No. 1 Quentin Hovis won a California state title, and is currently No. 1 at 152 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)The 43rd annual Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic (formerly known as the Dapper Dan) will be held this Saturday on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh at the Fitzgerald Fieldhouse. Annually this event attracts the best senior wrestlers from across the United States to compete against the top seniors from the Keystone State.
In addition, there is an undercard bout held featuring seniors from the WPIAL (the athletic association governing southwest Pennsylvania) against those from another state or entity; this year it will be against a group from Georgia. This will be the first appearance for Georgia in the undercard event of the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic.
The main event starts at 6 p.m. ET with the matches listed below in the order that they will be contested. The dual meet includes three matchups of the No. 1 wrestler facing the No. 2 wrestler, while an additional four other matches also feature a wrestler ranked first in the country.
160: No. 4 (at 170) Jake Allar (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) vs. No. 7 (at 170) Jacob Oliver (Huntingdon)
Allar is a two-time state champion, two-time Super 32 Challenge placer (runner-up this year), and was a Junior National freestyle champion this past summer. Oliver is a two-time state champion and four-time state placer.
170: No. 1 Kaleb Romero (Mechanicsburg, Ohio) vs. No. 2 Michael Labriola (Bethlehem Catholic)
Romero is a four-time state champion and undefeated since mid-December of his sophomore year of high school, while also being first-team all-state at quarterback the last two years in football. Labriola is a two-time state champion, four-time state placer, and completely dominated the field at both the Walsh Ironman and Beast of the East this season.
182: No. 1 Louie Deprez (Hilton, N.Y.) vs. No. 2 Travis Stefanik (Nazareth)
Deprez is a three-time state champion and two-time Super 32 Challenge finalist, including winning the title this season, while also placing twice at the FloNationals. Stefanik won state this season and was third last year; last off-season he was a FloNationals champion and NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up; he was an excellent quarterback in his own right during the fall months.
195: No. 1 Jacob Warner (Washington, Ill.) vs. No. 3 Jake Woodley (North Allegheny)
Warner is a three-time state champion and was a Cadet World bronze medalist in freestyle this past summer at 86 kilograms; he also won a UWW Cadet National title in Greco-Roman. Woodley is a two-time state champion, Super 32 Challenge placer, FloNationals placer, and Junior National freestyle All-American.
220: No. 1 Chase Singletary (Blair Academy, N.J.) vs. No. 12 Cole Nye (Bishop McDevitt)
Singletary is a two-time National Prep champion, three-time finalist, while also earning UWW Junior National All-American honors in freestyle along with being a two-time Walsh Ironman champion. Nye is a two-time state champion, two-time Super 32 Challenge placer, and a 2015 Junior National freestyle All-American.
285: No. 3 Trent Hillger (Lake Fenton, Mich.) vs. No. 16 Brendan Furman (Canon-McMillan)
Hillger is a three-time state champion, while Furman won a state title and a Super 32 Challenge title this season.
120: No. 5 (at 126) Brandon Courtney (Desert Edge, Ariz.) vs. Gavin Park (Brookville)
Courtney is a three-time state champion and two-time Junior National freestyle All-American, including the title he won in the summer of 2015. Park won state this season, while placing seventh last year.
126: No. 3 Justin Mejia (Clovis, Calif.) vs. No. 4 Austin DeSanto (Exeter Township)
Mejia is just the second wrestler in the history of the California state tournament to win four state titles, while DeSanto upset an obviously injured national No. 1 Spencer Lee to win state gold two weeks ago, which denied Lee the status of being a four-time undefeated state champion; DeSanto is also a two-time Super 32 Challenge runner-up.
132: No. 1 (at 138) Vitali Arujau (Syosset, N.Y.) vs. No. 7 Brian Courtney (Athens)
Arujau is a four-time state champion, a Cadet World silver medalist, and was champion of the Super32 Challenge this fall. Courtney is a two-time state champion, was third in Arujau's weight class at the Super 32, and is a FloNationals champion (also three-time placer).
138: No. 7 Tanner Litterell (Tuttle, Okla.) vs. No. 5 Max Murin (Central Cambria)
Litterell is a four-time state champion and was a NHSCA Junior Nationals placer last year, while Murin is a two-time state champion and four-time placer. Murin also is a three-time Fargo freestyle All-American, including third last summer at the Junior level, and a two-time UWW Cadet freestyle All-American.
182: Jacob Hart (Independence, W.Va.) vs. No. 3 Nino Bonaccorsi (Bethel Park)
Hart is a four-time state champion placing seventh last year at the FloNationals, while Bonaccorsi is a three-time state placer, twice finishing runner-up. In addition Bonaccorsi is a two-time placer at both the Super 32 Challenge (runner-up this past fall) and FloNationals (champion last spring).
