ATHENS ADVANCES THREE TO SEMIFINALS AT NEW OXFORD; TWO ALIVE IN WRESTLEBACKS

By: Tim Birney  /  January 14, 2022

NEW OXFORD, Pa. — Athens seniors Gavin Bradley, Kaden Setzer, and Karter Rude advanced to the semifinals of the New Oxford Tournament here Friday, while sophomore Josh Nittinger and freshman Caleb Nason are alive in wrestlebacks.

Athens is in 15th place in the 23-team field with 47 points. Bishop McDevitt leads the pack with 104 points, while Carlisle is second with 93.5, and Canton is third with 91. Troy is in seventh place with 60 points.

Top-seeded Bradley, who received a bye into the 113-pound quarterfinals, needed just 55 seconds to pin Troy’s Caleb Schwenk in his only match of the day.

Bradley will face Bishop McDevitt’s Michael Beutler in the semifinals.

Setzer, the second seed at 132 pounds, advanced to the semifinals with a pair of quick pins.

After receiving a bye in the round-of-16, Setzer pinned Carlisle’s Chase Brenneman in 33 seconds.

In the quarterfinals, Setzer needed just 29 seconds to flatten Greencastle-Antim’s Garrett Keener.

Setzer will face York Suburban’s Bryson Neidigh in the semifinals.

Rude, the fifth seed at 152 pounds, decked Delone Catholic’s Domonic Giraffa in 4:13 in the round-of-16.

In the quarterfinals, Rude used a five-point move midway through the first period to take a 7-1 lead, on his way to a 9-2 win over fourth-seeded Jarrett Wilson of Carlisle.

Rude will face ninth-seeded Tyler Bard of West York in the semifinals. Bard upset top-seeded Gage Bishop of Biglerville, 3-2, in the quarterfinals.

At 285 pounds, junior Josh Nittinger decked Hanover’s Evan Fiorello in 2:34 in the round-of-16.

In the quarterfinals, Nittinger lost via fall to Carlisle’s Layton Schmick.

At 215 pounds, freshman Caleb Nason lost via fall in 3:01 to Canton’s Gage Pepper in the round-of-16, but bounced back with a pin of LaSalle’s Matt Sorge in 2:55 in his only wrestleback match.

Freshman Keaton Sinsabaugh was 1-2 on the day, his win a 52-second fall over Northeaster’s Tyler Wales in his first wrestleback match.

Freshman Keegan Congdon was 1-2 in the 145-pound weight class. He won his first wrestleback match by fall in 2:45 over Greencastle-Antim’s Mason Booze.

Senior Gavin McGrath was 0-2 at 132 pounds, and senior Cameron Whitmarsh went 0-2 at 172 pounds.