MERCERSBURG: Storm sends 3 wrestlers to nationals
Wrestling
The Mercersburg Academy wrestling team had five place winners at the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association state tournament, and qualified three wrestlers for the National Prep Tournament on the way to a 12th-place team finish.
Steve Min at 126 pounds (6th place), Slater Laird at 195 (6th place) and Stefano Antoniazzi at 285 (5th place) all qualified for nationals to be held on this weekend at Lehigh University.
Antoniazzi pinned Dallas Taylor of Episcopal Academy in 1:35 during the consolation final for fifth place. He went 3-2 with two pins. Min went 1-3 to place sixth. Laird punched his ticket to Lehigh by placing sixth at 195 pounds, going 2-3, including one pin.
Brian Nelson placed seventh at 132, pinning Peirce Edredge of Westtown School at 1:10 of their consolation bout, finishing the tournament 3-2. Chris Kroese went 3-2 at 145 pounds to secure seventh place.
Mercersburg Academy
106 — Raphael Gotera 0-2. 113 — Joseph Yonke 0-2. 120 — Thomas Yonke 0-2. 126 — Steve Min 1-3 (6th). 132 — Brian Nelson 3-2, 1 pin (7th). 138 — Chris Fazekas 0-1. 145 — Chris Kroese 3-2 (7th). 152 — Nick Furigay 1-2. 160 — Gregory Oh 1-2, 1 pin. 170 — Gnim Bazim 0-2. 182 — Brendan Loveng 0-2. 195 — Slater Laird 2-3, 1 pin (6th). 220 — Nico Critides 0-2 . 285 — Stefano Antoniazzi 3-2, 2 pins (5th).
Track & field
The Mercersburg Academy indoor track & field teams had 12 top-six finishes from six runners in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League championships on Saturday.
The boys finished fifth with 22.50 points, and the girls claimed fourth with 25 team points.
The top finisher for the girls was Finley Stewart, who took gold in the 55 dash in a time of 7.56. She also took third in the 400, finishing in 1:04.17 for her personal best indoor time.
“The 55 dash was an exciting race because it was close the whole way," Mercersburg coach David Grady said. "Finley was determined, though, and powered her way right through the finish to separate herself from a couple of close competitors.”
Ryan Geitner placed third in the 1600 for the girls.
For the boys, Jude Ikekhua placed fourth in the 55 dash in 6.80, and third in the 400 (53.68). Will Oakley finished sixth in the 55 hurdles (8.95) and fifth in the high jump (5-03). Cole Kissam clinched a point with a sixth-place finish in the 1600, completing the race in 4:53.81, his personal best time.
BOYS
1.Lawrenceville (L) 183, 2.Hill (H) 72.50, 3.Peddie (P) 69, 4.Blair (B) 55, 5.Mercersburg (M) 22.50.
55 dash — 4.Jude Ikekhua (M) 6.80, 5.Nick Nelson (M) 6.84. 55 hurdles — 6.Will Oakley (M) 8.95, 7.Alex Nanos (M) 9.10. 1600 — 4.Cole Kissam (M) 4:53.81, 9.Chris Doyle (M) 5:02.71. 400 — 3.Ikekhua (M) 53.68. 800 — 8.Ray Xiao (M) 2:21.53, 11.Jacob Somer (M) 2:27.81. 4x400relay — 5.Mercersburg (Alex DeGrange, Ikekhua, Nanos, Oakley) 3:53.26. High jump — 5.Oakley (M) 5-03.00. Pole vault — 5.Nanos (M) 9-00.00. Long jump — 6.Jake Artz (M) 17-11.00. Triple jump — 6.Suky Kuye (M) 36-11.00.
GIRLS
1.Lawrenceville 213, 2.Peddie 84, 3.Hill 53, 4.Mercersburg 25, 5.Blair 20.
55 dash — 1.Finley Stewart (M) 7.56. 400 — 3.Stewart (M) 1:04.17. 800 — 7.Campbell Drennan (M) 2:43.56.1600 — 3.Ryan Geitner (M) 5:51.19. 3200 — 6.Emma Claire Geitner (M) 13:53.63. 4x400relay — 5.Mercersburg (Drennan, Haley Kennedy, Anna Paula Rios, Laila Tihani) 5:02.71.