Norwin’s Sidun wins Powerade title, keeps WPIAL’s streak of champions alive

By: Paul Schofield
Saturday, December 30, 2023 | 7:27 PM

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Persistence and hard work in the wrestling room were big reasons why Norwin freshman Landon Sidun won the 114-pound weight class Saturday at the Powerade Wrestling Tournament.

Sidun (25-1) was carrying the torch for the WPIAL and extended the district’s streak of having at least one champion to 57 consecutive years. He defeated Notre Dame Green Pond senior Ayden Smith, the No. 2 seed, 6-1 in the final.

Sidun kept constant pressure on Smith and finally secured a takedown and a three-point nearfall with 30 seconds left.

The victory completed an impressive run through the tournament. Sidun defeated No. 4 seed Ethan Timar of St. Edwards, 3-1, in the quarterfinals and No. 1 seed David Motyka of Wyoming Seminary, 3-1, in the semifinals.

Sidun was named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler by the coaches.

“It was a really hard-fought match,” Sidun said. “I really had to stay engaged the entire match. But at the end of the day, all the practices and hard work paid off in the match.

“My game plan is to wear on dudes. Make them tired so they start making mistakes and slow them down. If I didn’t wear on them, I wouldn’t have gotten that takedown.”

Sidun said he was working on a front headlock and was able to power over Smith.

“To win this is awesome,” Sidun said. “I come here every year to watch the guys. I remember watching Spencer (Lee) and Luke (Pletcher). Me finally in this is awesome, was exciting and to see how far I’ve come.”

Sidun was also proud that he was able to keep the WPIAL’s streak alive.

“I love the WPIAL wrestling,” Sidun said. “It’s awesome to be part of it now, and it’s awesome to carry on the tradition.”

Norwin coach Kyle Martin said Sidun’s work ethic is why he was able to win the title.

“We wrestled him up at Beast of the East to face bigger kids,” Martin said. “It worked out well against the great wrestlers at 114.

“Landon wrestled smart in the finals. He had some good hand fighting, and he stayed aggressive. It’s a product of what he does in the room. What Landon does to separate him from other wrestlers is he’s able to make adjustments during a match.”

The WPIAL had only nine placewinners. Two of the top wrestlers in the WPIAL — Frazier senior Rune Lawrence and West Allegheny senior Shawn Taylor — missed the tournament. Lawrence has a lower-body injury he suffered in the semifinals of the Ironman Tournament, and Taylor was sick.

Thomas Jefferson junior Maddox Shaw finished third at 139 pounds with a 3-0 win against Lake Highlands Prep’s Colin Kacena.

Norwin senior Nathan Campbell, who went 3-0 during the first day to reach the semifinals, dropped a controversial 4-2 decision to Bishop McDevitt’s Lucas Lawler for fifth place at 189. The controversy was a clock malfunction.

Franklin Regional senior Juliano Marion couldn’t escape the grasp of Grunby’s Wyatt Bush and lost 2-1 in overtime in the fifth-place match at 215.

Pine-Richland junior Vaughn Spencer won his seventh-place match by defeating Lake Highlands Prep’s Omer Barak, 5-3, in overtime at 172.

Canon-McMillan senior Andrew Binni placed fourth at 127 pounds, losing 6-1 to Slam Academy’s Manuel Saldate.

Franklin Regional senior Ty Kapusta ended up fifth at 121 after receiving a forfeit from Malvern Prep’s Lukas Littlejohn.

Connellsville’s Evan Petrovich placed sixth at 145, losing 3-2 to Sam Herring of Bishop McCort.

Bethel Park senior Mason Kernan reached the 100-win milestone with a 7-5 victory against Mt. St. Joseph’s Carter Nogle in the seventh-place match at 139.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.