Last Updated: Tue Mar 07, 2023 - 1:12PM
A pair of Greater Latrobe standouts captured WPIAL gold on Saturday at Canon-McMillan High School, as Luke Willochell and Vinny Kilkeary were among those crowned in the Class 3A Individual Wrestling Championships. Hempfield Area’s Eli Carr and Kiski Area’s Ryan Klingensmith also took first in their respective weight classes, while more than a dozen other Westmoreland grapplers punched their ticket to the PIAA tournament next week in Hershey.
Willochell, the top seed in the 114-pound bracket, won the title via a 5-4 decision against Tyler Kapusta of Franklin Regional in the championship bout. Prior to that, Willochell claimed falls in each of his first three matches of the tournament. A sophomore, Willochell won his second WPIAL individual championship in as many years.
Kilkeary joined his teammate in the 2023 champions club, as he registered a 10-4 decision against Andrew Binni of the host Big Macs in the 127 final. Prior to that match, Kilkeary scored three pinfalls. It marked the third consecutive district title for the Wildcats’ senior.
Carr claimed his title by edging top-seeded Nathan Roth of Greater Latrobe via 6-5 decision in the 139 championship match. Carr also claimed a fall and won two other matches via decision earlier in the bracket.
Meanwhile, Klingensmith won his title in lopsided fashion, as he secured a 11-2 major decision against Chartiers Valley’s Brady Joling. Earlier in the bracket, Klingensmith posted a pin, a major decision, and a tech fall.
Other county grapplers who lost in the title match included Hempfield Area’s Ethan Lebin, who fell short via a 2-1 decision against Maddox Shaw of Thomas Jefferson at 133. His fellow Spartan, Lucas Kapusta, was pinned by Ty Watters of West Allegheny in the 152 title matchup. Lastly, Penn-Trafford’s Joe Enick lost via fall to Joe Banco of Trinity in the 285 title clash.
Other state qualifiers included Penn-Trafford’s Dylan Barrett (107 pounds), Hayden Coy (127), Tasso Whipple (172), and Owen Ott (215), Franklin Regional’s Gavyn Beck (160) and Juliano Marion (189), Kiski Area’s Mark Gray (172) and Jack Crider (285), and Greater Latrobe’s Corey Boerio (215).