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A year ago, the Wyoming Valley Conference was facing many steep challenges in the Northeast Regional Tournament as 10 wrestlers from District 11 (Class 3A) and District 4 (Class 2A) had previously been in the state finals, including four state champs.This time around, the path for 47 WVC wrestlers at the regional tournaments may be slightly easier as those numbers have been cut in half and only 17 more athletes have state medals from previous years.Of course those are glaring numbers, but still positives for the WVC which will head to Bethlehem Liberty High School (Class 3A) and Williamsport High School (Class 2A) to participate in the regional tourneys.Another thing working in the favor of the WVC is that the competition level has risen in all of District 2 where anyone can beat anyone on any given day. For example, last week in the District 2 Class 3A Tournament, Dallas freshman Thad Mead upset top seed and returning district champ Gavin D&#8217;Amato from Tunkhannock in the quarterfinals.The parity in District 11 is always relevant as well; perhaps a little tighter than in past years. And last weekend in the D11 event, Bethlehem Catholic&#8217;s Jared Papcsy, a returning fourth-place state medalist, dropped his semifinal bout at 132 pounds, then his first consolation-round match, and will not participate this weekend.&#8220;Kids are wrestling with so many different styles, kids are good on their feet or on top that anybody can get beat at any given time,&#8221; Tunkhannock coach Bob Hegedty said. &#8220;We knew going in figuring out what weight to go (with Tommy Traver) that 132 was a really tough weight. There&#8217;s still four really good kids at that weight class and the other kids from District 12 and District 2.&#8221;NO POSTPONEMENTSWith wintry weather moving in to NEPA, many are wondering about the tournaments being postponed.There is such a tight turnaround in the postseason that a postponement or delay of any sort would drastically hamper the rest of the postseason.For example, state brackets are released on Sunday. There are many people working behind the scenes to make sure they are released as planned. If a tournament is pushed back even by one day, the entire process gets moved back. That also hurts travel plans for state participants, coaches and parents.Also, the forecasts for Williamsport and the Lehigh Valley show little or no snow for this weekend.Many D2 teams left for their destinations on Thursday night to travel before any inclement weather hit.THE TOP CONTENDERSThree grapplers from the WVC return as state qualifiers from a year ago in Tunkhannock&#8217;s Tommy Traver in Class 3A, and Hanover Area&#8217;s D.J. Erickson and Lake-Lehman&#8217;s Bob Long in 2A.Traver and Erickson both won their first district gold last weekend, while Long finished second. All three are juniors and looking for a return trip to states by placing in the top four in their respective brackets this weekend.TAKING THE NEXT STEPIn 2016, Traver placed sixth at the regional tournament before improving last year to place fourth. Long took fifth as a freshman and advanced to fourth as a sophomore.There are eight athletes from the WVC who have placed in previous regional appearances and are hoping to take the next step. Of those, Hazleton Area&#8217;s Shane Noonan is the highest-returning placer from regionals when he took fifth last year. Joining Noonan in Class 3A are returning sixth-place placers in prior seasons, including Valley West&#8217;s David Krokowski and Coughlin&#8217;s Josh Brown (in 2016), Dallas&#8217; Steven Newell and Brown&#8217;s twin brother Jake last year.In Class 2A, Nick Yule from Berwick, Corey Mruk from Wyoming Area, and Hanover Area&#8217;s J.J. Hooper all placed sixth a year ago.BREAKING THROUGHNearly every year one or two seniors from the conference become a first-time state qualifier, and perhaps even get into the regional final. Last year for example, Hazleton Area&#8217;s Carson Kinney and Dallas&#8217; Xavier Barber reached states for the first time by finishing as regional runner-up in Class 3A. Lake-Lehman&#8217;s Bob Lipski took third at regionals to advance to the PIAA Championships for the first time as a senior.BLACK KNIGHTS BEST HORNETSLake-Lehman was the preseason favorite by many coaches to claim not only the WVC Division 2 crown, but also the District 2 Class 2A duals and team titles.The Black Knights&#8217; only loss in the duals tournament was to Honesdale, and the only team to finish ahead of them in the team standings last week was also the Hornets.But where Lehman didn&#8217;t finish behind Honesdale was in regional qualifiers and district finalists. Lehman is sending a Class 2A-high eight participants to Williamsport, one more than Honesdale. Lehman also had six in the finals last weekend to the Hornets&#8217; three. Five of those finalists for Lehman took second.The dominance by Lehman in the WVC was also on display at districts as its eight regional qualifiers make up nearly half the conference&#8217;s 17 regional wrestlers in 2A.Here&#8217;s the list of the 48 Wyoming Valley Conference regional qualifiers and a note about each:CLASS 3ACOUGHLINDarren Clarke (120): A freshman, he became Coughlin&#8217;s first freshman to win a D2 title