HERSHEY - They won't be gold, silver or bronze, but five area grapplers will collect medals today at the PIAA Class AA Wrestling Championships.
Tri-Valley's Sammy Hepler (106 pounds) and Caleb Bordner (120), North Schuylkill's Auston Hummel (170), Hamburg's Cody Miller (182) and Panther Valley's Richard Nase (195) won second-round consolations Friday morning at the Giant Center to clinch spots on the awards podium.
All of them, though, hit the wall during the evening session, losing in the third round of consolations and dropping into seventh-place matches. They'll compete at 2 p.m. today, when bouts for first, third, fifth and seventh will be held on four mats to conclude the three-day tournament.
Hummel came closest to reaching the semifinals, getting taken down with one second left in regulation to fall 8-7 to Penns Valley's Corey Hazel. Hummel controlled much of the action, scoring a takedown in each of the first two periods and a reversal with 1:21 left in the third for a 7-5 lead. Hazel escaped, then caught Hummel off balance right before the final buzzer.
Needing a win to get on the medals stand, the Spartans senior rallied past Reynolds' Mike Millero 6-3. A reversal and three back points late in the third period moved Hummel ahead. The run ended there in a 5-2 loss to Franklin's Dakota Geer.
Hummel (40-5) will meet Bethlehem Catholic's Nick Cortopassi (35-
7) for seventh. They have split matches during the postseason, Hummel winning in the district final and Cortopassi winning in the regional final.
The rematch theme came to the fore for Tri-Valley's two placewinners as well.
In the quarterfinals, Bethlehem Catholic's Jake Riegel, whom Hepler pinned in overtime in the District 11 finals, avenged the defeat with an 8-3 decision. Hepler rebounded well, turning Reynolds' Gage Bayless twice with armbars in a 10-2 major decision.
At night, Lancaster Catholic's Joe Lobeck also avenged a loss to Hepler in the Southeast Regional quarterfinals, hitting two four-point moves (takedown and back points) to defeat Hepler 8-3.
Hepler (32-7) will take on Brockway's Ryan Carlson (28-8) for seventh place.
"It feels great,'' Hepler said after his consolation victory. "Watching everybody, watching all my friends get up on the podium ⦠I've been waiting since I was a little kid to come down here and stand on the podium. Now I'm gonna do that tomorrow.''
Bordner, a junior, became a three-time state medalist with a 6-3 decision over Fort LeBoeuf's Jarrette Carter. Tied 1-1 in the third period against Forest Hills' Triston Law, Bordner got caught and pinned in 3:59.
Bordner (38-7) gets familiar foe Willis Gruver (34-8) of Redbank Valley in a seventh-place bout. Gruver edged Bordner 4-3 and 4-1 in the preliminary round the last two seasons at states.
Yet in each of his three varsity seasons, Bordner has come through the consolations to earn medals.
"For me it's not difficult because I love the pressure,'' Bordner said after clinching a spot on the podium. "In big dual matches, coaches are always trying to get me in the last match. I wrestle better under pressure.
"The pressure was on,'' he added. "Two-time medalist. I didn't want to be the two-time medalist that doesn't place all four years.''
After dropping his quarterfinal 4-2 to Montgomery's Isaiah Bobotas, Miller edged Lehighton's Connor Frey 3-2. Valley's Terrell Fields overpowered Miller 9-2 in the third round of consolations.
Miller (47-7) matches up against Bermudian Springs' Colton Dull (37-7) today for seventh.
In the quarterfinals, Bermudian Springs' Kyle Taylor shut down Nase 3-1. The Panther Valley senior extended his season by scoring two takedowns in a 5-3 decision over Fort LeBoeuf's Garrett Reinwald. Benton's Logan Womelsdorf pinned Nase in 1:47 in the third round of consolations.
Nase (33-9) will meet United's Tyler Oliver (32-6) for seventh.
The match against Reinwald was a classic battle of power against speed, with Nase's quickness and knowledge winning out.
"It feels great. All the work you put in pays off here,'' Nase said after his consolation victory. "It means the world to (my coaches) right now. They're so happy. If they're happy, I'm happy. I wrestle to make my friends happy, my coaches happy, the community happy.
"Strength helps you, but strength doesn't win you the match,'' Nase said. "It's all about the technique.''