Franklin Regional junior Michael Ruane won his first WPIAL Class 3A wrestling title Feb. 21 and ended a short three-year drought for the program.
After having a champion every year from 2008-21, the Panthers did not have a champion until Ruane defeated Plum senior Owen Campbell, 2-1.
Ruane (41-3) is ranked ninth at 152 pounds in the state, according to Pa-Power Wrestling as he tried to qualify for the PIAA tournament on March 5-7 at the Giant Center in Hershey.
The top five in each weight class qualified for the state tournament for the PIAA West Regional, held Feb. 28 at Canon-McMillan.
Franklin Regional’s list of WPIAL champions includes Spencer Lee, Nico Megaludis, Micheal Kemmerer, Carter Dibert, Devin Brown, Josh Shields, Josh Maruca, Colton Camacho, Finn Soloman and Steve Bucciero.
Ruane not only must battle some of the top wrestlers from the WPIAL — Norwin freshman Noah Curran, Connellsville sophomore Luke Lilley and North Allegheny senior Griffin Reid — he also has State College junior James Whitbred (41-3) and Bellefonte senior Ezra Swisher (34-9) to contend with in his weight class. Whitbred is ranked fourth in the state and Swisher fifth.
Joining Ruane at the regional were Panthers junior Sal Colangelo (107), sophomore Beau Fennick (114), junior Titus Colangelo (121), junior Chase Smith (139), junior Ethan Cartwright (172) and sophomore John Montgomery (285).
Smith placed third at WPIALs, Titus Colangelo and Cartwright were fourth, Fennick and Montgomery were fifth, and Sal Colangelo was sixth.
The Panthers were WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A team champions.
Firestine injured at practice
The Panthers were missing one of their young stars in the individual tournaments.
Sophomore Max Firestine, a PIAA qualifier in 2025, sustained a broken nose and concussion at practice prior to the Eastern qualifier Feb. 14 and could not compete.
Frisk places third
The WPIAL junior high tournament was held Jan. 14, and Jayce Frisk placed third in the 82-pound class.
He defeated Norwin’s Easton Hertzog, 6-4. He went 5-1 in the tournament.
Frisk competed in junior high states at Johnstown on Feb. 27-28.