Dist. 3-AAA wrestling: 5 fight into semifinals

HERSHEY - A quartet of veterans and a newcomer pushed through the first day of competition unscathed at the District 3 Class AAA Wrestling Championships on Friday.

Those five will be in the hunt for a district title Saturday when the competition resumes at Hersheypark Arena on Saturday morning at 10:15 with the semifinal round.

Two other Franklin County wrestlers are still alive in the consolation rounds. All are trying to place at least in the top four to secure a berth in the state tournament.

Three of the semifinalists - Chandler Olson of Shippensburg (126 pounds), and Chambersburg's Garrett Kyner (138) and Drew Peck (182) - were in the finals a year ago, so their names being in the running are no surprise.

Neither is Ship's Cameron Tinner at 220, who has yet to taste defeat this year ... and certainly wasn't close Friday with a 15-0 technical fall and a pin in 17 seconds.

Freshman Spencer Runshaw of Chambersburg has achieved the goal he set for himself.

"When I came here, I said I wanted to make the semifinals," Runshaw said. "Then whatever happens, happens."

Runshaw won a tight one in his quarterfinal bout, a 3-2 verdict over Ryan Watts of Exeter Township, which came after a 10-2 major decision in the first round. A first-period takedown at the edge of the mat after a scramble put Runshaw ahead, and his escape with 1:25 left was the deciding point. He fended off a frantic Watts at the end.

"When he shot (at the end), I wanted to stay in that front headlock so he had nowhere to go," Runshaw. "I could see the clock going down."

Kyner also captured a one-point decision, prevailing 4-3 over Owen Powell of Daniel Boone. He snapped Powell's head down and spun behind for a key takedown with six seconds left in the second period.

"It's a favorite time to take a shot there at the end of a period," Kyner said. "Sometimes you can catch them when they're resting."

Powell gained a reversal in the final period, then Kyner escaped to make it 4-2 with 48 seconds left, and weathered a stalling point.

Kyner said, "I just wasn't feeling my best today; just didn't have much energy."

Peck, Tinner and Olson certainly had all kinds of energy and each posted two dominating wins.

Peck had a slow start against Abdul Saad of Cocalico in his opener, but scored 10 points on tilts in the second period on his way to a 16-1 tech fall. In the quarters, already leading 5-0 over Jarell Howard-Griffin, he put in a front headlock and rolled through to put Howard-Griffin on his back for a pin in 2:50.

Tinner racked up a 15-0 tech fall in his first match over Dalton Smith of New Oxford. It was even more fun in the quarters against Jon Greenleaf of Exeter Twp. Tinner grabbed a single and was close to a takedown when Greenleaf made the mistake of trying to flip. Tinner simply dropped into a cradle and stacked him for a pin at 0:17 - the fastest fall of the day.

"Last year I didn't have a good start here, so I wanted get it going early and keep it going," Tinner said. "When that second guy tried to roll through I just sat back and then got him in the cradle."

Olson rolled up a big lead before pinning Christian Schilling of Garden Spot in the prelims, then scored from every position in a 10-1 major over Jacob Meyer of Spring Grove.

Olson said, "I've been here a lot, so I'm comfortable. You get to learn what it takes to keep it going."

In the semifinals, Runshaw (28-7) will face Devin Schnupp of Warwick (39-1); Olson (33-1) meets Aaron Wildonger of Twin Valley (32-3); Kyner (32-5) takes on Micah Hoffman of Northern York (16-4); Peck (34-4) can gain his 100th career victory if he beats Evan Morrill of Lower Dauphin (24-7); and Tinner (31-0) meets up with Akira Bastiany of Mechanicsburg (31-4).

NOTES: Also in the consolations Saturday are Chambersburg's Seth Runshaw (106) and Aaron Rump (126) - both were 2-1 Friday ... Waynesboro had a downer of a day Friday - its six wrestlers combined to go 0-12.

District 3 Class AAA Wrestling

Friday's Results

PRELIMINARY ROUND

106: Seth Runshaw (Chambersburg) d Matthew Rodriguez (Dover), 12-5. 113: Spencer Runshaw (Chbg) md Cameron Miller (Kennard-Dale), 10-2; Samuel Zummo (Daniel Boone) md Laken Rouzer (Waynesboro), 9-1. 120: Austin DeSanto (Exeter Twp.) tf Elliott Swink (Way), 22-7, 2:16. 126: James Harkness (Exe) d Aaron Rump (Chbg), 1-0; Chandler Olson (Shippensburg) p Christian Schilling (Garden Spot), 3:42. 132: Andrew Wert (Central Dauphin) tf Cole Grove (Chbg), 17-2, 3:46. 138: Garrett Kyner (Chbg) md Orion Musti (Central York), 10-1.

145: Matthew Danner (East Pennsboro) d Cody Frey (Way), 10-8; Victor Kenderdine (Manheim Twp.) md Drake Brenize (Chbg), 9-0. 152: Skitch Light (CD) tf Colin Runshaw (Chbg), 15-0, 5:30. 160: Ryan Daugherty (Spring Grove) p Patrick Zimmerer (Way), 4:26. 182: Drew Peck (Chbg) tf Abdul Saad (Cocalico), 16-1, 4:26; Isaiah Dickson (C.York) d Aiden Smith (Way), 8-2. 195: Devin Evans (Susquehanna Twp.) d Cole Forrester (Ship), 3-1 SV. 220: Cameron Tinner (Ship) tf Dalton Smith (New Oxford), 15-0, 4:48. 285: Isaac Schannauer (Wilson) p Shawn Robinson (Way), 3:32.

QUARTERFINALS

106: Josiah Gehr (Cocalico) p Seth Runshaw (Chbg), 3:52. 113: Spencer Runshaw (Chbg) d Ryan Watts (Exe), 3-2. 126: Olson (Ship) md Jacob Meyer (SG), 10-1. 138: Kyner (Chbg) d Owen Powell (DB), 4-3. 182: Peck (Chbg) p Jarell Howard-Griffin (Cedar Crest), 2:50. 220: Tinner (Ship) p Jon Greenleaf (Exe), 0:17.

CONSOLATIONS

First Round

113: Brandon Miller (Penn Manor) d Rouzer (Way), 6-0. 120: Josh McLaughlin (Cedar Cliff) d Swink (Way), 9-2. 126: Rump (Chbg) d Jose Perez (MT), 6-0. 132: Grove (Chbg) d Brick Lieberman (Warwick), 3-1. 145: Brenize (Chbg) d Tyler Marburger (G.Spot), 3-0; Trevor Fishthorn (Coc) d Frey (Way), 5-0. 152: Barry Breidegan (C.Crest) d Colin Runshaw (Chbg), 8-2. 160: Philip Petrina (CD) md Zimmerer (Way), 12-1. 182: Palmer Rodenhaber (Red Land) d Smith (Way), 9-2. 195: Forrester (Ship) d Thomas Weidman (CoV), 3-1. 285: Josh Warren (Hershey) d Robinson (Way), 3-1.

Second Round

106: Seth Runshaw (Chbg) d C.J. Morton (Twin Valley), 5-2. 126: Rump (Chbg d Jacob Meyer (SG), 8-3. 132: Pavel Dariychuk (Conestoga Valley) d Grove (Chbg), 8-7. 145: Dylan Chatterton (C.York) d Brenize (Chbg), 3-0. 195: Dylan Harr (Gov. Mifflin) d Forrester (Ship), 5-4.