EXETER — Adam Buczynski’s progress has been steady throughout his four-year career on the Wyoming Area wrestling team.

As the only senior to wrestle for the Warriors this year, he is making the most of his status as the team’s most experienced wrestler.

Buczynski took second place at the Wyoming Valley Conference Tournament Jan. 6-7 at Lake-Lehman where he was the only Greater Pittston wrestler to reach the finals.

“Finishing second shows me that I’ve improved a lot over the years,” said Buczynski, whose best previous WVC Tournament finish was third place last season. “But, it also shows me what else I need to work on.”

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Buczynski was tied, 2-2, with Hanover Area’s J.J. Hooper going into the third period of their championship match, but was pinned with 20 seconds remaining.

Happier with his performance while wrestling on his feet, Buczynski said he needs to get better on the mat, both when on top and bottom.

“It’s not as strong as I want it to be, but I’m improving every day with that,” said Buczynski, who got to the final with consecutive first-period pins.

Buczynski is 11-4 with eight pins and a technical fall. He is just one win behind Damon Barhight for the team lead and he shares the lead in pins with Justin Joseph.

Not coincidentally, the team’s three most successful wrestlers are all upperweights. They get to work together in practice, pushing each other to better results in competition.

Buczynski said 170-pounder Joseph presents a test with his speed while the bigger Barhight challenges him with strength.

At the same time, the senior pushes himself in workouts when not on the mat.

“My cardio has improved over the last few years,” Buczynski said. “I didn’t focus as much on my cardio as I should have, but this year I have been.”

In each way results can be measured, Buczynski has gotten better each season.

His winning percentage has improved while going from 9-22 as a freshman to 28-14 to 27-12 to this season’s 11-4 start.

In the postseason, Buczynski placed fourth in District 2 Class 2A as a sophomore, then came within one win of a state tournament appearance last season when he took third in the district and sixth in the Northeast Regional.

Buczynski is considering the possibility of continuing the sport into college, depending on where he goes to school. He hopes to study electrical engineering and is preparing for that by taking Advanced Placement courses in chemistry, physics and calculus.

The academically demanding senior year will help if Buczynski decides to continue doubling up as a student-athlete on the next level.

“This year, I’m taking three AP classes, so it’s a little more work balancing wrestling with school, but I’m starting to get in the groove of it,” he said.

With his final high school postseason a month away, Buczynski still has more chances to improve on his past performances.

Buczynski
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/web1_Adam2.jpg.optimal.jpgBuczynski Submitted photo

Wyoming Area wrestler Adam Buczynski confers with his coach Jason Prokopchak.
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/web1_Adam3.jpg.optimal.jpgWyoming Area wrestler Adam Buczynski confers with his coach Jason Prokopchak. Submitted photo
Team’s only senior relying on experience