web1_mcmanus.jpg

Their view: Despite the Age of Trump, candidates’ pitches sound … normal

web1_TTL030719Icker.jpg

Detective: Sugar Notch cop sought sex with woman

<p>HERSHEY &#8212; One of the top areas for wrestling in Luzerne County has always been the Back Mountain.</p><p>Lake-Lehman has long been a school where wrestling talent has taken off dating back to its team state championship in 1981, and continued with a whopping 58 state qualifiers and 33 state medalists, both second in District 2 history only behind Meyers.</p><p>Dallas has come a long way in the last eight years with six of its 19 state qualifiers coming in that span, and three of the program&#8217;s six state medals coming in the last five years.</p><p>The teams practice together frequently throughout the season. So for nearly half of the 11 Wyoming Valley Conference state qualifiers being from the Back Mountain, it&#8217;s not too much of a surprise for an area that has strong wrestling roots.</p><p>&#8220;We practice with them a lot during the season. They come up to our school, rolling around. It&#8217;s good to have those guys five minutes away and be in the practice room,&#8221; Dallas coach Mike Richards said. &#8220;Just wrestling the same guys everyday in the room it gets tedious everyday. To have the new blood in there wrestling around makes a big difference.&#8221;</p><p>When the PIAA Championships begin Thursday at Hershey&#8217;s Giant Center, Lake-Lehman&#8217;s Bob Long (132 pounds), Hunter Burke (145) and T.J. Meehan (220) will wrestle in Class 2A, while Dallas&#8217; Steven Newell (182) and Shawn Henniger (220) are in Class 3A representing the Back Mountain clientele.</p><p>The group from Lehman and Dallas is joined by Tunkhannock&#8217;s Dave Evans (120) and Gavin D&#8217;Amato (145), and Hanover Area&#8217;s Joey Rowley (120) and D.J. Erickson (152) in Class 2A, while Wyoming Valley West&#8217;s David Krokowski (126) and Hazleton Area&#8217;s Shane Noonan (220) are in 3A.</p><p>The elite 11 are trying to be the first state champ from the WVC since Scott Davis and Nate Eachus accomplished the feat in 2007. Not only are they trying to break a long championship drought, but they are looking to make up for a lackluster showing last year when no one from the WVC medalled.</p><p>This seems like the perfect year for the state title drought to be broken, and for multiple medalists because of all the accomplishments this group has achieved to date.</p><p>Last weekend some of the jaw-dropping records were made for the group.</p><p>Evans became the first regional champion in Tunkhannock school history last weekend. When his teammate D&#8217;Amato qualified for states, it marked the first time in Tigers lore that they will have two state qualifiers in the same season.</p><p>Erickson (121 wins) broke a long record for the Hawkeyes last month when he became the school&#8217;s all-time wins leader. Last weekend, he also broke the mark for wins in a season and is currently at 38. Among a number of other accomplishments, Erickson is also the first three-time state qualifier for the team since Fritz Bleich in 1976, that same year when he won a state title. When Rowley joined his teammate as state qualifier, it marked the first time since 2001 that the team has two state qualifiers in the same year.</p><p>Krokowski is the first four-time district champion from Wyoming Valley West since Brandon Romanowski in 2001. He&#8217;s also just four wins away from breaking the school record of 145.</p><p>Newell is already the Dallas career wins leader with 152, and last month he became the first three-time district champion in school history.</p><p>Noonan is one win away from reaching 150 for his career. He enters the tourney undefeated at 41-0. When he won regionals last weekend, he became the first regional champion for the Cougars since 2010; that&#8217;s something not even two-time state finalist Jimmy Hoffman accomplished for the school.</p><p>Erickson will wrestle for the third time at Giant Center, while Evans, Long, Krokowski, Newell and Noonan are all returning for their second appearance in the state tournament. Statistics have shown that multiple-time qualifiers have more success.</p><p>For Evans, Erickson, Long and Newell, they&#8217;re all back in the arena with a teammate this time around after representing their school along last year. It&#8217;s a welcome sight, and also something that helps comfortability, said Newell.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s fantastic. Last year, I was pretty much by myself,&#8221; Newell said of having a teammate and workout partner joining him in Hershey in Henniger. &#8220;It&#8217;s good senior year having a fellow senior and having him finish as strong as he did.&#8221;</p><p>The tournament runs through Saturday with the top eight in each weight class earning a medal and being lauded as all-state.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_PIAA-states-logo.jpg">
<div class="neCaption"></div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_PIAA-states-logo.jpg</photo0><caption0></caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Dave Rosengrant</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Times Leader sports at 570-829-7143 or on Twitter @TLsports</p></shirttailMeta></div>

PIAA Wrestling Championships Preview: Back Mountain brings strong presence to states