WRESTLING NOTEBOOK: Owen J. Roberts trio makes medal sweep at states

Owen J. Roberts’ Gordon Bolig helped the Wildcats go 3-for-3 in state medalists when he finished eighth at the PIAA Championships over the weekend. Bolig joined teammates Derek Gulotta and Cloby Frank on the medal stand. (Photo by Nate Heckenberger)

By Don Seeley
sports@pottsmerc.com

Owen J. Roberts had a season of seconds and thirds – good seconds and thirds, that is – as in a second straight District 1-Class AAA Team Duals title and a third straight Pioneer Athletic Conference championship.
And if that wasn’t enough, the program came up with yet another first – three state medalists. And that was also another first for the PAC-10 being that no team had ever taken three or more qualifiers to the PIAA Championships and had each and every one of them return home with a medal.
It was indeed an up-and-down three days, or more like a follow-the-leader type three days, for Derek Gulotta (113 pounds), Colby Frank (126) and Gordon Bolig (182). All three won their openers, then dropped their quarterfinals, came back with wins in the second round of consolations, fell in the third round of consolations, and closed with losses in their seventh-place finals.

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AAA REGIONAL WRESTLING: Frank, Giangiulio, Wood, Green grab golds as PAC-10 advances 9

Boyertown's Jordan Wood points to his supporters in celebration after topping Coatesville's Mike Boykin 4-3 in the 220-pound championship final Saturday at the AAA Southeast Regional at Pottstown High School.
(Photo by Nate Heckenberger)

VIDEO:  PAC-10 competitors in the finals and consolation finals at the Southeast Regional

By Don Seeley
sports@pottsmerc.com

POTTSTOWN — Colby Frank, Nick Giangiulio, Jordan Wood and Tracey Green sure measured up to their own expectations … and, not surprising, beyond what a whole lot of others had of them.
That, and that alone, helped make Saturday night’s final rounds of the Class AAA Southeast Regional one of the most dynamic, most competitive and, of course, most thrilling since the inaugural event back in 1951.
Frank, a junior from Owen J. Roberts, wasn’t often mentioned among the leaders of the pack at 126 pounds this year. Giangiulio, a junior from Perkiomen Valley, saw his stock nearly bottom out after finishing third at 152 pounds at districts last week. Wood, the 220-pound freshman phenom from Boyertown everyone had heard of and heralded all year, was well aware of how the critics suddenly split ranks on him this weekend. And Green, a junior from Methacton who gives up nearly 50 pounds and close to a foot if not more to his 285-pound rivals, certainly got an earful of not being able to match up the big boys because of his stature.
Funny thing is, when all was said and done, all were golden … regional champions.

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WRESTLING: Bolig, Frank help OJR return to summit at District 1-AAA West Tournament

Owen J. Roberts’ Derek Gulotta pins Spring-Ford’s Ryan Hayes in the second period of the 113-pound final at the District 1-AAA West Tournament Saturday at Spring-Ford. (Photo by Tom Kelly III)

By Don Seeley
sports@pottsmerc.com

ROYERSFORD — Gordon Bolig said neither he nor any of his Owen J. Roberts teammates were thinking about the team title during last week’s inaugural Pioneer Athletic Conference Championships. At least not until the public address announcer uttered the team standings going into the final round … standings that revealed Boyertown, not Owen J. Roberts, had already clinched the team title.
“I don’t think any of us were aware (of the points standings) until that last round,” Bolig recalled. “So we knew coming into this week, with all of the individuals we had, we wanted to do our thing … get as many as we could to regionals and also win the team race.”
Well, the Wildcats sure did do their thing throughout Saturday’s District 1-Class AAA West Tournament at Spring-Ford High School, going a perfect 5-for-5 in the finals and adding in four other medalists to capture the team title.

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ATHLETES OF THE WEEK: Owen J. Roberts’ Colby Frank and Spring-Ford’s Sarah Payonk

Colby Frank

Sarah Payonk

BOYS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Colby Frank
Owen J. Roberts
Wrestling

What he has done
Frank outdid everyone in the 126-pound weight class during the Pioneer Athletic Conference’s inaugural championship tournament. The Wildcat junior (21-4) opened with a pin of Pottsgrove’s Tyler Van Horn, blanked Spring-Ford’s Sean Hennessey (3-0), then beat Boyertown’s Eddie Kriczky (5-2) for the gold medal and the tourney’s Outstanding Wrestler Award.

What he says
“I take every match and wrestle everyone like it’s my last match. You can’t go out there and over-think. It’s the postseason now, and I know what my goals are. I know what I want to get done.”

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