State champions Landon Sidun of Norwin, Elijah Brown of Belle Vernon go for WCCA gold

By: Paul Schofield
Thursday, January 8, 2026 | 10:05 PM

Wrestling fans should be excited to know that PIAA champions — Norwin junior Landon Sidun and Belle Vernon senior Elijah Brown — are entered in the 73rd Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association tournament this weekend at Greensburg Salem High School.

Action begins 4 p.m. Friday with boys matches. The tournament resumes at 9 a.m. Saturday with the girls tournament beginning and the resumption of boys action.

The semifinals are scheduled for noon and the finals around 4 p.m.

The 189-pound and 215-pound weight classes feature the top wrestlers in the state.

Kiski Area sophomore Mario Hutcherson is ranked second in the state at 189 by FloWrestling, and Latrobe junior Hunter Snyder is ranked No. 4. Hutcherson is a returning 172 champion, and Snyder won a title in 2024.

At 215, the 2025 state finalists could meet for the first time this season: Brown is ranked No. 3, and Kiski Area senior Cooper Roscosky is ranked No. 1 in the state. Brown won all five meetings in 2024-25.

Burrell senior Cam Baker (133) and Derry’s Mason Horwat (172) look to become three-time champions.

Other returning champions are Penn-Trafford senior Dylan Barrett (114), Burrell senior Julian Bertucci (139), Franklin Regional sophomore Max Firestine (145) and Derry senior Ewan Olson (160).

Injuries will keep Franklin Regional sophomore Beau Fennick (107) and Derry junior Brady Brown (189) from defending their titles.

Latrobe’s Gabriella Roman (100), Greensburg Salem’s Sadie Sarver (118) and Burrell’s Carmen Bires (124) are returning girls champions.

Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association

Wrestling seeding, Greensburg Salem High School

Time: 4 p.m. Friday

(top 5 seeds)

107: 1. Luca Butera, Norwin; 2. Gracin Gugliemo, Belle Vernon; 3. Mason Keesecker, Derry; 4. Sal Colangelo, Franklin Regional; 5. Jax Brentzel, Penn-Trafford.

114: 1. Paxton Newell, Kiski Area; 2. Patrick Buler, Derry; 3. Brayden Broadwater, Belle Vernon; 4. Connor Visnick, Franklin Regional; 5. Marco Angelicchio, Latrobe.

121: 1. Landon Sidun, Norwin; 2. Nico Kapusta, Hempfield; 3. Dylan Barrett, Penn-Trafford; 4. Titus Colangelo, Franklin Regional; 5. Kai Maxwell, Latrobe.

127: 1. Cam Baker, Burrell; 2. Nathan Caracciolo, Hempfield; 3. Luke DeSantis, Penn-Trafford; 4. Colton Klipa, Norwin; 5. Dylan Bateman, Derry.

133: 1. Gavin Murphy, Kiski Area; 2. Carter Thomas, Burrell; 3. Cohan Buccicone, Franklin Regional; 4. Cam Olson, Derry; 5. Ty King, Hempfield.

139: 1. Chase Smith, Franklin Regional; 2. Jacob Stewart, Burrell; 3. Jackson Pollick, Kiski Area; 4: Will McNeal, Derry; 5. Brooks Blasko, Norwin.

145: 1. Max Firestine, Franklin Regional; 2. Nathan Klingensmith, Norwin; 3. Caydn Crawford, Burrell; 4. Jake Halsted, Hempfield; 5. Carter Bizup, Ligonier Valley.

152: 1. Julian Bertrucci, Burrell; 2. Michael Ruane, Franklin Regional; 3. Tristan Wtorkiewicz, Mt. Pleasant; 4. Noah Curran, Norwin; 5. Dom Angelicchio, Latrobe.

160: 1. Jack White, Norwin; 2. Logan Matrisch, Penn-Trafford; 3. Antonio Perkins Burrell; 4. Jordan Perks, Franklin Regional; 5. Colby Hibner, Belle Vernon.

172: 1. Mason Horwat, Derry; 2. Ethan Cartwright, Franklin Regional; 3. Sidney Hand, Penn-Trafford; 4. Ben Catullo, Burrell; 5. Travis Shaffer, Kiski Area.

189: 1. Mario Hutcherson, Kiski Area; 2. Hunter Snyder, Latrobe; 3. Evan McManis, Franklin Regional; 4. Tanner Shaffer, Norwin; 5. William Tompko, Ligonier Valley.

215: 1. Elijah Brown, Belle Vernon; 2. Cooper Roscosky, Kiski Area; 3. Ayden Kun, Burrell; 4. Jake Mundorff, Ligonier Valley; 5. Payton Bann, Southmoreland.

285: 1. Kaden Shannon, Southmoreland; 2. John Montgomery, Franklin Regional; 3. Jonah Fiele, Norwin; 4. Sebastian Summerville, Norwin; 5. Justi Papuga, Derry.

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.