The Penn State Mont Alto Wrestling team boarded a plane and headed to Texas on Tuesday. Eight of the 12 wrestlers on the roster qualified for the NCWA Championships in Allen, Texas. Last year the team only had three qualify; taking eight is the new school record. After a long day of traveling, the team settled in and prepared for the first day of Wrestling on Thursday.
The first day consisted of a 32 man bracket with pig tails. Some of our wrestlers received a bye in the first round. The way the brackets worked, the first round was considered pig tails, then the 32 man bracket, next was the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and the finals. Within the first day each wrestler had the opportunity to reach up to the quarter-finals.
Cody Carbaugh (Greencastle, PA) lost in the first round of the 125 Lbs. weight class and went to the consolation bracket, received a bye, won in the next round and lost in the next round (1-2). Tyler Warner (Waynesboro, PA) wrestled in the 149 Lbs. weight class as well as Nick Grimm (Lewistown, PA). Neither Grimm nor Warner made it to the quarter-finals; both went to the consolation bracket. Tyler was (1-2) and Nick (2-2). Alec Warner (Littlestown, PA) competed in the 184 Lbs. weight class and after wrestling in two matches, he lost before the quarter-finals and finished the tournament in the consolation bracket (1-2).
Although four of Mont Alto Wrestlers did not make it to the quarter-finals, four did make it to the quarter-finals. In the 133 Lbs. weight class, Daniel May (Biglerville, PA) earned a bye and won two matches before losing in the quarter-finals. May went on to consolation round where he lost, finishing (2-2). Also in the same weight class James Hughes (Chambersburg, PA) first earned a bye, won the next two matches, lost in the quarter-finals and won two matches in the consolation bracket, receiving 7th place overall and was named NCWA All-American (4-2). The top eight in each weight class are named All-American and Hughes is the first ever NCWA All-American Wrestler at Mont Alto. In the 165 Lbs. weight class, Clay Kocsis (Gettysburg, PA) also had a bye in the first round, won the next two and lost in the quarter-finals. Then in the consolation round, Kocsis lost and was done (2-2). Jaron Burke (Reading, PA) also earned a bye, won two, lost in the quarter-finals and lost in the consolation round (2-2).
Overall, the team was very successful and handled the competition at the national level with class. It was impressive for Mont Alto Wrestling to send the majority of their wrestlers to the NCWA Championships and to leave there with an All-American. The team plans to build off this experience and be back in Texas next year.
For brackets and complete results, click here.
