Dallas junior Steven Newell, Tunkhannock sophomore Dave Evans and Lake-Lehman senior Kaleb Konigus each won at least one bout at the Giant Center in Hershey before being eliminated from the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Individual Wrestling Championships March 9-10.
Newell went 2-2 at the tournament and lost a pair of one-point decisions.
Both Newell and Evans came within one win of earning a medal in Class 3A.
Konigus went out a round earlier in Class 2A.
Newell finished in a tie for ninth-best at 170 pounds in the state tournament where the top eight earn medals.
While going 41-5 on the season to improve to 114-22 on his career, Newell suffered all five of his losses by three points or less to wrestlers who wound up at the state tournament. Three of those five losses were in overtime.
Newell opened his state tournament with a 4-1 victory over Central Mountain’s Tanner Weaver. He dropped a 3-2 decision to Luke Nichter from Chambersburg, the eventual sixth-place finisher.
After extending his tournament with an 8-0, major decision over West Chester East’s Andrew DiBernardo, Newell was eliminated with a 2-1, double-overtime loss to Downingtown West’s Maximus Hale.
“Steven takes a loss harder than anyone I know,” Dallas coach Mike Richards told the Times Leader. “But he’s also the kind of kid that doesn’t let that stuff get to him. He’ll be over it in a couple days and be right back wrestling again and getting better for next year. That’s just what he does.
“Our expectations will be the same – to get back here next year and do better.”
Evans had a bye through the preliminary round, then defeated Cedar Cliff’s Aidan Lewis, 5-1, to reach the quarterfinals at 106 pounds.
Two straight losses in close decisions ended Evans’ season at 37-6.
Evans fell, 4-3, to Council Rock South’s Kyle Waterman in a quarterfinal bout that could have clinched a top-six finish. He then lost, 4-0, to Matt Vulakh from Pope John Paul II.
Tunkhannock’s drop to Class 2A for the next two years could combine with this year’s performance and experience to make Evans a threat on the state level.
Konigus lost, 3-2, to Mount Pleasant’s Cody Vokes on a stalling call at the end of the ultimate tiebreaker, rideout period. He came back with a 1-0 decision over Emmanuel Lawal from the Church Farm School, but had his career end with a pin by Union City’s Matt Long.
The senior finished 33-10.
