsak is committed to enroll at Clarion University in the fall. He is also a two-time Super 32 Challenge placer. Three-time state champion Moore is an Oklahoma State commit, and was runner-up at the UWW Cadet Nationals last spring in freestyle; he also was a Junior National folkstyle last spring, and a Cadet National Triple Crown winner in 2014.
195: No. 10 John Jakobsen (Stroudsburg) vs. No. 3 Samuel Colbray (Hermiston, Ore.)
The Lehigh-bound Jakobsen has appearances in the state final each of the last two seasons, including the state title earlier this month. Four-time state champion Colbray is an Iowa State commit, and was a Junior National runner-up in both Greco-Roman and freestyle last summer after winning a NHSCA Junior nationals title. The previous three summers, he was a Greco-Roman national champion in Fargo.
220: No. 9 Jacob Robb (Armstrong) vs. No. 2 Matt Stencel (Oregon Clay)
Robb, who will be attending Division II Mercyhurst, was state champion in Class AAA this year after second and fifth place finishes the previous two years in Class AA; his previous school (Kittanning) was involved in a consolidation before the 2015-16 school year. He also placed fourth at the Flo Nationals last spring. The Central Michigan bound Stencel has been in the state final each of the last three years, winning state titles the last two. Prior to the season, he was runner-up at the Super 32 Challenge, and during this past summer was a Junior National double All-American.
285: No. 10 Jake Beistel (Southmoreland) vs. No. 2 Shawn Streck (Merrillville, Ind.)
Beistel won an elusive state title this year after placing second and fifth the previous two years. This will be a last wrestling competition for Beistel, as he will be playing football in college for St. Francis University in the FCS. He was fourth at the Flo Nationals and third at the NHSCA Junior Nationals. A four-time state placer, all at 285 pounds, the Purdue bound Streck won state titles each of the last two seasons.
Below is a summary for the Indiana vs. WPIAL matchups.
113: Geoffrey Davis (Fort Wayne Wayne) vs. Aaron Burkett (Chestnut Ridge)
**2x state 4th vs. 3x state placer (6th/2nd/3rd); Burkett at 106 this year
120: Drew Hildebrandt (Penn) vs. Ethan McCoy (Greater Latrobe)
**4x state placer, 2x finalist (8th/6th/2nd/1st) vs. 3x medalist (NP 2nd/INJ/3rd/7th); McCoy at 126 this year
126: Gaige Torres (Portage) vs. Chris Eddins (Greensburg Salem)
**3x state placer, 2x finalist (7th/DNQ/2nd/2nd) vs. state 6th
132: Owen Doster (New Haven) vs. Mike Heinl (Shaler)
**state 5th vs. 2015 state qualifier
138: Evan Eldred (Westfield) vs. Shaun Wilson (Waynesburg)
**2x state placer (6th/3rd) vs. state 5th
145: Jordan Vaughn (Franklin Central) vs. Damon Greenwald (Burrell)
**2x state placer, 2015 finalist (2nd/4th) vs. 2x state placer, state champ (7th/1st); Greenwald at 152 this year
152: Steven Lawrence (Portage) vs. Derek Verkleeren (Belle Vernon)
**3x state placer, 2x finalist (7th/2nd/2nd) vs. state 4th
160: Cael McCormick (Yorktown) vs. Mitch Hartman (Belle Vernon)
**3x state placer (4th/6th/SQ/5th) vs. state qualifier; McCormick at 152 this year
170: No. 6 Drew Hughes (Lowell) vs. Anthony Welsh (Beth-Center)
**4x state placer, 3x finalist (2nd/5th/1st/1st) vs. 2x state placer (5th/3rd)
182: No. 4 Blake Rypel (Indianapolis Cathedral) vs. Milton Kobaly (Belle Vernon)
**4x state placer, 3x finalist (7th/2nd/1st/1st) vs. state runner-up
195: Jake Kleimola (Lake Central) vs. No. 10 Drew Phipps (Norwin)
**state champion vs. 3x state placer, state finalist (4th/3rd/2nd)
220: Nick Fox (Carmel) vs. Mike McAleavey (Peters Township)
**state 5th place (at 195) vs. state runner-up
285: Sean Galligar (Columbus East) vs. Hayden Rice (Norwin)
**state 3rd vs. state qualifier
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