Solanco's Thomas Haines pinned his way to the 285-pound title at Escape the Rock wrestling tournament.
After receiving a first round bye, the undefeated three-time state champion pinned Jim Galasso of Father Judge in the second round and Kevin Saucedo of Forest Park in the quarterfinals. At first glance, wrestling and golf seem to have little in common. Unless that first glance includes Solanco High School senior Connor Sheehan. Sheehan has wrestled his way to one state-level competition and is working toward another. He has also qualified for two state-level golf tournaments, the only Solanco golfer ever to do so. There are similarities to the two seemly disparate sports, he said. "In golf, it's almost purely mental," he said. "They're both mental sports and require technique, but with wrestling, you also have to be strong. The Solanco wrestling team captured the team title at the Penn Manor tournament Saturday.
Thomas Haines (285) won an individual title to top the list of 10 Mule placewinners. Solanco (199) defeated second place Liberty by 9.5 points in the 25-team tournament. Garden Spot (169.5) was third. "I was super shocked at our overall team performance," Solanco coach John Little said. "We had 10 wrestlers place. I could not have been more pleased with the aggressive style of wrestling we saw from our wrestlers in this tournament." Haines won his first two matches by fall and got a forfeit in the finals. The Mules had three other finalists – Connor Sheehan (113), Alec Proffitt (120), and Bo Spiller (220). Sheehan lost a 3-2 decision to KJ Fenstemacher of Liberty in the title bout. Proffitt dropped a 12-5 decision to Ty Reynolds of Washington. Spiller was nipped 3-2 by Thomas Ott of Cape Henlopen (Del.). Solanco's Shane DeVoe was fourth at 195 pounds. Wyatt Jennings (132) and Dalton Groff (152) each finished fourth. Taylor Morrison (120), Kody Hart (145), and Karson Beane (160) each had a seventh place finish. Four was the magic number at the Mule Classic wrestling tournament. Solanco's Thomas Haines became the first four-time champion and the host Mules captured four individual titles. John Carroll (Md.) also had four champions and edged Solanco to take the team title. Haines pinned Trista Coello of Blue Mountain in the finals. Connor Sheehan (113), Wyatt Jennings (132), and Bo Spiller (220) also won a title for the Mules. Sheehan decisioned John Carroll's C.J. Skokowski in the championship bout. Jennings prevailed by injury default in the finals. Spiller pinned Mark Remmey of Central Bucks East. Solanco's Kody Hart was the runnerup at 145 pounds. Alec Proffitt (126) was third. Shane Devoe (195) had a fifth place finish. John Carroll (207.5) downed the Mules (193) in the 15-team tournament. The Solanco wrestling team is looking to extend an impressive streak while Thomas Haines is trying to make history. While the Mules are vying for a fifth straight Section One title, Haines will be attempting to capture a fourth state title. Last year, Haines (career record of 132-5) became the 40th Pennsylvania wrestler to win three state titles. Only 10 have claimed four with Haines and Kennard-Dale's Chance Marsteller having the chance to join that exclusive club this season. Solanco High School senior Thomas Haines has signed a letter of intent to wrestle with Ohio State. Haines, seen here with his parents, David and Sandy Haines, will major in business and finance. Haines has won three PIAA state wrestling championships. Following his victory last season, he became the 40th wrestler to win three state titles. If he repeats this year, he will be one of fewer than a dozen wrestlers to win four state titles. He is excited about the coming season and his opportunities at Ohio State, Haines said Friday morning. |
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