Top Bucks County area wrestlers soar at PIAA district tournament
QUAKERTOWN — For one it was something we've become accustomed to while for another it was a nice first.
For Quakertown's Mason Ziegler, Saturday's PIAA District One East Class 3A wrestling tournament, held in his home gym, was a bit of a coronation as the senior became the school's first four-time district champion, this time at 121 pounds.
"I thought about it this morning that this would be the last time I wrestled in this gym," said Ziegler, the school's all-time wins leader with 158.
"And it really kind of sank in. I just tried to give it my all to win another championship."
Ziegler, a Lehigh University commit, did it in style with a 13-5 major decision victory over Pennridge's Cole Coffin in the finals.
Also doing it in style was Pennsbury senior Ben Primich (189), who didn't wrestle in the postseason last year, but made up for Saturday by topping Abington's Dylan Kiesling 9-1 to capture the district title.
"I was behind (2023 graduate) Shane McGurrin in the lineup last year and wasn't in the tournaments," said Primich, also a football standout at linebacker.
"This is my last season wrestling and I thought about that today that if I didn't advance to (Southeast) regionals, I'd never wrestle again. I want to go as far as I can."
Ziegler, Primich and the top four finishers in each weight class Saturday advanced to next weekend's regionals at Oxford High. The top five finishers in each weight class at regionals will qualify for the PIAA Class 3A tournament in Hershey in two weeks.
Council Rock South, which had two champions in junior Gavin Cole (160) and senior Bek Sadriddinov (172), won the team title with 239 points followed by Pennridge (222.5) and the host Panthers (173.5).
"I wrestle against Bek every day and practice and that really helps me," Cole said. "I wouldn't have won this without the help I get from him.
"He's like a big brother to me and he makes me a better wrestler."
Quakertown led the way with four individual champions — Ziegler, junior Gavin Carroll (145), junior Collin Gaj (152), a defending PIAA champion who was named this tournament's Outstanding Wrestler, and senior Calvin Lachman (285).
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Council Rock North matched sister school CR South by crowning two champions (senior Alexander Diaz at 107 and junior Eren Sement at 127).
Five other schools had champions in Primich, Pennridge's Colby Martinelli (114), Central Bucks West sophomore Chris Dennis (133), CB South senior Jake Neill (139) and CB East senior Reagan McCullough (215).
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"This feels good and I now need to make sure I'm ready for regionals," said Neill, who claimed his second district title Saturday with a 5-4 victory over CB West junior Patrick Kelly and will wrestle next season at Franklin & Marshall.
"My goal is to make it to states and do well, but I'm just concentrating now on regionals next week."
PIAA District One East Class 3A Tournament
(at Quakertown)
Team scores: 1. Council Rock South (239 points); 2. Pennridge (222.5); 3. Quakertown (173.5); 4. Council Rock North (150); 5. Neshaminy (130.5).
Championship finals
(the top four finishers qualify for the PIAA Southeast Regional Class 3A tournament)
107 pounds: Alexander Diaz, Council Rock North, tech. fall Kevin McFadden, Pennridge, 20-3 (3:33);
114: Colby Martinelli, Pennridge, dec. Connor Lenahan, Council Rock South, 10-7;
121: Mason Ziegler, Quakertown, maj. dec. Cole Coffin, Pennridge, 13-5;
127: Eren Sement, Council Rock North, maj. dec. Pat Woloshyn, Council Rock South, 14-5;
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133: Chris Dennis, Central Bucks West, pinned Danny Metzler, Pennridge, :18;
139: Jake Neill, Central Bucks South, dec. Patrick Kelly, Central Bucks West, 5-4;
145: Gavin Carroll, Quakertown, dec. Ben Brillhart, Council Rock South, 6-0;
152: Collin Gaj, Quakertown, tech. fall Sam Kuhns, Pennridge, 23-7 (4:34);
160: Gavin Cole, Council Rock South, dec. Ryan Gallagher, Pennridge. 7-4;
172: Bek Sadriddinov, Council Rock South, maj. dec. Talan Hogan, Pennridge, 8-0;
189: Ben Primich, Pennsbury, maj. dec. Dylan Kiesling, Abington, 9-1;
215: Reagan McCullough, Central Bucks East, pinned John Wright, Abington, 1:05;
285: Calvin Lachman, Quakertown, dec. Joe Collins, Central Bucks East, 10-5.
Consolation finals
107: Eddie Alvarez, Council Rock South, maj. dec. Richard Frazer, Neshaminy, 9-1;
114: Kyle Von Schmidt, Pennsbury, dec. Marco Loss, Council Rock North, 8-3;
121: Luke Reitter, Council Rock South, dec. Pierce Kane, Council Rock North, 3-0;
127: Quinn McBridge, Pennridge, dec. Isaac Williams, Quakertown, 8-6;
133: Mack Marcy, Council Rock North, pinned Evan Hilton, Quakertown, 2:15;
139: Jonny O'Brien, North Penn, dec. Ajay Bhatt, Council Rock South, 5-0;
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145: Elijah Brown, Abington, inj. def. Michael Cliver, North Penn, 3:24;
152: Beknazar Baiyshbekov, Neshaminy, pinned Josh Simon, Lower Moreland, 1:35;
160: Ernazar Baiyshbekov, Neshaminy, dec. Jackson Kean, Pennsbury, 11-4;
172: Chase Pollard, Bensalem, dec. David Clayton, Quakertown, 2-1;
189: Ryan Rowe, Pennridge, dec. Kristian, Koroveshi, Council Rock North, 7-3;
215: Scott Linkewich, Council Rock South, dec. Jonathan Bedoya, Bensalem, 5-1;
285: Owen Swartz, Neshaminy, pinned Solomon Wesley, Abington, :52.
Drew Markol: dmarkol@theintell.com; @dmarkol
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bucks County wrestlers take first step on road to PIAA tournament
