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.

(For complete story, click here ... )

WRESTLING: OJR’s Gulotta leads five locals into quarterfinals at PIAA Championships

Owen J. Roberts' Derek Gulotta celebrates after his first-period pin of Pleasant Valley's Kenny Yanovich at 113 in the first round of the PIAA Championships Thursday at the Giant Center in Hershey. (Photo by Nate Heckenberger)

By Don Seeley
sports@pottsmerc.com

HERSHEY — Derek Gulotta was about uncharacteristically relaxed prior to Thursday afternoon’s opening round of the PIAA-Class AAA Wrestling Championships.
Once he got onto the mat, he was anything but.
Owen J. Roberts’ 113-pound sophomore needed less than a half-minute to take down Pleasant Valley’s Kenny Yanovich and only 96 seconds overall to lock in a cradle and pin him to debut with an impressive win and underline a perfect three-for-three showing by the Wildcats’ state qualifiers.
Gulotta, along with teammates Colby Frank (126) and Gordon Bolig (182), advanced into today’s (1:30 p.m.) quarterfinals, where they’ll be joined by Boyertown’s Jordan Wood (220) and Methacton’s Tracey Green (285) ... all needing one more win to guarantee themselves a spot in the medal rounds.

(For complete story, click here ... )