Powerade gets stronger with 55-team tournament
A great wrestling tournament just got better, if that鈥檚 possible.
A dozen new teams will participate in this year鈥檚 Powerade Wrestling Tournament at Canon-McMillan Dec. 29-30.
Bergen Catholic of New Jersey and Cleveland Saint Edwards top the list of the 12 New teams. Bergen Catholic was the top team in New Jersey in nine out of the last 10 years.
Cleveland Saint Edwards was ranked ninth in the nation this year.
They join Wyoming Seminary, which won the team championship last year with 12 medalists; third-place Waynesburg Central, the WPIAL champion and state team runner-up in Class AAA, and Malvern Prep, which finished second in the tournament last year.
鈥淚 just sent them an email asking if they wanted in and they said yes,鈥� said tournamennt director Frank Vulcano, who is the athletic director at Canon-McMillan. 鈥淲yoming Seminary is the cream of the crop with Malvern Prep. And Saint Ed鈥檚. And you can throw Waynesburg in there. They have everyone back.鈥�
Also on the list of newcomers are St. Vincent and St. Mary of Akron Ohio, the high school that LeBron James attended, Central Mountain out of District 6, and Point Pleasant of West Virginia, which won the state team title last season.
Fourth-place Canon-McMillan is among 23 WPIAL teams.
鈥淟eBron鈥檚 kid is going to wrestled,鈥� joked Vulcano.
He鈥檚 kidding.
鈥淏ergen Catholic and Saint Ed鈥檚 are the two best teams out of that new group. The rest of those teams each have at least one or two really good kids.鈥�
Four returning champions are expected to return: Waynesburg鈥檚 Mac Church at 106, Gary Steen of Reynolds at 113, Kyle Hauserman of Council Rock North at 120 and Cole Deery of Malvern Prep at heavyweight.
鈥淭here will be some great individuals here,鈥� Vulcano said.
Powerhouse Blair Academy of New Jersey, which has appeared in the tournament in past years, will not compete.
The 12 new teams bring the total number participating to 55, the most in tournament history.
鈥淲e went up because I keep turning teams away,鈥� Vulcano said. 鈥淚f we go to 13 weights, we should be able to manage it. We鈥檒l see.鈥