Lancaster League Wrestling Championships: Northern Lebanon Leads Way As LebCo Enjoys Medal Haul

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On Saturday, LebCo representatives Annville-Cleona, Cedar Crest, ELCO, Lebanon, and Northern Lebanon competed on the second and final day of the Lancaster Lebanon League Wrestling Championships. The day resulted in a combined total of twenty-two medals for wrestlers from those schools. In the end, each of the five LebCo schools earned at least one medal. Overall, it was a great day for our local wrestlers, who proudly represented their schools and communities.

Northern Lebanon led the way, with the Boy’s team earning 2nd place overall, behind only Conestoga Valley. Two Vikings, Aaron Seidel and Sam Wolford, were once again impressive in capturing gold medals. This was his third straight LL League title for Seidel as he continues to work towards his third straight PIAA State Championship. In the Boys Championship, the Vikings collected nine medals. ELCO fought their way to five podium appearances.

It was also the first year with an official Lancaster Lebanon League Girls Wrestling Championship. In the competition, four medals were earned by LebCo athletes. Kylee Trostle was the highest finisher, earning silver after dropping a hard-fought championship match.

Below is a breakdown of the performances of each of the medal winners, with the Boy’s contingent being organized by school.

Girls Results

2nd – Kylee Trostle – ELCO (112 pounds): Unlike most females wrestling at the first official LL Girls Wrestling Championship, the freshman did not spend her year wrestling other girls. In fact, she won several key matches as she made the ELCO Raiders a co-ed team. Finally facing wrestlers of her own gender, Trostle pinned her first two challengers. In the Championship Finals, she was matched up against McCaskey’s Journie Rodriguez, last year’s State Champ. This match was a battle, with Trostle unfortunately coming out on the wrong end of a 2-1 decision. However, the freshman still earned silver and will be hungry for more moving through the postseason.

3rd – Isabella Poole Martinez – Lebanon (100 pounds): The freshman won her opening match with a pin but started Saturday with a loss in the Semifinals. She quickly rebounded, pinning Warwick’s Sadie McClaine. This earned her a spot in the 3rd place match, in which she won a 5-0 decision over Garden Spot’s Myra Bair. The win yielded a bronze medal for Poole Martinez.

3rd – Perla Chavez – Lebanon (285 pounds): The junior picked up a spot on the podium, giving the Cedars additional points that allowed them to finish 10th overall.

4th – Joby Long – Northern Lebanon (118 pounds): The sophomore began her tournament by pinning her opponent from Manheim Township. She then lost in the Semifinals, but won her consolation match for the chance to wrestle for a bronze medal. In the 3rd place match, Long hung in, but was eventually pinned by her opponent from McCaskey. Long ended the tournament having earned a 4th place medal.

4th – Yilia Fernandez Gonzalez – Lebanon (148 pounds): The junior earned a spot in the 3rd place match, but had to forfeit. This earned her a 4th place medal.

Boys Results

Annville-Cleona

Team Finish – 19th place

8th – Darrian Holloway (215 pounds): Following a 1st round bye, the senior defeated Northern Lebanon’s Connor Troxell in a 6-2 decision. After a loss to a wrestler from Manheim Central, Troxell pinned his opponent from Manheim Township. He then lost his next two matches by decisions of 4-2 and 6-2 to wrestlers from Donegal and Hempfield

8th – Oliver Funck (121 pounds): The sophomore was given a 1st round bye, then won in the 2nd round with a 2-0 decision over a wrestler from Hempfield. In the Championship Quarterfinals, Funck drew Seidel, lasting for 3:05 until he was pinned. In the consolation round, Funck pinned his opponent from Pequea Valley. In the next round of consolations, Funck was pinned by a wrestler from Manheim Township. He lost his final match in an 8-3 decision to Louden Rupp of Columbia. Overall, Funck went 2-3, getting pins in both of his win on his way to earning an 8th place medal.

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Cedar Crest

Team Finish – 20th place

5th – Lucas Garrett (152 pounds): The senior opened the tournament with two wins before losing in the Championship Quarterfinals to the eventual runner-up from Donegal. He bounced back to win his next two matches before taking a loss in the form of a 2-1 decision in the Consolation Semifinals. He then won the 5th place match with a 7-5 decision over Octorara’s Colton Focht. Overall, Garrett went 5-2 in the tournament.

ELCO

Team Finish – 9th place

2nd – Kyle Miller (215 pounds): The junior won his first three matches. His first win came by way of a pin, followed by a major decision, and then a 7-3 decision over Ephrata’s Sam McCracken in the Championship Semifinals. In the Championship Finals, Miller lost a close 3-1 decision to Manheim Central’s Noah Templin. Overall, Miller went 3-1 on his way to earning the silver medal.

3rd – Klint Miller (145 pounds): Following a loss to start the tournament, the freshman bounced back by winning five straight matches, all ending with him pinning his opponents. His quickest battle lasted just :39. Overall, he went 5-1 on his way to earning the bronze medal while also claiming the distinction of having the most pins in the shortest amount of total time: 5 pins in 8:10.