in 14 years. He has a record of 29-8 this year.Jake Brown (132): He finished as district runner-up for the second straight season after taking third two years ago. At regionals last year, he placed sixth.Josh Brown (138): A four-time regional qualifier, he took third at district last week after placing fourth last year.Corey Harrison (285): A senior, he&#8217;s now a two-time regional qualifier after taking fourth at districts last weekend. Last year, he placed third at districts.CRESTWOODTrey Zabroski (113): He earned his way into the tournament by finishing as district runner-up. A freshman, he has a mark of 24-12.Justin Sterling (120): Sterling is a freshman with a record of 24-13 and advanced to regionals by taking fourth at the District 2 Tournament.Jordan Miale (126): The sophomore placed fourth at districts last weekend and has only wrestled in 14 bouts this season with a 7-7 record. As a freshman last year, he was district runner-up.Ron Grevera (160): A two-time runner-up at districts, Grevera the senior will be taking part in regionals for the second time. He is 31-5 this season with 93 career wins.Shane O&#8217;Rourke (220): Taking third at districts, he qualified for regionals for the first time. His previous best finish at the D2 tournament was sixth as a sophomore. He missed the postseason last year with an injury.DALLASThad Mead (138): The freshman pulled off the biggest upset in the district tournament last week when he beat defending district champ and top seed Gavin D&#8217;Amato from Tunkhannock in the quarters. He then went on to place second.Kade Kravits (145): A senior, he will be partaking in his second regional tournament, but first since his sophomore season. He took third at districts last week. As a sophomore he was district runner-up.John Betzko (152): With a record of 24-11 this season the junior is the No. 4 seed from the district as he qualifies for regionals for the first time. His finish at districts was one spot better than last year.Steven Newell (170): Now a two-time district champion, the junior has amassed a 36-1 record this season and already has 109 career wins. He placed sixth in the region last year. Of his 36 wins this year, 21 are by fall.Len Kelley (182): After not participating in the postseason a year ago, the sophomore placed fourth this year to reach regionals for the first time. He enters with 17 wins this season.Taylor Bolesta (220): Placing fourth at districts, the sophomore has 13 wins this season and will be making his first regional appearance.Shawn Henninger (285): The junior improved on his third-place medal at districts a year ago by winning his first gold. He owns a mark of 29-6 this season.HAZLETON AREACharles Everdale (132): The sophomore placed third at districts after finishing as runner-up last year. In just two seasons, he&#8217;s closing in on 70 career wins.Jayson Brielmeier (152): A junior with a 30-13 record, he was third at districts last week to reach this stage for the first time. As a freshman he was fifth at districts and placed sixth last year.Jake Marnell (170): He is qualifying for districts for the first time by taking fourth at the district event. Last year he placed sixth at districts. A sophomore, he has 50 career wins.Shane Noonan (195): Now a two-time D2 champion, the junior is at regionals for the second year in a row. With a 37-5 mark this season, he has 103 career wins and is looking to improve on his fifth-place finish here last year.PITTSTON AREARyan Lombardo (126): Lombardo is a senior and qualified for regionals for the second time by taking third at districts. Last year, he placed fourth at districts to qualify for the event but did not participate.TUNKHANNOCKDavid Evans (106): The sophomore won his first district title after placing third at districts a year ago. He enters as the top seed in his bracket and has a bye until the quarterfinals.David Gavek (120): A two-time regional qualifier, the senior took third at districts finishing one place better than last year.Tommy Traver (132): The junior picked up his first district title last weekend after consecutive runner-up finishes. A returning state qualifier, he is the top seed in a brutal bracket and has a bye until the quarterfinals.Connor Munley (182): Now a two-time regional qualifier, the senior placed third at the district tournament improving on last year&#8217;s fourth-place showing. He has a career-high 34 wins this season.Sam Rice (220): He&#8217;s a three-time regional qualifier, the senior is also a three-time district runner-up. He has a 34-5 record this season and 120 career wins. He is three wins shy of tying Bill Manley for the school record.WYOMING VALLEY WESTCadden Kucek (106): Kucek is a sophomore with a 25-8 record this season. He enters regionals as the No. 3 seed from D2.JJ White (113): He claimed his second straight D2 title in as many years to start his high school career. The sophomore has more than 60 wins in his first two seasons.David Krokowski (126): A three-time district champion, Krokowski is closing in on 100 career wins. He&#8217;s the second seed in a tough bracket and will have a bye in the first round. He placed sixth at regionals in 2016.Landon Stanislow (145): The senior has taken fourth at districts two straight seasons to qualify for regionals the past