Quaker Valley’s Bruce Anderchak becomes program’s 7th wrestler to reach 100 wins
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Sunday, January 19, 2025 | 11:01 AM
Quaker Valley junior Bruce Anderchak has dominated in high school wrestling for the past two-and-a-half years.
Case in point: Anderchak joined an exclusive club Jan. 15 at home against Carlynton when he secured his 100th career win as a QV grappler.
“Bruce has wrestled for more than two-thirds of his life,” QV coach Austin Heinl said. “This milestone has been expected. This might be the fastest anyone in QV history has achieved this milestone.”
It took the 114-pound Anderchak just 15 seconds to pin his opponent and go to 29-2 with 15 falls this season and 100-23 with 40 falls for his career.
“Getting 100 wins in just my junior season is an accomplishment I’ve been looking forward to all year,” Anderchak said. “I’m thankful that I’ve been healthy enough all through my high school career to wrestle every match and tournament to allow me to get to 100 this early.
“It is a cool accomplishment but I’m looking forward to bigger and better things the rest of my wrestling career.”
Anderchak is the seventh grappler in the nine-year history of the QV wrestling program to reach the century mark in career wins, joining Jack Kazalas (2024), at 151-28; Patrick Cutchember (2022), 141-31; John Rocco Kazalas (2019), 134-33; Connor Redinger (2021), 112-20; Logan Richey (2023), 112-50; and Justin Richey (2022), 107-41.
“It’s great company because everyone in the program with 100-plus wins has had great success in their career,” Anderchak said. “It’s fun being able to be added to the banner in the (wrestling) room.”
Anderchak set up his mat milestone by going 4-0 and taking first place at 114 pounds at the Burgettstown Invitational held Jan. 10-11 at Burgettstown.
“It was a well-run tournament that had a lot of great competition,” Heinl said. “I’m happy with how our team and individuals performed while missing three starters.”
Anderchak secured a 13-2 major decision over Grove City’s Ian Stearns in the championship round to land the Quakers’ only individual title at the tournament.
“I felt very good about my performance, executing my game plan and offense very well,” Anderchak said.
The QV wrestler was impressive throughout the tournament as he also pinned Upper St. Clair’s Alisher Abdurakhmanov in 37 seconds and Beth-Center’s Alex Medlen in two minutes, then rolled past North Hills’ Brady Rohaly in the semifinals via an 18-1 technical fall at the 4:56 mark.
Anderchak was a section champion and WPIAL runner-up last year when he compiled a 40-8 record. That followed a 31-13 mark as a freshman.
“Bruce is quick and slick on his feet. He scores a lot of takedowns using his fast feet and length,” Heinl said. “He’s also very tough in the top position. Heading into this year he’s turned into a more well-rounded wrestler being tough in all three positions.”
Two QV wrestlers placed second at Burgettstown — junior Matt Danna, who dropped a weight class to 139 for this tournament, and freshman standout Brennan Breisinger at 215.
Marcus Richey, a 172-pound senior, also snagged sixth place and a spot on the podium.
“The team did well at Burgettstown,” Richey said. “We were banged up; four starters were out due to injury or sickness and we still finished as one of the top teams.
“There was some tough competition. I faced some tough 172s that I needed to wrestle. I need to keep improving each day and get ready for the team playoffs and individual tournament. Those matches that I lost (at Burgettstown) will help me in the long run. You can learn from them.”
The Quakers finished seventh in the final team scoring.
The tournament’s top 10 consisted of Grove City (208.5), Armstrong (183), North Hills (158.5), Laurel (137), Sharpsville (134), Burgettstown (133.5), Quaker Valley (127), Pine-Richland (123.5), Mt. Lebanon (112.5) and Meadville (108.5).
Other QV competitors at Burgettstown consisted of sophomore Harper Sipes (133), junior Eoin Parnell (121), senior Sebastian Juarez-Safran (285), junior Kris Brown (285), sophomore Sawyer Stelzig and freshmen Damien McClay (121), Shawn Thibodeau (127), Brendan Fitzgerald (127), Emmitt Figley (133), Jack Bednarski (139), Tyler Cunnard (189) and Tommy Minnock (145).
“Shawn Thibodeau got his first varsity win,” Heinl said.
QV also belted Avonworth, 51-24, in a section meet Jan. 8 on the strength of nine winning performances.
Natalie Minnock, a 107-pound freshman and Tommy’s twin sister, Anderchak, Parnell, Sipes, Bednarski, Danna, senior Jack Diemert (152), Richey and Breisinger all secured victories in their respective weight classes.
“This is Natalie’s first year wrestling along with two other girls in her class,” Heinl said. “She also won a match in the girls division at the MAC championships.”
Diemert, one of the team leaders on the QV football team, is next-in-line to join the century club in wrestling. He improved to 21-6 and 96-51 with a decisive win against Carlynton.
The Quakers boosted their section record 2-0 and went to 9-4 overall with a 54-18 win against Carlynton.
“Our team is starting to get healthy at just the right time,” Richey said. “I hope that everyone keeps improving and working hard so we can get to Hershey as a team. That would mean a lot to me as a senior.”
In the victory against Carlynton, Danna (139), the team leader in wins, improved to 30-2 while Richey (172) boosted his record to 27-8.
Breisinger won a tense 1-0 decision in the 215-pound weight class to improve to 22-7.
Tags: Quaker Valley
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