4th – Ashton Kriss (114 pounds): The sophomore opened the tournament with two straight wins, pinning his opponents from Octorara and Manheim Central. In the Championship Quarterfinals, he lost a 10-4 decision to eventual runner-up Travis Clawson of Penn Manor. He then won a 15-0 tech fall before losing in the 3rd place match in a 4-2 decision to Northern Lebanon’s Julian Zaragoza. Overall, Kriss went 3-2 on his way to earning his 4th place finish.

5th – Zane Trostle (127 pounds): Winning his first three matches, the junior did not lose until the Championship Semifinals. He then lost in the next Consolation round before winning the 5th place match by way of a forfeit. Trostle finished the tournament with a 4-2 record on his way to earning his medal.

5th – Mitchell Frederick (160 pounds): The junior won his first two matches before losing in the Championship Quarterfinals to eventual champion Luke Needham of Conestoga Valley. He then lost in the next round of consolations before winning the 5th place match by pinning a familiar foe, Northern Lebanon’s Vincent Battistelli. The two had met earlier in the week, with Frederick winning that bout via a 12-2 major decision. Frederick earned his 5th place medal by finishing the tournament with a 3-2 record.

Northern Lebanon

Team Finish – 2nd place

1st – Aaron Seidel (121 pounds): A two-time League champion entering this contest would be the junior’s first appearance wrestling at this higher weight class, having previously won at 106/107. Seidel did not encounter much of a problem capturing his third straight championship. He won his first three matches, quickly pinning each opponent. Looking for a battle in the Championship Finals, he learned he had won without a match due to a medical forfeit. This was an expected start to Seidel’s postseason as he is seeking his third straight PIAA State Championship.

1st – Sam Wolford (107 pounds): The sophomore had high hopes of entering this event and lived up to those expectations. Not being called upon to wrestler until the Quarterfinals on Friday night, Wolford won a 15-0 tech fall in just 2:37. In Saturday’s Semifinals, he won a 6-0 decision over Penn Manor’s Caden Boland. Wolford made it look easy in the Championship Finals, earning a 16-0 tech fall in just 2:29 en route to defeating Solanco’s Caden Rutt. This gold medal performance was an impressive start to this year’s postseason as he looks to improve upon last year’s State Qualifier status.

2nd – Hayden Adams (285 pounds): The junior won his first three matches, all via pins. His quickest victory was accomplished in just :20. He was matched up against Conestoga Valley’s Tal Stotlzfus in the Championship Finals in what was an exciting match. Unfortunately, Adams came out on the losing end of a 2-1 decision.

2nd – Karter Adams (127 pounds): The sophomore started this tournament with three pins before earning a 9-2 decision in the Quarterfinals. As a result of a forfeit in the Semifinals, Adams advanced to the Championship Finals, where he battled E-Town’s Francis Burke but ultimately lost in a 4-2 decision. In his first full year wrestling at the varsity level, Adams has now claimed silver at the LL League Championships.

3rd – Julian Zaragoza (114 pounds): The senior pinned his first two opponents from Warwick and Conestoga Valley before losing in the Championship Semifinals in a 9-0 decision to eventual champion Kaedyn Williams of Manheim Township. Zaragoza then won in a 16-0 tech fall to earn his spot in the 3rd place match, where he defeated ELCO’s Ashton Kriss in a 4-2 decision. On his way to earning bronze, Zaragoza went 4-1.

4th – Tanner Feagley (189 pounds): The senior opened the tournament with three wins, including two pins. In the Semifinals, he lost in a lengthy match. He then bounced back by pinning his opponent from E-Town to earn a spot in the 3rd place match. In the final match, he lost a tight 2-1 decision to Sergio Garcia of Donegal. Feagley ended the tournament with a 4th place medal after going 4-2.

4th – Eli Ostermayer (172 pounds): The senior won his first match before losing a 9-0 decision to Ephrata’s Dustin Hoover. Ostermayer then won his next three Consolation matches to end a spot in the 3rd place match. Wrestling for bronze, he again faced Hoover. This time it resulted in a 3-0 decision. Ostermayer earned a 4th place medal, going 4-2 with both losses coming at the hands of the same opponent.

6th – Vinny Battistelli (160 pounds): The junior lost his first match of the event, but then won three straight before losing in the Consolation Semifinals. As a result, he battled ELCO’s Mitchell Frederick for 5th place. Frederick was able to defeat Battistelli, pinning him at the 3:30 mark. Going 3-3 in the tournament, Battistelli earned a 6th place medal.

7th – Tyler Snyder (133 pounds): The senior faced the prospect of missing the podium when he lost his opening round match. Resolute, he reeled off three straight wins before losing and earning his chance for a 7th place medal. His opponent forfeited, securing him the 7th place finish. He ended the tournament with a 4-2 record.