Baranik’s Back Points
Baranik’s Back Points-Week of August 5, 2019
*Jody Karam, a former standout wrestler at Lock Haven University and long-time head coach at Bethlehem Liberty High School, has stepped down after 26 years. Karam had an outstanding coaching record of 362-150-1. Karam coached 31 state place winners including 2016 PIAA State Champion Andrew Gunning (285). Karam’s son Sage, a former high school wrestler for Nazareth, raced in the Indianapolis 500 the last six years while finishing as high as 7th place in the prestigious race.
Jon Trenge becomes the new head coach at Parkland High School. Trenge wrestled at Parkland HS himself and won two PIAA State titles. He then went onto an outstanding college career at Lehigh where he was a 3x All-American and 3x EIWA champion. Trenge replaces fellow Parkland state champion Mike Ottinger, who took a full-time teaching position in the Upper Perkiomen School District.
*Rob Waller has been coaching wrestling for 49 years either on the high school level or at his All-American Wrestling Club and Camps. In late July, Waller had 40 kids from eight different states attend his camp at his home residence in Greensburg, PA. I had the opportunity to work his camp and what a treat it was. You talk about a man who is passionate about wrestling and his country-Waller is the man!
*College Wrestling is the third most watched sport on the Big Ten Network
*Starting in late August, the ACC will start their first year with the ACC Network. This will give college wrestling a big boost in the South.
Novak Djokovic won his 5th Wimbledon on Sunday, July 14th wearing his ASICS Shoes!
Some of the world’s toughest athletes wear ASICS. ASICS is a Latin acronym that stands for:
Sound Mind in a Sound Body.
Michael Chandler, a former All-American wrestler at the University of Missouri in 2009, and current MMA fighter was featured on the show “Deal or No Deal” with host Howie Mandel on June 19. He talked about how he was a walk-on at Missouri after placing second in the Missouri State High School Tournament and became an All-American for the Tigers. They also showed clips of Chandler’s MMA fighting where he was a Bellator Lightweight World Champion three times.
Hahesy and Sill win Coach of the Year honors
The NWCA named its state coach and assistant coach of the year. Mike Hahesy of Erie Prep was the winner of Coach of the Year in PA. Greg Sill of Franklin Regional was awarded assistant coach of the year for PA. Congratulations to both!
Kiski Area continues dominace
Here are Some key highlights from Kiski Area’s High School team in the last four years under head coach Chris Heater. He and assistant coach Chuck Tursky (was the head coach at Kiski for 21 years as Heater was the assistant) have continued to produce a top notch program over the past two decades.
*87-7 over the last 4 years
*53-1 in the WPIAL over the last 3 years
*9 kids wrestling in college @ Div. I, II and III
*Freshman Enzo Morlacci (29 wins), Brayden Roskovski (35 wins), and Stone Joseph (24 wins) all had terrific years.
*With 136 kids in Elementary Program it doesn’t look like they are going anywhere.
Karam drives in Indy 500
Sage Karam, on right, coaching with his Father Jody Karam at the District 11 Tournament in 2016.
- Sage Karam in car #24 finished 19th in the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 over the Memorial Day Weekend. Karam wrestled for Nazareth High School and finished as high as 3rd in the tough District 11 tournament for Blue Eagles and placed 4th in the regionals twice. He graduated from Nazareth in 2014. His Father, Jody Karam was a standout wrestler for Lock Haven University in the early 1980’s and is the head coach at Bethlehem Liberty HS. In 2016, Sage became an assistant coach for his Dad at BL while still continuing his racing career. *Bethlehem Liberty was the first high school to start a wrestling program in Pennsylvania back in 1923!
- Pennsylvania, Iowa and North Carolina are the only states that had 3 colleges finish in the top 25 at the 2019 NCAA Championships.
- Head coaches Pat Popolizio at NC State, Glen Lanham at Duke and Coleman Scott at U. of North Carolina, all wrestled and graduated from Oklahoma State.
Geibel’s Gut Wrench
Shakur confirms eligibility to PWN while on vacation
PA Fargo National Results
PA Cadet Women’s All-Americans:
106 lbs: Ava Bayless: Wyoming Seminary 6th place
Abbygale Duke: Wyoming Seminary 7th place
132 lbs: Lily Sherer: Delaware Valley 3rd place
PA Men’s Cadet Freestyle All-Americans:
*Team PA wins its second straight Team Title!
