When Norwin wrestled at Canon-McMillan on Dec. 2, Knights’ junior Landon Sidun was the enemy.
That will change Monday and Tuesday when Sidun competes in the 59th annual Powerade Tournament at Canon-McMillan. Sidun will be cheered again because he might be the only wrestler from the WPIAL to challenge for a gold medal.
Sidun is the returning champion at 121 pounds, and he is looking forward to defending his title. He defended his Beast of the East crown Sunday at the University of Delaware by going 6-0 and improving to 17-0.
He has won 51 consecutive matches since losing 5-4 to Butler’s Santino Sloboda in the 2024 WPIAL finals. He is 89-2 in his career and was a PIAA champion in 2024. A hand injury kept him out of the 2025 WPIAL and PIAA tournaments.
“I feel the Powerade Tournament has become the top tournament in the country,” Sidun said. “There are going to be so many great wrestlers there with all the private schools entered.
“I am looking forward to competing against the best like I did at the Beast of the East. I am super excited. It is like the highlight of the season, all the Christmas tournaments. It is a special time of the season.”
The Penn State commit is off to a great start this season. He has recorded five wins by technical fall and seven by fall.
“I am always excited to see where I am at and see all the training I did all summer long to see where I got better,” Sidun said. “I work hard because I feel there are areas I must get better at.
“I really grew as a wrestler this summer. I am able to hand fight the shots better and able to hold my position better.”
Former Frazier wrestler Jackson Angelo, a senior, finished second at the Beast of the East at 175 pounds. Angelo, a West Virginia commit who transferred to Lake Highlands Prep, Fla., dropped a 5-2 sudden victory decision to Don Bosco Prep’s Santino Rodriguez.
Angelo will be competing at the Powerade Tournament. He was ranked 19th in the country prior to the Beast of the East.
There are 81 teams in this year’s tournament. There are eight returning champions and eight runner-ups.
Among the returning champions are Bishop McCort’s Bo Bassett (145), Jax Forrest (133) and Melvin Miller (160). Also back are Grove City’s Chase Karenbauer (107), St. Edward’s Karson Brown (127) and Cameron Sontz (114) and Jayden James (160) of Delbarton (N.J.).
Bishop McCort is the returning team champion.
The WPIAL teams entered in the tournament are Canon-McMillan, Connellsville, Derry, Franklin Regional, Kiski Area, Latrobe, Moon, Mt. Lebanon, Norwin, Penn-Trafford, Central Catholic, Quaker Valley, Shaler, Thomas Jefferson, Trinity, Waynesburg and West Greene.
Powerade schedule
At Canon-McMillan
Saturday: Girls opening rounds, 5 p.m.
Sunday: Girls semifinals and finals, 11:30 a.m.
Monday: Boys opening rounds, 8 a.m.; boys quarterfinals, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday: Boys semifinals, 11 a.m.; boys finals 3 p.m.