WPIAL Class AAA wrestling notebook: Kiski Area’s Blumer ties pins record

By: Greg Macafee
Friday, February 28, 2020 | 10:12 PM

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Kiski Area’s Jack Blumer has racked up pins throughout his entire wrestling career. On Friday, he reached a milestone not many have. With a pin of Hempfield’s Trevor Verkleeren in 55 seconds, Blumer earned career pin No. 106 and tied the Cavaliers career pin record set by Shane Kuhn.

“Junior year, I saw that I could potentially beat it and I’ve just been getting closer and closer,” Blumer said. “So I kinda wanted to get it and I wanted to break it. It just so happens that I’m right on it now.”

There it is! @KAWrestling’s Jack Blumer ties the Kiski Area career pin record at 106. He pinned Hempfields Trevor Verkleeren in :55 seconds.

In their section championship matchup Verkleeren avoided a pin and also ended Blumer’s 14 match pin streak. @TribLiveHSSN pic.twitter.com/URb5U6j2js

— Greg Macafee (@greg_macafee) February 29, 2020

Just last week, Blumer and Verkleeren met in the 160-pound Section1-AAA championship. Verkleeren avoided a pin and ended a 14-match pin streak that Blumer had built since late December.

“It felt good and I didn’t feel like I wrestled my best in that section final,” Blumer said. “So just being able to go out there and do what I do felt good.”

The West Virginia commit could break the school record Saturday in the semifinals where he’ll face Connellsville’s Casper Hinklie.

Chalk semis

At the end of the night Friday, seven weight classes saw the top four seeds advance to the semifinals. The 113, 126, 138, 170, 182, 195, and 285-pound brackets all have their top four seeds remaining.

The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds are still alive in every bracket.

Fab five

After the first day of the WPIAL meet, Waynesburg still has five wrestlers contending for a championship.

Mac Church (106), Rocco Welsh (126), Cole Homet (132), Wyatt Henson (138) and Luca Augustine are still alive heading into Saturday.

Wyatt Henson was the biggest scorer of the group. Between his two matches, the junior scored 48 total points and earned two technical falls in a total of 8:01. He’ll face off Saturday with Seneca Valley’s Chanz Shearer, whom he beat at the Powerade tournament by a 13-5 major decision in December.

Cramer sidelined

Jeannette senior Justin Cramer, who wrestles for Hempfield, was scratched from tournament with a hand injury, according to Hempfield coach Tommy Dolde.

Cramer finished second in the Section 1 tournament last week and finished his career 98-45. He was 25-9 this season.

Cramer competed for Jeannette his freshman season and Hempfield the past three.

Others scratched from the tournament were Thomas Jefferson senior Jake Fisher (195) and South Fayette senior Dawson Anderson (126).

Reaching a milestone

Ringgold senior Jacob Duncan, who won the Section 2 title at 152 last week, reached the 100-win milestone in the consolation round. Duncan pinned Penn Hills senior Mike DeVito at 1:49. He is 32-6 this season.

Team leaders

Waynesburg, the WPIAL Class AAA team tournament champion, leads the team standings with 71.5 points.

Connellsville is second with four semifinals and 61 team points. The Falcons to advance were Mason Prinkey (13), Jace Ross (120), Jared Keslar (145) and Casper Hinkle (160).

Canon-McMillan is third with 60 points and three semifinals. Kiski Area also has four semifinals and is in fifth place with 57.5 points behind fourth-place Seneca Valley with 58.

Greg Macafee is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Greg by email at gmacafee@triblive.com or via Twitter .

Tags: Hempfield, Kiski Area, Ringgold, Waynesburg