94 lbs: Jaden Pepe: Wyoming Seminary 5th place
113 lbs: Levi Haines: Biglerville 4th place
120 lbs: Rocco Welsh: Waynesburg 5th place
126 lbs: Alejandro Herrera-Rondon: Seneca Valley 7th place
145 lbs: Paniro Johnson: Cathedral Prep 3rd place
Erik Gibson: Forest Hills 7th place
170 lbs: Leonard Pinto: Stroudsburg 1st place
182 lbs: Nicolas Feldman: Malvern Prep 3rd place
220 lbs: Kolby Franklin: St. Joseph’s Catholic 1st place
Dustin Swanson: Garden Spot 2nd place
Nathan Taylor: Brookville 7th place
PA Cadet Greco Roman All Americans:
94 lbs: Carson Wagner: Northampton 7th place
106 lbs: Jacob VanDee: Cathedral Prep 7th place
170 lbs: Leonard Pinto: Stroudsberg 3rd place
182 lbs: Nicolas Feldman: Malvern Prep 1st place
Maxwell Gourley: Gettsburg 8th place
220 lbs: Kolby Franklin: Wyoming Seminary 2nd place
Dustin Swanson: Garden Spot 4th place
PA Women’s Junior Freestyle All Americans
106 lbs: Caitlyn Walker: Wyoming Seminary 5th
Tatyana Ortiz: Mariana Bracetti 8th place
112 lbs: Montana Delawder: Gettysburg 1st place
132 lbs: Avia Bibeau: East Stroudsburg North 5th place
152 lbs: Tiffani Baublitz: Kennard Dale 1st place
PA Mens Junior Freestyle All Americans
100 lbs: Robert Gardner: South Williamsport 7th place
138 lbs: Lachlan McNeil: Wyoming Seminary 3rd place
Sam Hillegas: North Hills 4th place
145 lbs: Gabe Miller: Pequea Valley 8th place
170 lbs: Gerrit Nijenhuis: Canon McMillen 2nd place
182 lbs: Luke Stout: Mount Lebanon 5th place
195 lbs: Cole Urbas: State College 2nd place
220 lbs: Dorian Crosby: Cathedral Prep 2nd place
PA Junior Greco Roman All Americans
100 lbs: Robert Gardner: South Williamsport 8th place
106 lbs: Steven Foster: Plymouth Whitemarsh 8th place
113 lbs: Sheldon Seymour: Troy 2nd place
Gary Steen: Reynolds 7th place
120 lbs: Chris Kim: Germantown Academny 5th place
145 lbs: Edward Scott: Dubois 2nd place
152 lbs: Grigol Khochiashvili: Central High 5th place
170 lbs: Angel Garcia: Mariana Bracetti Academy 1st place
Caden Rogers: Malvern Prep 5th place
PIAA approves junior high weight reduction and additional wrestlers in varsity bracketed tournaments
The PIAA Board of Directors unanimously approved the recommendations listed below for the 2019-20 wrestling season:
1. Reduced the number of junior high/middle school weight classes from 18 to 15.80, 87, 94, 101, 108, 115, 122, 130, 138, 145, 155, 170, 190, 210, 250.
2.
That in Varsity Regular Season individually bracketed tournaments with
9 or more teams, a team may at the discretion of the Tournament
Director, enter an additional wrestler per weight class without counting
as additional Team competitions.
Several PA wrestles place at UWW Cadet and U23 Nationals
U-23 Freestyle place winners:
61 kg 2nd place Micky Philippi Derry H.S. Pittsburgh Wrestling Club
65 kg 2nd place Luke Pletcher Latrobe H.S. TMWC/ Ohio RTC
70 kg 2nd place Jimmy Hoffman Drums, PA Lehigh Valley WC
74 kg 1st place Brady Berge State College PA Nittany Lion WC
92 kg 1st place Jakob Woodley North Allegheny H.S. Oklahoma
125 kg 2nd place Jordan Wood Gilbertsville, Pa LVWC
65kg 4th place Cole Mathews Reynolds H.S. Pittsburgh Wrestling Club
92 kg 3rd place Drew Phipps Norwin H.S. Buffalo Valley WC
74 kg 5th place Taleb Rahmani Pittsburgh Wrestling Club
79 kg 6th place Jacob Oliver Huntington, PA Edinboro
86 kg 5th place Nino Bonaccorsi Bethel Park H.S. Pitt WC
92 kg 6th place Colin McCracken Waynesburg H.S. Kent State
57 kg 7th place Jakob Campbell Lewisburg Buffalo Valley RTC
97 kg 7th place Ethan Laird Waterford, PA Rider
U-23 Greco place winners
72 kg 3rd place Anthony Artalona PRTC
77 kg 6th place Jake Hendricks Philadelphia, Pa PRTC
Cadet Freestyle Place Winners
41-45 kg 2nd place Mac Church Waynesburg Young Guns
80 kg 1st place Clayton Ulrey Grantville, Pa Team Nauman Wrestling Club
110 kg 1st place Hunter Catka Brookhaven, Pa Lab Trained
51 kg 8th place Sheldon Seymour Troy XCalibur
92 kg 7th place Kolby Franklin Dubois, PA Lab Trained
Cadet Greco place winners
48 kg 2nd place Joey Fisher South Park H.S. Young Guns
80 kg 2nd place Caden Rogers Lancaster, PA Lancaster Alliance Wrestling
51 kg 4th place Sheldon Seymour Troy XCalibur
92 kb 4th place Kolby Franklin Dubois, PA Lab Trained
71 kg 7th place Niko Katsuyoshi Wilkes Barre, Pa Wyoming Seminary