Having won a share of the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 title this season to claim its first-ever D1 crown, Dallas didn’t meet expectations in the District 2 Class 3A Duals Tournament when it didn’t win any matches.

More of a tournament team, the Mountaineers flexed their muscles at the individual championships advancing five wrestlers to this coming weekend’s Northeast Regional Tournament, including a pair of champs in Steven Newell (160) and Xavier Barber (170) and a runner-up in Alec Sampson at 152.

Dallas finished fourth in the team standings, and at one point after the semis, the team was in second place.

“We had a rough day (Friday) lost a couple matches I wasn’t expecting to, but the kids came back, wrestled well (Saturday) and we did just about everything I hoped we’d do,” Dallas coach Mike Richards said.

Related Video

Joining those three Dallas standouts in Bethlehem next weekend are teammates Moustafa Almeky (195) and Shawn Henninger (220).

Hoffman, Pasone grab top seeds

Hazleton Area’s Jimmy Hoffman and Meyers’ Colin Pasone each claimed the Outstanding Wrestler Awards in the District 2 Class 3A and 2A Tournament, respectively on Saturday.

On Sunday, the two seniors were rewarded as the only two Wyoming Valley Conference wrestlers to grab No. 1 seeds for this coming weekend’s Northeast Regional Tournaments.

Pasone (120 pounds), a four-time D2 champ will try to advance to the state tournament for the third time entering regionals with a 35-3 record and tied with his brother, Vito, for the most wins in school history with 131.

Hoffman (132), is a three-time district champ in 3A with a mark of 38-1 this season and 156 career wins.

Berwick’s Nick Yule (106), Meyers’ Anthony Kasper (113), Hanover Area’s Jeff Bennett (132) and Nick Hannon (285), Lake-Lehman’s Bob Lipski (145) and Jake Tomolonis (152), and Wyoming Area’s Corey Mruk (160) are district champs from the conference seeded at the bottom of their respective brackets.

In 3A, the only D2 champions from the WVC to get a No. 2 seed are Wyoming Valley West’s J.J. White (106) and David Krokowski (113), and Hoffman’s teammate Carson Kinney at 195.

The other 3A D2 champs from the conference, the Cougars’ Anthony Martoccio (126) and Shane Noonan (182) and Dallas’ Steven Newell (160) and Xavier Barber (170), and Tunkhannock’s Gavin D’Amato (120) are seeded third.

Quick hits

Berwick’s Nick Yule won the Class 2A 106-pound title becoming the Bulldogs’ first champion since they crowned six champs en route to the team title in the Class 2A 2008 event. … The WVC has qualified 54 wrestlers for this coming weekend’s regional tournaments, consisting of 31 in Class 3A and 23 in 2A. The 31 qualifiers in Class 3A is the most the conference has advanced to regionals in the classification since 2011 when 35 wrestlers moved on. The 23 to advance in 2A is the most from the WVC since 2015 when 26 qualified. … Pittston Area missed out on regionals last year, but they have two qualifiers this year in Ryan Lombardo (120) and Jason DeBoard (160).

No Trojan left behind

The only WVC team to not have a participant in regionals this year in either class is Nanticoke. The rebuilding Trojans’ lone medalist was freshman Isaiah Johnson taking fifth at 152 in Class 2A. Nanticoke’s only senior, Megan Kocher ended her career on Saturday, but made a little more history over the weekend in the process. She finished her season with a winning record of 14-13 and became the first female in District 2 history to pick up a win in the championship round when she pinned Lake-Lehman’s Brenden Boston in the 106-pound first round on Friday night. Two years ago, she was the first girl to win a contested match at districts winning a consolation bout by decision.

Sem takes second

After being in contention for the Prep National title up until midway through the finals on Saturday, Blair Academy proved to be a little too much for Wyoming Seminary at the tournament.

The Blue Knights settled for second place finishing 30.5 points behind Blair, which scored 306.5 points being helped by going 6 for 6 in the finals.

Sem crowned two champions and three second-place finishers. Drew Munch (106) and freshman Beau Bartlett (120) both won titles. Mosha Schwartz (113), Jack Davis (126) and Jake Riegel (132) all took second, while Darrien Roberts (160), Austin Cooley (182) and Dan Herman (285) wrestled back to finish third. Thirteen of the Blue Knights’ 14 athletes in the tournament finished as All-Americans by finishing in the top eight, and none of them finished below seventh.

Wyoming Valley West’s J.J. White, back, earns No. 2 seed at 106 pounds for the Class 3A Northeast Regional Tournament.
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_D2WrestlingFinals_3-2.jpg.optimal.jpgWyoming Valley West’s J.J. White, back, earns No. 2 seed at 106 pounds for the Class 3A Northeast Regional Tournament. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader
Fifty-four wrestlers advance in postseason march

By Dave Rosengrant

For Times Leader

Reach Times Leader sports at 570-829-7143 or on Twitter @tlsports.