Two wrestlers reached 100 victories as Panthers while nationally ranked Collin Gaj remains undefeated at 36-0.
By Gary Weckselblatt
As they prepare for postseason tournaments, Quakertown Community High School’s wrestlers completed another successful dual meet campaign, reaching the state tournament with a 15-8 record.
Sophomore Collin Gaj, 36-0 and ranked in the top 10 nationally, impressively bumped up two weight classes to 160 pounds to edge Council Rock South's Bek Sadriddinov in the District One team duals to help the Panthers qualify for states. “He’s as talented as they come,” Coach Kurt Handel said of the 145-pounder. “Collin’s a real team player and his ability to wrestle at different weights has made the team stronger.”
Two Panthers - Zach Borzio, 31-8, and Mason Ziegler, 33-4 - each achieved 100 victories during the duals season. Mason won six matches in districts and states, including five by fall.
“That’s a testament to both the wrestlers and their families,” Coach Handel said of 100 wins. “They’ve been wrestling since youth clubs so they have the skillset. Kudos to them. It’s also a testament to their families and their sacrifices, traveling on Fridays and Saturdays to tournaments when they were young, 5- and 6-year-olds. They wrestle as youths and in middle school. We polish them up. I’m so proud of them.”
Collin, first at 145 pounds; Mason, second at 121 pounds; and Zach, third at 152 pounds, are ranked among the area’s top wrestlers by
phillyburbs.com. Calvin Lachman, 32-4, is first at 215 pounds; and Issac Williams, 26-11, is fourth at 114 pounds.
Other big winners this year have been Gavin Carroll, 13-1; Max Hibsman, 10-8; and Logan Pfistner, 21-15. Gavin and Max are sophomores, and Logan is a freshman.
“The progress our young kids and inexperienced wrestlers have made is impressive,” Coach Handel said. “Seven positions have been filled by freshman and sophomores.
In the state duals, Quakertown fell to Chambersburg, 36-31
“When you hit that state level, teams have full lineups with experience top to bottom.
We were seeded sixth in districts and finished fourth (to qualify for states). That’s pretty much all you can ask for.”
Gary Weckselblatt, QCSD Director of Communications, writes about the people and the programs that impact the Quakertown Community School District. He can be reached at 215-529-2028 or [email protected].