145: No. 6 (at 152) Austin O'Connor (St. Rita, Ill.) vs. No. 1 Jarod Verkleeren (Hempfield Area)
O'Connor is a four-time state champion and two-time Super 32 Challenge placer (runner-up in the fall of 2015), along with being a Junior Greco-Roman runner-up in the summer of 2015. Verkleeren won state this season after placing fourth as a sophomore. He also was a 2015 Cadet World gold medalist in freestyle at 63 kilograms, along with qualifying for the 2014 team at the same weight class. In addition, Verkleeren won the Super 32 Challenge this year at this weight class.
152: No. 1 Quentin Hovis (Poway, Calif.) vs. No. 2 Cameron Coy (Penn Trafford)
Hovis was state champion this year in California after winning the previous three years in Arizona. He is a two-time Super 32 Challenge placer, runner-up this year, and was champion at the Walsh Ironman in December. In addition Hovis was champion at the NHSCA Junior Nationals and a Junior National freestyle All-American this past off-season. Coy is a three-time state champion and four-time state finalist, who also earned Outstanding Wrestler honors at last summer's AAU Scholastic (aka Disney) Duals.
Pennsylvania coach: Dave Crowell (Nazareth)
Pennsylvania captain: Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional), ranked No. 1 nationally at 126 pounds
Team USA honorary coach: John Hanrahan, from the Atlanta (Ga.) Wrestlers in Business Network chapter
The undercard dual meet will start at 4 p.m. with the following matches taking place. The format of the undercard dual meet is two periods of 2.5 minutes in length, both starting in the neutral position.
113: Koby Milner (Pickens, Ga.) vs. Jacob Dunlop (Belle Vernon Area, Pa.)
Milner is a three-time state champion, including this year at 120 pounds; Dunlop placed eighth at state this season, and is a two-time Walsh Ironman placer.
120: Bryce Davis (Creekview, Ga.) vs. Vincent DiStefanis (Hempfield Area, Pa.)
Davis is a three-time state champion, while DiStefanis has twice placed eighth at the state tournament.
126: Vinnie Rosati (Woodland, Ga.) vs. Tyler Alberts (Ellwood City, Pa.)
Rosati finished as a state runner-up this season, while Alberts placed seventh at state in the 132 pound weight class.
132: Davion Fairley (Union Grove, Ga.) vs. Hunter Baxter (Pine-Richland, Pa.)
Fairley was a state champion this season, while also placing sixth at the NHSCA Junior Nationals last year; Baxter qualified for state this season, but placed fourth and eighth at the state tournament the previous two years.
138: Ethan Phillips (Chattahoochee, Ga.) vs. Joe Blumer (Kiski Area, Pa.)
Phillips was a state champion this year, while Blumer placed seventh at the Super 32 Challenge in the 145 pound weight class this fall; the last two seasons Blumer qualified for state but failed to place, including this year at 145, but he did placed seventh at state as a sophomore.
145: Jacob Brewer (Commerce, Ga.) vs. Kody Komara (Freedom, Pa.)
Brewer is a three-time state champion, while Komara is a three-time state placer, including third each of the last two years.
152: Will Britain (Cambridge, Ga.) vs. Jake Hinkson (North Allegheny, Pa.)
Britain was a state champion this season at 160 pounds, while Hinkson is a three-time state placer, including fourth this season at 145 pounds; Hinkson is also a two-time FloNationals placer.
160: Owen Brown (Commerce, Ga.) vs. No. 8 Eric Hong (North Allegheny, Pa.)
Brown is a three-time state champion, while Hong placed third at state this season and was previously a two-time National Prep finalist; in addition Hong has twice placed at the Super 32 Challenge and was a Junior National double All-American last summer.
170: Jack Marsh (St. Pius X, Ga.) vs. Alec Shaw (Greensburg Salem, Pa.)
Marsh was a state champion this season, while Shaw placed sixth at the state tournament.
182: No. 12 Matthew Waddell (Gilmer, Ga.) vs. Matt McGillick (Penn Trafford, Pa.)
Waddell is a three-time state champion, and placed at the Super 32 Challenge in the fall prior to this season. In addition he was a NHSCA Junior Nationals placer last spring and a Junior National double All-American last summer. McGillick placed sixth at state int his weight class.
195: Constantine Gavalas (Dunwoody, Ga.) vs. Colin McCracken (Waynesburg, Pa.)
Gavalas was a state champion in this weight class, while McCracken is a two-time state placer, including a third place finish this season.
220: No. 6 Quinn Miller (Archer, Ga.) vs. Billy Korber (Belle Vernon Area, Pa.)
Miller is a two-time state placer and four-time state finalist, also finishing as runner-up at the NHSCA Junior Nationals last spring, while Korber placed fourth at state this season.
285: Michael Robles (Northwest Whitfield, Ga.) vs. Roman Macek (Montour, Pa.)
Robles finished as state runner-up this season, while Macek was third at state.
WPIAL coaches: Chris Heater (Kiski Area), Josh Shields (Burrell)
WPIAL captain: Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional), ranked No. 1 nationally at 126 pounds
Georgia coaches: Don St. James (Cambridge), Ed Paladino (Chatahoochee), John Hanrahan (Atlanta, Ga. Wrestlers in Business Network), Robert Horton (Team Georgia USA Wrestling, state chairman)
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