two years.Jaylon Brunson (160): He took third at districts to reach regionals for the first time as a junior. He has picked up 22 wins this year.CLASS 2ABERWICKNick Yule (113): Now a two-time district champion, Yule enters with 51 career wins as a sophomore. At last year&#8217;s regional he took sixth.HANOVER AREAJoe Rowley (113): The sophomore is a two-time district runner-up. He has 50 career wins in two years.DJ Erickson (145): Coming off his first district title, the junior is looking for a return trip to states. He placed fourth at regionals last year and has 79 career wins.JJ Hooper (182): A three-time regional qualifier, Hooper is a two-time district runner-up after a third-place finish as a sophomore in 2016. He placed sixth at regionals a year ago.LAKE-LEHMANZack Stuart (120): The freshman took second at districts and enters with a mark of 25-11.Bob Long (126): He took second at districts for the first time after previous finishes of first (2016) and third in 2017. The returning state qualifier was fourth at regionals last year and enters with 77 career wins.Garrett Kolb (132): The senior is returning to regionals for the first time since his freshman year. Both years he was district runner-up. He enters with 22 wins this season and 76 in his career.Hunter Burke (138): A ninth-grader, he took second at districts and enters with a 27-11 record.Jake Trumbower (145): With a 28-13 record this season, the freshman placed third at districts to advance to this stage.Nick Zaboski (152): Another one of Lake-Lehman&#8217;s talented freshman class, he took third at districts and has a 23-12 record.TJ Meehan (195): He&#8217;s making his first appearance at regionals after taking third at districts. A junior, he took fourth at districts last year.Kaleb Konigus (285): A senior, he&#8217;s making his second trip to Williamsport, but first since his sophomore year. He claimed his first district title last weekend and has a 30-6 record.MEYERSJason Carver (106): The sophomore has 14 wins this season and advanced to regionals for the first time after taking second at districts.WYOMING AREACorey Mruk (160): He claimed his second straight district title and has 24 wins this season. The sophomore took sixth at regionals last year and has 43 wins in two seasons.Justin Joseph (182): A senior, he is now a three-time regional qualifier after picking up his first district title last weekend. His previously had a second and third place showing at districts. With 26 wins this season, he has 77 in his career.Jaryn Polit-Moran (195): The junior improved on his sixth-place showing at districts last year to reach regionals for the first time with a third-place medal. He has 23 wins this season.Damon Barhight (285): He qualified for regionals for the second time after the senior placed third at districts. Last year, he was second in the district.<style>
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<div class="neCaption">Lake-Lehman&#8217;s Bob Long, top, has one district title, and was fourth at regionals last year. He enters the tournament with 77 career wins.<style type=&quot;text/css&quot;></style> </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_TTL020118D2-2AWrestlingDuals_1_CMYK.jpg</photo0><caption0>Lake-Lehman&#8217;s Bob Long, top, has one district title, and was fourth at regionals last year. He enters the tournament with 77 career wins.<style type=&quot;text/css&quot;></style> </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis file photo | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_wvcw4_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Tommy Traver, a Tunkhannock junior, picked up his first district title last weekend after consecutive runner-up finishes. A returning state qualifier, he is the top seed in the 132-pound weight class at regionals. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_wvcw4_faa.jpg</photo1><caption1>Tommy Traver, a Tunkhannock junior, picked up his first district title last weekend after consecutive runner-up finishes. A returning state qualifier, he is the top seed in the 132-pound weight class at regionals. </caption1><photoCredit1>Bill Tarutis file photo | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta></subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Dave RosengrantFor Times Leader</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta>Up NextNortheast Regional TournamentsFriday and SaturdayClass 3AMemorial Gymnasium, Liberty H.S., BethlehemFriday&#8217;s SchedulePreliminaries, 4:30 p.m.Quarterfinals, 6:30 p.m.First Consolation Round, 8:30 p.m.Saturday&#8217;s ScheduleSession 1Second consolation round, 9:30 a.m.Semifinals/third consolation round, 11 a.m.Fourth consolation round, 1:30 p.m.Session 2Parade of champions, 4:50 p.m.Finals/third/fifth place matches, 5 p.m.Class 2Aat Williamsport H.S.Friday&#8217;s ScheduleQuarterfinals, 6 p.m.Saturday&#8217;s ScheduleSession 1Semifinals/consolation quarterfinals, 9:30 a.m.Followed by the consolation semifinalsSession 2Parade of Champions, 4 p.m. followed by first and third place matchesAt Stake: The top four medalists from each tournament advance to the PIAA Championships at Giant Center in Hershey March 8, 9, 10.</factboxMeta></div>

Regional wrestling: WVC has 47 entrants hunting for a spot in states this weekend