Thomas Jefferson wrestling looks to maintain success under new leadership

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, December 7, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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The Thomas Jefferson wrestling program has caught its collective breath following the successful decade-long run of Michael Ladick as head coach.

Ladick retired following last year’s banner season. He coached for 19 years, including the past 10 with the Jaguars, and he recorded 122 career wins.

Marc Allemang is in charge of the TJ wrestlers in 2025-26, his first season as the team’s head coach.

“I saw an opportunity to contribute to a program where I am a community member,” Allemang said. “I am a resident of Jefferson Hills and live less than five minutes from the high school. I have been coaching at the youth level in TJ for about five or six years with my son and his teammates, so I know a lot of the kids and families.

“All of the junior high wrestlers were kids that I coached when they were in youth and a few of the ninth and 10th graders were the fifth and sixth graders when I started with the youth program. Two of my college teammates from Duquesne University live in the community and have children in the program and my own son is a sixth grader.”

The former Mt. Lebanon coach has one specific goal for the Jaguars this season.

“We want to make the postseason team playoffs,” Allemang said. “We have eight returning starters. The expectation is really just to practice every day with a good attitude and appreciation for being able to get better. We have a great group of kids across the program from the youth on up to high school.

“I am really fortunate to have some great coaches who have all wrestled at a high level working with our kids on how to be mentally prepared to compete. We expect the kids to focus on what is in their control and be good teammates, good students and good ambassadors of our program. At the end of the day, if everyone on the team is pulling in the same direction and focusing on improvement and giving their all in everything we ask them to do, the rest will fall into place.”

TJ reached the WPIAL Class 3A team tournament semifinals for the first time last season and dropped close matches to Franklin Regional and Norwin to place fourth.

The Jaguars edged Connellsville for the team title at the PIAA West Regional and finished second to Bethlehem Catholic in the PIAA individual tournament.

“There has obviously been a lot of team and individual success at Thomas Jefferson under coach Ladick,” Allemang said, “and I have nothing but respect for the program that he led over the past decade. I just want to continue the success of the program and surround myself with good people who share the same vision.

“There is a lot of interest in wrestling in the community from the youth on up through high school, and I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to help continue to build on that success.”

The Jaguars lost four key seniors to graduation from last year’s team in Maddox Shaw, Bode Marlow, Shepard Turk and Brayden White.

Shaw was lauded as the Trib HSSN Wrestler of the Year after posting a 38-1 record at 152 pounds last season. He is the all-time leader in career wins at TJ with a 166-14 record.

The Ohio State recruit won a second PIAA Class 3A title and third WPIAL crown in 2024-25 along with a third Allegheny County tournament championship.

Shaw was the only athlete selected to represent the WPIAL on the Pennsylvania squad in the Pittsburgh Wresting Classic.

The 172-pound Marlow racked up a 50-4 record in 2024-25 and finished 162-31 in his career. He placed second in the PIAA after taking third place as a junior.

Marlow, who committed to wrestle at Pitt, was a two-time WPIAL 3A champion and four-time county titlist.

Turk, at 285, was a two-time WPIAL champion who placed third in the PIAA 3A tournament a year ago. He compiled a 47-7 record and was 115-38 career-wise. He is continuing his football career at Pitt.

White chipped in with a 36-10 record in TJ’s historic 2024-25 season — his only season wrestling for the Jaguars. He was the WPIAL runner-up and placed third in the region competing at 160 pounds.

The Highlands transfer also competed as a WR/DB in football and committed to South Dakota following the 2024 season.

Allemang welcomed 33 athletes to the wrestling program this year. He is counting on a long list of competitors to help the Jaguars with their playoff objective.

TJ’s top wrestlers include Chris Lippi, Zach Rehak, Robert Cordova, Dominic Cadwallader, Dominic Costa, Kaden Fitz, Connor Ganley, Ethan Koett, Jacob Labryer, Zach Labryer, Nazar Yerubayev, Cameron Timko, Shane Thurner, Garrett Pollock, Cooper Bentz and Colby Engel.

Rehak, a junior, was 38-12 at 107 pounds last year. Cordova, a sophomore, ended up 21-11 at 114. Zach and Jacob Labryer combined for 55 wins. Zach Labryer, a senior, rolled to a 35-12 mark at 189 pounds. Jacob Labryer, a sophomore, won 20 times at 127.

Costa and Koett, both 121-pound sophomores won 15 and 12 decisions, respectively, last season. Timko also won 12 times at 133 pounds.

Others looking to make their presence felt include Sonal Bhandari, Mason Carlins, Santino Ciccanti, Emmett Forte, Ryan Handshue, Liam Harroun, Evan Holzer, Praj Khatiwada, Zaiden Hipkiss, Bryce Little, Aayden Murray, Pankaj Pokhrel, Miguel Renda, Yeldos Toleubek, Yelnur Toleubek, Jayden Trainer and Donny Vogtsberger.

Allemang, a 2001 Bethel Park graduate who wrestled for the Black Hawks and at Duquesne, teaches social studies at Mt. Lebanon.

“My (coaching) philosophy is remembering that the window of time to be an athlete and represent your school, community and family is a really short period,” Allemang said. “A big part of my role is building good people who have a solid work ethic and take pride in what they do. We talk about responsibility, accountability and a focus on success and those are three things that I want every kid who comes through the program to carry with them into their adult lives.

“We work the kids hard and expect them to take responsibility for their actions, be accountable to themselves, their teammates and coaches, and come in every day thinking about continuous improvement which will put them in the best position to be successful.”

Allemang believes wrestling can teach life lessons for high school athletes.

“Wrestling is the sport I love,” he said, “and I feel really fortunate to be able to use wrestling to build good people through the life lessons that it teaches.

“Regardless of individual accolades, everyone who leaves the program should be prepared to step into their next stage of life feeling confident that wrestling has given them the skills necessary to be successful.”

Allemang’s assistants are Kellan Stout, Matt Cardello and volunteer Chris Kolling.

Tags: Thomas Jefferson