Cathedral Prep wrestlers Rocco Wellek, Jamal Lyons and Nick Milano advanced to the championship finals after Saturday afternoon’s action in the 31st annual Tool City Tournament. The trio won their morning semifinals at Meadville High School.
Wellek will vie for the 130-pound division against Boiling Springs’ Tyler Thumma when the title bouts begin at 7 p.m. Thumma is one of six finalists for the first-place Bubblers, coached by former Edinboro University wrestler Rodney Wright.
Lyons, seeking to defend at 145, also faces a Boiling Springs entry in Dakota Kuhn.
Milano won Tool City’s 160 bracket in 2008. Now, he must get by Corry’s Michael Pollard to top the 171 field.
Lyons and Milano are attempting to become Prep’s first consecutive tournament champs since Brad Fralic went back to back in 1995 and ’96.
Pollard is one of two Corry entries in finals. The Beavers’ Austin Gillihan will have to beat Shelton Mack of host Meadville in order to win it all at 112.
North East placed two in finals, Christian Drain at 119 and Kyle Eisaman at 135, while General McLane was shut out.
-- Mike Copper
Teams: Boiling Springs (BS), Clearfield (Cl), Corry (Cy), Indian Valley (IV), Cathedral Prep (CP), Greenville (Gv), General McLane (GM), Meadville (Mv), Conneaut Lake (CL), North East (NE), Maplewood (Mw), Ridgway (Rid), Howland, Ohio (H), DuBois (D), Saegertown (Sae), Conneaut, Ohio (Conn).
Championship bracket
Semifinals
103 pounds: T.J. Stanton (D) d Shane Peters (Cl) 3-1; Kalab Loht (IV) md Tim Wheeling (GM) 9-1.
112: Shelton Mack (Mv) d Sean Byham (Sae) 6-4; Austin Gillihan (Cy) p Kodie Lowder (Cl) 5:05.
119: Ian Starner (BS) d Andrew Spicer (Cl) 8-7; Christian Drain (NE) d Kevin Kerr (Cy) 4-0.
125: Joe Spisak (BS) md Matt Graff (Mw) 13-4; Kasey Davis (Mv) d Gage Smith (IV) 5-2.
130: Rocco Wellek (CP) p Matt Gregory (NE) 3:45; Tyler Thumma (BS) d Holden Lowe (Cl) 2-1.
135: Kyle Eisaman (NE) d Garet Pisani (Rid) 7-6; Tyler Bedelyon (IV) md Coty Burnett (Gv) 8-0.
140: Kyle Leek (H) md Cody Copeland (Gv) 11-0; Tye Boyer (IV) d Jake Kondrlik (Cy) 4-2.
145: Jamal Lyons (CP) md Derek Danver (Cl) 17-6; Dakota Kuhn (BS) md Cory Battista (IV) 14-3.
152: Matt Laird (CL) d Dalton Lester (GM) by forfeit; Nick Bancroft (Mw) d Dave Heynoski (CP) 9-2.
160: Mark Hammond (BS) d Beau Norton (Cy) 9-4; Bill Morrison (D) d Zack Zelcs (Rid) 3-1.
171: Nick Milano (CP) d Corey Mattila (BS) by injury default; Michael Pollard (Cy) p Doug Myers (GM) 2:46.
189: R.J. Malson (Gv) d Seth Stonis (GM) 3-0; Tyler Rice (Conn) p Markel Keys (CP) 5:17.
215: Dillon Sarcinella (Gv) p Andre Buck (Cl) 5:16; Zach Seeley (Mw) md Sam Matter (BS) 13-2.
285: Sean Owen (Cl) p Matt Knapp (Mv) 3:18; Kris Tursky (CL) d Joe Chittester (Rid) 2-1 2OT.
Finals
103 pounds: Stanton (D) vs. Loht (IV).
112: Mack (Mv) vs. Gillihan (Cy).
119: Starner (BS) vs. Drain (NE).
125: Spisak (BS) vs. Davis (Mv).
130: Wellek (CP) vs. Thumma (BS).
135: Eisaman (NE) vs. Bedelyon (IV).
140: Leek (H) vs. Boyer (IV).
145: Lyons (CP) vs. Kuhn (BS).
152: Laird (CL) vs. Bancroft (Mw).
160: Hammond (BS) vs. Morrison (D).
171: Milano (CP) vs. Pollard (Cy).
189: Malson (Gv) vs. Rice (Conn).
215: Sarcinella (Gv) vs. Matter (BS).
285: Owen (Cl) vs. Tursky (CL).