Butler senior Santino Sloboda and Belle Vernon senior Elijah Brown will look to add their names to a growing list of three-time WPIAL wrestling champions Saturday at the Class 3A championships at Canon-McMillan.
The list is currently at 89 members.
Derry’s Mason Horwat and Brady Brown are also aiming to join the group Saturday at the WPIAL Class 2A tournament at Chartiers Valley.
Sloboda used a first period takedown and held off Connellsville junior Nolan Rice, 4-2, in a 127-pound semifinal.
Brown continued his dominance in the 215-pound weight class with a technical fall, 18-0, against Penn-Trafford’s Cael Ott.
Peters Township junior Nicholas McGarrity will have wait for his senior season to become a three-time winner. He lost to Pine-Richland sophomore Bennett Ferarro, 12-9, in the semifinals.
Looking for their second titles are Hempfield senior Nico Kapusta at 121, Connellsville junior Kai Vielma at 145 and Kiski Area senior Cooper Roscosky at 215.
Kapusta and Roscosky face difficult challenges.
Kapusta will match up against Norwin junior Landon Sidun, who is chasing his first WPIAL title. Roscosky faces Brown, the returning PIAA champion at 215.
Four Norwin wrestlers reached the finals. Joining Sidun are Brooks Blasko (139), Nathan Klingensmith (145) and Jack White (160). The Knights also will advance four others to the PIAA West Regional next week at Canon-McMillan.
The Bigs Macs have two in the finals and nine advancing. Joining Roscosky in the finals from Kiski Area is sophomore Mario Hutcherson (189). Moon, Thomas Jefferson and West Allegheny also have two in the finals.
The finals and placement matches are set for 3 p.m. Saturday.